Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

SHIP: 229. Location: Above UNDERGROUND.

Larrs took another drink of his coffee as he stared at his screen. “This will never work. He never strikes FRISK until it commits genocide.”

“Reset again.”

“What’s the use? This plan isn’t working.” Larrs looked over toward Frank. “He does not strike unless FRISK is completely crazy with LOVE. Even when the mission does succeed, the Monster just completely destroys him. No compassion.”

“Well, what do you expect?” Frank added as he rubbed his head. “FRISK is down there, annihilating everything the Monster knows and loves? Hello. I wouldn’t let it go either. Larrs, pour me some of that coffee. This is going to be another all-nighter.”

“When FRISK is decent though, he has no reason to strike it,” Larrs reminded Frank as he poured him some coffee. “We’ve been through this, that doesn’t work either. We’ve done this how many times? 300? 400? Been here half a year on this project alone.”

“That’s true,” Frank agreed as he took some coffee for himself. “At least the Frisks inside FRISK gets a sanity break. Don’t forget, there’s real people inside that thing.”

Larrs groaned as he glared at Frank. “He’s not going to strike FRISK if it’s good. Hell, he helps the damn thing out when it’s good! But that Monster is not going to let anything go if it’s causing genocide. Shit, Frank, we have a better chance of the conduit running away.”

“He won’t run away,” Frank reminded him. “You know the process. Alone it’s too small, can’t walk well, can’t talk well, yada yada. Not for a little while and he’d be blasted to kingdom come before he even uttered anything.”

“Yeah,” Larrs half agreed but winked at Frank. “If momma survived though, she’d save him. Frisk has a lot of DETERMINATION. Lowly human, but she’d take that Monster on for it.”

“Forget it, I don’t care,” Frank muttered. “It’s been half a year! The timelines may differ radically depending on what Dannick does from in FRISK, but it always comes down to the same damn thing. Set the Monster to start remembering.”

“What? Whoah. Wait, whenever we do that, it never works out. Monsters go insane, and before you know it, they start … only half existing.” Larrs rubbed his eyes. “It’s not going to work, and we are going to lose our one shot at this.”

“We’ve seen it for half a year. I’m tired of being up here, and you are tired of being up here. Setting it on reset is not going to do anything new.”

“The Monster remembers on its own though enough,” Larrs reminded Frank as he yawned. “How many times have we seen him do that judging thing against FRISK? Know something that he shouldn’t. Recognize something’s wrong.”

“It’s just a look, man. It’s just got some weird ability to see inside. Some of the old classic Monsters do that weird shit, you know that. It doesn’t really remember anything. Maybe it’s like a déjà vu or something to it because of some glitch in the software too. I really don’t care at this point. Project UNDERTALE would be under lackeys if it wasn’t so damn important.” Frank leaned against the wall, staring at the latest battle against Sans the Skeleton. “It’s hard, man. This is it, this is all we need to take it all down. To free humanity again. Just this.” He pointed at the screen. “Just crack this.”

“If something happens to that Monster. Just like the other times, Frank …”

“It won’t be the strongest, but there are other choices. Hell, we could get King Asgore for it if we needed to.”

“That’d kill it. It’d be incompatible, you know that! Forgot our jobs, they’d kill us if we killed it.”

“Alright, fine.” Larrs pressed in some buttons. “Twenty rounds of memory?”

“Fifty, I would think.”

“Fifty could break the mind. By ten, they start to commit suicide to try and escape reset.”

“I’ve seen some go thirty rounds before they start pulling things together enough. It just depends on the Monster. Look, Sans the Skeleton is a knock-knock joke kick-back guy. I wouldn’t expect that for at least fifty resets. Maybe sixty. So, forty?”

“Fine, let’s start with forty. We’ll watch the Monster’s progress and decide whether to up or lower it.”

“Either way, we need to put in less genocide. All the Frisks are going to start getting suspicious that the real mission isn’t to get to the surface.”

“What do I look like, someone who can talk to PERSEVERANCE? They are all on their own, as always. Don’t worry. The leader’s got DETERMINATION like none I’ve seen before.”

“Sure, but we should still consider wiping out another part of their memories. Forty sessions maybe? We can’t let them crack, and they are around … seventy? Shouldn’t we erase soon?”

“Mmmmm … we’ll watch her.”

————————————

Author's Note: Welcome to the world of Undertale, written by Toby Fox. I of course own no rights to this fiction. It was done purely for entertainment.

I have never written in Undertale before, so this is a new adventure for me. Each chapter is usually 3000-5000 words.

*This work contains spoilers like crazy. I imagine this should be the case with several pieces of Undertale fanfiction.

Mentioning Chara: Just to end any controversy before it begins, Chara isn't bad in here. Some may mistake her as bad in the fiction, but she isn't. She is actually hardly referenced until later. Flowey also has a significant role. Without both of them, this story wouldn't be half as good.

I don't like to throw in so many author notes, but this is a prologue to a long and fun piece. Plus, I am sure by now Frisk, Frisky, FRISK, is probably getting confusing. Don't worry, it will all be coming together in the next chapter.

Chapter Text

Again. Again. If it had been anyone but Sans, the guy stuck in his role would hate to even see this kid anymore. The one who might later have a killer knife. The one who would gain a weird locket. The same kid he let go for Toriel. The same kid who gave him his taste of sun for the first time.    

He just tossed a bone up and down in the air, waiting. Waiting for the chance of freedom. 

There was always something Sans hadn’t liked from inside of Frisk, but no matter how many times he had tried, he couldn’t predict when the kid turned. The first time they met, sometimes he was already too far gone. Covered in the stench of so much death.  

Then sometimes he’d meet him and the kid was fine. Felt a little strange, but otherwise fine. Determined but somewhat normal kid who didn’t hurt anyone. Many times it went out of its way not to hurt anyone. After a few resets, Sans came to a harsh conclusion. A strange conclusion, but it was the only thing that fit. 

The kid had to have some form of possession on him. Something kept having a hold of it, and until that something was destroyed? The resetting hell would continue. He tried to keep his spirits up, but whether good or bad timelines, life became so predictable. Just a constant play. Everything always felt the same, until Judgment Hall.    

Something strangely enriching about when he got to fight in there. Because of some bizarre error, he was stuck his entire life with one hit point. But, damn. The resets. Over and over, dealing with the determination of that thing. He learned how to talk just right. How to fight just right. Especially dodging. No matter how strong the kid was, he would be killed and reset several times over. All for his little one hit point … and then he’d just come back and add something else new to the mix to stir the thing up next time.  

Except, the last reset. He saw something last time, remembered it clear as a bell.  

He.  Almost. Won.  

The thing called FRISK that was sometimes good, and sometimes bad.   When it tried the Mercy trick, Sans used his attack that squeezed too tight for a soul heart to escape. He’d done it several times over several timelines but this time the results were . . .gruesome. He heard not just a scream, but several screams.  

There were more than one body and soul inside of FRISK. It was an amalgamate somehow?  

Too shocked by what happened, he had aimed, destroying one of the humans that appeared. It didn’t reset.   But, he heard something else scream reset.  

Sending him right back to the beginning again! But, it didn’t dash his hopes. Instead, Sans started thinking. He thought more and more. If he could make that happen again. If he could dismantle the invincible FRISK again. Make sure nothing survived in time to reset, this would end.  

Life. He could have a life again. Except for one thing. 

His best chance was when FRISK didn’t have much LV or EXP. No locket. No knife. He’d be able to fight for much longer. Not only that, but if it did work? If the resets stopped, he’d actually have the Underground. His brother. A life again.    

That small strain of hope kept him going as he waited behind the pillar. He waited for the sounds of the confused kid that had been coming. He stayed on the other side of the pillar and waited for its approach. 

-------------------  

Okay, what? FRISK looked around. FRISK was just about to go into Alphys lab, when she found herself suddenly walking down judgment hall. Ahead of her, she saw Sans.   

“So you finally made it,” Sans said. “The end of your journey is at hand.”  

FRISK remained calm. How they glitched from coming to the lab all the way to judgment hall was anybody’s guess. Nothing was impossible, but the dark silhouette of Sans in front of them was never comforting. Even when he was friendly, he always seemed to stir emotion up. Almost more than any other.    

He was the only one she couldn’t seem to find out how to get mercy from. She had hurt not even a single soul this run, so he should let her pass. No worries. Except for the fact that she shouldn't have been there yet . . . just a glitch in the system.  

“In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together … you will determine the future of this world. That’s then. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for every action. You will be judged for every EXP you’ve earned.”  

PATIENCE: Frisky, he’s tossing a bone in the air now. He doesn’t look friendly at all this time.  

“What’s EXP?” Sans continued. “It’s an acronym. It stands for Execution Points.” He stopped tossing the bone and held it tight. “A way of quantifying the pain you’ve inflicted on others.”   

Stay calm. When he spoke, it was with the same kind of words he always used. Some of them changed here and there over all the resets, but it was similarly close. Still, she could understand the jumpiness of her team. Sans did have a stranger sound to his voice he had never had before.   

Not as far back as she was allowed to remember anyhow.    

“When you kill someone,” Sans continued, “your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for Level of Violence. A way of measuring someone’s capacity to hurt.”  

PATIENCE: He let the bone drop to the ground. Oh, did you hear that thud? I’m telling you, he knows something.  

KINDNESS: Of course he knows something.  Some computer readings or something. That’s it.  

PERSEVERANCE: Yeah, but lately he has really known something.  

Guys, quiet. Let me concentrate.  

Sans had gone on talking about his judgment but it sounded like he would be reaching the end soon.  

“ . . . but you. You never gained any LOVE. ‘Course, that doesn’t mean you’re completely innocent or naïve. Just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart.” Sans approached closer.  

PERSEVERANCE: He’s coming closer. He doesn’t do that. He never approached me.  

Calm down, everyone. It's okay.   

“You know, usually at this point unless you are completely genocidal, I just let you go,” Sans answered. “I spare you and let you do your thing. Get your pointless ending.”    

FRISK's eyes popped open a second as she felt a wave of power rush beside her head.  

“Unfortunately, that’s not gonna happen because I am tired of this.” Sans grinded his teeth against each other. “And even if you never hurt anyone now, you have before. So, I don’t even feel guilty about this. Let’s do it. One more time, kid.”  

-----------------------  

Several Days Later . . .  

Easy peasy. Wow, he didn’t even break a sweat yet. FRISK was fully charged again, but having never fought anything or gaining any EXP had kept it at too low of a level to survive even a single attack for long. Shoot, there was even a good chance he’d be able to take a nap and the kid wouldn’t attempt to hit him.  He never took it that far, but he knew he'd be in it for a long haul. He didn't constantly attack, but he took time for himself. He still only had one hit point, and he needed to be careful not to get too tired.   

Before he brought Frisk to the battlefield he loaded himself up with everything that he could afford. Glamburgers and Grillby's almost fell out of his pockets. Without sleep, he was going to need something to help keep him going.  

The sound of a crumbling heart from the attacks were constant, except when FRISK backed off from coming near him. It needed sleep and food too. As long as it didn’t try to go back and start murdering innocent monsters to level up though, he’d let it do its thing.  

So far, the kid hadn't tried to hit him once though. Not once. They'd been going at it for so long, that even the food wasn't going to constantly be able to keep him going. Still, Frisk didn't change. It refused to change, and just kept putting its hand on the Mercy button.  

“I’ll just take you out again. I won’t bend for mercy.” Sans used his attack again. He usually reserved it for the moment the genocidal Frisk decided on a whim to spare him. It beat down hard, too fast, and defeated him. It was perfect, but it took some power to hold it up longer.  

For this Frisk, it didn’t take much energy at all. But, since this Frisk did nothing but heal and Mercy, he had to vary his attacks.  

Frisky groaned. I am trying really hard.  I’ve never given up before, but there’s nothing here on the menu. Like always. I can't even talk to him. Sans never has a way to spare him.  

Sans didn’t care about the tears, the begging, or the whining. Dying hurts? Of course it did, and he didn't care. He never cared. Yep, her team saved, died, and came back over and over. Dying hurt each time, but not as bad as it would soon. Once deserted, she would fill the full brunt of the pain, zapping her power.  

Frisky held DETERMINATION, and always lasted the longest. The others will power would be fading soon, and only her and PERSEVERANCE would be left.  

Thus had it always been. A constant battle between DETERMINATION and PERSEVERANCE.  

INTEGRITY: I refuse to do this anymore. He’ll never change. Please. Don’t let him hurt you anymore.  

JUSTICE: I agree, this is getting pointless. I'm out.  

PERSEVERANCE: Always told you guys.  

KINDNESS: Shut up, PERSEVERANCE! I'm still here, Frisky. I got your back, girl. At least, a few more hours. Minutes. Maybe. 

*You're all pathetic. Push it onto them again. Go hide away, go sleep inside. Wussies. Always the same.  

BRAVERY: I can't keep up the will. I am so sorry. Maybe let PERSEVERANCE take over? You can't beat Sans, and you won't let this go if you do everything right but kill him.  

I won’t do that. I won’t hurt anyone, and I will not give up control. Frisk tried to keep the emotions back.  

*They all left you again, Frisky.   

I can't blame them, Chara. Every human has a limit.  

*Yeah, and yours is coming up soon too. He is starting to stir.  

I will figure this out. I will, just, help me hold him asleep too? Please?  

*That means you'll be completely on your own. Only PERSEVERANCE will be here.  

Please? This is my timeline. I worked hard on it, and I can't just give this up to PERSEVERANCE. Please?  

*Stop the gushing. I'm out.  

Okay. Alright. Just concentrate. It's no different. It just hurt a thousand times worse. No, no, no. I will do this. 

Frisky stood still. What could she do? If she just came at him again, he’d tear her up in a second. The pain didn’t last long before it disappeared, but even a second of it was horrible. It was even worse when she managed to survive longer, bones jig jagging out of her soul. She was the one in charge of the body now. Complete control, everyone's soul fell asleep except PERSEVERANCE. Even Chara could not help.   

When it felt pain, she felt pain, no one else. No one was going to help her, and Sans wouldn’t let her pass.  

No option worked.  

Frisk looked ahead of her. Why would he disturb a good timeline, just to fight? Why? He obviously remembered. He was the one who took FRISK from coming up to the lab, into Judgment Hall. If he remembers that we split apart, then maybe. Maybe he knows a way to free us? If we split again, I think this will be over. No more resets.  

PERSEVERANCE: No.  Hell no.  

This needs to end. Wake PATIENCE up.    

PERSEVERANCE: Suicide.  

PATIENCE!  Wake PATIENCE up, PERSEVERANCE. You know you want out of this just as much. We can’t stay like this forever. This mission is a failure because we can’t reset correctly, and I am so tired of living this over and over. Breaks aren’t going to change it. Mind wipes aren’t going to change it.  

PERSEVERANCE: I promise I won’t reset a happy ending. I haven't been resetting! I am beyond the point of caring! I just want out too, but this is not the way!  

PATIENCE: No, PERSEVERANCE, 95452 is right. We all knew this could happen if a conduit is set wrong. We’ll just keep coming back.   

PERSEVERANCE: Oh yeah? 95452, you know what happens when you fail a mission. Are you going to accept it?  

There is no way to win. This is the only way out, or we're stuck like this forever. 

PERSEVERANCE: Will you accept it? Declare it. No foul misgivings here. 

PATIENCE: Okay … okay. I will work out the mathematics.  

PERSEVERANCE: Come on, DETERMINATION. Frisky. 

Do not call me that while in battle. That is breaking violations in your position. 

PERSEVERANCE: Failed Mission. Say it. 

PERSEVERANCE, wake everyone but him up. They should know. Once Frisk felt the power of everyone returned, she began. I, Frisk 95452, PACIFIST soldier of Mission Surface Seven, deem this mission a failure.  She heard several complaints from her whole team. This mission cannot be resolved.   

INTEGRITY: We can't quit. Failure isn't an option. We're not living the rest of our lives like this. I'm not doing that!  

Last time, Sans split us. The accuracy of measurements could be tried a second time. PATIENCE is on it.  

PATIENCE: There is an eighty percent probability at least a few of us will survive, if factors from the last split are the same. The conduit of course will survive. Failsafe, Frisky. He'll be okay no matter what.  

I know. We need to try.  

KINDESS: Oh, to do this, we will completely corrupt the Underground. Bad things, errors, oh man. A conduit doesn't break down here! 

INTEGRITY: Kindness is right. We should think about it.  

I don't know why Sans remembered last time. That itself could be a glitch. There is no guarantee he will remember the next time. He needs to have the strength to split just right, and knowing PERSEVERANCE, he won't get the chance to rest.  

PERSEVERANCE: Always have to give me a bad rap? I am trying to save lives!  

By killing Monsters.  

PERSEVERANCE: Fuck you, Frisky. I see which way this war needs to go. You don't know shit. But, damn! Ugh. I hate Sans. Such a hard thing to kill, especially lately. He is just getting worse. If he kills me, I will haunt the Underground.  

*Join the Conga line.  

If he hits us just right, if we split just right . . . we could dismantle FRISK.  

PERSEVERANCE: If I live, I'll go kill Papyrus just to piss him off.   

INTEGRITY: No, don't you start that! If we live, we will rendezvous and contact home base. Leave them alone.  

BRAVERY: Yeah. I'll take you on with my twin brother, no sweat, GENOCIDER.  

KINDESS: I will kill you PERSEVERANCE if you lay one hand on my Toriel!  You bastard, she does nothing but give you pie and you just play with her emotions! 

Okay, I think this sounds resolved. It's time. PATIENCE? The calculations and everyone get ready. 

---------------------  

Well. It looked like it worked. On the ground laid a strange body near him. It looked like a girl. Hm. He held his hand out to her, but not as a hand up. He aimed it at her. He wasn’t stupid after all. Her body was blurry, ghostly. It hardly had form.  

“Stop. Stop being so scary,” she told him.  “I don’t think . . .” Her body was barely even seen now.    

Sans watched her form completely dissipate. While he did that, he kept himself on complete alert. He walked across the Judgment Hall. When it split itself in the attack, it split far.    

There was a ghostly form that just passed, but from what he saw, there was a three, maybe four way split. Most of the pieces looked like they weren’t big enough to even be separated bodies.  

“Die!”  

Sans didn’t even turn around to see his protective bones take out the enemy. He turned around after the fact and saw red glowing eyes shining back, lifeless through the pile of bones. It slumped, died, but didn’t reset. Anything moving, first strike. I am not letting this go this time.  

“Sans, help! Sans! Sans!”  

Hm? Sans watched as a really small looking human waddled his way. Really small. He had assumed last time that Frisk was eight or ten or something, but . . . he didn’t look much older than two or three. Except maybe that?  

“Sans! Sans!” It kept walking to him, squeezing its hands in its palms, in and out. It had the same hair he remembered. His shirt was the same too, but way too big for him. It was more of a blanket than a shirt.  

How in the-it remembers me, but doesn’t fear me at all? Hmm. He knew it didn’t have much power level, and it could barely walk well, so it wasn’t a threat. He watched its little face as it trundled over to him and placed its small hands on his coat. There was nothing evil in its eyes. It must have been a real kid in the amalgamate. It made it out somehow. But, how did it get mixed up in all that other stuff? Just what the heck tripped into the Ruins?  Well, lucky you. “Hey, kid. You’ve done a mess of damage.”  

It just touched its lip and stared up at him. “I did, Sans?”  

“Yeah, but. I’ll, uh, let it slip this time.” He’d already had time to judge him. There was nothing more evil that didn’t linger in every other Monster. Whatever it was that had felt wrong, it was right now. The kid was just . . . a regular little kid.  

“Oh, oh!” The kid started to jump beside him.    

“Kay? I don’t get what you’re driving at.” The boy patted his clothes harder and motioned farther away. Oh. The extras. No one else survived except this kid. “Later, kiddo. Let’s get you out of here. I know a shortcut.”  

-------------------------------  

Frisk woke up, but his body felt so weak. Momma? He expected her to answer. In fact, when he accidentally woke up, there were usually a ton of voices ricocheting in his head. He placed his hands out and pushed himself up. Wow. He was small, way smaller than he should have been. His sweater was too big on him.  

He must have become separated. As he looked around though, his legs started to tremble. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be! There were body parts all around him. He scrambled to move away, but his balance was off. He knew such a long time together with different souls changed him severely when they all broke apart, but he had to move away!  

Where was he? It was golden. There were pillars. Where was he? Momma!  He couldn’t remember anything except . . .  

“I’m going to Grillby’s. Do you want to join me?”  

“Have you ever heard of the Echo Flower?”  

“Burgers or Fries?”  

“My brother always wanted to see a human.”  

Sans! That’s it, he did remember something about the Underground mission.  Not that it would do any good, where was he in the mission?  

“Die,” he heard behind him. He got scared and tumbled, but turned back around. There was some kind of person on top of a pile of bonish . . . Ewww! He wanted to close his eyes to the horror, but then he saw him.  

Sans, the funny skeleton guy! He tried to call out, to tell him that he needed to find his mom, that something went wrong, and that he needed help. He tried to run, but all he could manage was a fast enough waddle that wouldn’t make him tumble. Oh, it was like retraining his body again when he finally got it back. If he could just say something though. “Sans, help! Sans! Sans!”  

There, some voice now. He tried to move even faster. Sans wasn’t moving toward him. Maybe he was scared of the place too? It was a horrible place, and they needed to leave. When he reached him though, he couldn’t say a full sentence like ‘Sans, we need to get out of here, it’s dangerous. The team will find us, they're all pros, let’s go.’ He couldn’t even get close enough to the top of him. While they used to be closer in size, now Sans was three times as high. Frisk beated on his coat, trying to get him the message. Why wasn’t he moving?    

He reached up to him. “Up, up!” A few more words.    

“Hey, kid. You’ve done a mess of damage,” Sans finally spoke.  

“I did, Sans?” Short, but getting there with words. He did a mess of damage? They weren’t supposed to be doing damage on the mission.  

“Yeah, but. I’ll, uh, let it slip this time.”  

Okay, well, at least Sans wasn’t mad at him, but that didn’t take them out of the danger. Sans looked at him, but he wasn’t moving. Come on! “Up, up!”  

Sans picked him up but still couldn’t figure out what he was saying. It didn’t matter though because Sans actually got them out.  

Thank you, Sans. Thank you, thank you!   Now Frisk just had to wait until he was back to normal, and then get back to his mom. 

Chapter Text

“This is not good.” Papyrus looked down at the boy, eating his burger. “Undyne says we don’t have to catch humans, but the king says we do.” He put his bony hand on Frisk’s head. “And this human seems to have shrunk from last time. His clothes don’t even fit.”  

 
“Yeah. He must have shopped at a half-off sale.” 

 
“This is serious, Sans,” his brother criticized him. “Mm. What do we do?” 

 
“Eat?” 

 
“No, I mean, the human. I, I don’t want to put it through dangerous puzzles.” 

 
“Then, don’t.” 

 
“But, the king says we still have to go after them! Eventually, Undyne will …” 

 
“Chill, bro. No problem.” Sans looked down at the boy. He wanted to have a little time to just relax before he had to deal with what was coming.  “You done yet?” 

 
The kid still had more than half of his sandwich. “Fffffrrrrisssk? Need Fffffrrrrisssk.” 

 
“Who’s Fffffrrrrisssk?” Papyrus asked his brother. 

 
“Beats me. Hey, are we off-duty for the whole day? I could get some rest.” 

 
“No. No, we are not!” Papyrus left his burger and chair. “We shouldn’t be late. We must watch out for humans! Or, uh, other humans? Maybe? Intruders, we shall watch for intruders.” 

 
“Uh, okay, cool. I’ll be right there.” Sans looked down at the boy. “So, what’s your real name?” 

 
“Ffffrrrisssk.” 

 
“So, you are looking for Frisk, and your name is Frisk too? Heh, cool.” He popped his last bit of burger in his mouth. “Come on. I’m taking you to a special knock-knock door.” 

 
“But? Ffffrrrrissskyyyy.” Frisk’s sad eyes were beginning to water. “Momma is Fffrrisky.” 

 
Sans choked on his burger slightly as he reached for his catsup. Oh, yeah. His mom was inside that thing too? “Well, Frisky's not here anymore. You’re on your own.” 

 
“Is!” Frisk started to cry and grabbed onto Sans clothes again. “Is, Sans, is!” 

 
This kid was really emotional. It wasn’t half as composed as it used to be. As he looked around he saw others looking at him, including Grillby. “We need to go.” 

 
“Momma!” Frisk kept rubbing his eyes. Sans tried to lure him out, but it wasn’t working. “Is, Is, Is, IS, IS!!” Picking him up, he had no choice but to carry him out. Yeah, he really missed that composure now. But, well, at least it wouldn’t be resetting time and screwing his life up anymore. 
And that was worth the price of a little bit of babysitting. 

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Text Version:

The kid pouted on his shoulder most of the way through the snow. When he reached Toriel’s door, he didn’t even need to knock. She probably already heard the blubbering. “Knock-knock?” 

“Who’s there?” There wasn’t as much enthusiasm in her voice. 

“Orange.” 

“Orange who?” 

“Orange you looking for some company?” 

“ . . .” 

Sans tried to pull Frisk away from himself, but he wouldn’t let go. “Come on. It’s Toriel. You remember her, don’t you?” Frisk just shook his head and still didn’t let go. 

“No. I told the human if it left, it could not come back. Staying here, it would lose its light.” 

No. That’s not the answer Sans wanted to hear. She was supposed to take Frisk, and he was supposed to be back at his post to get some much deserved rest. To enjoy the ending to all the mind-numbing resetting. “Knock-knock?” 

“No.” 

“Pull.” 

“No.” 

“Pullease take it? It’s kind of changed.” Sans tried to pull it off again. “If it gets into an encounter, it’s dead this time.” 

“No, I will have faith in the child. You should too.” 

“He’s shrunk though. He got smaller.” 

“Humans don’t do that.” 

“Okay, well, it’s a different human?” He waited for the voice but it didn’t return. She wouldn’t believe that, she knew all the humans that fell. They had to go through the ruins to ever come out. “Geez, no.”  This. This wasn’t a good time. Dang. “What am I supposed to do with you now?”  

---------------------------------------------- 

“Hoi, I’m Temmie, and dis is my friend-!“ 

“Now is not the time to mess with me,” Frisky said as the Temmie’s backed away from her. She felt around her shoulders. The air was getting colder. She was getting closer. When she had come to, she realized she was finally by herself. Except that her tremendously difficult opponent was gone. And so was her six year old son. In fact, she wasn’t even in Judgment Hall, the blast hurling her to the castle. 

As she moved back to Judgment Hall, she sorted through the body parts of those that didn’t teleport right. They . . . didn't all match. Considering there were seven Frisks, from the sum of body parts, it looked like at least two more had escaped.  

Frisky didn’t know why her boy was missing, but she had to assume Sans the Skeleton took him. Frisk would be almost immobile, infantile after so long of being together. No matter how angry Sans was, she had to believe Sans knew Frisk couldn’t hurt anyone and just took him to safety. It was bad enough to be stuck in the Underground. It was bad enough sharing a body and switching consciousness between several people. She had to believe that, really had to because . . . 

Sans didn’t accept mercy. He wanted to crack them. Viciously. She had no chance against him, but he just took the one thing she couldn’t let go of. Mere human or not, she had to find a way to get him to ACT and not FIGHT to get her son back. “Do you have any extra clothes?” She still wasn’t as tall as she was in her original form, a couple of inches off, but the program that teleported her there would probably get the data worked out. The fact that she even survived the emergency soul teleporting transfer was enough to not want to complain.  

 “Temmie has new item!” 

“Temmie, I am really not in the mood, unless it's clothes.” Then again, maybe the new item was a weapon? No, she had grabbed the knife and the locket. And that was about it. She was actually trying to cover her naked self with echo flowers. Unsuccessfully. 

“Temmie has new items!” 

“Okay, a quick look.” Frisky stepped closer to Temmie and a digital menu opened up. She moved her hands through the options and spotted the new things. “Black box snake. Hoodie.” Hm. She needed more info than the menu had. “Can I see the black box snake?” 

“Temmie show!” From behind the sale box, Temmie had . . . an MP3 player. 

Frisky didn’t waste any time and paid for it, grabbing it. MP3 player. She put the small attached ear pod that looked like it survived in her ear and turned it on. She skipped through the first few songs. Son of a bitch. “This was my sisters.” 

“No, girl never brought it in.” 

“She wouldn’t. She was killed. It’s a calling card.” Frisky held the MP3 player close. PERSEVERANCE must have survived, and had already reached out for help. She had to hurry, knowing exactly where PERSEVERANCE would strike first. The same place she was heading to. “I’ll take the Hoodie too.” After she put the blue hoodie over her, she placed the MP3 player in her pocket. She kept her ear pod in as she covered her head. This was ending. Soon. One way or another.  

Frisky would never hurt an innocent Monster.  

But she had an evil person in her sight, and they had to find out what she could do with her knife.  

----------------------------------------------------  

“Sans!” 

“Huh?” Sans looked over at his brother, Papyrus. “Sup?” He looked around himself. He was at his post. Did it still reset? Then, he felt something over his shoulders and looked over. Frisk was sleeping on his back. He breathed a sigh of relief. No reset.  

“You can’t work at your post with a human sleeping on you!” 

“I didn’t have a problem.” 

“Sans!” 

“What?” 

“Do something with it.”  

“Well, what?” 

“Mm?” Papyrus tapped his mandible. “Mm.” 

“Yep.” Toriel wasn’t going to take it. Eventually the king was going to make Undyne look for it again.  

“Well, maybe the other human will take it?” Papyrus said.  

Wait, huh? “Another human?” Sans asked. “What other human?” 

“Where have you been?” Papyrus groaned. “Have you not been checking the security cameras?” He stomped his foot. “You must be on alert for intruders!” 

“I am.” Sans pushed himself up slightly. “What other human?” 

“A tall one, as tall as me! Why do you think the king wants one so bad? That is why we need to do something with the tiny little human,” Papyrus insisted. “I-I think we are about to start hunting humans again soon.” 

--------------------------------------- 

Frisky unplugged the earpod and turned the music up as loud as she could. She sung along with it in the snow, even dancing. If she could attract PERSEVERANCE to her before she reached Sans, at least she would have peace of mind the Monsters would be okay. 

Ugh. Encounter. She saw an alert hit her. Damn. A Gyftrot was confronting her. “Not a good idea.” Still, she was forced into the encounter. As had happened many times before, a heart appeared in front of her. Her soul. In her world, fighting happened without anything like signs anymore, but, in the Underground, the signs were a magic courteousy to help Monsters from killing each other accidentally. Any caught who didn’t use the buttons right would be punished to death. It was because souls were special. Tender, so easy to break, and there were so few Monsters that survived in the Underground. It also made it easier to see someone’s true power to avoid battles someone couldn’t win. Plus, GOLD. What they called GOLD was just digital points kept in an account, used instantly across the Underground. 

Every Monster also had their interests, problems, or habits blazing against the board. No one chose to tell someone what would end the encounter, it was a subconscious response that the board found inside each opponent. Those options lied in ACT, while ITEM left you time to eat or use something which would make your soul stronger. MERCY was the button Frisky tended to use the most, with FIGHT hardly ever used. As Toriel taught her many times, most Monsters could be reasoned with. “Do we really have to do this?” She pushed ACT and saw UNDECORATE. Coming closer she took something off of it. 

After the battle was over, she left again. If she was running into Gyftrot’s, she was close. 

----------------------------------- 

“Your sign is spelled wrong.” 

“Ugh!” One of the librarians looked annoyed at Sans. “We know that.” 

“Good. It should say BABY. Here you go.” He tried to hand Frisk over to her. 

“Baby? No, no, Librarby! I mean, library! We do not watch anything.” She gestured toward Frisk. “It’s not a baby either. Actually, what is that thing?” 

This was getting difficult. He was going to have to start looking at a Monster family list soon, but there was no guarantee the one chosen wouldn’t just eat the defenseless thing. 

“I’ll take it,” Doggo said from the doorway. “Only a matter of time before we get a clear yes about taking care of these humans.” He brought out his knife. “I’ll hold it until then. Just move over here and bring it to me.” 

“Uh, no thanks. I’ll hold it.” Sans lowered Frisk. Okay, this is a small thing. The resets should finally be over. Everything’s great. I just need to figure out how not to get the kid killed. No big deal. Hmm.  

Well, maybe Papyrus would watch it for awhile. He still really needed some sleep after that battle. 

---------------------------------- 

“Uh, stop right there!” Papyrus announced as a human came across his ‘keep humans out’ gate. This one was definitely different. He had a blondish sort of hair. All the other features matched up though. He even acted like the other one before it grew small. It preferred to walk and keep its eyes closed. “You cannot enter here.”  

“Sorry. Please don’t hurt me, Sir,” it begged. The voice sounded deep. It was an adult human, but shorter than him. Perhaps. Well, he sounded deep like an adult Monster. So, reasoning being what it is? Probably an adult. Different than the one that had showed up on the security cameras. “I don’t know anything about fighting or Monsters or anything. Please? Mercy?” 

“Hmm.” It was a human, which Undyne said they couldn’t capture anymore. But, it was still an intruder. Hmm. Papyrus pulled him into an encounter. PAPYRUS: ACT: Talk. “Why have you crossed this border? No one is allowed in!” He had a duty to stop everyone and make sure they were good first beforehand. He might even make them do puzzles to see if they were wonderful enough to come in. Depending on how it completed them, it would show him what they were like. At least, it was probably a him. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Please don’t hurt me, Sir! I don’t know where else to go. I just fell through the ruins. This place was in my path. Please let me go?” 

Wow, this one was more talkative than the last human. PAPYRUS:  ACT: Talk.  “Umm. I cannot just allow an intruder into this area! It is a very important area!” 

PERSEVERANCE:  ACT: Talk. “Sir, I am so sorry for this. I promise, I will go straight through. You can even guide me through. Honestly, I am just looking for my family. They fell before me. And, my boy is so small, he could get hurt out here. Please?” 

PAPYRUS: ACT: Talk. “Uhhh?” 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Please, Sir? I am worried about my family. My poor wife must be so scared. I want to protect my family. Don’t you understand that?” 

Protection. Protection was something Papyrus understood whole-heartedly. Perhaps this was even the human boy’s father that he had right now? Should he pull it out from his booth to give him back? PAPYRUS: ACT: Talk. “Uhh . . . o-okay.”  

“Oh no you don’t, PERSEVERANCE, you asshole!”  

Papyrus was shocked by the words he heard, but even more shocked by the fact that someone interrupted his encounter. And took a hit. A dreadful hit! “What?!” 
 

“Out, Papyrus!” The injured human pushed him out of the encounter area. She glared at the other human. DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “You came all the way back here just to start the murder spree again, PERSEVERANCE? I had a feeling you would start right here.” 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Oh, I'm hurt, Frisky. Still calling me by my soldier address for the mission? That you failed, by the way? Anyhow, I was hurled back further, but that wanna be momma goat wasn’t there. Looks like she already left to the castle. No big surprise. She would have been a great boost in EXP too, but hell. Papyrus is more than EXP. He’s also you know who’s ‘coolest guy ever’, right?” The human opened his eyes at her. Red eyes.  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “No, you cannot do this.” Frisky kept her knife close and made extra sure she kept the locket on her. “I won’t let you.” 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Ooh, so you found those goodies?” PERSEVERANCE laughed. “Yeah. They could save you right now. If you can do it. Can you do it? Can you strike me down without mercy?” He held his own weapon out to her. “Oh, but wait. I probably have some goodies too, don’t I?” 

Frisky looked over toward Papyrus. She pulled her knife sideways in front of her face. Which weapon did he have? Knowing PERSEVERANCE, he had something up his sleeve.  

Before she could steal Frisk back, she had to stop PERSEVERANCE's rage. 

Chapter Text

Sans opened his eye socket from his post as he saw Undyne, Lesser Dog and Greater Dog go past him. That didn’t look good. Had the order been switched again? He got up and left his post, following behind. “Hey, where’s everybody going?” 

“To attack a human,” one of the Royal Guards said to him, looking backward. “Keep up!” 

“Aren’t we done with that?” Sans yawned, trotting. 

“No!” Undyne yelled from the front, but didn’t stop. “This one almost killed Papyrus.! Now, ship up and get going or-!” She looked behind her, but Sans was long gone. 

--------------------------- 

No way. The first time he lost Papyrus, it was like someone stabbed him over a thousand times. The hurt wouldn’t stop. It wouldn’t! He had so much anger boiling inside until he died at Judgment Hall. When he realized time resetted, it took a lot of the sting away. Even when he knew what happened, or what would happen, he never tried to watch it. It was easier remembering that he’d be back again. Everyone would be back again. 

But, if he did it right, there would be no more resets. No, there was no way he was going to lose his brother this time. “Papyrus, you okay?!”  

Papyrus looked behind him. “Sans! Uh, everything is fine!” He stood proudly. “Nothing could take down I, The Great Papyrus!” He gestured to the fight. “Although I was interrupted. The littler human is fine though.” 

“A human tried to kill you!” Undyne, Lesser Dog, and Greater Dog appeared right behind him. 

“Well, uh," Papyrus stammered. "Oh, forget it. Now the humans are fighting each other. Sans? Where are you going? Don’t go that way, you’ll get pulled into it.” 

“Humans can’t do anything, they have no magic. Lesser Dog, Greater Dog! We are taking this over!” 

Sans watched as Undyne practically flung a human out of the way. “Papyrus, you okay?” 

“Uh? Well?” Papyrus looked at Frisk, sloping down against his leg. “I ran into a human, and it pretended to be merciful. And then when it started to fight, the other human interrupted. And now, apparently Undyne doesn’t want a human fighting but -Sans! For the last time, stop! Oh, Sans never listens to me!” 

It was supposed to be over. For good. Sans barely controlled himself as he watched the fight. He didn’t want to fight Undyne, but he couldn’t risk letting that evil human go. Papyrus. This time if I lose him, it’s for good. He remembered that feeling. The first time he found his brother. That burned a hard memory to get rid of.  

“Damn it, let me fight, Undyne!” Frisky yelled at her, knowing backup to the enemy would be coming too. Sooner or later, he was not alone. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Oh look, a fish and two dogs. Cute. Well, I’ve always hated mongrels, so let’s take out the dogs first.” 

“Undyne!” The yelling didn't seem to have an affect. PERSEVERANCE was going to tear through them. Frisky looked over toward Sans who wasn’t moving. He probably believed there was nothing that could be done. That they were all dead, or they’d just reset. Whichever, neither was true anymore. She just watched as Greater Dog went first. When Lesser Dog went, Undyne screamed and tried to beat them. 

Undyne didn’t understand how he knew her moves, her dodges, and her surprise attacks. She didn’t see the saves and continues that her and Sans kept seeing. It was just up to the battle where Undyne started fighting at. He would eventually beat her. 

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “Wretched Scum!” Undyne yelled, knowing her hit points left. “I can’t believe I will fall to the likes of you.” 

“They are cheaters,” Frisky encouraged here. “Please. Why waste time on wretched scum anyhow? You shouldn’t die because of cheaters. Let another wretched scum deal with him. Please.” Undyne didn’t move as Frisky came in closer. “Please. Live to fight real opponents, not cheaters. They aren’t worth the time of your spear.” 

Undyne pointed her spear at her. UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “Wretched.” She pulled herself back up as Frisky entered the battle again. Undyne was too weak now to drive her out. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Come on, Frisk. Don’t you want to tear into me? We’ve got at least a few resets a piece left. Maybe. I don’t know, I forget,” he chuckled. “Friska was the mathematic part of the equation. She can’t do much now, considering her little soul was taken by those Monsters.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Nice to see it was just you and the kid that made it out then. Then again, that little essence that had been inside of us. She always liked to attach to someone. Did she go with you? With Frisk? Maybe me?” 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “Nothing you say is going to make me lose my cool. Make a move." 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Nothing, huh? What if I reset it all again?” 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “You wouldn’t do it. To be all together again, and risk the split apart? You wouldn’t risk dying. That’s why you kill everything in your path, you’re too scared you’ll meet someone more powerful. Power doesn’t come from killing everything.” Frisky held her knife straight toward him. “It’s about DETERMINATION.” 

That didn’t make him happy. His smug expression was wiped away. ACT: Talk. “Damn, you’re such a little bitch. Of course, that’s probably why you were picked for the project, wasn’t it? Couldn’t let your little boy go. Had to pass those selfish tests just to stay near him.” 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “Like I said.” She sharpened her eyes at him. “DETERMINATION. I’ll give you one last chance. We are separated. The mission is over.” She shoved her MP3 player into the ACT menu. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Well, DETERMINATION little Frisky might have, but PERSEVERANCE is going to win out. Once I get going again, you won’t be able to stop me or the others coming soon. No one will. Not even you know who,” he mocked her. “Although as determined as his ass is, he’s probably not here. He’s sleeping somewhere or farting around somewhere, probably at Grillby’s. It’s all he does. Every time we come through. Not that I bet you could ask him for help anyhow.” He laughed straight at her. “No, the shame and guilt for all those resets, all that fighting, all that blood on your hands.” 

*PERSEVERANCE saw right through you. 

He just had to say that. Damn. That was a weak spot for Frisky. ACT: Talk. “Monsters deserve to live just like everyone. One day, they are going to realize what is going on. You can’t keep them in the dark forever.” 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Not every human feels that way. If they did, I wouldn’t be here. So, now what? Are you going to try and gain some EXP on me? Or are you going to take out some little Monsters to gain up some LOVE? What’ll it be, Frisky?” 

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “Get back further, Sans. I’m warning you!” Undyne shouted from the encounter area. 

Sans didn’t answer back but the fighters took notice of him. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Oh, hey! It’s Sans, Frisky. Our old friend. Why not say hi before we get shot up a thousand times by him? Kind of gone quiet, haven’t you? Past coming back to haunt you again? Oooh, the shame you must feel inside. Makes you keep that hoodie up every time he’s around, doesn’t it? In fact, I bet you could beat me. You and I both know you have it in, but then you’d be judged by him again. You know you don’t want that. Hmm-mm-mmm. What to do, what to do? Come on, Frisky? Ya gonna do it or what?” 

“What does she have?” Sans muttered beneath his breath. Sans looked at her screen.  

*Player feels deep shame. 

Sans scooted away from the onlookers and moved toward the right.  

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “This fight is pretty boring so far. You haven’t even tried anything yet, Frisky. Come on. This is getting kind of old. You’re known for being a lot more fun than this.“ 

*RESET ABILITIES DISABLED. 

PERSEVERANCE: ACT: Talk. “Are you kidding me, you had that opportunity and you’re choosing that? Really, Frisky? You know that is dangerous for both-“ 

Frisky looked over at him again and watched him get consumed by bones coming up from the bottom. Familiar looking blue shaded bones. “Eh? I.” PERSEVERANCE's hand twitched in the mess of bones that had pinned him.  

Battle won! 2 EXP earned. 

“Who did that? Who interrupted the battle?!” Undyne shouted. “Humans can’t do magic. Someone interrupted the fight!” She growled at Frisky but then marched toward Papyrus, and grabbed Frisk. 

------------------------------ 

 “Undyne,” Sans spoke up. “Can’t you cut it a break?” 

 “U-Undyne,” Papyrus added. “I just don’t think-” 

“Stop!” Undyne held Frisk up in her hands. “I want answers now! How did one human know all of my attacks? Know how to dodge? Know my special attacks!” She grabbed Frisky in her other hand. “What did you do at the end? What was that device?” 

“Disabling reset takes time,” Frisk tried to explain. “I distracted him.” 

“And what is that device you used?!” 

“A human thing.” 

“Not good enough!” Undyne held Frisk up higher. 

“Undyne.” Frisky licked her lip gently. “He’s just a little boy. Defenseless. You know that. Let him go. Let him go, and I will get out of here. I promise, I won’t come back.” 

“That wouldn’t be a good thing,” Sans piped up again. “We won because of whatever she just did.” 

“Yes. I want to see that device of yours.” Undyne dropped Frisk to the ground to hold her hand out for it. He shot straight over to Sans. “Give it here.” 

“It only works when two humans are on opposite sides of the battlefield,” Frisky warned Undyne as she gave it up to her. “For precautionary reasons.” 

“We shall see.” Undyne held it up. “This is mine for now. As for you, I don’t fully trust you. Greater Dog. Lesser Dog. They are gone because of your kind.” She looked at the device. “The king doesn’t want humans, but they aren’t just walking around free here. Never again.” 

 “U-Undyne. I think it’s only fair-“ 

“Shutup, Papyrus!” She yelled at him. “So many are gone because of humans.” 

“We were saved by a human. A human even helped you once, not that long ago,” Sans pointed out too. Undyne growled at him, but Sans didn’t back down. “Whatever that ability was, it was strong.” 

“The humans clearly have something in battle, something new that we can’t fight,” Papyrus backed him up. “Maybe before getting rid of them, you should see if she is telling the truth about that device?” 

“Softies.” Undyne looked toward Sans and Papyrus. “Are you vouching for them?” 

“A-A little,” Papyrus confessed. “Maybe?” 

“Right, Bro.” 

Undyne stroked her chin and looked back at Frisky. “If more humans come, you will fight them first alone.” 

“That’s not fair.” 

“Sans, I am getting tired of your mouth,” Undyne warned him. “You’re lazy, not disobedient. What’s gotten into you?” 

“Oh.” Sans shrugged. “I just remember this one human who kinda didn’t do anything wrong that just passed through here some time ago.” 

“Mmmm.” Undyne looked back at Frisky, and then toward Frisk who was clinging to Sans coat . “Mmm.” 

“That is true! That was a good little girl,” Papyrus agreed. “Or boy. It was a good human. It liked my spaghetti.” 

“It was good to you, too,” Sans reminded Undyne yet again. “Water ya doing about that one?” 

“Fine! I’ll give them once chance,” Undyne said as she practically threw Frisky down. She pointed at Papyrus. “You vouch for them? Then like a pet, you’re responsible for them. Bathe them, feed them, water them, everything. You and your brother. Neither of them leaves your house and they stay shackled. Neither will leave unless they are shackled to you. It stays locked inside like a prisoner, both of them. I don’t care how cute the kid is, him too! If I even hear one of them tries to escape, they are dead! And-and even inside, I want them constantly with one of you! If you so much as mess up once, they are dead. Got it?”  

Emotions make for hard times. Undyne was not dealing with the losses well.  

“Um? Our home would be a prison?” Papyrus asked. “Shackled up? That’s cruel, Undyne. For how long?” 

 “As long as I say!” Undyne yelled at him. “And feel lucky that I am being this nice, Papyrus. Come with me and I’ll get the shackles for you.” 

-------------------

Chapter Text

A few hours earlier . . . 

"Still not stable." 

Friskay tried to open her eyes, but the whole world was static. 

"No, no, no, Frisk KINDNESS, keep those closed! We're trying to hold onto you."  

"Huh?" Friskay saw monsters in front of her, and then a flash back to her ship's crew. "Oh shit." She was caught in some kind of error. "What's going on?" 

"You are currently existing within two different places," the technician in front of her said. "When you were pulled, you were also pulled into a secondary instant teleportation system of a second ship." 

Fuck. "I'm going to die?" Not caring about the technician's warning, she looked beside her. Farrisk and Friskarino were both caught as well. They looked unconscious. 

"Not if you don't mess around," the technician warned her. "Quit opening your eyes. Do you want to be ripped apart to exist into different pieces? We are trying to keep you together." 

"Turn off communications and let us go to the other ship ya stooge!" 

"The other ship is a Balancer ship." 

Ooh. Ooh. Friskay gritted her teeth. "Chance of success of snagging all of us?" 

"Stop talking. We will retrieve you if you shut up. The others have too hard of a signal to retrieve. We might be able to get one after we save you." 

"The more signals, the worse the chances. Let me go. I will scream if I die, it should echo. If I don't, then let them go too." 

"Are you nuts?" 

"No, I am KINDNESS you asshole. Nothing will happen to my team if I can help it. Do it!" 

"Fine. Letting go. I hope for your sake they don't eat you alive." 

------------------ 

Friskay waited a few minutes. When she didn't feel herself being eaten she opened her eyes.  

Humans. Oh thank goodness, a unity ship! She looked beside her and saw her Frisk men. "Damn, I'm good." She made her first movement and smacked them each on the back of the head. "Wake up, Guys. We survived." 

"Ouch!" Friskarino grabbed the back of his head. "Oh? We survived?"  

Farrisk was rubbing his head on the other side of Friskay. "Where are we?" 

"A union Balancer ship. So, make with the nice." Her job was done.  

After the guys schmoozed as much as possible for the interruption, they managed to get a few Multi-Player 20's. The next step was simple, head back to their ship. 

But, they were humans, and they had a natural curiosity. Especially since the MP20 should have been at least ten years away in development. Besides, humans were in the room. A couple minutes. What was the harm? 

"Look at the side storage. I bet we could have a couple thousand songs on there, not like twenty." 

"That's nothing. Look at the social media on it. Damn, I remember there were five. Just, five that were compatible. There's like twenty now." 

"First page," a human on the unity ship said. "There's over a thousand now." 

"A thousand?" Farrisk breezed through them. "Whoah. Whoah! How the heck? How did that happen in just a . . . a few months. Right? Maybe a year at most?" 

"Longer." Farrisk did not look at the guys happily. "Enter your mission codes." 

"Why?" 

"We've been fucked." 

---------------------------------- 

“Come on, let go of me!” Friskay yelled as the last two Frisks held her back.  

“Just relax. Don’t go nuts,” Friskarino warned her. “Trust me, Sans is not going to hurt her.” 

“Yeah. Probably,” Farrisk added as he looked at his MP20.  

As the conduit FRISK, they were prohibited from having any kind of outside technology down there. Now that the mission was over, they should have only wanted to bring their last two surviving team members back. Call it good. Frisky as leader should have accepted her punishment. They should have waited until her punishment was over and then work on their next mission. Learning whatever new names they would be graced with. 

Should have meant nothing now, and they would never return to their ship. 

They moved back to the Underground and . . . and waited. Waited to figure out what the next move should be. They watched the battle with PERSEVERANCE and then watched Frisky and Frisk interact with Undyne, watching their fate of becoming prisoners for Sans and Papyrus. 

Friskay couldn't take it anymore. “We need to get her. She’s going to be killed,” Friskay said, trying to fight the guys back. “Come on, Farrisk. You know as well as I do what he’ll do!” 

“I don’t know for sure about anything. This is beyond anything I ever thought possible. There is no BRAVERY within it,” Farrisk said as he continued to hold her back. “I doubt he’d ever hurt Frisk or Frisky. Sans not like that.” 

“Having like a hundred burgers with a guy doesn’t mean you know him.” Friskay stopped struggling. “Once shit goes down, what’ll happen? He’s gonna be pissed. If it were me, I know exactly what I’d do. My first stop would be to a flower and then all hell would break loose.” 
 

“I don’t . . . I . . .” Farrisk looked at his twin brother. Him, his brother, and Frisk were the ones who knew Sans. None of the others really cared for the Skeleton or his jokes that much, and Frisky felt too ashamed to meet him again. “Frisky’s going to be fine. Frisk is definitely going to be fine from Sans.” 
 

Friskarino kicked some of the snow. “Why would anyone create this kind of hell? Why can’t they just let the Monsters know the truth? This is abuse. I thought this stuff was passed us. I thought we as humans were done with this. Learned from this.” 

“I know.” Farrisk let go of Friskay. “You okay now? Listen, Sans would never hurt her.” 
 

“She should be with us! Not over there.” Friskay kicked the snow at Friskarino. “We all know what’s going to happen when he finds out. How can you stand up for him?” 
 

“Nothing is his fault," Friskarino reminded her. "None of it.” 
 

“What he will do, will be. I guarantee, we’ll all be trying to flee the Underground together. We should grab them, and take them back up.” 
 

“No, we should wait!” Friskarino shouted back. “Friskay, stop. Seriously. You’re trying to blame him for something he hasn’t even done yet.” 
 

“But he will. Both of you know it. Big old lovable punnable Sans is going to wipe out the human race when he finds out.” Friskay looked away from their hiding spot. “Even you can’t deny it. It’s just a matter of time.” 
 

“Well, um, maybe . . .” Friskarino sighed. “Peace offering?” 
 

“Balancers maybe . . . they could maybe bring one back? I don’t know. I mean, it’s been a long time.” Farrisk ticked off his fingers. “The last one went in a sour way too.” He pulled out his MP10. “W.D. Gaster. Yeah, that guy. Traces of him can still be found in the Underground.  I don’t see how that’s possible. According to this, humans weren’t responsible for him.” 

Friskay chuckled sarcastically. "Not responsible? Okay, circumstances will let us get away with that one. It was his own fault, but seriously? Without human involvement, he never would have done it." 

"Okay. Let's just focus, alright? We're PACIFISTS," Farrisk said confidently. "We don't kill. We stop and wait to understand the situation for what it is. Going in and grabbing them at this junction is too risky. We don't even know what Judgment Hall did. We don't really know if the Balancers can take care of whatever happened." He bit his lip and looked out in the distance. "We can't even guarantee his safety. That little six year old kid, they'll know that the world would be better off without him." 

"It's not fair." Friskay sat on the ground. "Are you saying we can't do anything? We should just let everything get wiped out? Because that's what is going to happen. Once Sans the Skeleton finds out, Judgment Hall won't be a hall. It'll be the whole entire human race." 

"You really needed to meet him more than once," Friskarino said as he sat down beside her. "You've seen him in Judgment Hall, just like everyone else, but that was because he thought his entire Underground world was ending. He thought he actually lost everyone. Lost his brother. Lost his friends. Heck, even when Frisky pulled power away from the GENOCIDER in runs, he just let it go. Even if he knew we killed his brother, he just let us go. Don't forget that." 

"Friskarino's right. There's no guarantee Sans would be like you. I mean, he's not a monster, he's a Monster. He's shown in the past it takes a lot before he does anything." Farrisk placed his hand on her shoulder. "Of all the Monsters we ran into down here, he was one we never had to fight for anything. Never deceived us about anything. For any reason. Not until we hurt him that much. Frisky and Frisk are going to be fine." 

"Fine. Fine! I suppose what happened is pretty big," Friskay finally conceded. "Frisk himself might be in danger, and we don't really know which Balancers to trust yet." She groaned.  

"Right. We'll research. We'll find the greatest source of allies that we can. Not all monsters are created equal," Farrisk reminded her. "So, cheer up." 

"I don't know." Friskarino shook his head. "I just don't know. I mean . . . maybe we can just leave them alone?" 

"That is not an option!" Friskay scoffed. "Just leave them alone? Just leave them here to rot away, thinking there's no way out? That's cruel!" 

"That's kind of an idea," Farrisk agreed to his brother. "All they need is one more go. There's some nasty stuff coming. One more communication with our turned ship and Frisky with FRISK. One more go, and it's over. Karma is going to bite back because there's no way Sans would ever do what was asked of him. Then Frisky and Frisk we'll be back and everything would be great." 

"Humanity lives. Sans lives. Frisky and Frisk come back and everyone gets what they wanted." Friskarino just looked away. "Seriously? Don't you guys have souls? Oh wait, you do. So why not use them?" He stood back up. "It's not right." 

"The punny idiot gets to live his life with no more resets  and with his stupid brother," Friskay said disgusted. "Life moves on. That's all he ever wanted." 

"It's not right." Friskarino turned and walked away. "It's not right." 

---------------------------- 

Sans and Papyrus' House:

Great, just great. Sometimes being the good guy just didn’t go well. Frisky looked at the shackle on her foot. 

“Well, that was an interesting battle,” Papyrus said as he fixed the last shackle on Frisk. “Um. Don’t know how that happened, but, well. At least you’re safe.” He turned and walked away. “Sans! Watch them. I need to find a safe place for the keys.” 

“Yeah, okay.”  

That voice. A calming, good voice from a friend . . . as well as the one who continually butchered me over and over. That tone never changes. Geeeettttttt dunked oooon! She heard it all over in her head. She got Frisk back, but she was now his prisoner. Just be careful, don’t anger him.  

Sans slowly approached. Frisky didn’t see his face, just his black shorts and part of his blue coat from her hoodie. “Well, I guess I have a captive audience. You okay, kiddo?” 

Frisk waved his hand on the side. “A little. For awhile, I couldn’t talk well. I also couldn’t walk well, Sans. I expected that. I feel more like myself, except for that drop. It hurt!” He rubbed his knees. “I think it’s skinned.”  

“Skeletons don’t need bandages. Good to see your back to normal though. We’ll find something later,” Sans said to Frisk. “How about you, are you okay? You kind of cut it close.” 

Oh great, he’s talking to me. Frisky just shrugged.  

Sans bony hand grabbed her shoulder, making her jump slightly in surprise. He took his bony hand off her shoulder. “I know. You need a burger.” 

What? He didn’t just seriously say that. 

“Your hit points low. Hang on.” 

“Sans?” 

Papyrus’s voice. Frisky just kept her eyes ahead, knowing that the less she looked around, the better when prisoner.  

“Yeah, bro?”  

“Sans! What are you doing with those burgers?” 

“Sharing.” 

“But, they are supposed to be prisoners!” 

“Prisoners need to eat.” 

“Oh! Oh, that’s right. Undyne said we had to take care of them like we would a pet.” Papyrus came over and looked directly at Frisky, tilting his head slightly into her view of vision. “Look at how low you are, human. You’re about as tall as Sans now. Are you really a grown human?” 

“Yep. Good thing she won the fight. She wouldn’t be able to stand up to the competition much longer.” 

“Sans!” Papyrus scolded him again. He raised a hand toward his forehead. “This is no time for jokes! Do you have any idea how close I was to . . . oh, oh, nevermind.” He coughed and looked at Frisky. “Uh. Do you need anything else, human?” 

Sans bony hand came back into her vision again. This time, with a burger. “Here, split this with the kid.”  

Frisky took the burger and held it. It looked good. Like the best thing ever. It probably tasted like forgiveness. Oh? That, that word just popped out of her head. That couldn’t be it though. She saved Papyrus, but she still didn’t leave that battle with no casualties. And, he still had no idea who she had been. Forgiveness. That’s a laugh. Didn’t he hear my name by now? Why hasn’t he killed me yet? 

“Oh, that annoying dog is back.” 

“Oh, a white dog,” Frisk said as he tried to move from his mom, going as far as he could on the shackle. “Good dog.” 

“Sans, the prisoner is playing with the dog!” 

“Well, at least it isn’t a hot dog.” 

“Aaah! No, no! It’s almost as big as you!” 

Frisky continued to eat as she watched Frisk play with the dog like a normal six year old again. Although he was about the size of a two year old now. Sans didn’t seem to mind, and Papyrus eventually didn’t care.  

 “Sans!” Papyrus moved directly to his side. “I almost forgot. What are we going to do for sleeping?” 

“I hear beds work well.” 

“Sans, I’m serious. How are we going to watch them all night?” Papyrus seemed deep in thought. “Well, perhaps . . . uhh . . .we could take shifts?” 

“We don’t have to watch them. We just have to be in the same room.” 

“Oh, but we only have two beds.” 

“And a couch.” 

“Ooh!” Papyrus tapped his foot some more. “This is a horrible idea. All of this.” 

“Come on, bro. It’s a short term solution. We’ll measure out more options tomorrow.” 

Frisky still didn’t move too much, but she was reminded how tight the hoodie was around her mid-section now. Her body had grown worse from her original dimensions, not better.  

“Uh.” Payprus scratched his skull. “Well, I suppose it’s the right thing considering the . . . circumstances.” He looked over toward Frisky. “Okay. We’ll arrange something.” He looked toward Frisk. “Why does he keep rubbing his knees, Sans?” 

“He’s just a kiddo and Undyne basically dropped him. Come on, Papyrus.” 

“Mm? But the other human never got physically hurt. How bad could it be?” Papyrus moved over toward Frisk who was still playing with the dog. “I suppose you would treat a pet if it’s injured.” 

“I vet you do.” 

“Oh, I will see what I can find. You’re in charge, Sans. Move the couch upstairs and we can take turns guarding them at night.” 

“Yeah.” 

“I will be back! With Bandages and a book on pets! Nyeh heh heh heh!” Papyrus headed out the door. 

And . . . that’s when things changed.

Chapter Text

“Come on, Frisk, you go play with the dog in my room.”  

Frisky heard her son laugh and a dog’s bark as she heard feet go upstairs. Well, at least he’s nice enough to get Frisk out of the room. 

“That’s better. Just in case.” She could feel Sans coming closer. “Now . . . you. You don’t feel right.” She watched a skeletal hand appear in front of her face, and yank her hoodie back. “You saved Papyrus, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. But.” He came and stood in front of her. She watched his bony hand reach out toward her chin. Part of her was preparing for the moment he yanked her head completely up, breaking her neck. But, he only nudged it up. “Stay right there.” His bony hands patted each of her shoulders again. “Relax. Chill a second.” 

Sure, sure. Geeeeettttt Duuuuunked oooon! went straight through Frisk’s head again. Gaw, he was doing that thing, making her look straight at him for answers again. Judging. He’s going to judge me, and if he actually remembers with no flukes. Then maybe he became an official Guardian. If so, he could see even deeper if he concentrates harder. If he wants to know why a boy had souls being carried around? Oh, he is going to look hard and there's no one else to disturb his focus! Just my own soul. He'll see things he shouldn't see. I don’t know if I will make it out of this alive. 

------------------------ 

It. Didn’t make sense. It didn’t. What was he seeing? She was behind the knife. She knew Judgment Hall, but she was screaming. Behind laughing red eyes, she was screaming in torture. Then, it flipped. 

To . . . 

“Here.” FRISK held his little hands out to the surface. “We’re free!” 

Sans looked around at the vast wilderness and sky. “Wow, we really did it? You really managed to do it, kid. Hey, look at that big ball of fire. That's the sun, right?” 

"Yep, Sans." 

"Wow. Hey, Papyrus, check out the sun." 

"It's like a big old ball of firey fire!" Papyrus said. "Wowie! The Sun! I will never forget that name!" 

Toriel asked the little boy if he wanted to stay with her, but he declined, saying there was somewhere else to be. He was asked about being ambassador, but he declined that too. 

“I promise, I will come back to see everyone though.” FRISK looked over toward Sans. “I know you didn’t care so much about it, but doesn’t it feel right to be here?” He laughed and patted Sans coat. “I will never have to reset again!” 

“I will never have to reset again.” That kid said that. It was more vibrant than he'd ever heard before. Than he ever remembered hearing. Different dialogue. There was a different dialogue with them, not the rehashed words he learned to use over and over. 

Then he saw Judgment Hall, this time the kid slamming on MERCY. 

I’ll endure. I can do this and keep control. If he just chooses mercy. Just choose mercy. If he just chooses mercy . . . before PERSEVERANCE takes control again. Oh, I don’t want this, not again. Not everyone. I don’t, I don’t, just reset already! Aaaah, dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge! No, I can’t do it, I won’t strike him, shut up! Trapped, forever trapped. Forever trapped. Forever trapped. 

“I will never have to reset again!” 

Forever trapped. 

--------------------------- 

Sans was bending so far over her, he was practically on top of her! Then, he clapped his skeletal hands like an epiphany. “I got it.” He chuckled. Seriously, he chuckled? “I get it now. Sorry, fear and shame are tangled up deep inside, and it took time to unwind the whole hell in your head. And there is a lot of hell in your head. Well. I’ve been trying to figure out what to call you, buddy.” 

Buddy? 

“You’re part of the kiddo.” 

 Kiddo? Was he really going to start calling her Kiddo again? “Partly.” 

“More than partly, pal. Everything I saw, the words used, that wasn’t rehashed.” Sans patted her on the head like she were a child.  

As she let him pull her up, she really took notice of his eye sockets. They were filled with nothing but the old Sans she once met. Not the one that was going to hurl her a hundred feet away and spike her spine with bones. Just the one that liked to drink straight ketchup once upon a time. “Good.” Great. He didn’t want to kill her, fantastic. If he could just stop dwelling on her now. 

“It’s . . . not going to be easy to remember I killed you a thousand different ways,” Sans said. “But, uh . . .”  

Why was he stopping and starting? Frisky didn’t understand. Didn’t really want to understand. 

“I don’t remember any of that though.” He still seemed ‘off’.  

Okay. Please drop this. Go back to Frisk, go check up on something. 

“Frisk has memories too, but he has a lot more of the good.” 

Okay, really. When is he going to turn away already? 

“Lot more. Like nothing but good. Like actually nothing but me.” 

Oh, freaking . . . 

“Hmmmm.” And he walked off. 

-------------------- 

That. He didn’t have a routine established for each new reset because he didn't remember. He didn’t replay lines in his head. She must have been that one. The first.  I don’t remember everything I saw in her head. But . . .  

Every scene he saw in her head was just of him constantly killing her, screaming and mercy. Every one, except the beginning. He saw him. He saw Undyne. He saw things he didn’t even know happened, but then nothing. No different versions of Grillby’s. No  different conversations. That only meant one thing. 

Frisky refused to ever meet me again except in Judgment Hall, with mercy?  Sans scratched his shoulder bone. He never even remembered meeting Frisky, and the only one he knew was her son? Okay. I wanted to make time move again so that every day was a new surprise. Guess this is what I asked for.  

Frisk. Frisky. That other human that was destroyed. All the body parts. The ghostly spirit. He couldn’t wait to hear how this one turned out.  

He went back in toward Frisky. “So. How is it a bunch of humans get stuck into one kid? That doesn’t just happen randomly.” 

Oh. He is really starting to get it. “The FRISK you knew completely, is . . . as a whole, gone. We were all one. The um, the guy I fought. He was part of us too.” 

“Don’t miss that side, that’s for sure.” Sans seemed a little more depressed. “But, I guess I got the best sides. Playful.” He gestured over toward his room where the dog barked and Frisk laughed again. “And DETERMINATION. Determined enough to remember more resets than me.” He shrugged. “We’re covering that one later.” He didn’t seem half as depressed anymore. “Ooh, Papyrus! Almost forgot.” He gestured toward his door and it swung open. Out came Frisk and the dog floating out with his blue magic toward the front of the couch. “Stay out of the way, both kiddos.” He lifted the couch with his magic and shoved it into his room. “There. Uh.” He looked toward Frisky. “Don’t tell anyone how much magic I actually have, okay? They’ll make me start doing . . . stuff.” 

“Sans!” Papyrus said as he burst through the door. “I’ve got the bandages, and I found a book on pet keeping!” 

“Cool.” Sans went over to his brother and checked out the book. “I suppose humans are close enough to pets.” 

Now that was just annoying. Pet? I don’t know if that’s better or worse than prisoner. 

Papyrus looked toward Frisky. “That hoodie is too tight around the waist, it looks like it wants to pop off soon.” He looked into the book. “It doesn’t say anything about pets wearing clothes. I suppose we should take them off.” 

Was he serious? Frisky watched Papyrus approach her, and she backed up. 

“Think they’ll probably be fine, Papyrus,” Sans piped up. 

“But how fragile are these humans supposed to be?” Papyrus asked Sans. “They already need bandages from a light fall. It looks like that outfit thing is pressing into its skin. I don’t want to pay money for a vet, Sans.” 

Frisky just rubbed her face. Oh gaw. She backed up further from her shackle ball. 

“It’ll come round to wearing different clothes.” 

He and Papyrus were making a point clear. That hoodie was really tight on her. It was almost like a long dress now as low as it went but it was practically cutting into her mid-section. But, a hoodie or naked. Not a tough choice. 

“Okay, then. We will skip that for now. Um, the little human is still playing with that annoying dog?” Papyrus groaned. “Well, I suppose that is pet play! Yes!” He marked it off with glee. “We are already doing something right! Nyeh heh heh!” He walked around, studying the book. “Oh, Undyne will be so proud of me. I will have the best prison pets around, she’ll have to advance me even faster to join the Royal Guard.” Papyrus looked back toward Frisk. “Make sure it doesn’t fall over its own ball and shackle. Injury, injury, avoid injury. I will see what to do about the sleeping arrangements. And good job for moving the couch, Sans! Initiative, yes!” Papyrus handed Sans the bandages. “Here, you can help.” 

Sans watched as his brother sailed upstairs. “He always gets happy when he feels like he’s doing something.” He moved over toward Frisk on the floor. “Okay, here.” Frisk took the bandages and sat down on the ground. His shirt practically covered his whole body, so he kicked his legs out from it. 

The top of his foot and part of his knee didn’t look the same at all. They were red and purple, a far cry from the skin color. 

“Any white stuff?” Frisk asked. “It’ll help it heal faster.” 

White stuff? Sans just shook his head, figuring he meant healing gel. 

“Well. Okay. No big deal.” Frisk took some bandages, but even those couldn’t cover up all the weird colors. He moved himself back up, his whole body hidden beneath the shirt again. “Thanks, Sans. Don’t forget about mom.” He handed the bandages back. 

“Part of the territory,” Frisky answered. “I’m fine.” 

Sans came over anyway. The nicer he was to Frisky, the less she’d see him as the impenetrable force that kept killing her in Judgment Hall. No matter what her story was, he’d already had an extra deep look inside. Really deep look inside. He didn't even know he could look so deep inside . . . but she was good. She even saved Papyrus. Without her there, his brother would be dead right now. He handed her the bandages. “Here.” 

She still wasn’t grabbing them. “Trust me, I’m fine.” 

“Come on, kiddo, take it.” Sans answered. “Not a choice.” 

Frisky sighed lowly, but she didn’t push him. She sat on the ground and pulled the hoodie up enough to expose her legs. 

Most of her skin was a completely different shade of color, with deep cut marks in it too. That’s Undyne’s marks?  She took a little bandage and placed it on a random place, then covered her legs back up, handing him the bandages. Those little bandages weren’t going to do anything for her. She got that from Undyne’s little push to get out of the way? Then what did her neck look like? What did her arms look like? Her tight clothing make it too tight to check.  

------------------------ 

Well. Prisoner or not, Frisk was really talkative. He may have stayed short, but it looked like he was acting closer to his age. He could walk and run. He even spoke real well, and it looked like his memory was resurfacing a little more. That kid was hungry too, he ate two full cold Grillby burgers. 

It looked like that was it for the transformation too. That shirt was never gonna fit that kid, they’d have to get something new for him. Same with the hoodie on his mom, Frisky. it was almost choking her mid-section.  

“What about the clothes, Sans?” Papyrus touched his bony finger on his chinbone. “I think I have something for the big one, but . . . no, I don’t. She’s gotten umm . . .” 

“Fat.” He watched Frisky’s attention pop back toward him on instinct. Good. More annoyance. With enough practice he’ll have all the shame and fear of him converted into annoyance by the end of his next nap. 

“That’s not the term. But, uh . . . wider?” She shot Papyrus the same look. “Maybe that’s not it either.” 

“I think she’s busting at the seams for the answer.” 

“Oh, just go upstairs and get her a shirt or coat or something!” 

-------------------

Frisky yanked at the bottom of the shirt Sans had let her borrow. Fancy little number that said ‘It was me’. Oh, yeah. It was a real oversized shirt too because there weren’t any shorts that fit. While she was the right height of Sans, she only gained a good extra twenty pounds and Sans was a broad skeleton. Only a shirt was an option. Maybe it’s temporary. This wouldn’t make it as easy to dodge attacks. She wouldn’t have survived the attack PERSEVERANCE had inflicted on Papyrus without the locket.  

“Frisk? Come here.” She was not the mathematician of the group, but PATIENCE was gone. Frisky had to do her own mathematical guessing. Frisk came over to his mom and stood beside her. She whispered a few things to herself and measured down a few spades to where he was at. It couldn’t be coincidence that her body adjusted to Sans exact height. He was in the line of the program when they broke apart. It must have took some of his data. 

Which meant Frisk’s calculations would be matching her height by about a third. Which meant, he wouldn’t get much taller, and neither would she. “You’re probably not going to change shape much until we get back home.” 

“Oh. Well, at least  I can ride their dog,” Frisk said as he chuckled at the dog on the floor. 

“We do not have a dog. He just came into the house somehow! Again!” Papyrus patted his head. “This has been a stressful shift for me. I am calling it good. I am going to bed.” The dog barked after him. “No, you cannot follow me upstairs. You are for pet play, but you are not ours.” It followed him upstairs anyway. “No, you cannot come into my room!” It snuck in before he closed the door.  

Frisk just laughed. “He’s funny. I kind of remember him more.” He looked over toward Sans. “I remember puzzles. He does them a lot.” 

“That’s my bro,” Sans answered. “He loves puzzles.” 

“Yeah and he likes something else,” Frisk said, clearly in thought. “What is it?” 

 “Spaghetti.” 

“Oh yeah, spaghetti.” 

“Did someone mention my spaghetti?” Papyrus questioned as he carried the dog back out of his room. 

“Uh, no,” Sans covered quickly. “Good sleep, bro.” 

“Well. Well!” Papyrus stuck his hand in the air. “I will fix my spaghetti tomorrow for everyone!” 

“That’ll be incredibly unforgettable for you.” Sans grabbed both of their balls on their shackles. “Follow the leader.” 

Going up the stairs in shackles wasn’t fun, but at least they were long enough that they had enough length to drag a bit. When they reached upstairs, he put the balls with its attached chains back down.  

“Goodnight, Sans!” Frisk hugged him on the leg. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yep, yep. Be good, kid. I’m first watch, but I uh, have something to do downstairs. If Papyrus asks, I just left a second.”  

------------------------------- 

Sans didn’t care too much about anything. Especially after resetting all the time, but he was shook up more than usual. I could have lost him today. This time, I would have had to ask for a reset to get him back, but that would bring the whole FRISK thing back, meaning . . . yeah, it wasn’t a choice. Not to mention, there were probably more of those things out there. But this timeline, he had something new on his side. 

Frisky. Instead of destroying his world, she could help save it. She had the ability to knock out the invincibility humans carried.  Undyne already lost some guards, but that was far from genocide. Just keep your eye sockets open. Anyone lost this time is lost for good. 

Sans moved through the house, trying to think. He nor his brother pointed out all the things on Frisky, but she was covered on the neck with deep scratches from Undyne. Her arms were red and marked. And having a shirt instead of that overgrown hoodie had exposed even more marks on the top of her legs. 

The whole FRISK never had any injuries. It never bled once, even when it died. Maybe that was why multiple souls went in, to avoid the fragility humans faced down there? If only his powerful magic could help heal. Okay, what’s wrong with you? You’ve killed her over a thousand times and never blinked. Yeah, but he never had to deal with the consequences of what happened to the human body. Even that guy tonight . . . it just stayed there. Humans didn’t turn to dust, they just left a grisly mess behind. 

Thoughts came back to his mind about the times he managed to hit her before resets. Ouch. Bones shattering through the skin. He didn’t want her to keep thinking of him in that light. That was him when he was desperate. When he was fighting evil. Not . . . not her or Frisk. “We don’t have anything. I guess she’d need, uh, white stuff,” he said, remembering what Frisk asked for. They would need healing gel. 

Well, at least she was safely at his place. Prisoner, but not dying or trapped in a cell that Undyne felt fit to put them in. That fish sure could be blind at times. Oh well. At least he gave them a few minutes of privacy. Papyrus was going to make sure they got absolutely none, wanting to make sure he got the job done right, so he’d have to make some wiggle room here and there. 

Frisk sank into the couch and punched it. “Ah, oh no, the enemy. Don’t worry, I’ll save the day everyone!” He punched the couch more.  

Frisky laughed and picked him up. Hm. Even though she had changed, she seemed to have even more strength than she did before. “Now, how do you deal with enemies?” She picked him up and put him over her shoulders. She pretended to point to a menu. “Hit ACT and try talk before doing anything else.” 

“I thought we were supposed to check attack and defense?” 

“You can do that too. Try it.” She pretended to point to ACT.  “Oh, your opponent is the mysterious creature named ‘Couch’. Now, look at your opponent. What’s it say about them?”  

“It says?” Risk thought about it. “It says others like to sit on it. But it wants to sit on someone for a change.” 

“Uh oh. Oh no, I think the couch is going to try to sit on you.” Frisky balanced her son on her shoulders as she moved to the left, then the right. “Watch for the attacks.” Frisk just laughed. “Okay, now what?” 

“I hit ACT and talk. I tell it I won’t sit on it.” 

“Oh look, it’s happy about that. Uh oh, just dodge to the right a little.” Frisky moved over to the right some. “Oh look, now what happened?” 

“It’s smiling,” Frisk said as his mom brought him back down. “Can I spare it now?” 

“Yep. It’ll go away now.” Frisky patted his head. “You did good.” 

“I know, I’m cool.” Frisk laughed as he looked up at his mom. “I like you this close to the ground with me.” 

Sans had been near the door, hearing them. The mysterious couch. Ha ha, I was right, this pair isn’t too bad. 

“Yeah. Well. We may fluctuate some, but we’ll be stuck like this.” 

“Even when we get back to the surface?” 

“We might be able to fix it, but I don’t know for sure.” 

“But mom, the mission was supposed to be all worked out. No flaws.” 

“Well, we weren’t released the right way.”  

“How were we released?”  

Uh oh. Frisky wasn’t going to tell Frisk, was she? He didn’t need the kid to start being afraid of him too. 

“I don’t remember anything, except all kinds of limbs and . . . and Sans was there, and I didn’t see you and-“ 

“Don’t worry about it. Don’t think about it. It’s over. You know what? Don’t worry about this different size thing. You and I are fine. That’s all that matters.” 

“Right! Finding Sans and a place to sleep tonight fills me with DETERMINATION.”  

Sans stepped back into the room. “Tomorrow you might actually have someone watching you sleep half the night. Papyrus takes his work seriously.” Sans sat on the couch and stretched. “Luckily, I don’t.” He laid his skeleton body down on the couch and closed his eyes. 

“Alright, come into the bed, Frisk.” 

“It feels weird sleeping at this time.” 

“When in Rome. Come on, Hon. Bedtime.” 

Sans barely watched them as they went down to sleep. Hm. He probably should have asked some questions, there was a ton he wanted to know. But they were stuck together anyhow, he’d had one hell of a day, and tomorrow would show up like it was supposed to. Then the next day . . . and then the next day . . . 

Still, his eyes lingered on Frisky's arms after they went to sleep. She had her son wrapped up close in her clearly sore arms. His wriggling wasn’t going to help them. Yep. They are fine. 

Funny having two Frisks. Even funnier was how similar their names were. Talk about confusing too, he'd probably come up with his own nicknames for them later. Maybe something punny that would drive Papyrus crazy.

Well, tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

Morning:

Getting up for his shift, Sans got off the couch, but almost missed Frisk who had already been up. “Oh. Papyrus will figure out the next part. I gotta get to work.”  

Frisk tried to come over, but he was to the door and the ball and chain only went so far. “I can’t sleep at this time as well. Can I go with you?”  

“Uh.” Sans shrugged. “Fine.” He went over and grabbed the ball. Maybe he could get some answers from him. “It’ll be boring.”  

“I’m present and here, Sans! Nothing I do is boring, even if I do nothing!” Frisk answered as he almost hopped too far forward for Sans.  

What did he mean by that? “Easy, kiddo, this is one attachment you can’t break,” Sans warned him. “I’ll go first. You follow.”  

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 “Hey, Sans!”  

“Hey there, Sans.”  

Sans waved to everyone he passed.  

“You’re popular,” Frisk said. “Why are you so popular?”  

Popular? “I’ve just known everyone my entire life, kid.”  

“Oh. That sounds cool. To know everyone, and be treated nice by everyone.” Frisk bit his lip. “I wish we could stay.”  

“You are for now.” There was no choice in that.   

 “So, are we going to live with you forever?” Frisk smiled as he swung his arm more as they walked. “I think it would be great.”  

“Uh.” Sans stopped. “Buddy? Do you remember any other monster besides me? At all?” Did Frisky really only avoid Sans, and no one else?  

“Not super much.” Frisk stopped swinging San’s arm. “It’s like a really deep sleep when a bunch of souls are inside me. Momma usually makes sure I stay ‘super dee duper asleep’, unless you’re around.”   

“Okay, but when you landed down here, was it an accident?” Sans stood by his post. There were a lot of signals that it wasn’t, but sometimes kids had the most information they could spill.   

“Of course not. I knew I’d eventually come here, Sans.” Frisk sighed as he started to swing Sans’ hand back and forth again. “My entire life. I wouldn’t even be alive if I wasn’t a conduit.”  

“What’s a conduit?”  

“The special kid that all the other souls go into. A true child has to be the shape.” Frisk looked toward Sans. “Sorry, I forgot. Monsters don’t have as good of technology.”  

 “Sounds like you know all about this place.”  

“Yep! If we reached the barrier after falling, then humanity was going to take off the barrier. But, it’s really stupid. It’s better here. Although, when we go back, we’ll be freed soon. I think,” Frisk said. “We'll be able to live in a domicile, and no one would be stabbing me with needles anymore all the time to make sure I could hold other souls.”  

Yeah, keep talking kid. “Go on.”  

“I mean, you know . . .” Frisk groaned. “I feel too! But, it’s like people don’t remember that. I don’t have anything really to even live for except for people to take over my body. I’m not worth anything to anyone, except for my mom. I have DETERMINATION to keep going for her.” Frisk pulled himself into the booth area. “My mom’s the best, Sans. Most moms that get selected just have their conduit and leave for freedom, but she refused. None of my friends have moms. But, my momma stayed with me, renounced her name and status, and she passed DETERMINATION tests to make sure she could be one of the top leaders on the missions I had to take. It’s a good thing ‘cause momma said this mission got really corrupted.”  

“That’s putting it lightly.” Still, Sans couldn’t even try to sleep a wink today. This kid was radiating new information like crazy. “Conduit. Sounds bad.”  

“Major bad,” Frisk said. “So, can we stay your prisoners forever and not return home? Plllleeeease?”  

“You’d rather be stuck inside a house, with me, dragging around a large ball with chains . . . you know what, I see your point.” Humanity sucked. “Think I’d prefer that to your conduit life too.”   

Frisk continued to jump in and out of the booth like it was the greatest thing in the world. It got to be annoying, but Sans couldn’t say anything. The kid always had souls stuck inside his body, controlling him. He deserved to use his own body for a change.   

While the kid did that though, his cell went off. “Hello?”  

“Sans! You have the little human, right?”  

“Yep.”  

“Oh good, oh good! Don’t do that to me, my bones were shaking! Ask before you just take the human pets out of the house.”  

“Okay, bro. Anything else?”  

“Nope! Just going to follow the book, and then I will bring the big human to work with me I suppose. Oh, how annoying. Things I do for humans.”  

Sans was about to hang up when he heard Frisk’s stomach growl. Kid was probably hungry. He should do something to show he wasn’t a tyrant of a prison guard, and he did owe Frisk something nice for basically saving them from genocide. Why not? “Before you do that, meet me at Grillby’s with her.”  

“What?! Sans, no way!”  

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“Four burgs,” Sans spoke up for them. He wanted to treat everyone to a burger. Cold burgers were good, but the warm burgers were the absolute best. It took some more of his GOLD, and it wasn’t going to reset just like the rest of life, so he’d have to be less casual with it soon. But, one more good go until he was down to spaghetti and hot dogs.  

He never thought hanging out with two souls inside of an unfeeling monster that kept destroying his world . . . would be something he liked. But, it just was. Maybe it was seeing that the evil was dismantled. Maybe it was feeling the goodness in Frisk instead of sensing something wrong that laid his troubles to rest. Maybe it was learning about how FRISK had been good and evil at the same time. Who knew?  

Him and Frisk down to Grillby’s was easy, but convincing Papyrus to bring Frisky was another thing. He had to promise he wouldn’t make any puns about spaghetti for dinner. Papyrus couldn’t turn down that deal, so he took off too.  

“Grillby’s. I always remember this place.” Frisk looked over at Sans. “Can I have fries this time?” 

“Sure, you only live once. Now anyhow,” Sans answered back. “Make that three burgs and one fry, Grillby.” Then, he heard Frisk laugh. What was funny about that? He looked over at Frisk, who was laughing at his mom. 

Who was changing shape again. This time, her width was adjusting. And the shirt that was his that used to fit okay, was now not fitting so okay. One part barely stayed on her shoulder, while the other side couldn’t even stay on her shoulder. It didn’t show anything indecent, but it got close. Frisky started to fidget with it, trying to bring the shoulder back up, but the other side would just start to fall down. 

“Momma, you look funny.” Frisk tapped on Sans. “Doesn’t mom look funny?”  

Sans glanced around. Frisk wasn’t the only one who noticed Frisky’s transformation again. Oof. When had his favorite spot become so uncomfortable?  

When Frisky and the other souls were running Frisk’s body, he was still just a kid. No one blinked twice. Frisky though wasn’t a human kid. Human or not, guys in there were really staring at her. Her outfit was not helping things either. Even if it was a hilarious shirt, it didn’t put off any stares. 

“It’s a human, get her!” 

Yeah. One more fun thing. Before Papyrus and him could even say anything, Dogamy grabbed Frisk and flung her outside of Grillby’s toward Dogaressa. Ugh.  

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Oh. Royal Guard. Frisky turned around after being slung out of Grillby’s. It was so tough, it made her ball and chain come with her too. Really? She thought they all got the order she was a prisoner. Or was it changed? She tried to fix her shirt shoulder again. They even pulled her into an encounter, outside of Grillby’s. DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk.  “Can you guys just chill for a little while?” 

DOGAMY: ACT: Talk. “No, your human!” Dogamy insisted. 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Joke. “I’m not human,” Frisky insisted. “Look at me. I’m a gnome.” 

DOGAMY: ACT: Talk. “You’re a what?” Dogamy growled. 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Flirt. “A gnome. Humans aren’t this small. They’re tall like Papyrus,” she said quickly. “I mean, if I was a human kid, I’d be this small. But look at me, do I really look like a kid, fella?” She winked and clicked her tongue for good measure.  

*Dogamy is blushing. 

“Uuh.” Dogamy looked over at Dogaressa who wasn’t giving him nice looks right now. “Dearest? Humans are taller, except kids. Right?” She was still not giving him kind eyes. He looked back at FriskY. DOGAMY: ACT: Talk. “I don’t believe you. Prove you’re a gnome!” 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Joke. Frisky shrugged. "I look incredibly good on lawns.” 

DOGAMY: ACT: Talk. "Gnomes have beards!" 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. "That's stereotyping, Sir." 

“Sans,” Papyrus warned him as he came to the door with Frisk’s ball and chain. “Don’t forget your prisoner. Undyne will be upset.” 

Sans couldn’t help himself. He knew he wasn’t supposed to laugh, but Frisky was funny. She was failing miserably, Dogamy and Dogaressa didn’t know anything about human sizes, but they did know that gnomes didn’t exist in the Underground. But, it didn't make it any less funny. She was even making Dogaressa mad at Dogamy.  

Still, it was just them. The only real one to watch out for was Doggo. Besides him, there should be no other Royal Guards who didn’t know the new rule. The rest were already gone. 

“You two, stop making a mess of this!” Papyrus yelled at them. “She is our prisoner! Notice the ball attached to her footing? Undyne gave the order!” 

“Oh, Undyne?” Dogamy answered. DOGAMY: ACT: Talk. “Okay, if she is already prisoner.” 

Frisky just shrugged. DETERMINATION: ACT: Flirt. “Too bad I suppose. Would have been fun to play fetch with me, wouldn’t have it?” 

*Dogamy blushes again. 

MERCY. Spare. “Get out of here,” Dogaressa said as she looked at Dogamy, “and you, stop blushing!” 

“Oh, sweetheart. Love of my life,” Dogamy said as he walked off with Dogaressa. “Honey?” 

Sans moved back over to Frisky’s ball and chain to pick it up and go back in. Papyrus did the same with Frisk. 

“You should be more careful,” Papyrus warned her. “Human, you’ve no idea what things are out there. You need to stop being so rambunctious, and getting into stuff that doesn’t concern you!” 

Welp, at least they could all get back to eating. Or not. Why did Frisky feel dog drool over her shoulder? She looked back and saw Doggo, slobbering on her. Oh. Yeah. Fantastic. 

“Will you go away already!” Papyrus demanded. “We are eating, and the humans are our prisoners. Will you stop drooling on her?” 

“She’s under me? Why are you so short?” Doggo demanded from over her shoulder. He smelled her hair lightly. “I know humans are taller. Much taller, and I can tell you’re not a child. You should be brought to Undyne for questioning. Are you still there?” 

“She is fine! They come in many sizes,” Papyrus added. “For the last time, she is already our prisoner so it doesn’t matter whether she’s child or adult. Stop annoying us.” 

Frisky tried to concentrate on her own burger. It was nice to have a warm burger. It had been a very long time since she had one. Plus, she knew that days of unhealthy food weren’t going to work as well since time stopped resetting. She would have to ignore the drooling dog for now. Which was still there. Drooling. It could be completely in my head, but . . . He wasn’t trying to look down her shirt, was he? He wouldn’t. Royal Guard. Curious. Monster. In my head, it’s in my head. Monsters don’t like humans. Besides, he’s usually pretty blind. 

Sans hadn’t said a word. He didn’t want to get involved. He just wanted to chill with his burger. Papyrus was handling it. But. This. Was. Ridiculous. Can’t I just enjoy my first full day of no resetting? But, nope. His brother was clueless as ever. Frisky wasn’t catching the subtlety of the ‘blind dog’. She may not have been moving from her seat, but she was eating, so she really was moving. Doggo was being a real dog.  

Sans couldn’t just let that go on, but direct confrontation was never his style. “Nice burger. Lovely day for some yummy catsup too.” He held the catsup up to his mouth. “Nothing better than catsup. Oops.” He ‘accidentally’ squirted it the wrong way. “Hey, sorry about that,” Sans chuckled at Doggo as he backed up and tried to get the catsup out of his eyes. “Maybe you should go catsup with the other guards.” Frisk just laughed. 

“Sans!” Doggo complained as he rubbed his eyes more. 

“Sans!” Papyrus scolded him. “Watch where you are facing your catsup!” 

“Sorry.” Sans shrugged as he went back to his catsup. “I was distracted by Frisky moving all over the place.” 

“I’m not mo . . .” 

Yep, she got it. She moved up closer to the counter, and her cheeks were glowing a pinkish hue.  

“How come you’re blushing, mom?” Frisk asked her. “Mom?” 

“I'm not leaving far. We’re just not hunting them right now since King Asgore killed one and it didn’t free us,” Doggo answered. “We’ll eventually be back to trying, and we’ll have two guinea pigs ready.” 

Frisky was doing something Sans didn’t like the look of. He didn’t sense anything wrong. She wouldn’t, but she was slowly taking a knife out of its sheath from on the counter. Not a surprise she managed to stash that. Papyrus didn't check her, too busy with shackles and thinking of rules last night. And him, he just didn't care all that much. 

Now he should have cared. No way. You’re better than that. It's not worth it for whatever friend that may have been. 

But, Frisky left the knife on the table. He watched as she turned around to Doggo with the sheath. “See the stick, boy? See the stick?” She stood up. “Ooh, it's not a regular stick. It's a shiny stick. A thick stick! Ooh, it's a special stick! Come on, boy, you want the stick?” 

“Oh, boy, oh, boy!” Doggo couldn’t help himself. 

“You want the stick boy, you want it?” Frisky asked him again. “Be a good boy, then. Sit.” 

Doggo sat on the ground, wagging his tail as his eyes followed the moving stick. 

Frisky kept moving it repeatedly. “Ooh, what a stick! Look at that stick! Grr, ooh, it'd be so good to get the teeth on it, huh? Ooh, look at that texture, I bet that will feel good! What’ll you do for it, boy? Huh?” 

“Aaah, anything!” He yelled as he wagged his tail back and forth. 

“Roll over then. Roll over, boy!” Frisky kept moving the stick. “To the left. To the right. Yay! Can you clap hands?” She held her hand out. “Come on, clap my hand. Ooh, there’s a good boy! Ooh, who's a goody good boy?” 

“Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t!” Papyrus warned Sans, but Frisk was already cracking up, trying to hold onto Sans for support. “Don’t laugh!” 

“I can’t do it!” Sans started to beat his hands on the counter. FRISK had petted and played with the dogs a little in the past, but this was hilarious. Frisky was getting revenge by showing how petty and easily manipulated Doggo was in a restaurant, where anyone could see him. Nobody could resist. 

“Ooooh, such a good booooyyyy!” Frisky said as he finished rolling over. “On the floor. Down on all fours.” Doggo got down on all fours. “There you go, sit by me, there you go big boy.” She petted him right beside her seat as she went back to her burger. 

“I’ve been petted!” His hind leg moved up and down as he sat on the floor beside her. "Pit! Pat! Pot! Pet!" 

Sans couldn’t help it. “Well, I think Frisky got herself her own doggy bag.”  

“Sans!” But even his brother couldn’t hide the fact that it was kind of funny. He was practically squirming. The rest of the restaurant lost it’s cool a long time ago. In fact, some Monsters were coming in just to see what the fuss was. 

Best. Revenge. Ever. “Dog gone shame he can’t come home with us, huh, Papyrus?” Sans asked. 

“Sans!” 

“He’ll be too dog tired,” Frisk added. 

“Good one, kid.” Sans said he finished his burger. Well, it looked like burgers was a good idea after all. 

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Chapter Text

Papyrus held Frisky's ball and chain as he took her somewhere else different. Frisky had always thought she'd seen everything in San's and Papyrus' house. There was always a new surprise in each playthrough of the Underground though, and this was just another one. 

A small bathroom, right behind a right balcony in the house. Apparently, Sans wasn't the only one who knew how to take shortcuts because there wasn't even a door to get over to the balcony. From what Frisky could see, there was nothing except one tub, one counter, one toilet and tiled walls. That was it. Plain, simple, and just a glass balcony door. Someone who wasn't Sans or Papyrus would have had to leap up to the balcony to make their way into the area. 

Well, when someone's gotta potty. At least there was one entrance. She doubted there was a big demand for it since Monster food didn't go all the way through digestion. 

“First, there are steps that must be taken before we get into a daily ritual of feed and water,” Papyrus started. 

Seriously, Papyrus. I am not a pet. First he thinks I’m a rock, and now a pet. Undyne, why did you have to say that? And then Sans just had to say humans were close enough to pets. Urg. She kept quiet though. There was no reason to aggravate her jailer. Papyrus was naturally sweet-hearted, whether he wanted to be or not. 

“First, we don’t really have a nearby vet, so we can’t get shots yet. That and I don’t know what shots humans need, so that will be kept for later.” He turned the paper. “However, those wounds must be treated, and I must groom and shower you at least once a week.” He put the paper down and went over to the bathtub. He added some kids' bubble bath into it and turned on the water. "Right, now over here." 

Frisky looked toward gauze and gels strewn across a small counter. “First we get the gels on you, and then you can take a bath!” He grabbed some of the gels and rubbed them on her shoulders and around her legs. "There we go, you look much better! See, the magical healing of healing gels! You have probably never seen this, have you human?" 

Wow. "No." But amazing. Frisky couldn't believe how fast healing gels had worked. Her whole body looked and felt like she didn't even have a scratch. Monster magic, it was so incredible sometimes. "Thank you very much, The Great Papyrus." 

Papyrus was beaming after she used his full name. "Yes, it truly was a brilliant idea by me! And because you have been so good, here is more of my wonderful intelligence for you. You should never eva eva eva eva use healing gels right after an ouchie. It will create an even worse ouchie. Remember that, human." He brought out a small diagram of a human child. “Now, I have a diagram so that you can be accurate in bathing." 

A bath would actually be kind of nice. It had been some time since she bathed her own body. Frisky made a gesture for him to turn around. “Could you turn around for a few seconds?”  

“I suppose, human, but I will not be far!" 

 “NO!” 

Papyrus and her both tensed up as they heard that voice. Undyne was staring at them through the glass door. She opened it and proceeded inside. 

“You.” Undyne gestured toward Frisky. “You come into our town when we didn’t ask for you or your help.” She looked toward Papyrus. “Get on with it, and do not cower to commands of the human!” 

“Um, but, uh . . .” 

“What? You want me to do it? Fine, I will.” Undyne commanded him outside the bathroom and locked the door. She moved over toward the counter. “Oh, look. Healing gels. Papyrus wants to help his pet feel better, huh? Does he actually believe his pet is injured?” 

This was so not good. At least Frisk was out of the house.  

“Let’s get you all taken care of.” Undyne fiddled around on the counters. “Let’s see, that’s interesting. All kinds of healing gels. Because that's what you actually need. Yeah, right!" She turned away from the gels. “Humans never have to heal. You are trying to make him feel sorry for you, like you're hurt, so you can sneak away! The one I battled with never even got a scratch, you can't fool me. Why did you show up here conveniently when the other human did?” 

Uh. Frisky tried to keep it together. Undyne is great. She wanted to be the best bestie ever. She’s a good Monster. Just suspicious. Still, Undyne was out for blood more than once, and this time, she lost two guards. She really had an anger streak. 

Undyne came over by Frisky, touching her along her shoulders. “Don’t be scared, human. If you’re innocent and honest, then there’s nothing to fear.”  

Frisky felt herself getting pulled into an encounter. And in such a small area. Oh no! 

UNDYNE: ACT:  Talk: “Now, like I said, why did you conveniently show up when the other human did?” 

Damn. Frisky looked at her options. Confess? Oh great. At least she still had talk. DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “My son, Frisk. I came looking for him.” 

UNDYNE: ACT:  Talk: “The little human that Sans and Papyrus were taking care of, I heard about that. And how did they get a hold of him?” 

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “I don’t know exactly.” Frisky knew her time was running out. Undyne couldn't pull out spears, that weapon would reach across the room! Right? 

UNDYNE: ACT:  Talk: “Uh huh. Sure. You left your kid out right by their area on purpose. Confess!” She yelled. “Now, listen, and listen good! I have met one good human, and four very bad humans.” 

Uh oh. Frisky didn’t know she had actually met others. She had always assumed that FRISK as a whole was the only one she had met. When did she meet others? 

UNDYNE: ACT:  Talk: “The good human was just a child, while all the other three were full-grown humans! You know what that means? That means that I’m not going to harm your son. Just like the other good one, I believe children are young enough to learn. To change. I won’t harm him unless he really messes up. But, it's clear to me that adult humans do not change! So, prove me wrong!” 

Frisky tried to move as quickly as possible, but as a mere human, the damage was swift and done. Undyne did not throw any more spears besides one. Probably too stunned by what happened. 

"What in the-you didn't heal? You didn't die yet, but you didn't heal?" Undyne approached her steadily. Frisky hardly moved. "Oooooh . . . you're not like the others." She heard Undyne clamoring around over by the counter. She tried to look up, and felt something hit her back. "That is going to suck for you later. Painful scars. You aren't supposed to apply healing gel that fast, but I still don't know if you're innocent or not so . . . that healing gel saved your life.  But . . . well, serves your kind right for what you've been doing! Now, stand up, weakling." 

Frisky felt herself being forced to stand.  

"You are so incredibly lucky Papyrus had healing gel here. Now you won't die, but, it won't exactly . . . hmm. Well, you're going to suffer.  You can get more healing gel later, but it will be even more painful, so . . . suffer! Suffer until you can prove your innocence to me!"  

Damn. If she had been FRISK, she could have proved her innocence. She could have had a fight with Undyne, and then either avoided all attacks, convinced her with enough talking, or brought her back to hotlands for a nostalgic feeling that would make her see reason.  

That was how Undyne worked. That fight should have been the end of the imprisonment. 

Well. At least she didn't die.  

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“Oh. Hello, Sans,” Papyrus’ voice sounded strange as Sans and Frisk came home for a break. “Uh. Um." 

Sans watched his brother, noticing Frisky wasn't around him. "What happened, Papyrus?" 

"There are some not so good things that may be or have happened." Papyrus waved to Frisk. "You should probably take the human boy to your room." 

Oh no. That didn't sound good. "Come on, Frisk. Let's go." He moved up the stairs, trying not to drag too fast, but Papyrus words worried him. "There, in ya go. Be right back." He quickly moved back downstairs. "Where's the other human, Pap?" 

"Undyne arrived and she has been with the adult human in the bathroom. I . . . she asked me for another shirt, so I know the human is probably alive?" Papyrus whined softly. "I haven't heard anymore noise. Do you think that Undyne hurt it?" 

"Okay, alright." Sans nodded. "Calm down, I'll check it out. Okay? You stay here." Sans took a shortcut to their balcony and looked in. Undyne was blocking his view. He knocked on the glass door, and she turned around. 

Undyne opened the balcony door. “Almost done.” She smirked at him. “Keep your pet in line, and tomorrow I am going to visit again. I know she’s hiding things, and I want to know what she knows.” She looked back in the room and then back at him. “Lesser Dog and Greater Dog didn’t die to get thrown into a human con, and I refuse to lose another soldier. Tomorrow, I will show no mercy.” She hopped past him off the balcony and went on her way. 

It sounded like Frisky wasn't dead. Still, there was something about Undyne Sans didn't like. The way she flinched when she talked. He looked back toward the bathroom and saw Frisky. She was wearing a different shirt now, a blank one without his classic 'it was me' on it. She tried to wave, but her hand didn’t reach high.  

Sans quickly took a shortcut back to Papyrus, getting her out of the balcony room, just in case Undyne came back to finish her off. 

“Human? Are you okay?” Papyrus asked as he looked at her. 

“Eh.” Frisky tried to smirk. “You know me, I’m always on the cutting edge of life.” 

“Momma?” Frisk called from on top of the stairs. Papyrus didn’t drop his ball and chain far enough away to keep him from the door. 

“It’s okay, Frisk!” she insisted. “Just carving out my destiny a day at a time, but I'll live.” 

“Okay, not good!” Papyrus started to fidget with her shirt. “You are as bad as you were with the Royal Guards, and that was Undyne!” 

“I’m fine,” Frisky insisted as he patted her shirt. She waved to Frisk. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”  

Frisk eventually left from the doorway. Sans didn’t move while Papyrus kept fidgeting around with her. It wasn’t hard to tell, her body was giving clear signals something was wrong. And her joking was definitely giving bad vibes. “Welp, Frisky, he’s gone, so cut it out already.” 

“This is no time for something like puns!” Papyrus yelled at him too. He touched her back, making her move involuntarily again.  

She wasn't going to spill easily. If at all. “So, what kind of spaghetti are we having tonight, Papyrus?” Sans would get the answer, but it wasn't going to be easy to get, and it wouldn't happen yet. Not the way she was staying clammed up. The more pushing, the worse she would push them away. 

“The ones without any puns involved,” Papyrus warned  him. “I shall make my homemade artisan spaghetti!” He grabbed Frisky’s ball and chain. “Come human! You are lucky enough to see how I make my best dish!” 

“Sounds great, bro. Just, let me know if Undyne comes back.” While Papyrus took off to the kitchen in a rush, Sans slowly walked back upstairs. Frisky didn’t want to tell them anything yet, and he had to keep his eye on Frisk right now and head back to his next job.  

Undyne was out for blood more than he thought though. 

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“What do you mean you do not want to move the couch to my room?” Papyrus complained to him. 

“It’s too much work. I’ll just watch them on the couch from mine again.” 

“But, Sans! Undyne is, she is clearly keeping a particular eye on the humans.” Papyrus groaned. “You can’t stay awake and watch them all night.” 

“Fine, we’ll take shifts,” Sans agreed. “I’ll take first.” 

“Sans,” Papyrus gave him a warning kind of sound. “Did you at least clean your sheets this time? Prisoners or not, they need hygienic accommodations." 

"Tomorrow night. They are fine right now." 

"Oh, do you have to be so extra lazy sometimes?" Papyrus groaned. "Fine, but make sure you don’t fall asleep.” 

“Sure, bro. I gotcha.”  

That night, Sans acted like nothing was wrong at all. Frisky didn’t seemed bothered by it. Of course not, he used to ricochet her all over the place. He was only waiting though. Frisky tended to curl up with Frisk, making it easy to get to her back. If he acted like he didn’t even really care, she should eventually go to sleep, and he could see what Undyne did. 

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Trying to act like her life didn’t stink wasn’t easy, but Frisky was good at it by now. Her life had always stunk. The only thing good in it, real good, was in her arms. Things aren’t getting easier though. I thought if I could get separated back into my own body, we could get out. Ha, what a joke! I'm not FRISK. I'm not even Frisky anymore, the mission's over. Right. Concentrate, 95452. Undyne has met more than PERSEVERANCE already. When? Coming back from the castle? She sighed. And when in the tales of being a hero did it ever say you had to deal with being a criminal first in order to help. I mean, help. Help! I didn’t even do anything but help. I couldn’t go against Undyne’s wishes while she had power, or I would have saved the guards too. But, I had to. Others would have been hurt. Sans would have lost Papyrus if I just snuck out with Frisk. She looked over toward Sans who was sleeping on duty. Never thought he’d actually not hurt me again once he knew what we did. He’s been nothing but decent, and I just feel like this time, it might be for real. I don’t think he’s going to kill us. I think he wants to be our friend again. Oh, I hope so. I know he can make life better just by being around him. She closed her eyes again.  

Comedy. Humor. Weak, weak memories of another time and another place. 

Not helping. Okay, just get some rest. There is nothing you can do about your back. I just have to keep . . . oh, why even bother? What’s the point in saving when you know you can’t reset or continue? I mean, I don't think I can. I don't really want to, Sans is clearly just getting used to the fact time is moving again. No, I have to do this right. I can’t let Undyne kill me, but I have to earn her loyalty. I can do this, I am a PACIFIST soldier, 95452! I can make it through this.  

Chapter Text

Sans opened his eyes some time later, finally convinced the Frisks were both asleep. It wasn’t surprising Frisky didn’t sleep with her back toward him. He moved off the couch and came closer to his mattress, just on the other side of Frisky. 

The shirt was still oversized, so at least that made the next part easier. He gently lifted the back of it and looked down. Yep, Undyne cut into her alright. That's why Undyne demanded another shirt. His other shirt was probably wrecked. He moved the back of the shirt up more until he could see almost her entire back. Yep, that was a graze of a spear, but it wasn’t bleeding as bad as it should, meaning . . . 

 it must have been worse than he thought. This wasn't a threat, it was a fight. Undyne pulled her into an encounter underneath his own roof? Ugh, that fish lady. It looked like Undyne must have used healing gels right afterward to save her life. Her way of 'showing mercy'. 

But, even though it saved her life, healing gels applied too soon would make Frisky feel the pain for a much longer amount of time. He let go of her shirt, but suddenly felt her pull away. She moved her body quickly to the wall, along with Frisk in her arms. Breathing hard. 

Almost forgot. A part of her probably still believed he was going to kill her at some point. “I just needed to see,” Sans admitted. “You need healing gel.” 

“Already had that, thanks. Not really my favorite thing in the world,” Frisky said quickly.  

“You’re not getting a choice.” Sans held out his hands to her. “Give me Frisk. Papyrus can watch him while we get this done.” 

“Don’t. Really.” Frisky tried to hold on, but leaning on that wall so fast on her back really messed her up. Sans easily grabbed the sleeping Frisk. 

“He’ll be fine. We’ll get this done and go back to sleep.” Sans took Frisk out of the room as casually as he could. He went into Papyrus’ room and tucked Frisk in beside his brother. 

This wouldn’t be fun. The healing gels on her would heal over time, but it would be drawn out pain, and she would have that scar forever. 

Sans came back over to Frisky’s room. “Come on. Healing gels are downstairs.” 

“ . . . does this have to be done now?” Frisky asked, arching her back slightly. “Doesn’t rest sound better? Nothing heals better than rest.” 

“Up.” This wasn’t a choice and he used a tone to denote that as he grabbed her ball and chain. She got up and he took a shortcut up to the bathroom. Grabbing a small chair in there, he gestured for her to sit down and looked at the healing gels. 

All laid out, alphabetical order, Papyrus style. He sighed. Alphabetical order wasn’t the order he wanted. Let’s see. The weaker ones should get the job done for human skin, but if I use too weak, it’ll just be painful and won’t work. If I use one that’s too strong, there will be more pain. “Do you know which one of these Undyne used?” 

“I think it was a light blue tube,” Frisky answered. "I don't remember, I was on the ground most of the time." 

Light blue tubes. Sans moved all the other tubes out of the way, and was down to ten. Various strengths. He looked for tell-tale signs like which one was open, but more than one was open. Hm. This still wouldn’t be easy. He studied the strength label of each gel, and decided his best chance was medium. It was open, it wouldn’t be too weak, but if it was too strong, it wouldn’t burn off her skin. “Lucky winner.” 

Sans came on the other side of her, but her shirt was staying on better again. “Do you know when you’re weight’s going to stop bouncing around?” 

“It’ll settle soon,” she answered dutifully. “The less stress, the better.” 

Great. In the meantime, how was he going to do this? “I hate to tell you in such a heated situation, but you’re going to have to lose your shirt.” She didn’t move. He gestured out the balcony door. “I’ll tell you what, Frisk Number Two. I’m going to trust you in here for five minutes. Call me back when you’re ready. If you don’t, then, we really aren’t going to have a fun time together. This is going on, one way or another.” 

Yeah, she probably got that hint. He headed out the door and waited as she closed the curtain. Mm. He’d rather be on the couch resting and leave it up to Papyrus, but he couldn’t do that. This wasn’t going to be easy, and he didn’t want his little brother to have to take care of it. At the same token, he couldn’t keep waiting though. Once the burn of healing wrong eased up, the scar that would start to form on fragile human skin would be permanent. Even healing gels couldn't get rid of it. 

He’d barely even made contact with Frisky’s shoulder when she first came, and she practically shivered involuntarily. Keep trying. She’ll eventually forget all the times you mercilessly killed her. He had to do something, she was a part of something creating genocide back then. What could he do, just pass by with a wave of his hand and let everything disappear without even a try? Sure, he never won, but it wouldn’t be a world he’d want to live in anyway. But, he just never realized there were innocent screams in there. 

Screams that deserved that mercy button. Except now he was about to put her through even more pain with his own hands. Yeah, like that wouldn’t be a fun reminder. 

“Okay.” 

Okay. He opened the balcony door and looked in. Her entire back was exposed, and she had her shirt covering her front. Seemed to make her feel better. “Great. This shouldn’t take long, then we’ll head back to bed.” He grabbed the gel and squeezed some on his bony hands. “Uh, just. I know you have no burning need to be here long, so let’s start.” Involuntary scream number one, coming up. 

“This isn’t necessary. I have enough DETERMINATION to heal.” He didn’t buy that at all though, and started to put on the gel. That liquid burned like sin. Like sin crawling on my back. She didn’t want to yell and alarm Frisk. It was just treatment. He wasn’t actually trying to kill her. In fact, she could tell he was trying to be gentle. At the beginning, the pain was intense, doubling and sometimes tripling what she already felt, but it was starting to fade into more of a massage. By a skeleton. 

But, it strangely didn’t hurt at all. What once felt cold and dangerous . . . felt . . . different. Not, bad different. It wasn’t human skin, but that was her problem half the time. The fragility of her body.  

“So Undyne’s asking questions?” 

“Yeah,” she answered, feeling him massage up into her back shoulders. “She said she ran into three bad humans so far. She wants answers.” 

“So two extra? Huh. Wonder where.” 

She arched her back, feeling him get her in the middle of her back. 

“Doing what I can, pal. You’ll be fine, kiddo.” 

Pal. Buddy. Kiddo. “Sans, I'm really not a kiddo you know. Ah, ah, ah." 

Sans stopped a moment. “Frisk told me you abandoned your old name. What was it?” 

“Dead,” she said. "It's dead and terminated, all authorization and priorities assigned to it are gone." 

"Didn't ask that. Asked what it was." Sans waved the healing gel in front of her. "You're in a tough position, so answer honestly." 

Frisky looked at the healing gel. Would he really quit in the middle of it? It was insane to do something half way. She had already made it through most of the pain. "I was previously Frisk and now I am 95452 until the next mission. My previous civilian name is unknown to me." 

"Oh. Welp, Frisky I guess you'll continue to be for me. What about the actual kid, what was his name?" 

"Soldiers do not keep any actual identity except their identification numbers," Frisky said. "As a conduit, Frisk was considered a soldier the day he was born." 

"Yeah, and people have been taking over his body since day one I bet too. You should name your kid. Give 'em something that's his own." 

Frisky didn't answer back at first. She needed to be very careful. "If I had the authority to name my child, which I do not, and would never pretend to have, since I am only a lowly human. Then, I would have called him . . . Chance." 

"Well, hey, there's a good chance I could work with that." 

"But I can't name him." 

Sans didn't respond to that. Instead, he continued to put the healing gel on. When it was applied appropriately by Papyrus, it was so easy. Now because of Undyne, doing it, the same way would have been more torturous. Still, they should be done soon. Hopefully. 

"Listen. You know? I thought I was good at keeping secrets, but you take the cake there, pal. So, I promise that I will keep Undyne off your back, if you give me some answers too.” Sans squeezed some more gel on his bony finger. "Fair?" 

Pretty fair. "It's hard to share everything. Uh, I will share what I am authorized to," she agreed. 

“Best I'm gonna get I bet. Alright then, Frisky, it’s almost over.” 

“Alright, Frisky, it’s almost. Wait, I said that?” Sans looked back down at her back. There was no healing gel on it. 

“Alright, Frisky, it’s-what?” 

Frisky looked up toward Sans. “Oh no. I’m not doing that.” She tried to get up. 

“Oh no. I’m not-“ 

“No, idiots!” Frisky yelled. “Someone is resetting! Not like this, it will be full of errors!” 

“Someone is resetting! Not like this, it will be full of errors!” 

“Errors!” 

----------------- 

“Holy god damn it!” Larrs yelled as he came in. His coffee was now all spilled on his shirt. After leaving for the weekend, he had come in to check the feed. “Frank, get in here, now!” 

Frank entered, seeing the coffee all over Larrs. “Drink much?” 

“Shut up about me, look.” He gestured to the screen. “Gone, FRISK’s signature is gone.” 

“Are you saying we did it?” Frank grabbed a chair and got behind his own computer checking the feed. “I don’t see anything. Wait, there are some signatures. Damn, those aren’t all good signatures. Check the feed, Larrs, while I see who here survived.” He typed in some commands into his computer. “Frisk is alive, we did it. DETERMINATION, double bonus. Uh, PATIENCE too. That’s all I see though. Damn, out of seven souls, only them and the conduit.” 

“I can't find any of the others. I don't know, but the conduit’s the only one that mattered anyhow. What are the other signatures?” Larrs asked as he was checking the feedback. “Bam, right there. There it is. Signals sparked, they were separated!” 

“Oh, man, we are going to get the biggest damn promotion ever!” Frank said as he was zooming in on the new signatures. “Project UNDERTALE, after this many years, solved. Solved by us! Well, once we get the conduit out, but damn. We’ve got NEUTRALISTS, TERMINATORS, and GENOCIDERS that made it through. They must have investigated the shockwave too. Oh, I knew I should have come in yesterday, but Trisha’s family was visiting. They aren’t real good at walking down city streets yet, and she would have chewed my ass out if they had got eaten.” 

“Now’s not the time for excuses, Frank,” Larrs said as he continued to check the events. “Just tell me are there any enemy conduits too?” 

“Four, and some with classified identities.” 

“Okay then, we need to open feeds down to 95452, and call the higher ups.” 

“She doesn’t have anything for communication. This mission prohibited all modern technology. Duh.” 

“She got an MP3, I checked the feed inside the Temmie’s store.” 

“How the hell did she get that?!” 

“The mission status is deemed failed, so you-know-who probably left it as a calling card. Don’t worry, old outdated model. Ooh, poor girl. That had to hurt. She looks like crap in this close up too. We’ll have to get her repaired later.” 

“Damn, there was a ripple. I saw that. I bet they felt that down there. Who is manning communication?” 

“Conner, but I don’t know if the momma can get to it.” Larrs pointed to the feedback he was seeing. “She’s in Snowdin, inside the Monster’s house.” 

“Which Monster?” 

“The one. And she’s . . . getting rubbed by it?” 

“What?” Frank moved over to see Larr’s screen. “Zoom in. What am I seeing? The Skeleton should be wanting to kill her, not moisturize her! The thing went crazy. Shoot. Wait, zoom down there on her foot. Yeah, that’s a chain. Prisoners?” He slapped his face. “All this time trying to get him to shoot and make them survive, and now they are prisoners? Try to find her position and maybe we can bring her up manually. Genocide all over again if 95452 doesn’t get on it, fast.” 

"But what about the conduit? That's way more important!" 

"No, no. We'll get him, don't rush it. There are a bunch of errors popping up though, and we have to get the Underground back under safety first. Balancers will shit bricks if anything really happens to a single Monster." 

"Yeah, the Great Froggit War. I know." 

"Yeah, but you're too young to remember. I was alive. I was in my school class, learning about shapes. How a triangle had three sides while a rectangle had four. I had just raised my hand, when the first attack went off." He looked away. "Tragic. It wasn't even our fault, the chances of normal death in a reset does happen." 

"Yeah. One Froggit. A lot of humans were sacrificed that day. Then there was the Forgotten Battle. I'm glad I wasn't alive for that one. A million humans," he said snapping his fingers, "wiped out like that." 

"Ancient history, but If we screw this up and just grab the conduit, it could repeat. So, this first. We'll get the Underground back in control first, reset every single Monster lost, and then we'll get it." 

"What about the conduit's mom?" 

"We'll just capture her, and send her back to civilian status with a wiped memory. This would be too cruel to know." 

------------------------------------  

Chapter Text

“Yes, errors,” Frisky yelled as she stumbled away in response to the jolt. Not a good idea when her back was just being healed. “Damn it!” 

Sans felt his own skull and stumbled back a few times. He looked all around him and at the blue tube he was holding. His head felt fuzzy. “That’s right, I was rubbing this on your back. What was that?“ 

Frisky had been so alarmed with what happened, she had fallen onto her back. Her shirt was still covering her front, but not completely. He saw even more than he saw at Grillby’s. Wow, humans have . . . pretty curves.  

“Someone’s here. That wasn’t me or Frisk,” Frisky groaned as she pulled herself up. “Not a reset, but a jolt from someone new in the Underground.”  

“Someone new?” Sans questioned her. 

“Yep. This is bad.” Frisky turned away from him and slid the shirt back over herself. “This is really bad. Only Frisk and I should be here.” 

 “How bad?” 

“Bad. Bad, bad.” Frisky looked toward Sans. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been forthcoming about everything. I am kind of a prisoner. We haven’t had much one on one time, it’s a lot to take in too, so there isn’t much to –the Ruins?! Sans, I need two favors! I swear, if you do this, I’ll tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know. Unclassified, whatever, this is an emergency.” 

That sounded too good to pass up. “What?” 

“I need the little device that Undyne took, and I need you to take us to the Ruins, the beginning of it. Your shortcut, quickly!” 

Undyne? If she didn’t look like someone was about to die, he would have to take time to think about that. Her place was rather small, and there were limited places she’d put it. “Fine.” 

It didn’t take long to find it. He grabbed it, took a shortcut back to his place for Frisky, and one more to the Ruins. He handed it to her. “Better keep that promise.” 

Inside the ruins, Frisky looked around. “Landing spot.” She tried to run, but forgot about the ball and chain. When she fell from its weight, it landed her into an encounter with a whimsy. “Oh, not now!” She pressed FLEE. “Sans, you have to get this thing off!” 

He zapped the chain between the ball and her foot. “Afterwards, that goes back on. Now what’s going on?” 

“Hang on.” She ran into the hallway toward the golden flowers on the ground. “Okay.” She looked toward Sans. “Um . . . I don’t really know what to say, except that . . . I-I’m sorry about crashing everything you’ve ever believed in.” Strange silvery light fell over her. “Then again, you above everyone else should probably know the truth.” The MP3 beeped in her hand as she looked at it. She gestured with her finger for him to come over and pointed to her MP3 screen.  

teleportation . . . fail due to errors . . . correcting errors . . . pending . . . 

Reset power restored. . . 

Saving power restored. . . 

Reset memory restored. Transmitting data. Mission failed . . . Stats influencing missions being logged . . . 

transmission failed . . . pending . . . 

“Failed?” That didn’t make any sense to her.  

“What is all that?” Sans asked. “Teleportation?” 

“Yeah, uh. I need to get back to figure out what’s gone wrong, but . . .” Her reset and saving power were repaired, so what was wrong? 

 . . . transmission impossible . . . incoming message . . . 

Direct Order: Connect ASAP . . . 

“Oh no.” Shoot. If only she had something more powerful than a third generation MP3 Camo device. Something was definitely wrong if they weren’t letting her leave the Underground. She tried to stay calm, but this couldn’t be good.  

. . . request calling . . . 

“I can’t call you stupid thing. This is just an MP3 third generation Camo unit.” Frisky had no choice but to wait until a default function of connection could be established. 

“Hang on.” Sans was understanding some of it though. “Are you telling me you could have left the Underground at any point you wanted to?” 

“No, not as FRISK. I was in a permanently attached status until the mission was deemed over.” 

 . . . request calling . . . 

 . . . request calling . . . 

 . . . text assistance available . . . 

“Finally.” Frisky went into her default menu and found emergency contact.  

RESPONDENT 1: EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IS NOT IN YOUR AREA. 

95452: WHAT EMERGENCY? 

RESPONDENT 1: CORRUPTION. ALL MISSIONS IN UNDERGROUND TERMINATED FOR 2 HOURS. INCOGNITO. 

“Incognito?” Sans asked as he looked at the small screen on the device. “Are you telling me humans have been visiting the Underground, in incognito?” 

“Um. Mostly.” She continued her texting. She didn’t have time right now for explanations. “Afterwards, promise. Explanation. Lots, Sans the Skeleton, lots.” 

95452: REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. I HAVE NO FUNCTIONING DEVICE EXCEPT A THIRD GENERATION MP3 CAMO. I CAN’T EVEN TALK ON IT. 

RESPONDENT 1: ENEMY INFILTRATION. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.  

95452: CONNER, I MEAN IT! TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON! 

RESPONDENT 1: THE ENEMY IS IN THE UNDERGROUND. KEEP YOURSELF SAFE FOR ME. 

“The enemy is in the Underground.” Sans looked straight back at her. Again. “Does that mean more humans? Or something else?” 

She just typed as fast as she could. 

95452: REQUEST IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE! I NEED AT LEAST A NINTH GENERATION UPGRADE CONNER! 

RESPONDENT 1: I CAN GET YOU AN EIGHT UPGRADE. 

95452: RU FING KDNG?! I NEED A 9! 

RESPONDENT 1: I AM ONLY PERMITTED TO GET YOU AN 8, SWEETUMS. SORRY. 

95452: FINE, ASAP! 

She kept her left hand still and up in the air. As she heard the upgrade complete signal she opened the advanced menu.  

DUST ANALYZATION IN PROGRESS . . . 20 FEET . . . 100 FEET . . . 1000 FEET . . . ANALYSIS COMPLETE. FROGGIT. WHIMSY. VEGETOID. GOAT. 

“What. Is. That.” 

The bone-chilling sound in Sans’ voice brought her mind back to Judgment Hall. Later. If he wants to fight me and kill me endlessly again, then later! I have a new mission. I can’t let guilt and shame sidetrack me. 

“What is that, 95452?” 

She didn’t answer, but instead pulled up another running analyzation. 

HUMAN ANALYZATION IN PROGRESS . . . 

32 INCOGNITO 

4 CONDUITS, INCOGNITO. 

3 REVEALED 

 “We need to get back to Snowdin,” she answered. 

“Goat.” 

“Toriel. There’s no other goat here.” She closed her eyes. She tried so hard. Sans didn’t make a sound next to her. “I could run another analyzation to see how close they are.” She felt her device being yanked away, by one unpleasant looking Skeleton. 

“Why bother? More Monsters are just dying by doing that.” Not happy, he was not happy. “Doesn’t even matter anymore, does it?” 

“It does,” she said softly.  

“Reset. Reset and begin again. Again and again and again . . .” Sans chuckled. “Heh. Look at me. I thought I actually escaped it all. Boy, was I a fool. But, in the end . . .” He looked at her device in her hand. “What are we? Play things?”  

*Encounter ability blocked 

“Encounter ability  blocked?” Sans just gritted his teeth. “Do you really think I would-?” But, she disappeared. Gone. “Great. It would have just been another rehashed reset anyhow. Determination never did me a lot of good. It’s all just useless anyway, but . . .” He stuffed his bony hands in his coat. “One more go round. Round and round and round . . .” 

----------------------------------- 

Ship 229: Location: Above Underground

She watched as her usual team surrounded her. She walked quickly while they tried to shove data reports at her. “Not now, trouble.” She moved over to the computer and pushed down the microphone button. “Red alert, I repeat, red alert. Underground has been compromised by the enemy. Anyone with any kind of MP device, please locate and make sure all incognito members, and no MP status’ are aware of the situation.” She let go of the microphone button and took the first report. “Damn. Why are they swarming? The mission failed. Get Conner in here, now.” 

“Baaaaaabe!” 

“Don’t babe me, Conner.” She marched toward him. “Now, I want to know, now! How does Sans the Skeleton remember so much? Who put that into the program? He has always just had a sixth sense, a way to read FRISK's face, but that’s it. Did no one think I’d notice? Who approved him to actually remember and how far?!” 

Conner rubbed her neck. “Superiors, babe. It says they switched him to Guardian. Status shows the mission's failure didn't get logged.” He raised his eyebrows. "So I can still call you Frisky." 

“Fine." Fantastic actually, that would work out in her favor. "Now, why would they switch that to Sans the Skeleton?” She demanded. “I need six soul soldiers for temporary alliance with DETERMINATION, now! Anyone from my old crew, first choice.” 

“Maybe we should just let this finish and reset?” PATIENCE answered from her position. “Hi, DETERMINATION Frisky. Long time no see. Anyhow, are we going with a new reset position?" 

 "No, no reset. We broke FRISK down there, and I also took out PERSEVERANCE with Sans help.” 

“Oh, Sans helped us? That’s awesome! I wish I could have seen that. By the way, I reached King Asgore, and after that everything got fuzzy. I was released back here, but they still didn't say the mission was over. Failed or complete. I actually got demoted too! So I can't go with you. Weird, huh?” 

“I'm sorry you can't go then but I really don’t have time for small talk. If I had time for something, I’d be chowing down on some real food and getting some real clothes.” Frisky gestured to herself. “Corrupted. Not an easy fix, it took data. Anyhow, do I have six soul soldiers now?” 

“If we do this, the Underground could get extra corrupted. I don’t think I’ve seen it get this bad with the readings already,” Conner informed her. “A conduit should not dismantle down there. That's rule number one.” 

“No. I am saving this timeline, I am not just leaving them down there,” Frisky grunted. “Not this time, I personally can't do it. I need to get down there again. I will stall them, but I need six soul soldiers as soon as possible. Give them my location.” 

“Frisky, new reports are saying that you can’t do it. You must bring the conduit back onboard and abort.” 

“No. I refuse. I am not leaving the Underground open like that. Besides, it’s already corrupted. I am not risking any Monsters getting hurt,” Frisky reasoned. “I’m going back down.” 

“Oh, man.” Conner finished looking through several reports. “Okay, you're right. You better get down there after all. We have way too many errors, we are about to lose our grip. You’ve got to reboot it.” 

“No, FRISK is taking care of it,” Frisky said confidently. 

 Conner handed the papers to her. “Afterward, Guardian needs to reboot.” He stared at her. “And it's about to be toast in a battle in Snowdin, yeah . . .” He got on the microphone. “Six soul soldiers, stat!”  He looked back toward her. “I’ll send you back down. Sorry, I can’t fix you. Our equipment won’t do it, that was one big error." 

"I know. I'll have to get the enemy to do it." Frisky concentrated on the status reports on the ones coming. History, research, authentication numbers, everything on the enemies. They all had a similar weakness. "I can do it." 

"Sure?" 

"Positive. My pride will be hurt, but I do what I have to do to win." 

"Okay, just remember to use your wits. If you survive it all down there, motion shift as soon as possible and get the reboot done.” 

------------------------------

Chapter Text

-------------------------------------- 

“Stay back, Sans,” Papyrus warned his brother. “This battle is too big for us.” 

Sans just stared at the three humans in front of them. These humans were tall, as tall as Papyrus. They were definitely not child conduits, but he could see them save. “Pap, I gotta go. You don’t understand.” 

“No, no, no. You don’t understand it either, and you can’t just go headfirst into something you don’t understand!” 

“Papyrus.” He couldn’t just ignore it. It was like taking on three FRISKS. Unbeatable. Undyne was going to die. She fought strong and hard the first time, but time kept moving backward about three minutes each time. They memorized her moves, and they were quickly gaining knowledge of how she attacked. No matter how hard she tried  . . . “She’s going to die.” 

Damn it. Humans. Frisky had said it only took one to want to reset in a conduit. These didn’t look like conduits. Could they each reset or just save? Toriel. The Royal Guards. Soon, Papyrus and I.  

 “No. Oh no, Sans. Undyne is almost done for,” Papyrus said as he watched the other Royal Guards.  

“We will storm them! The king will understand that an intruder this powerful called for it!” Doggo yelled to the others. “We will skin them alive. Where’d they go? I will take the moving one in the corner.” 

Doggo. Dogamy. Dogaressa. They were each trying to help Undyne, helping to relieve the chance of blows.  

Doggo fell. 

"They are all in trouble." Papyrus looked toward Sans. "Well? Uh." He looked back toward the field. "No. N-no, I must be brave too! I can't let our kingdom fall, and Royal Guard or not, I cannot shirk my duty!" 

"Right." Sans looked toward Papyrus. "In a little while. If nothing happens . . ." 

"No, no, no, it's too risky for you! You only have one hit point!" 

"The enemy takes us out in one hit. It doesn't matter the points." 

"Um. Uh." Papyrus stared back over at the fight. "We won't survive. But. But!" He put his fist toward his chest. "We cannot run." 

Sans looked over toward Frisk. If no one came. "Heh, yeah." Now or later, it really didn't matter. Maybe he'd even be lucky and the resetting would stop for good. Cause he couldn't take much more. His mind was ready to break.  

It would have been better if he had never started to believe he could escape it. But, what happened. Happened. "Together, The Great Papyrus?" 

Papyrus and him both stared at each other, a silent understanding. They gave a quick nod and looked back at the battle. 

End it. Just, let it end. He was so lost in his thoughts, he was surprised when he felt something tugging on his coat. A familiar tug. Sans looked down and saw Frisk. I just don’t get it. She loves this kid to death at least. She would never leave him behind. “Your mom left.”  

Frisk didn’t look surprised. Instead, he held his hands out. “Can I have a hug?” Sans patted him on the back. “No. I want a real hug, Sans.” He held his hands out again for him. He could see the nervous tension in his eyes. Real nervous. Like he didn't know whether he'd ever get a chance for another hug again.  

Sans picked him up and felt Frisk squeeze onto him tight. "Hey, Frisk? Did you know your mom always wanted to name you Chance?" 

"Huh?" Frisk looked back at him. "Chance?" 

"Yeah. So, ya know, you survive this. With her permission or not, I'm gonna call ya Chance, pal. Take it." Maybe that would help give him some confidence to get through the next part. Sans didn't know the details, but he could guess that Frisk was about to lose control of himself again.  

“I'll take it. Thanks, Sans." Frisk gave him one more hug. "Okay, I've got the DETERMINATION to do this! You . . . you just need to remove my chain before I start to run,” he warned him softly. The kid talked a big game, but it was obvious he was scared. “When mom leaves a bad situation, she leaves for a reason, and I need to be ready for anything. I am going to miss you, Sans.” 

Sans put him back down and stared at the kid. Chance. Yeah, he could see why she would pick that name. Without him, there was a good chance they had no chance. Hopefully your mom's got a miracle. 

--------------------------- 

“With everything I have!” Undyne yelled as she swung her spear, “-I will-!” 

*Encounter Ability Blocked 

Undyne was frozen in place as Frisky came running into the area. “Sorry,” she apologized, “but you can’t interrupt this.”  

One of the enemies then spoke up. Human 1: ACT: Talk: “Who the hell do you think you are?  This is our battle, girl.” 

Her sizing. They had no idea who Frisky had been. She waited. 

Human 2: ACT: Talk: “Doesn’t matter,” another one spoke. “It’s all the same in the end.” 

Human 3: ACT: Talk: “Can somebody take a turn already? This is getting boring. If someone doesn’t go, we’ll make something happen.” 

Human 1: ACT: Talk: “Can we battle already? We’ve still got a long way to go before rendezvous and I’m hungry.” 

Human 2. ACT. Talk: “Shutup, man. This’ll be over soon enough.” 

“Sup.” 

Not a surprise at all. Frisky looked over beside her. “Sans. You shouldn’t be here this time.” 

“Pfft.” He gestured toward Frisk. “He’s ready for whatever you’re doing.” 

“Sans, no! Get out of the encounter area!” Papyrus yelled from the side holding Frisk. “Brother, don’t!” 

Sans shoved his bony hands into his coat. “So? Unstoppable genocidal maniacs. Sounds familiar, but this isn’t going to be like last time, is it?” 

“It's not the same at all.” He had already figured that out. “They aren’t on my side. I can't just disable reset.” 

Sans shuffled his feet casually on the ground. “Well, everyone’s going to die anyhow. So, I hope you’ve got a plan. If you do, I’ll make it up to you. Maybe another burger or something.” 

Human 2. ACT. Talk: “Can we get going already?” 

Frisky looked back at him. “Sans. My chances of winning are greater if you leave. When I boarded, you were blocked. It happened automatically. I am sorry about that, but . . . look, your brother is worried. Please?” 

“Eh.” He just shrugged and walked off still muttering.  “Just go for it then. Nothing to lose anymore. I’ll be out there kind of cheering you on.” 

Distant. Frisky looked over toward Frisk, and then back at Sans. He would fight them over a thousand times if he had to, even though it was meaningless. But inside, he was definitely losing hope. She knew that look.  No. I have to win this. I have to pull out all the stops, no matter what. She changed her expression to be a bright, cheery smile. Time to act for ACT. According to her data, these guys were not on a uni-sex ship. If at least two were straight or bi, she would have a chance. If not, she would have to take a second more desperate action she didn't want to. 

Begin.  

Human 3. ACT. Talk: “Can we hurry this up already? This is annoying.” 

ACT. Talk: “Sorry, guys!" She laughed. "One second. I just put on fingernail polish, and I hate for anything to happen. Do you know how expensive polish is? If you have a girlfriend, then you should know she’ll put out every time with the right kind of fingernail polish. It needs to be a hot, hot pink. The hotter the pink, the better. With a glistening shine to it as well as . . .” She pulled out her device and looked at the battle menu as she continued to talk. She threw it into the ACT button and started to dig into the menu. Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk: “By the way, I’m human, so you guys already screwed up.” 

Dumb Goon 1: ACT. Talk: “What, human? Hey, you renamed me!” 

Stereotypical Villain 2: ACT. Talk. “Oh ha ha, funny.” 

Not Good Enough to Get his Own Name 3: ACT. Talk. “What the hell?” 

Mistress of Mayhem. ACT. Talk: “Renaming talent.” Frisky smirked. “Oh, goodie! Chances just rose a lot in my favor.” She twirled her hair with her finger as she looked back into her system. “Let’s see here. Oh, this is all so new. I didn't join very long ago, really need to learn the ropes still. Hmmmm . . . oh, here it is.” 

Dumb Goon 1: ACT: Talk: “You can’t be human, look how tall you are.” 

Not Good Enough to Get His Own Name 3: ACT: Talk. “Yeah. You just got a hold of an MP3.” 

Frisky dug around deeper into the menu. She was using one hand to project one part to the field, but her other fingers were now working in a hidden menu.  

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk. “Oh come on, we’re all humans. Let's not overreact, and just give me a second. I just, I'm still fidgeting with this stupid menu stuff. I like the name changing though, that was so uber cool to find." 

Dumb Goon 1: ACT. Talk: “Uh. Yeah, so you new?” 

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk. "Totes new, but, uh, I um. I didn't really come for a fight?" 

Stereotypical Villain 2. ACT. Talk. “That's kind of obvious." 

Frisky just rubbed on her hair over and over anxiously before hitting talk again. 

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk. So, this is a little embarrassing? But, I got stuck in a coding error when I came down. I-I didn't really know what I was doing . . . and I was wondering if you could help a girl out?" 

Stereotypical Villain 2. ACT. Talk. “Ship?" 

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk. "229." 

Dumb Goon 1: ACT. Talk: “Silly girl. What the heck are you doing down here? Oh well. Doesn’t matter, we can get to know each other later. We’re taking over your section, so we’ll be teammates here soon.” 

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Flirt: “Oh my gaw, for real?! Oh, that’s so awesome! I had no idea you hotties would be my new teammates. So do you think you can do me a favor?” She winked. “I'm almost six feet, blonde, with a nice little hourglass figure. I really don't want to stay like this, no guy would ever look at me twice. So a little assist? Maybe back in the Ruins, before we go up?” She tugged on her shirt for good measure. “We can end this battle and I can hide in a corner real quick over there until I get better clothes.” 

Each of them exchanged glances with each other. Bingo. 

Stereotypical Villain 2: ACT. Talk: “Yeah, why not? But instead of in the Ruins, why don’t we go ahead and fix ya back up here? Start on the right foot?” 

STREAM ERROR UPLOAD CORRECTION IN SEQUENCE. 

Frisky could barely cover herself in the stumpy shirt now. She knew they would want to fix her size right then and there for the best perverted view. The only thing that kept her butt from showing was the fact it made her skinnier too. Still, the shirt was falling all over the place even worse than at Grillby’s. It had to be done though, this couldn’t be done safely without her original dimensions. 

Mistress of Mayhem: ACT. Talk: “Oh, goodness!” She tried to cover herself bashfully. “I didn’t mean it yet! Look at me, my whole body is almost on display except for this shirt! I don’t even have any shorts or panties or anything.” She could almost feel Monster’s eyes burning into her. Through shame, through surprise, she didn’t know and she didn’t have the luxury to find out. Frisky always did what she had to, to win. 

No one ever said winning was easy. 

Not Good Enough to Get His Own Name 3: ACT. Joke: “Whoah hoah! Hot damn, besides the blonde hair, she wasn't lying!” 

Doing good, doing good. She needed to concentrate though. Her real goal was almost obtained. Mistress of Mayhem. ACT. Talk. “It was kind of neat to be short though, see, because I never was short before. I mean, I never even looked at short guys. I like them big and tall and brave. The braver, the more I really, you know.” She winked. "Liked to share a hug or two." 

Stereotypical Villain. ACT. Flirt: “Well, you know, I have been on four missions, all C class and higher. Some of them I almost couldn’t reset in.” 

Typical Goon. ACT. Flirt: “Five, Frisky. I’ve been on five of those.” 

Mistress of Mayhem. ACT. Talk: “Five? Wow! What was your biggest mission?” 

Talking. Keep talking you idiots. Keep talking. Keep talking. Almost . . . almost . . . yes! 

Mistress of Mayhem. ACT. Heckle: Actually, I really didn’t mind being short. For one, it’s easier to get clothes down here. For two, I don’t have to deal with idiots like you.” 

TRANSPORTATION COMPLETE 

“For three, it doesn’t matter. Punks. Thanks for the repair, now we get three free turns for each transported player before your next turn!”  

*Six players have joined the battlefield. 

“Shit! Aah!” 

Frisky. ACT. Talk: “Yeah, I also installed electrocution for each offense on the battlefield, each more lethal. Escape has also been deactivated, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that.” 

Sans watched beside Papyrus and everyone else. Somehow, all of their encounter abilities to join into a fight stopped working. Probably because of Frisky. He felt Frisk tug on him one more time. Time must be coming, huh, kiddo? He gave him a friendly pat on the head as he took the shackle off. “Go save the day, kid.” 

“Mm.” He tried to smile at Sans. “Bye, Sans.” He bounded off toward the encounter area. He heard Papyrus call out for him, but no one else bothered. No one there cared about one human kid except them.  

Keep it together this time. I don’t want to have to stop you again. I really, really don’t want to stop you again. 

---------------------------------------- 

New player 1: Thanks for being PATIENT. I got us together as soon as I could, 95452,” A new human said. 

New player 2: “BRAVERY will definitely be needed,” a woman said on the other side of him. 

New player 3: “These men have no INTEGRITY,” another human woman said as she winked at Frisky. “Lucky for you, or there’s no way this plan would have worked.” 

New player 4: “It shows real PERSEVERANCE to stoop that low for an ACT,” another human man said on the other side of Frisky. 

New player 5: “This is really not a scene for me, but sometimes even KINDNESS must make a stand,” another human man said. 

New player 6: “Alright, let’s get this show started, Frisky!” the last human winked at her. “I am out for JUSTICE, and nothing is going to stop me.” 

“Why do they all keep talking like that?” Papyrus had to note. “Who talks like that? What is going on?!” 

“Dunno.” Those must be saving words. Sans watched Frisk move through the crowd of onlookers. It wasn’t every day that a bunch of humans just teleported into a fight that no monster was allowed to enter, so no one else seemed to even notice it. 

Frisky. ACT. Talk: “In case you haven’t figured it out, there’s no way you have more DETERMINATION than any of us.” 

Everyone except Frisky placed some kind of weird device inside the ACT button. The whole menu was changing. 

ACT: Subact: Identification: 32743. PACIFIST SOLDIER. TEMPORARY STATUS: TERMINATOR. JUSTICE. 

ACT: Subact: Identification: 40328. PACIFIST SOLDIER. TEMPORARY STATUS: TERMINATOR. INTEGRITY. 

Underneath each of the ACT menus, similar changes could be seen being made.  

New player 6. ACT. Talk. “Come on, 95452. We need to do this.” He looked over at Frisky with empathy. “We do what must be done, Frisky.” 

Frisky straightened her back up and put in the same information, only delayed for a few seconds before her own board lit up. 95452. PACIFIST SOLDIER. TEMPORAY STATUS: TERMINATOR. DETERMINATION. 

Frisk ran up into the encounter area as everyone’s soul rushed into him. He stopped. Then, he walked. Walked a casual walk as all the boards disappeared. He stopped in the middle, and there was only one menu now. 

FRISK. 

“The boy has his eyes closed again. Taller.” Papyrus almost stuttered. “That’s him, that’s our first human friend, Sans! What is that human doing all the way over here? How’d he get up there? What’s going on?” 

Chance, you’re one brave kid. Sans didn’t know what else to do. He had a lot of power, but he had no idea what he was up against. Last time, Frisky was the one who really saved the day. This time, it was FRISK. 

----------------------------------------- 

"The end. The beginning." A flower that couldn't stay away any longer kept himself near a tree, but within distance of the action. "The beginning of the end." Finally. After all the continues, all the saves, and all the resets. It would end. 

And it would be by the bony hands of the smiley trashbag. Flowey didn't care though who ended it. Just that it ended. It would end. It would be ending. He felt the change as soon as it happened. He'd been watching between the Frisks and Sans. Following them their entire journey. 

Oooohhh . . . Sans would give 'em all hell when he found out the secrets. And, none of the significant part of FRISK would leave the Underground. Ever. Again. Not when he found out. 

Feeling the cold air on his petals, he was torn between hiding away and hearing the end of the human's last chance to save themselves. Or just enjoy watching FRISK save the Underground. Not just one battle. 

From it all. Because there was no way that smiling trashbag would take the next step! Never! Never.  

And he'd make sure of it. He'd make sure. "Fight. Do it. Last save. Last continue. Last." He chuckled softly, trying not to be noticed by others. "Last reset ever made to the Underground." 

It was time. The impossible finally happened. The events of Judgment Hall mixed with the events that were happening now. He understood the desperation of humanity. Why it did what it did. It was really a small thing, on a small scale. Such a simple action, and most of the pain could be wiped away after it happened. But, they never thought of the big scale looming over the small scale. They thought of the Underground as an object. Something that could never fight back. It was time to put an end to it.

They would learn to live with each other, or wipe each other out. Either way, it was all ending. 

Ending good. Ending bad. It was all just ending. "This is it." The mom would do what her ship said after she broke the temporary joining alliance. He knew what she would say. 

But even she knew nothing about the whole plan. She was barely a footnote to the encyclopedia of crimes committed. "Chara." Flowey watched his breath out in the cold of Snowdin. He looked upward, above him. "It's all over." 

Worth the cold. It was worth the cold to watch humanity's last mistake. Besides, not one Monster would care about one golden flower watching from the ground of a nearby tree. Not with FRISK making its last move. 

No more repeats. After that day, it would be all new. All new. 

All. 

New. 

As long as he performed his last part.  

His last big showing.  

His last introduction. 

Tomorrow morning. 

Tomorrow. 

Karma was a bitch, and it was time to pay the reaper. 

And that reaper . . . was Sans. 

------------------------------------ 

FRISK kept its eyes closed as it left the battlefield. It passed Sans without a word. Others shouted for it, but it didn’t respond to anything. It just stayed motionlessly in front of Sans and Papyrus’ door. 

Yep, it’s definitely you again, FRISK. Sans unlocked the door. FRISK went inside and up the stairs. Sans followed it carefully, watching it grab the knife and leaving the locket of Frisky's that they kept hidden away in Papyrus’ room. 

Apparently, it didn't think it would need it. 

Then, it turned around and left out the house as soundlessly as it came in. It came back to the battlefield. One of the humans attempted to run, but the electrocution struck him. This time, it might have killed him, or knocked him out. The other two humans stared at FRISK as it just kept its face forward.  

The expressions on their faces. Dying was one thing, but these two clearly knew they were about to die. The terror in their eyes were so deep, he couldn't even tell if they were crying or not. Each of them knew what was coming.  

The emotionless child just stayed still.  

Eyes closed. Face not smiling or frowning.  

Just straight.  

Everything was just eerily straight. 

FRISK. FIGHT. Holding it's knife up, FRISK struck one of the humans. Their soul heart destroyed, along with a slash against their physical body. The other player didn’t move for some time. 

Sans shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting. He'd seen that move. Used that move before. The 'if I don't take a turn, you can't attack' move. The human was down to that. It never worked, of course, and the human wouldn't last even as long as him. The fight might go on for days, but FRISK never tired. FRISK never stopped trying. 

He knew FRISK. And it wouldn't let him leave alive. Seeming to come with grips with the reality of it, the human tried one last, desperate move. 

Mercy. 

Dumb Goon 1: ACT: Talk. “Mercy! Mercy! Come on, you know I can’t do anything! Come on, PACIFIST soldiers in there, please! I don’t really want to die! I will leave right now, I promise! I will never come back to the Underground! Please, spare me, I’ll leave as soon as you do that, please!” 

FRISK. FIGHT. FRISK struck the other human, their soul heart also destroyed along with their own physical damage of death. 

Battle Won! 6 EXP. 

Sans watched as soul lights shot out of FRISK, leaving the kid as just a kid again. Sinking to the ground. Remembering how infantile Frisk had been last time, barely even being able to walk or talk, he teleported quickly to him before any other Monsters realized he was just a defenseless kid now. 

------------------------------------

Chapter Text

Before he could pick up the kid, Sans saw Frisky’s back with Undyne's spear graze still on it. “Not again.” 

“I made a promise that I would tell you everything," Frisky answered. "Afterwards, if you want the reset memories gone, I will show you how to do that.” Frisky looked back toward him. “Sorry." 

Sans looked around. “Great. Do we have to start this again?” 

“This will be the last step back you have to know about. After this, it can all be erased. You can forget everything about me, about Frisk, about the genocide, everything. The wipe is so good, 97.5% never even have a single nightmare about it. In fact, you probably don’t know how many times we’ve been looping on reset. Even I’m not allowed to remember past 75, or it could destroy my mental state.” In her hand, she held her small MP3 device. “It’s been upgraded. Everything that just happened with the humans, it happened. There is no one else to fight now, right now. What I just did to create a new FRISK, it corrupted everything. Even the last save area was terminated, the program brought me back to my second save spot. This is called a motion shift. It was the last action I could take. This means that everything was just moved into the exact positions they were in this save area, and all Monster minds were wiped, except yours. It didn’t bring anyone’s lost soul back since then. I’m sorry.” 

Sans moved away from her back. “I can forget everything?” 

“Yep, everything. You’ll never know the whole FRISK. The Underground will be unaffected. You’ll never know . . .” She just looked away. “You’ll never have nightmares about knowing the truth. If you still wanted it.” 

He crossed his arms. “After all this time, yeah. I want to know.” 

“Okay. What do you want to know?” 

“Everything.” 

“I can’t explain everything,” Frisky answered. “I don’t have enough science experience for it all. I'm just a soldier, but I will tell you what I can. I have special permission to authorize you any and all facts that you ask for.” 

“I bet it won’t be half as fulfilling as a Grillby burger then.” 

She chuckled. “I know you hate my guts right now. I’m surprised you haven’t just killed me yet.” 

“Don't know how to feel about you. Wouldn't kill you, but not exactly feeling buddy-buddy,” Sans confessed. “Jacking around with time again. But, you saved the Underground. Again. So, keep your head straight and let me get this healing gel back on.”  

"Alright then." Frisky took a deep breath. "This will be quite surprising, and you may not want to believe it. But, it's the truth." 

Sans shrugged. “I don’t know how you can actually surprise me now.” 

“Every time a Monster dies in the Underground, two humans are killed for it.” 

Sans stopped. “ . . .” He moved back toward taking care of her back. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, in my world, humans aren’t rare. Aren’t special. Nothing, really. We’ve become rodents, and because of our growing numbers, many of us are treated like rodents.” Frisky kept looking straight. “If we have no purpose, no mission, and we haven’t accomplished enough to be considered ‘valuable’, we are turned into re-resets. A friendly way of saying zoned out human. Some might use the phrase 'zombies', but they don't hurt anyone. They just . . . exist.”  She held her hands up gently while trying to keep her shirt tucked under her elbows. “On my right, one Monster. On my left, two people. Reset souls are souls that are drained of the essence that keeps them going so strong. They are nothing but hollow shells by the time they are forced to die. Thus, their soul just turns to dust instantly when they die. When a Monster dies, that dust is transported down to the Underground so quickly, no one catches the illusion.” She tucked one finger on her left hand down. “Then, that same Monster’s soul is protected within another re-reset for months. It doesn’t perish or turn into dust. When the reset comes though, it is ejected with the strength of what’s left of the human’s soul. The human’s soul doesn’t survive the journey.” She placed her other finger down. "One dies for the illusion. One dies after it protects the soul." 

Sans stopped putting the healing gel on again. Stunned. “What? Why?” 

“Preservation. Humans are rodents. Monsters are special. I am stuck with the same power only because I am a soldier down here. Every time I die, re-resets are used, and I just come back.” 

He dropped the tube and stumbled backward, needing time. That . . . that number. “I’ve killed you thousands of times.” 

“Actually-” 

“Seven separate souls in FRISK.” 

“Yes.” 

Sans stayed in the corner of the bathroom door for several minutes. He couldn’t even name how many times he did that. All from him. She said she could remember 75 timelines. I remember thirty. Forty. That’s . . . 

“Don’t get worked up. They really are sadly more zombie than human. Death is the only release for them. Living is hell for them.” Frisky took her device and inputted some stuff. “Look on your ceiling.” 

Sans looked on the ceiling. He saw a projection of . . . ants? “What am I looking at?” 

“The Re-reset satellite.” Frisky tapped some more. “A satellite was created for them because others don’t want to see or interact with them. Hang on, I will focus on one quadrant.” The focus became clearer. “They . . . are alive, but not. Drained of their essence. Look at them. Day and night, they stand. No sleep. No speech. They never make any kind of a break, just wait until their turn to die.” 

Dead. They looked dead. Their mouths hung open and they shambled. 

Sans couldn’t do anything but stare.  

“Power. Study. Research. It started as finding a way to defeat a Monster’s magic if they ever moved out of the barrier. Then, there was a turn. Humanity realized we were turning ourselves into something much worse. Our studies and experiments had accidentally created the re-reset. Showed us how easily we can truly have our souls defeated. They can be created, they can be born . . . humanity was almost lost forever.” 

“You experimented so far with souls, you created something like zombies. Humanity. Seriously.” 

“Yes. Humanity didn’t have a use for them at first, but they were growing with no control. So now, humans were just a disease. Now, the Monster was considered precious. They couldn't be turned, only transported into a re-reset. What humans once thought of as fragile and weak, became powerful and strong.” Frisky bit her lip. “You weren’t the only Monsters sealed up, Sans. Some escaped, and were sealed up later.” 

Sans waited to see where this next part was going. 

“Humans could be turned easily. The research was out there, everyone knew it. So, we released more Monsters back into our world that had been sealed away too. They were our last chance but they weren’t . . . happy.” 

Duh. 

“They put up a battle and slaughtered a lot of us until an agreement was reached.” She looked toward the ceiling. “With soul experimentation perfected, the strongest traits were established into a new breed. Monster and human, together. They are immune to the re-reset fate, and rule the world now.” 

“Monsters rule the world? And my day is not going to get any weirder than this, right?” 

“I am human. Complete human, therefore discardable. So is Frisk. So is everyone that can be put into a conduit, or on missions. This is our life.” Frisky chuckled a moment. “It’s anything but funny.” 

Sans finished up her back, putting the pieces together. “Basically . . . human experimentation created the zoned out humans . . . and you needed Monsters to save you.” 

“Yeah, in a nutshell. The irony, huh?” 

Sans rubbed his forehead. “Then if humans are so repelling, why aren’t we free yet down here?” 

“That is what my mission was supposed to be for. Mission Surface Seven. Finally breaking Monsters into the truth. It was debated on for so long though, because even monsters aren’t full Monsters up there over thousands of years. The true Monsters are down here. So . . . I'm sorry. It's, just, the Underground . . . it's a-” She gulped. "A nature reserve." 

“Come again?"  

“The Underground is considered a delicate, natural habitat. There is no corner down here that escapes reset mode. Every Monster can be saved, at any time. Well, used to.” 

"Nature. Reserve." Huh? Huh?! “Then, genocide?” 

“While my side wanted the Monsters to understand the truth, others wanted it kept secret. They feared another backlash. Even this mission, it could only work if Monsters didn’t know the truth of it. PERSEVERANCE was of that belief, but he lost his mind. More than one of my crew was affected. There was an imbalance and it couldn’t be fixed. Each save, things became worse from the imbalance. Humanity is a perfect machine with seven souls of presence, but not with an ounce of anything else.” 

“Hm.” Sans looked at his bony fingers and ticked them off one by one. “Monsters are thrown Underground. Humans create zombie things. To stop that, humans join monsters. Now, humans are nothing . . . and I live in a safety habitat.” He groaned. “I need a Grillby burger sooo bad right now.” 

“Well, not quite. Um. Everything has a flow. The resets, the conduits, it’s all connected.” Frisky took a deep breath. “When I went up in the Ruins, I found out it stopped. For good. Only with a reboot can it be accomplished.” 

“Fine.” A little rougher than he intended. “Nothing else new.” 

“Not quite, Sans. When I went up, I also found out that you were the Guardian. On each mission, there would be one Monster that would remember a little about the resets taken from a specific mission. Usually toward the front area. Usually someone who . . . would steer a person back in the right direction if something went wrong. Often, it was a scientist or someone who could be helpful. If I remember correctly, something was sensed inside your house that Monsters shouldn’t have.” He was silent, and she couldn’t blame him for wanting his privacy. At least he hadn’t killed her yet.  What else? There was so much to explain. “Saves. It’s like a reset. Whenever I say the word DETERMINATION, I am giving myself a new place to begin, in certain locations. It is tricky though, because if I needed to change anything before that, I would have to cause a full reset, not a save. It’s not something that can be done by anyone but you anymore.” What else? “Um, resets Underground. It’s a defined area . . .”  

 “That’s it for tonight. I’ll make this work without a reboot.” 

 “Only a full reboot by you will bring everyone back. Toriel. The Royal Guards. Everyone.” 

“What’s done is done. I’m not living that way anymore.” 

“You could still get a decent ending,” she reminded him. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” When she opened her eyes, she saw him right in front of her. She grasped her shirt tighter. 

“Don’t lie. You’re not the part of the whole FRISK who was good at lying.” 

“Every Monster should be saved. The ones coming, you saw those numbers. They won’t be easy to defeat. There will be more death before it’s all over. No one will be safe if you don't reboot." 

“Nope.” 

She closed her eyes. “Look, time is moving nicely, but if we don’t trust in a hard reboot by you. . . sometimes . . . I mean, after several months of being in a re-reset . . .“ 

“Done,” Sans interrupted. “With everything.” He rubbed his skull. “We can get back to bed now.” He picked up the ball and chain. “Come on. Tomorrow always comes too soon for me.” 

“But there’s still more you should know-“ 

“Not now.” 

“Fine, then stare at the wall.” 

Okay. “Really want to go to bed, kid.” 

“I promise. Just stare at one spot for awhile.” 

Sans looked at the wall in front of him. After a couple of minutes, he started to see the cracks in the wall move around. What? They moved into a pattern until the word reboot was in front of him.  

“The anomaly is too great. Only the Guardian, the Monster that remembers, can have control. When you’re ready. You don’t even need to tell me. Just, when you’re ready." 

He only glanced at her slightly, inserting that information in his skull, and started dragging the ball away, giving her no choice but to follow. 

---------------- 

So. Zombies. Thanks, humanity. Sans closed his eyes on the couch. You’d think the fact no Monsters were actually ever killed and only weird zombie things took the burden would make him feel better. Yeah, it didn’t. Figures. Look how far we got in our research just Underground. Being up on the surface, all those scientists . . . yeah, something was bound to happen. Karma. 

He sighed as he stared at the ceiling, seeing the button in front of him. A reboot. No kid this time. No perfect FRISK. His knock-knock door friend would be back. He’d never know she was actually the queen. He could just take care of his brother, and keep his daily life the height of his own problems. Forget the knowledge of humans. Forget everything. 

But, it would bring in more errors. Even if Frisky didn’t think about it, he had been involved in the timelines enough to know there was something else going on Underground. An underbelly of Underground. He’d met a couple of creatures that showed up, even one similar to Monster Kid, that would say something simple, and then disappear for long amounts of time. 

They sounded lonely. They sounded knowledgeable. What if they were the Monsters that were once supposed to remember? The Guardians? 

Sometimes . . . he felt almost as lonely as those mysterious creatures tended to be. One in particular before it disappeared, never wanted to be remembered. ‘Just forget about me’, it said. That’s all it wanted. To be forgotten. 

If Sans were the only one involved in this, he might do it. Might. But then again . . . 

FRISK wasn’t in the timeline anymore. Sans broke it all apart. Frisk even destroyed one of them that had been inside of her, for good. So . . . the Frisks. Frisky and the kid, Chance.  

A ton of Monsters alive again along with the Royal Guards, all for two people and him.  

Math would say good idea. Math was also something he turned his back on some time ago. He only used it to check out the timelines. Which was why he was probably the chosen candidate to remember in the first place. 

Damn. The longer he got away from the point where he was always resetted, the more he wanted to live again. Live with surprises. Live new days. Have Papyrus learn new ways to make spaghetti. Spark new jokes. The more he craved something . . . and the more time went by, he knew what that was too. 

Baby bones couldn’t just take care of each other, but in his mind, there was never anyone else. It had always just been him and Papyrus. Considering it’s us who can study the timelines, it would make sense I’m not the first in a line. . . and if I end up an error, the best way to get rid of an error is to delete its existence . . .and if I’m gone, the next mission that comes around will make Papyrus the one that remembers. 

He sat up on the couch, sweating a little from that discovery. His little brother? No way, he could never do that to anyone, let alone Papyrus! No. No reboot, ever.  

Hm. Wait. Frisky said the Guardian had to be the one to reset. She dropped the ball when she let him know everything was that corrupted now.  

Then . . . if he never reset . . . “That’d be it,” he mumbled out loud. “No more save. No more resets. Just, life. Unpredictable life.” But, did he really have the final say about it? Frisky was just a soldier. Her knowledge was clearly limited. 

Nah. He’d catch up on sleep tomorrow during work. It was time to look closely at that MP3 with Alphys before he brought it back to Undyne 

 -----------------------------

------------------------------------------------------ 

“Hey, Alphys. I need a favor.” 

“Huh?” Alphys blinked once before sitting back in her bed abruptly. “Wh-who are you?! Wait, I know you. Don't I?” 

“Yeah, I think.” Sans rubbed his head. “If I had known this was the timeline that mattered, I’d remember better. Pretty sure we’ve met though by now. At least once in the past before all this hell. If not, just trust the déjà vu you feel. Anyhow, I’m a guy who knows about your little science projects. Amalgamates ring a bell?” 

“N-no, I-I, I never meant to hurt anyone!” 

Sans held his hand up. “I’m here to talk about timelines. Humans, zombie things, and basically keeping Undyne off a couple of humans’ backs. Secrecy for secrecy.” 

“Wh-what?” 

------------------------------------------------------ 

“They win. They won. Can we bag them now?” Frank asked. “Motion shift’s been initiated.” 

“Where’s the sound volume?” Larrs asked. “This needs to be turned up. She was talking to him a lot, the dialogue just runs across the page too much to see what’s happening. I'll have to pick this apart.” 

“Nah, she has to convince him. Switched him to Guardian so we could do the memory thing without questions. Remember?” 

“Oh yeah, good cover. He’d be better than the flower, but the flower can remember everything. It's already insane so less work. Okay, locate them. It’s night time, they won’t move.” Larrs bit his lip as he stared at the screen. “Finally, FRISK is complete. The ultimate weapon, I can’t-wait? Frank?” 

“Feed is gone?” Frank looked back toward Larrs. “You?” 

“Yeah.” Larrs checked all his channels and stations while Frank was doing the same thing. “Whoah, whoah, Frank. Incoming unapproved teleportations . . . 1 . . .  2 . . . 10 . . . damn! What the hell’s going on?!” 

-------------------------------- 

“Not that. Not that. You can’t see that. You can’t watch that.” Sans stood in front of Alphys main computer along with his own machine and the MP3. “No. No. No. No.” He stopped only long enough to rub his eye sockets.  

Playthings. Animals in a zoo. That was all they were. One by one, Sans was taking over all the feeds. The MP3 was more than just a weapon, it was a super computer, and it had access points in it that enabled him to hack into other computers. With the strength of Alphys computer and his own machine too, he discovered a ton. Frisky said there was more, and he could see what else she needed to say. It made sense how even when they were alone, she still watched every word she said. Because they were never alone. “No. No. No.”  

They had eyes everywhere. His home. His home had cameras in it. The outside. Shops. Personal homes. Even the small weird balcony they always had without a door. Everywhere, everything. The Underground could be completely seen, even King Asgore’s castle.  

While he was doing that, he was also returning opposite feedback, teleporting the enemies, allies, and anyone else who didn’t belong in the Underground away. Everyone but two, Frisky and Chance. Frisky had more information, and he wanted it all before he sent them away. 

 “This is absolutely amazing! Look at this. Look at all these parallels happening now. I-I’ve known it in theory, but to see it.” Alphys adjusted her glasses. “And the technology of this little device, everything inside of it.” She looked over at Frisk’s MP device. “I-it’s almost . . . i-if we had been on the surface, we would have made even more headway in our science. Stuck down here . . . but look at all . . .” She put in some more information in her own computer. “We’ve had limited souls of humans to study, and Monsters fade so fast. Look how much information they’ve gathered, how far the scientific community has gone! It’s amazing. It's breath-taking.” 

“It’s dangerous. It created humans that aren’t even ‘human’,” Sans reminded her before he went back to the feeds. “Nope. Nope. Nope.” 

“Y-yes, you’re right,” Alphys corrected herself. “Still, the ability to join souls into a single body. Living souls. At will. Now, how would they control who would be a conduit? It’s doubtful every child-“ 

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Once again, more science he didn’t want to think about. Especially considering what he discovered on that thing. “I just want to know. Your own theory. What will happen if I reboot it all?” 

“Uh. Mm.” Alphys looked at the projections and back toward Sans’ own machine. “A-are you ever going to tell me where you got that from?” 

“Nope.” 

“Mm. I-if I knew the one responsible for this, then maybe I could-“ 

“Nope.” 

Alphys sighed. “From what I have, I think. Uh, all the components of anyone who doesn’t have retrievable souls . . . they would probably ummm . . . get erased. Or maybe just a couple? Or maybe just their memories? I-I don’t know.” 

“Okay,” he answered. “Not much more helpful, are you?” 

“Well, I studied different things. I didn’t study this exactly. Th-that’s the best answer I can give.” 

“Okay. Question two. Am I the only one now who can really reboot?” 

“Hmm . . . well . . .” 

Three more hours of research, checking, and more fact checking . . . 

“You’re extremely happy with that answer.” 

Sans didn’t need to comment on it. They checked and rechecked.  

Combining his machine, Alphys own research, and the MP device, it was certain. 

The humans tampered too much. A reset when something that was seven souls with some destroyed could not be brought back. And, if there was any kind of error that could allow it, it wouldn’t be able to get past the fact that it was reformed with different souls for a second time. Even the humans knew it would be riddled with too many errors, which was why Sans was the only one to get to reboot.  

No reset for anyone. No saving for anyone. Not until after the reboot, which was really just removing the corruption, which was the ones who changed events because they could remember. Sans and anyone a part of FRISK would stop existing in that timeline. They'd be gone, wiped from everyone's memories so that there was no more errors. No more glitches. And the whole function of starting and saving could begin again. 

“I still can’t . . . th-this is just . . .” Alphys gulped, trying to get a grip on what she was seeing. “The technology is amazing, but i-it’s like we’ve just been toys to them! I-I don’t know how I feel about that.” 

Try living it. Sans gestured to the computer. “I want copies of this.” Copies of the day his life was back under his control. “And uh, not a word to anyone, okay?” 

“Of course. A-and not a word about . . . you know . . . them?” Alphys said shakily. "Secrecy for secrecy?" 

“Not a word.” Sans let himself slouch some again. He didn’t just stop a reboot, he stopped everything. Humanity couldn’t play around with their ‘natural habitat’ anymore. “Well, only one more thing left. I need you to talk to Undyne so she doesn’t torture the humans tomorrow.” 

 “But, Um.” Alphys took her glasses off and cleaned them, putting them back on. She rubbed her shoulders. “Undyne’s not really . . . sh-she doesn’t understand science, let alone this complicated level. I-I mean I don’t know how you even know it. No offense.” 

“Forget it. Just talk to Undyne.” 

“But, uh.” Alphys stuck her tongue in her cheek, before continuing. “Why?” 

“After I talk one more time to Frisky, I’ll send the two humans home.” Sans stretched out his skeletal hand. “I need the MP back too.” 

“You don’t want to share it?” Alphys asked. “S-sorry, I guess I’m curious about things sometimes. N-nevermind, I’m sorry. Forget it. I guess. Are you sure? We could do so much with this device.” He kept his arm outstretched and she gave it back. 

“Just deal with Undyne.” 

“O-oh yeah. Um. But, why me?” Alphys asked. 

Huh? Oh yeah, FRISK didn’t get far enough to get those two together in that timeline. “Just, trust me. You’ve got a good connection. So, I’m going home to get more sleep. Later.” With those words, him and his machine disappeared out of there. 

-------------------------------- 

While he stared at the ceiling, Sans watch the Reboot button reform. He just waved at it. Never, never. He was tired of his world being someone’s game. Monsters lived and died, that was life. It wasn’t something that those re-resets should pay the price for.  

He rubbed his collarbone. That couch was okay for naps sometimes, but it wasn’t built to be a bed. Still, he wasn’t going to get Papyrus for his shift just yet. He was waiting. When he felt his cell vibrate, he picked it up and got the news he needed. Alphys got Undyne to hold off on the torture. Good. He had a hard enough time trying to break through to Frisky that he wasn’t going to kill her in the middle of the night. Even though he even rubbed healing gels on her, she still seemed prepared for a bunch of bones to penetrate her back at any time. Especially as she tried to explain. 

She had DETERMINATION, but she was low in the trust area. She couldn’t help how the world turned out above, so even if he wasn’t pleased, why would he blame that on her? And having something that changed who controlled FRISK? He couldn’t blame her for that too. She was just a regular human who got stuck with . . . hmm. 

That disconnection error that stopped everything, it had another side effect. Made sense why FRISK never had problems with lava or snow in a simple tutu. Humans were known to be fragile about the weather. Geez. Humans are harder to take care of than a pet by a longshot. Good thing they are going soon. He could see Chance trembling while his mother snuggled as close as she could. He got off the couch and moved closer to them. 

Please don’t wake up and think I’m trying to kill you again. He took off his jacket slowly and tried to lay it on both of them. He felt the involuntary fear he always felt in Frisky. Of course, a momma always wakes up. She looked down at the jacket on top of her and Chance. “What’s this?” 

“You’re freezing,” he said simply. “You two take it, I got more.” 

“But . . .” And then, he saw it. He felt it. Finally. She didn’t say anything afterwards but she didn’t need to.  

She finally believed for one pure solid minute, that he wouldn’t hurt her again. Through her eyes, the relief that flooded through her ricocheted back to him. He almost did a small skip as he laid back down on the couch. That look she gave had given him a tremendous boost. He kicked back with his legs crossed, staring in the air. Amazing, purely an amazing feeling. He’d felt a lot of things coming off of others, but he never felt so much . . . relief. 

Now. If he could have gotten that look for more than a minute, then maybe he could have become friends with Frisky again. Yeah. It’d be nice to bury everything for good before they left tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

------------------------------------------------------- 

“This is cool,” Chance said as he patted the other side of the snowman. Sans left him outside the booth instead and brought an old friend to keep him company.  Monster Kid. Of course, like everything else, Chance didn’t remember him. But they didn’t have a huge history, so Sans filled him in on it. Like he thought, Chance didn’t even care about the being chased by spears part, just that he had a friend. 

Monster Kid was patting the snowman on the other side with his feet. “What should we give him for a nose?” 

“A nose? Do snowmen have noses?” Frisk asked as he wiped his nose on another old coat Sans gave him. Funny, he never had problems with his nose getting runny before. 

“Yeah, and faces, and scarves,” Monster Kid added. “Haven’t you built a snowman before?” 

Had he ever built a snowman? Frisk had never even seen snow until he came to Snowdin. The white fluffy stuff. It was way better than the alternatives. Sharp grass and jungle cutting into his skin, or endless metal in the training facilities. “Nah, I haven’t ever played in snow before.” 

“Wow, so did you live in Hotlands?” 

No, of course he didn’t. He couldn’t just say that though. “Uh. I guess you could say that,” Frisk lied softly. He brightened up again. “Hey, he should smile. Can we give him a smiley face? How do we make faces? With a special snow pen?” 

“A what?” Monster Kid asked him. “No way, just bits of tree and stuff. You just use whatever to put on the face.” 

“Oh, cool!” Frisk almost fell flat on his face as he took off too quick in the snow. Monster Kid did land on his face. "Oops!" He forgot about the prisoner part. He looked down at his friend. “Oh, you alright, MK?” 

“Can’t get too far there, Chance” Sans warned him, keeping a lazy watch on him. Frisk hadn’t been sure he’d even been awake. 

“Sorry.” Frisk returned back to the snowman and patted it down, but he noticed the odd thing Sans said. Why did he say chance at the end of the statement? He must have missed something. A save of some sort of his mom's he betted. Did Sans have a new slang name for him? Before he could think anymore about it, his thoughts were interrupted. 

“That was cool!” Monster Kid came back over to him. “I like that! MK. Can you start calling me MK?” 

“Oh. Sure,” Frisk answered. He just kind of called him that by accident. Since no conduit had names, and numbers were annoying, they usually just called each other with their own alphabet slang. It was simple stuff that could be confused as actual words, so the guards never bugged them about it. There was OK. A. AM. PM, and Y. Those were his friends. Well, um, not Y. Not anymore. 

“Frisk and MK. We are cool,” MK said as he patted the snowman with his foot. “Hey Frisk, are you related to Monsters?” 

“Huh?” Frisk looked over the snowman toward him. “No. Why?” 

“Uh, ‘cause your hand?” 

Hand? Frisk looked at his hand and quickly jammed it into the snow. That was . . . what was that? He drug his hand back up. Was that a trick of his brain? But, MK saw it. He saw it first, so it couldn’t be a trick. What was that? That didn’t make any sense, and he didn’t want to worry his mom. So, for now, he’d just forget it. Life was just a day at a time anyhow. 

Although, it was kind of weird to see his mom suddenly show up next to Sans. Sans grabbed her ball with her only slightly confused as he led her away.  

--------------------------- 

 “So.” Sans brushed his skull and then put his comb away, turning to Frisky. “I’ve got you set up to go back to your home. No more shackles. If you answer some questions.” 

Oh yeah, Frisky knew she was beaming. No more shackles, and with that Emergency assist she pulled last night, it was more than enough to make up for her failure for the mission. “Ask away.”  

“You’ve got seven other souls in FRISK,” Sans asked. “Why couldn’t someone else pick up the slack?” 

“Some did, but PERSEVERANCE and DETERMINATION are the group leaders. When it came to intense battles, a group leader was authorized to be there.” She shoved her hands behind her back. “I . . . did what I could to keep control, but he had more training. All I had was . . .” Yeah, not good memories.  

“Okay, been wondering about that.” He leaned on his bony hand. “How do humans turn into re-resets?” 

Oh. Oh no, not that one. Frisky rubbed her hand. “Hey, I have a joke for you.” 

“Cool,” Sans answered. “You can tell me after you tell me about re-resets.” 

Dangit. Sans hadn’t thrown her one pun since they left the house. He really wanted to know it, and he wouldn’t let up. Well, lead in with it, I guess. I promised I’d tell him anything he wanted. I have to. He’d know if I were holding something back anyhow, he'd eventually figure it out. Besides, I am authorized to tell him whatever he asks for.  She scratched the top of her head. “I tell jokes. I don’t mind jokes. Even the worse ones I still like, but . . . I-I tell them the most when things get tense and Frisk is around. Potential re-resets are used as the conduits. It’s the lack of an increased essence in any direction that makes them . . . uh, candidates for conduits.” She quickly slapped on a smile.  

“And that’s what’s waiting out there for him when he leaves the Underground? Are you serious?” 

“No. I had failed the mission, but it was not logged. And although the mission cannot be completed, the emergency assistance with FRISK helped. When we go back, we’ll go back to a free world.” She couldn’t help a small smile. “To family. To a real life.” 

"You're not just saying that?" 

"I can't exactly lie to you. Do that judging thing if you have to." 

“Okay then. I believe you, and I guess, that about does it for me.” He looked straight at her. “Just one more thing, and I will let you go home.” 

Really? One more little thing? Frisky looked toward him. “What?” 

Sans yawned. “When you’re leader, you can’t always have control, but you can’t escape either. Can you?” 

Oh. Uh. “No.” 

“Yeah. I thought so. That’s why I keep seeing you behind the knife, screaming.” 

Personal. Real personal. “S’pose.” 

“Murdered everyone right in front of yourself, hearing pleas of mercy.” 

This was not something she wanted to talk about. He already said he got the answer, why was he doing that? “S’pose.” 

“But all the other souls, the ones not in charge?” He yawned again, like it was no big deal. “They could just go to sleep like your kid if they wanted? Right?” 

“S’pose.” 

“And during Judgment Hall, they all eventually left you behind the knife, screaming.” 

“S’pose.” Her voice raised a little. Why was he doing that? 

“And you shoved your hand on the mercy button, over and over.” 

“S . . .” Okay, stop it, Sans. 

He wiggled his feet. “But nobody came, and when your soul got tired, you lost all control again.” 

Why? Why was he doing that? She stopped being scared of him. She was getting over being inside FRISK. What was he driving at? 

“Not that it was any use. By the time I cast that judgment, everything was all doomed.” He yawned again. “Pointless.” 

“Y . . .” No, no. Stop that, keep calm. 

“Real pointless. Should have just destroyed that button ‘cause you wouldn’t leave it alone.” 

“N . . .” 

“If I did, the other side of FRISK would have made the point clearer to you anyhow.” 

“Just stop it!” She finally yelled. “You think I don’t know any of that?!” Jailer. Prisoner. Skeleton who could stab her a thousand different ways in seconds but she couldn’t take it anymore. “I tried as hard as I could to spare anything I could, anything! I didn’t even care if I could just take control long enough to save a froggit, after hearing all those cries of ‘mercy’ and ‘stop’ and even if I knew the monsters would be back safely, I just-I just!” She grabbed at her head. “I tried . . . the surface . . . if I made it, he’d just hit reset and come back harder . . . and the soul just can’t keep going forever and ever and . . . then the deal with . . .” 

Then, she saw something drop on the ground next to her. She bent down to look at it. 

It was a mercy button. Not a real one, there was no encounter. Just, a piece of wood that said mercy on it. Mercy. From Sans. She held it close to her heart as she felt him bend down next to her. The impossible . . . I never thought I could get it again . . . from . . . he was right in front of her, his calm eye sockets on her. Just staring. And she realized . . . she was staring back. “Thank you!” She quickly looked away, feeling her heart pound. 

That wasn’t right. That wasn’t right. She couldn’t hear anything but her heart beating and her cheeks were so warm, she’d swear she was moving through the Hotlands! Okay, great, I got mercy, but w-what was that? Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. 

---------------------------------- 

That relief again. The same kind he felt from last night, but he felt something else inside of it. Something he felt from last night. The feeling was addicting, he didn’t want to stop staring at her.  

What was it. What was it. It wasn’t EXP, but it was strong. It wasn’t LOVE, but it was strong like it. But it wasn’t evil. It was like the power of LOVE without being evil. Powerful, energetic.  

She stopped looking at him but the feelings that richocheted off of her though, they were still just vibrating in his bones. Sans wanted to look at her longer, but she broke away with a really loud and strong thank you, and then refused to look at him anymore. She glanced a little over, but refused to turn enough.  

“Joke?” 

Weird. Weird. Weird. Good weird. Good vibes. His bones were still vibrating from the sensation of the relief. Make many signs. Lots of signs. Write it everywhere. Joke, why’d she say joke? Then he remembered, she said she had a joke. How did he forget she had a joke? That would be the one thing he wouldn’t forget. “Joke, yeah. What’s the joke?” 

“Why’s there Snow in Snowdin?” 

“Um.” Good joke. “Thought it’d be a knock-knock joke. Used to have someone to practice those with.” 

“It’s . . . a reboot away,” she reminded him. Still not looking at him though again. 

“Nah. Can’t.” Sans shook his head. “A reboot is just going to start the whole circle again.” 

“Yeah, but . . . there’s not much of a way to escape.” 

“Okay, I give up,” Sans said, changing the subject again. “Why’s there Snow in Snowdin?” 

“You got my device still?” Frisky asked. Sans held it up. “Track 3. Song of Paradox. There's a little trigger on the side to make the screen bigger. Stare at the screen while you listen to it. Put that little white thing attached to it up to your . . . umm, well to your skull I guess. Make sure you hear it.” 

Sans did that, pressed play, and then stopped it after a few seconds. “That’s torture. Aren’t we done with torturing each other yet? I show mercy and you dunk on me.”  

“Sorry, yeah, forgot. That’s why MP’s work so well as camouflage. Loaded up with the songs of our ancestors.” Frisky held out her hand and took it. “I’m ashamed to say I don’t have real experience with how song secrets actually work, but I think as long as we don’t cover up the white part, it should still work.” She pressed play. “Now, just stare at the small screen.” 

Sans watched the screen for about two minutes while the song played. Once the song was over, he looked toward her. “Okay? Don’t get the joke.” 

“You will.” Frisky looked up. “Why’s there snow in Snowdin?” She pointed up. 

Sans looked up, and he almost dropped backwards from shock. 

Sky. There was SKY above them. Coming from the sky, were tiny pieces of snow, gently falling to the ground all around him. “ . . . because . . . it’s really snowing?” 

“Yep. A mountain with some random unstable entrance was always just a cover up. An illusion that worked on Monster’s eyes because they were different.” She held the MP. “I was supposed to destroy the illusion for everyone. No one will come down for another mission in at least two hundred years after all these foul-ups.” 

“Don’t care,” Sans answered as he stood up and held out his hand. “Can barely feel the snow, so small. Look at it.” He turned around. “There’s snowflaking out on this joke.” He pointed upward in the sky. “That thing hiding behind those clouds, that’s the sun, right?” 

“Yep. It's not as bright as you might remember when you did make it to the surface because it's really cloudy. It won’t come out much over here since it’s always snowing.” 

“Doesn’t need to. I can see it just fine from here.” Wow. Incredible. He turned all the way around again, staring upward. He grabbed at his neck again, remembering the pain he already got from the couch two nights in a row. “That joke was a real bright idea.” Even as he looked around, he could see the actual brightness of the sky and the snow fall and hit the ground. “Let me guess. Illusion cancels out once something touches the Underground itself.” 

“Yep.” 

"And that's why the ground always seemed a little brighter." 

"Yes." 

Not even trapped. No Monster was even trapped. It was an amazing feeling, but at the same time, he felt like ripping into something. Everyone felt trapped in a mountain, believed they were trapped inside of a mountain! And it was just an illusion. 

They were free. Absolutely free. The sun, the clouds, the moon, and the stars. Everything was free. 

“If you want to hear the sound of the wind, you’ll have to listen to the song itself I think,” she said. “But, maybe you can?” 

“No, I don’t hear any wind. What’ll it sound like?” 

“Like rushing water through the air, sort of.”  

“Ehh . . .” Human songs were awful, but he wanted the whole experience. He took the MP player and listened to the dreadful sounds coming from it. After it was over though, a new sound started to come from a distance, until it was there. "Wind." 

Rushing water through the air, but not. It had a sort of whistling effect to it too. He stared back up again, rubbing his neck more so he could endure. He could look up all day at it. “Everyone needs to see this.” 

“I don’t have the supreme code it takes to do that,” Frisky said. “I’m just a PACIFIST soldier. I was supposed to give the word, and a huge beam was supposed to wipe out the whole illusion. If I had known how fast PERSEVERANCE could hit the reset button the first time, I wouldn’t have taken so long to make communication back. I was up there. I just wanted to say goodbye first.” 

Yeah. She might not be able to do it, but Sans knew he could. If he couldn’t figure out a simple illusion trick on it, then Alphys could help. He’d probably need her lab anyhow. No way was he keeping this secret. During his research, he’d already picked up on the strange waves from the output, but it wasn’t until now he knew what it meant. “Are there secrets in every song?” 

“No, just the defaults,” Frisky answered. “The rest are just songs humans used to like in our history before it was banned. It's the only legal way to listen to the creativeness of our ancestors now. Balancers hate it as much as Monsters do. But, with the new upgrade though, the other songs were wiped out. There’s nothing on there but some hide status songs, fake hit point registers, and battle songs.” 

“Battle songs? The sounds already beat the drum too loud.” 

“No, it’s how humans fight. Since we don’t have magic, we can use songs as an attack too. The beat dictates digital power waves that can come at us when we fight each other.” Frisky stood up with her mercy sign. “Human music increases our DETERMINATION, while it probably just fries a poor Monster’s ear. Oh, but before I go, you should listen to the Sound of Healing.” 

"Eeehhh . . . is it worth it?" 

Frisky just smiled at him. "It really is. I'd feel better if you played it before I left you." 

"Kay." Why not? It must be something good if she wanted him to hear it. After it was done, he looked back at her. "So what did that do?" 

"No more status effects due to timeline interruption. In other words, you now have everything that you have earned over all the hundreds of resets we've gone through. Even though you don't remember, something small inside the subconscious clings to it. You should have more than one EXP now." 

Sans shrugged. "FRISK is the only thing I had to take on down here." 

"I know, but, now you're safer. It's also got an illusion cast on it when you go into battle. No Monster can see how really powerful you are. Once you hit your previous EXP limit though, it will reveal the truth, unless you use another song on there." 

"I think I am done with songs. For now. I can check more later though. Might need it for any invaders." 

"Just . . . reset." 

"Nope, never." 

“Uhh . . .” Frisky stuck her tongue in her cheek. “Eventually, you have too. There are invaders waiting. They each have their own source of power to reset, and there are conduits that are pretty much unstoppable too. You saw FRISK. It's just like that. Only another conduit can stop another one. Otherwise, they are invincible.” 

“Nope. Everything is so bad down here, even a motion setback above a level three will glitch if used more than twice.” Sans held up her MP player. “I’m the only one who can reboot, and I never will.” He pointed to the sky. “Even if there was a shred of possibility . . . it’ll never surface again.” 

“You knew the results of a motion shift by levels?” Frisky pressed her hands to her hips. “Sans, what do you know about my device?” 

“That it belongs to the Underground now.” He shrugged his shoulders as he shoved it into his coat pocket. “Thems the breaks.” 

“Wait. You can’t just-” 

“Nope.” 

“You don’t know what-“ 

“Yeah, I do. And I did.” He turned around, making sure he could still see Chance playing. “Want a hot dog? My treat before I send you out of the Underground.” 

“If you don’t reboot, everything is stuck in place.” 

“Yuh huh. Hot dog?” She stood up and finally looked toward him. He looked at her back, trying to find that look from before. It was gone though. She didn’t have anything that said she feared him, but that other feeling that was there, it was buried deep.  

Frisky took a deep breath. A real deep breath. “Fine, a hotdog,” she said roughly. “Sans?” 

“Yep?” 

“Due to what's around the Underground, there have been other things that happened. Sad things. But, if you see someone. If you ever run into a strange spirit named Chara. She was the imbalance. Just, um . . . tell her thank you for me? She would understand it." 

“Long gone,” Sans said. “I saw a presence fade away right before I ran into Chance. She’s resting in peace now.” 

“Chance?” Frisky said rougher. “You can't call him Chance, his name is Frisk for the mission."  

"I promised him if he saved the day and survived, I'd call him Chance. Not gonna break it just 'cause he can't remember it." 

Frisky just inwardly sighed. There wasn't much she would be able to do to make Sans obey anything. She had to ignore it and remain focused. "Teleportation interruption took out most of FRISK. If what you saw seemed ‘ghostly’, it could have been others departing, not quite retrieving their body. Or, it could have been others, and the interruption shoved them farther away before they became corporeal.” 

“It was short for an adult human.” 

“So am I,” Frisky groaned. “It wasn’t exactly an easy process. It couldn't have been Chara. She's tied down here. Somewhere.” 

“Doesn't matter who's right or wrong,” Sans simply said. “Just head on out of the Underground, and know this place is never going to reset. Ever. Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.”  

He skipped. He actually skipped. “Dang it, Sans.”  

“Don’t worry, I’m not pulling your leg.” He raised her ball above his head. “Actually, I guess I am.” He dropped the ball next to his booth. “You want catsup on your dog?” 

But before she answered, Alphys walked up to them in the snow.

Chapter Text

Oh. Oh. Oh! Alphys didn’t want to walk up to them at all. She knew she had to, but she soooo didn’t want to. As she first started seeing them in the distance, she heard a woman yelling. She jostled up a bit faster, but then stopped when she saw them staring at each other. 

It was like watching the ending season of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, but even better! Their eyes and eye sockets were just lingering on each other. No one was breathing or moving just staring at each other. It was one of the moments where, if it were on TV, she’d be yelling ‘kiss! Kiss! Kiss!’. And if that wasn’t cute enough, the human woman just kind of turned away, her face all lit up in a pretty pinkish hue. She even had her voice raised too loud. 

And if that just hadn’t been enough, Sans was like, trying to look back at her again, moving all over. She thought he might even turn her chin toward him. It was sooooo awesome! It would have been even more awesome if she knew Frisky as that woman . . . instead of a kid on a monitor she never remembered meeting. 

But then, after all that, there was nothing. They started to just talk like regular. Frisky wasn’t looking at him, he wasn’t trying to look at her. The moment was just so gone. 

But, it had to be gone. Alphys was there to take her and her son home. Home and away back to their own world forever. They would never see each other again. Keep it together, Alphys! You don’t even know them. Th-that could have been something else completely. Yeah, except it wasn’t, Alphys! No, don’t start the talking to yourself thing.  

So, she moved a little faster and joined them at the hotdog stand. The clueless, romantic pair that would never be. “Uh? H-hi, Frisky?” Alphys waved at her. “Wow, Sans wasn’t kidding. You really are different. About the same size though, I think.” She looked over at Sans. “Okay, so, I’m here?” 

Sans grabbed a bun for his own hotdog. He squeezed catsup on his hotdog and bit into it. He was quiet while he took a few more bites, looking up again. He didn’t say anything until he finished his hotdog and licked his bony fingers. “I hacked it again, found more hidden objects, transported them away, and for good measure I uploaded a virus into their own program to replicate, and they still haven’t figured out I’m accessing their entire database from their simple unit.” He wiped his hands on his coat to brush the crumbs off.  “But that’s nothing compared to this joke I just heard from Frisky.” He took the MP back out and flipped it around in his skeletal hand. “I’ll tell you soon.” 

“Yeah, it’s a good one,” Frisky said, “but is it time? Can I go home now?” Please. Alphys was there, let it be time. She had waited years to finally go back to a real home with her son. Too many years. To even think how young she was when she first became a soldier. Selected and brought to . . . no, nope. Didn't matter. No more thinking that way. Ever again. 

 “Why the rush?” Sans answered. “Miss your life?” 

“You have no idea how much.” 

“Kinda do,” Sans reminded her. “Alphys took some time to set you up so that you could correct Chance and yourself.” 

“Mm hmm. We’ll get you back to your proper sizing,” Alphys agreed. “And don’t worry, Undyne promised not to kill you on the way to the spot. I don't know exactly if I explained everything right, but I'll tag along just in case?” 

“Don’t make me go, please, Sans!” 

Frisky looked back and saw her struggling son in Sans grasp before he gave him to her. “We’re going home. No more missions.” Still, Frisk was far from happy. She looked back toward Sans. “Thanks.” 

He nodded and went back over to his booth. “Have a good life, Frisky. Keep throwing a few good jokes in it for the kid, too.” 

“Oh.” Frisky looked toward the Ruins. “So. Yeah, I . . .” 

“I know what you're thinking,” Sans muttered. “I liked them too. No Monster deserves to go, but a reboot isn’t what you think it is. So, you better get going, Frisky.” 

“Whether it is or not. I get it.” She tried to smile. “Thank you for being a good prison guard.” 

Sans pulled out the MP3. “Don’t worry, there’s no connection to you with this thing either. So, up you go.” He pointed towards Waterfall.  

“Really shouldn’t be leaving,” Frisk said as she held him. “I know I shouldn’t be leaving.” 

 “We’re free, and it’s time to go home.” 

“So more people can jump in me?” he said bitterly 

Frisky rubbed his back. 

“They won’t,” Sans said strolling over to him and ruffled his hair. “Have fun, kid. Stop letting people jump in ya so much. Keep up the laughs and practice your jokes. You’ll be okay.” He looked toward Frisky. “Get a pet dog too.” 

“Well, he does like dogs,” Frisky answered. 

“About as much as you,” Sans reminded her. “Better get going before X doesn’t mark the spot anymore.” 

“True.” A little bit of humor for her son. “Come on. Let’s go find the X.” 

“Eh.” Frisk didn’t really seem enthused. He’d get better when he returned back to base.  

“Don’t forget this ol’ bag of bones,” Sans said as he gave him the lightest of noogies. “But, get out there and start living. You’ll be happier you did.” 

“Cheer up,” Frisky said, trying to help him out as they walked. 

“Don’t I get to say goodbye to Papyrus?” Frisk asked. “Momma? How come he couldn’t come to this too?” Hmmm . . . “Sans, why couldn’t Papyrus come say goodbye?” 

Sans didn’t really move. “Better get going.” He turned away and headed back behind his booth. Knowing the way Sans worked, Frisky just moved ahead. Sans was never big on goodbyes.  

“What are you hiding from your brother?” Frisk yelled at him from his mother’s shoulder.  

That made him jostle a bit, but he just waved. 

“Frisk?” Honestly. Frisk was ready to have a temper tantrum because he didn't want to leave. He was usually a good boy, but when his temper flared, he could be one feisty six-year-old soldier. Frisky kept moving. “That’s no way to talk to him just because you are angry. Do you have any idea what he’s done for us?”

“No, because nobody tells me anything,” he said bitterly.  

“Sweetie, calm down. If you don’t, they are going to give you a shot when you get back,” she reminded him. “You’ve got to be a good boy.” 

“Like you can talk. You’re hiding a lot too. How can I trust you?” He scoffed. “I can feel how much everyone’s lying to me, and I’m even gonna leave with more lies. And you’re just putting on a pretty face, but I can see beneath it.” 

Oh, not again. "95451, you better not start that tone with me."  

“What happened in the Underground? Why won’t you tell me?” he asked. “I ask and I ask. Whenever we go on other missions, you always fill me in at least at the end. But, this is the end, and you won’t tell me anything about what my own body was used for here.” He grunted as he pointed behind them. “Like her too” Frisk pointed as Alphys waved at him from behind. “Why’s she following behind us?” 

Alphys was shy, she wouldn’t walk side by side as much. Frisky knew that. However, Frisk’s attitude was still red hot. “That is Alphys. Say goodbye to Mettaton for me, Alphys? And Undyne. I know we got off on the wrong . . . foot.” 

 “Who’s the dinosaur?” Frisk asked. “How do we know her?” 

“Oh. When your mom was FRISK, uh, well, uh. She and I met. Well, not quite. I mean, well, I watched her on cameras, but, um, we met before I just don’t . . . um, hi?” 

“Oh, that reminds me,” Frisky said, remembering where the events had turned. “You should read the letters.” 

“What letters?” 

“Letters beneath your door. You should read them,” Frisky smiled. That would also help both of them out. Finding each other. She wouldn’t be the one pulling them together, but they would find their own ways.  

 “I can feel it,” Frisk interrupted the peaceful conversation. “It was bad. I want to know. Why was Undyne trying to kill me? Why did MK tell me Undyne was even trying to kill me when I first met him?” 

“We are PACIFIST soldiers and we do not mess with the Monsters,” his mother said a little rougher. “They fear you, but you stay strong. That is the first lesson and you know it. Now, quiet. We are almost there.”  

“I don’t want another shot.” 

“A shot?” Alphys asked in concern, moving a little closer than before. “Is he getting a shot?” 

“Yeah. Have to make sure my soul doesn’t fill up. I gotta stay a conduit for any emergency mission,” Frisk sniffed. “Sans was too confused with mom's words, he missed it. Mom lied to him.” 

“It wasn’t a lie. Just, we don’t need to focus on that.” 

“My soul can repair, but they have to keep damaging it.” 

“Ohh.” Alphys made a slight moan. “Frisky? Is that true?” 

“Don’t. Worry. The chances of him being called back are very slim. And there won’t be any shots yet, if he’s a good boy.” Frisky patted his head. “Imagine. You could go back, play games, and see your friends before we start a new life.” She tried to tickle him to make him laugh, but it wasn’t working. 

“Ugh?!”  

Frisky looked back at Alphys as she made a strange sound. “What?” 

“N-nothing! I just remembered, I have something super important to do. Five minutes, tops?” Alphys stepped backward. “Just, uh, wait here for me?” 

Strange. Frisky watched her leave. 

“I want to know what happened,” Frisk started on her again. "Why won't you tell me?" 

“Hon, I can’t tell you right now.” 

 “Ooooooh, I think you should!” 

“What?” Frisky looked down and saw Flowey. Snowdin would have been a cold place for him, but why was he there now? “Oh, Flowey.” 

“Mmmm. You know what sucks, little Frisk?” Flowey answered. “Parents never listen to kids. But, I’m not a parent. I know what’s going on. I listen.” 

Frisky took off. Forget the five minute wait. It would probably turn into a thirty minute wait anyhow, and she wasn’t sticking around for Flowey around Frisk. “Flowey, I’m sorry. No games, not with my son.” 

 “Who are you?” Frisk asked him. 

“Frisk, don’t talk to him.” 

“Oh by all means, don’t talk, Frisk, to the honest flower! I just know that you didn’t just have a bite to eat with Sans. He battled you over, and over, and over! You died thousands of times by his hands!” 

“Flowey!” Frisky yelled.  

“Momma doesn’t want her baby boy to know the truth. Well, well, well. It’s funny, isn’t it? They keep soooo much from you. But, I know, you’ve been keeping something from them toooo.” Flowey moved back into the ground and popped up just ahead of them. “I remember everything in the Underground. I know everything in the Underground. You know who else remembers a little too besides you? Sans the Skeleton. He remembers plenty about killing you.” 

“Frisk, don’t listen,” Frisky warned him. “I will explain everything in better detail later.” 

“She doesn’t know everything. Mommy doesn’t know everything.” 

“Flowey.” 

“She lies to you just as bad as the Skeleton did, but she still doesn’t know much at all.” 

“Flowey!”  

“About the Ruins, the Monsters, or even Balancers.” 

“Balancers?” Frisky looked down at Flowey. How did he know that? “You just know the Underground.” 

“Sure I do, just like I’m an average flower that manages to keep my mind after every one of your sickening resets. I wouldn’t know a thing about conduits. Re-reeeeesets. Why, I’m sure I know nothing more at all.” He laughed. “I also know why they didn’t give you a MP ni-ine, and it wasn’t because of discontinuation. It’s because that model has a more forward communication program in it, where you can see . . . what’s going on with everyone down here in the Underground. They didn’t give it to you, because they don’t want you to know.” He chuckled whimsically. “Your real mission. Lots of communication down in the Ruins, you know.” 

Frisk cringed. Flowey’s face became evil looking. Then, it fixed itself. “Mom, how do you know this guy?” 

“I’m special, with a lot of DETERMINATION,” Flowey answered. “I also got really, really, bored of the same thing over and over, so, I . . . want to make doubly sure that nothing brings us back into that kind of hell.” 

“Sans will do no such thing,” Frisky answered. There was no stopping Flowey from talking, and the more she ignored him, the worse he would become. He just popped out of the ground, and back in front of them constantly. Strange. Usually he’d say something and just leave until a battle. But, as long as she kept moving forward, she’d get to that X. 

“He would for family,” Flowey said darkly. “He did lose family. He doesn’t want to lose anymore.” 

“Papyrus is going to be fine,” Frisky insisted. “You said it yourself, the resets are over. He’s either going to reboot or not. It’s up to him, but I’m not involved anymore. I’m going home.” She would not let Flowey get to her. He always knew things, popped up, spied, and kept secrets. This was no different. 

“Might as well turn around then. There’s no way he’ll let you go when he finds ooouuut.” Flowey’s face turned big and dark. “You will never see your world again. Before this is over, you’ll be trapped in the Underground, forever.” 

“Leaving right now,” Frisky said stubbornly. “Should have bothered me earlier. What, too cold to stay in a conversation? Pop by long enough to find a few secrets and move off?” 

“Sans won’t let family go.” 

“Papyrus will be fine.” 

“I never said it was Papyrus.” Flowey’s face fixed itself all nice again. “Toodles! I’ll see you at the X.” 

“Who was that?” Frisk asked again. “Mom? What's he talking about Sans' family?” 

"Um. Well." The Forgotten Creatures. Gaster. No, no, different topic. "That flower was Flowey. He was once a nice, pleasant boy. Now it’s complicated to explain. You see, Monsters do their own experiments down here too,” she settled on. “Flowey doesn’t feel anything.” 

“He’s a flower. Why’s he a flower?” 

“Well, his dust was different I suppose. He joined his soul with a sister he had. She was human. They were as strong as the very first Balancers.” At least he was asking about easier things. Actually, if she just filled him in on Flowey and some of the history of the Underground, maybe it would be enough to reach the X. She just didn’t want to get into all the grisly details yet. 

After a few minutes of explanation though, Frisk interrupted her. 

“Wait.” Frisk lifted his head to look at his mom. “Everything went bad because of an accident?” She nodded her head. “Mom. This ship knows everything about the Underground. All the locations, all the items left behind. Why would they miss something like that?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Mom. They wouldn’t.” 

Frisky stopped and looked at him. “They took years to plan Mission Surface Seven. They wouldn’t jeopardize it like that.” 

“Flowey said Sans tried to kill me.” 

“It’s complicated.” She started to walk again. “It’s really complicated.” Give me an encounter or something to distract him. Where are all the encounters? 

“Is he how we busted out?” 

“Yes,” she muttered. “Really. I don’t want to concentrate on this yet. Give it time, okay? Sans is a friend. He’s good. He’s . . . uh, things were difficult.” 

“That’s how we got small, you got mixed up with his data because he was in the way?” 

“Yes.” 

“But my body was already here, so why would I get mixed up in teleportation? I guess it doesn’t matter. Technically not human.” 

“You are human. Conduits are human,” Frisky tried to convince him. “You are my boy, you are human, and we are going home. I promise. These negative thoughts, they are going to disappear very soon. You need to stop worrying about an emergency where you would need to be used. Okay? Those chances are slim anyhow since they'd have to replenish memories again. We'll be civilian. We won't have any of our memories from when we were soldiers. You and I, we'll have a house and a car and a new life waiting for us because we've paid our dues. Please, cheer up.” She really needed to do something. “How about a joke? Let’s see.” 

“No, I’m not. Flowey knows it.” 

“Knock-knock.” 

“How are re-resets created, mom?” 

“From humans, Frisk, which is why you really need to cheer up. Okay? Come on, be a sport.” She tried to tickle her son. “Guess what? Both of us will finally meet your grandparents too. Remember all the letters they sent? We’ll be going with them. I don't know where it is, but I will be given back my old memories from before I was a soldier. And you, you will almost have a fresh slate of memories too. When that happens, I will be able to tell you all about them. And, that will be good? And I'm sure it's a beautiful place where you can make friends, go to school, and be a normal kid.” She rubbed his back again. “Just keep your spirits high. A home that’s ready for us, full of people who will just love you to bits, it’s just around the corner.” 

“No, it’s not.” Flowey popped up right by her foot. “You know what the best thing about this is?” He cackled. “I don’t know what’s going to happen! I’ve been bugging you, so for all I know, maybe Sans put two and two together. Or maybe he’s just sleeping. Or maybe the little conduit's put it together. Or maybe no one has figured out anything and you’ll just leave the Underground forever. Or maybe you’ll just be trapped down here forever. Ooh, goodie! I can barely contain the excitement!” 

The X was just ahead, right where the sign that teased about failing a puzzle lied. Fitting. She set Frisk down and went to fetch four flowers to reach the spot.  

“How often has the flower lied?” Frisk asked her. 

“That’s complicated too,” Frisky told him. “He can tell the truth, but you shouldn’t trust him for accurate information. Just, enjoy the company, I suppose.” 

“Sure, enjoy the company,” Flowey whispered as he appeared by the boy's foot. “So? Tell me? Did you figure it all out?” 

Frisk rubbed his shoulder.  

“Ooooh. Are you going to tell her, or wait? Or do you think your mommy would even listen? Because parents never listen. If you tell her, she’ll probably say you’re seeing things that aren’t there. Then again, your mom isn’t really on the same level to even understand it, is she?” Flowey popped away from his foot, and showed up at the other one. “I’ll be over in the other corner, ready to watch the fireworks.” 

Finally. Frisky stayed in her spot. She wasn’t surprised Sans didn’t give her the MP back, but she didn’t need it. It was a convenience, but as long as this was the spot they expected to sense a human in, it should work. Otherwise, there would have been at least access to one during her mission before the big error. 

Although, what Flowey was saying was bothering her. Did he know something about Sans family? Was it the reason he refused to reboot? She had no control of whether he rebooted or not, and she didn’t know what the Balancers would do if he didn’t. But, the mission was over. The Underground wasn’t her concern anymore. It was just . . . Maybe I should have told him about his family? I'm sure he would have said it was pointless. Different timelines didn't matter. So, why did he say that? Is Flowey saying there is a way I can recover the erased back again to him? Or is he just messing with me one more time before we leave? 

She tried to ignore his shooting stems all over the place too, especially on the walls. If he's trying to block us, it won't work. Teleportation doesn't work that way. Not that she would say that out loud. She'd had enough of Flowey that day.  

Frisky waited for the silvery stream to come down upon her, but instead saw . . . multiple streams . . . many multiple streams around her. “Oh no.” Was she getting arrested? If everything was fine, she’d have gone straight up, but others were coming down, beaming around her. She moved out from the corner of the stream, almost falling into the water. 

---------------------------------------- 

Flowey shook his petals to prepare himself as he grew his stems all around. Over here. Over there. Some over there. Flowey usually used a seed attack, but this time, that wouldn't do any good. He'd have to use his much smaller known magic. 

Growing. Growing his roots and stems. While those two Frisks were messing around and just standing there looking up like idiots, he'd been working all around. He couldn't just grow it like a jungle though, he was going to have to snap himself out of the situation fast without getting tangled. That meant some fast thinking because it was obvious what would happen next. He pulled himself back into the ground and popped up just a little beside the moron in charge that came to confront them. 

“95452. You finally accomplished the mission, congratulations.” The Frisk who called herself Frisky noticed the appearance of the moron beside Flowey. The idget clapped as he came over toward her.  “Good job.” 

“Accomplished the mission?” Frisky held her son tighter as she saw more streams of people coming. “I don't understand, Sir?” 

Of course not. If you did you would have taken the Ruins, silly. Flowey just pulled himself back into the ground and pulled a move he rarely pulled. He started to climb his own stems. He moved over around the top of the area, right above the Frisks. 

“Doesn’t matter now," the idiot from before kept speaking. "You can go home to your loving family, isn’t that what matters? We just need that little conduit right there now.” He pointed to the boy. “Don’t be stupid, 95452. You’re completely surrounded. There’s no way to get out, or we would have waited for this until you were on board.” 

“Then why didn’t you?” Frisky growled, keeping her son close. 

Ooh, look at that. Momma can get primal. Ha ha. Can't grab him yet then, not until she's desperate enough.  

“Lots of interference, can’t track anything, it’s like a fog down here, and we aren’t risking losing it.”  

“No way!” The mom tried to hold onto her son, but more soldiers were coming to get him. “What’s going on?!” 

“It’s alright, you and the boy are going to be safe. Hell, it's like royalty now.” The human held out his own MP and talked into it.  

Ah, target number two. Come to Flowey . . . 

“What is taking so long? It’s still jammed? Find another way to bypass it!” The annoying human rolled his eyes. “Technical difficulties. What is with all the technical difficulties?” 

“Good!” The momma moved backward with the boy and fell into the water. Other soldiers tried to grab her, but she tried to swim upstream. Except that area just wasn't very big. 

“Where are you going to go?” Her boss taunted her. “You’re free, just hand over the conduit and give in.” 

Now. Now she's desperate. 

“I really, really don’t want a reboot.” 

Frisky held her son close, but she saw Flowey from above. His stems were still reaching all over the place. All over, but they were coming straight for her son. Knowing that her trust was low in Flowey, but non-existent in her team now, she had no choice. She loosened her grip and watched Frisk sail up into his stems. 

“I really didn’t want to save the day. This is ridiculous.” 

Her superior cried for assistance as his arm was wrapped around by Flowey as his loose stems took his MP. Soldiers tried to shoot, but Flowey just laughed. 

“Sure! Like it would be that easy. Toodles, and thanks for the MP thing. Been wanting to collect this one for years!” Flowey flung the boy high into the air, and then his whole body snapped like a rubber band back to it's original shape too fast for anyone to do anything about it. 

“Why wasn’t that tracked?!” 

“It’s not really deemed a Monster, sir. It was one of the Guardians.” 

Frisky remained still, hoping Flowey knew what the heck it was doing. “Why are you coming after my son? You have plenty of conduits. He earned his freedom just like I did.” Her boss wasn’t answering though, and soldiers started to swim toward her and grab her. 

“Bring her to the transport area,” her boss demanded. “At the very least, we’ve got her. He’ll have to come back if he wants his momma again.” 

----------------- 

Frisk yelled as he saw the ground approaching fast. No way, I won’t be able to survive that! “Aaaahhhhh!” 

“Ooh, uppsa daisy!” Flowey said grabbing him again. “Enjoy the ride? Let’s do it again. This time, aim for Snowdin, silly!” 

Aim? He couldn’t do that. “You know I can’t do that! Aaaahhhh!” 

Flowey just chuckled as he went back underground. 

------------------ 

“Uh, Sans?” Alphys voice stirred him as she touched the arm of his coat. “Hi. I just need to ask you about something. Probably quick. I don’t know if she’s going to wait for me.” 

Sans tried to get some sleep. Decent sleep was hard on that couch of theirs. Not only that, but it was always easier to deal with things when he just slept his time away. “What is it?” 

“I was following along, talking to Frisky, when I saw something wrong with her son.” Alphys twiddled her fingers. “His hand. It . . . changed?” 

-------------------------------------------- 

“Floooooowwweeeeeyyyyyyyy!!”  

“Hello!” Flowey popped up high into the air with a nice smile and grabbed him again. “Look, you made it! Brr, it’s cold,” he complained. “Come on, it’s time to say a big hello to someone.” 

“Are you going to fling me again?” Frisk asked. 

“Nope!”  

Frisk screamed again as, this time, he felt himself going underground with Flowey. 

---------------------------- 

“Looookyyyy what the stoooork brooought!” Flowey laughed as he showed up behind Sans post. Sans stood up immediately. “Long time no see?” He tossed the boy into Alphys arms. “Good catch!” 

“Chance?” Sans still seemed stunned to see Flowey. “What’s going on?” 

“NEUTRAL, formerly PACIFIST, soldiers are chasing your other Frisk down. Funny, huh? Shouldn’t be the type.” Flowey giggled. “Type, that’s funny, isn’t it?” He turned his entired petal head around. “Oh, come on, not even a giggle? That’s what I get for bringing him back to you? But, he’s not really meaningful to you . . . yet. You’ll know the second time around with my something special.” Flowey’s face turned dark as he cackled before he left.  

-----------------------

Chapter Text

“Look.” Papyrus watched Sans lying his head on the table. “I don’t . . . I don’t get this funk you are in.” 

“I’m not in a funk,” Sans denied. "I'm fine. See?" He chuckled. "Totally fine." 

“I am,” Chance said from his back. He hugged Sans around his neckbone. “I want momma back.” 

“I know, Chance.” Sans patted the human's head laying on his back shoulder bone. 

“Um.” Papyrus didn’t know what to do. It had been three days since the human mother disappeared and left her little boy. Sans insisted she’d come back, but so far there had been no sign. Since then, Sans had been acting . . . strange. He even gave the human a new name. A new name, he named the human.  

He knew his brother often held his feelings in and faked being more happy for him, but everyone around Snowdin felt it. He and Sans had only been around the humans for a couple days. A couple. Yet, from his actions, it would seem it had been longer.   

And his behavior. No Grillbys. No spaghetti. Not even a hot dog. He ate catsup all day with nothing of substance. Not that Sans needed much substance, but that wasn’t Sans. Papyrus could understand the sadness of the human 'Chance'. His mother was gone, but it didn’t describe San’s strange behavior. How had the humans had such a strong effect on his brother? 

Papyrus had not said anything about it so far, but things needed to return to normal. When he heard the door, he smiled. “I’ll get it!” He knew who it had been, he’d called for her help earlier. Sans needed to get his mind off of the humans, and the best way to do that, was with Undyne’s help. “Undyne! Greetings, good to see you!” 

Undyne stepped into the house and looked over at Sans. “Okay, I got one.” She touched her scaly head. “I can’t believe I have to do this for you, Papyrus.” She moved over toward Sans. “Sans the Skeleton. I need the thing on your back.” 

“Huh?” Sans looked back toward Chance, then at her. “No.” 

“No?” Undyne looked toward Papyrus. “You’re brother just told me no.” 

“He’s, um, like I said, in a bit of a strange funk,” Papyrus said as he came back over to Sans. “It’s okay, Undyne promises not to hurt him. She just needs him, Brother.”  

Sans pulled Chance off his own back with some small assistance. Papyrus though that was it, but Sans just put him on his lap. “I know what Undyne wants. Frisky is coming back for him, just give her time.” 

“Sans,” Undyne groaned at him. “What is wrong with you? Why are you so attached, literally attached, to this human?” She came over and tried to take him forcefully, but Sans just stood up. 

“You’re not good,” Sans accused her, his eye sockets going dark, “with human scum. Don't touch him.” 

“Fine.” Undyne pushed a piece of paper into Papyrus' chest. “That address is of a Monster family that will watch the little boy until, or if, it’s human mother returns. If Sans doesn’t trust me, then he can just trust you.” With those words, she left out the door. “I can’t believe I have to put up with this.” 

Papyrus looked at the paper. That didn't go the way he wanted it to. “It’s not very far. That’s good.” He smiled at Sans. “Not far at all, Brother. Simple family. Snowdin. Not carnivorous. That’s a good match.” 

“What?” Sans actually seemed shocked at him. “No way, Chance is human. There’s been plenty of room. He’s three times smaller than me so he doesn’t even take up that much space.” 

“Yeah,” Chance agreed. “I want to stay with Sans.” 

“Sans? Uh. I just feel it’s better to let the little human go? You’re getting . . . funkier by the day.” Papyrus rubbed his head. “You already seem to have a strange bond with this human, even stronger than with our other human friend, and we have known him longer. I think? I am pretty sure.” He tried to reach for Chance, but Sans just stepped back. “Now that the mother is gone, you seem to be . . .  holding him a lot?” That was putting it mildly. Sans wouldn’t even put him down for more than a few seconds.  

Chance climbed up further on Sans’ shoulder, and Sans didn’t mind. At all. Again. “His mom is gone right now. He doesn’t know anyone in the Underground except us. Until Frisky comes back, I don’t see what the big deal is.” Sans headed off. “I have to get to work. Come on, Chance.” He patted his head. “You want to see if Monster Kid wants to play? Might cheer you up more again.” 

Chance just shook his head. 

“Oh, what about them?” Papyrus suggested. “Monster Kid would keep him company if maybe his family watched him? For a few days? A day? A sleepover?” 

Sans didn’t reply as he just headed out. “You’re overreacting. You don’t know Frisky, she’ll be back.” 

“But . . . but . . . you don’t know her that well either!” Papyrus shouted at him. 

--------------------------------------- 

“Ummm . . .” Alphys held her finger up, wanting to tell Sans something. But, she didn’t know if she should. For the last three nights, Sans had been coming into her lab to use it's strength to pull Frisky back. 

“Sans?” 

“I know she’s right there.” Sans just pointed to Alphys large monitor. “Blinking red light. If we could just . . . pull her safely down. If we just had more power.” 

“Well, um, I have some good news.” Alphys came over. Maybe some interesting news would knock him out of his strange state. "Well, I don't know if it's good. It's different news? I don't really understand it, but . . . well, I'll just let you meet her." 

"Meet her?" Ooh, Sans looked crossed. "This is secrecy for secrecy."  

"Oh, it's not another Monster!" Alphys insisted. "It's the barrier. I mean, it's near the barrier." She was clearly losing him, so she moved toward the right of the lab. "Come this way, and I'll introduce you to an unusual spirit." 

"Yeah. That sounds fun." Sans followed her over. She started to play around with some coordinates and sound waves.  

"This is going to be really strange, but just watch the screen." Alphys spoke into a microphone nearby. "Ch-Chara? Hello again." 

Sans listened a few seconds before he heard a groan. 

"Can't a spirit ever sleep?" 

"Sorry, yes, I just wanted Sans to meet you." Alphys moved out of the way of the microphone. "She said that she used to be King Asgore's daughter." 

Awww, now that was interesting. Sans came up to the microphone. "Hiya. Sup. Frisky said to say thanks." 

"Yeah, well, when everyone bows out, it's good to have someone. Without someone, it gets really hard to do the right thing. But, she didn't need to thank me. I put her through my own tests too." 

Tests? "What do you mean 'tests'?" 

"She used to be like the others. Kind of. Her personality was way too ashamed to meet you again, whether you remembered her or not. But, she used to always bow out of trying to take control in that  little Judgment Hall moment when FRISK committed genocide. All of them used to. After all, there was no reason to try. A lot of Monsters were dead. Actually, even after one Monster died, they had to restart their mission. Giving up was just a better idea by that point." 

"Wait." Hang on. "You’re the reason she kept hitting Mercy in Judgment Hall?" 
 

"Once, just once. I mean . . . I'm not really human. The way I feel is . . . corrupted. Sometimes, I feel like a computer soul more than a human soul. An object. Nothing anyone can see or talk too. Nothing. Honestly, I'm just another Forgotten Creature." 

"No one forgot you. Your mom and dad I bet still remember you." 

"Do you know how it feels to look at your mom, and yet . . . not really care if you ate her pie or killed her? That was me. That is me. And that's not me. And inside that thing, FRISK, I get pulled. Pulled in so many ways. I don't even really care anymore. I don't want to exist anymore, but I don't get a choice. I just . . . linger. I'm stuck. And now, I'm freaking stuck to some barrier." 

"Oh. Sorry to hear that?" 

"Great words of comfort, Sans. Heard better. But you don't really care about me." 

"Do too. I cared about Frisk. Little Frisk. Big Frisk. Not so much for genocidal Frisk, but . . . probably most of them?" He reckoned.  

"Huh?" Chance was stirring on his back. "Chara?" 

"Oh, hey there Itty Bitty Frisk. Sleeping?" 

"Hi, Chara." Chance waved to the microphone. "Mom's missing." 

"I'm in a barrier, Itty Bitty. Can't do much. Just, stuck. Always stuck because no one ever thought a real human would come this way that didn't have some stupid programming agenda back then. No, it took six damn stupid other kids to make that same mistake before they were like 'hmm, maybe we should put something up to stop curious kids, huh?' Idiots. So, yeah. I just mostly sleep. Let time tick on by." 

"Oh." Chance groaned. "Okay." 

"Hey. Itty Bitty doesn't sound so hot." 

"He's . . ." Sans cleared his throat. "So are you saying even human souls can't break through that barrier? You just linger?" 

"I can't go into a re-reset if that's what your asking. So yeah, linger. Stuck. I tried to get FRISK to hit erase on this world more than once. When I kept getting refusals, that other side of me stepped in. When you're already with a bunch of souls, it's easy to forget who you are. What makes you. To stay stronger, I may have sucked a little much on some of the underparts that didn't do much. But you know what? Screw 'em. At least, that's what I believed until Frisky proved me wrong. And don't say I talk too much either because I never get to talk to anyone anymore! And even when I could, there were only a few of the Frisks I could stand talking to." 

"Proved you wrong? Judgment Hall?" 

"She made me a deal. I set the circumstances, and if she beat it, I would stop messing with all the souls inside FRISK. So, yeah. I set it. I made her fight you. I made her fight you all alone. Do you know what happens when every soul, including mine, goes to sleep? The pain is held only for her. There's no division. She felt every shattering blow of her soul and body all alone. She did it long enough that . . . I guess . . ." 

"You felt something?" Sans pushed. 

"I don't know if the word is feel. As a lingering soul, I just . . . it's hard. It's hard to do that anymore. You've no idea how long I've really been around. If I couldn't sleep when I wanted to, I would do nothing but scream. But I came to understand her. Especially after she did it again, and again, and again. She pushed her soul to it's limits just to try and take back control. To not reset, but to just keep going and do the right thing. Even the others got inspired to help. Funny, huh? Fighting to regain control when the mission couldn't be completed anyhow. I forget what she exactly said when I asked her why she was torturing herself now with it. I think it was something like 'it may not matter now, but my DETERMINATION will be stronger, and maybe I will have more strength for the next round when it does count.' Okay, not the exact words, but close enough. She had about as much DETERMINATION as I did, so somehow we seemed to get along. Anyhow, I let them all be, until I finally found more of a purpose. The itty bitty on your back. Even when parts of FRISK couldn't keep their emotions under control, I helped. No one's better at stomping emotions than I am. I especially had to help with Friskay. You meet her yet?" 

"No. Just Frisk, Frisky and uh. PERSEVERANCE, but he's gone." 

"Yeah, you won't forget her when you do. That itty bitty would have been really bad off without me after awhile with her. Way not blending. I mean, she was KINDNESS, but she was that kind of asshole kindness that was like . . . 'I will take a bullet for you, but I'm going to tell you how much you suck while I'm doing it' kind of girl. PERSEVERANCE too. Uh, I don't know. I was like a babysitter. I didn't mind it that much, he gave me, you know. Some purpose again." 

"Um. That's all really great," Alphys said approaching the microphone. "But, can we maybe go over the little conversation we had earlier with Sans? I've been running some calculations, and I think it could be done. You're right." 

"What?" Sans asked Alphys. 

"Oh, well excuse me for not staying on topic. I didn't mean to interrupt your schedule. I just sleep most of the time, stuck to a barrier and I figured I wanted to talk a little while. Forgive me, yellow little dino nerd." 

 "I didn't mean it like that," Alphys apologized. "Um, I promise. I just-" 

"Grillby's should carry chocolate bars for dessert. A Grillby burger, fries, and a chocolate bar. Damn, that would have been great. I wish it was around when I was alive. Then maybe I could have got dad to do it. A trinity of happiness. Hey, Alphabetty, did you ever have a Grillby burger? Best. Better when catsup doesn't land all over them though." 

"MTT's more of my thing. Closer. But, I'm sure they are good," Alphys said. "Anyhow, I don't want to interrupt. I don't. I don't want to be rude, but do you think-" 

"I get it. Look, away from the influence of the bad part of FRISK, I've got a little more sense again. Multiple souls in one body, it's not easy. Seriously. That joining, that takes some real training. I suddenly knew recipes for cabbage, 200 different kinds of guns, a thousand knock-knock jokes, and how to dance with a high kick. The souls all seem to share so much, so fast, it's crazy. So. Crazy. But now. Getting away from all that, I remember more of what I was. Who I was. And why I wanted to destroy all of mankind." 

"Okay, maybe a bit less strong?" Alphys suggested. 

"Not strong enough. Not nearly strong enough. Even back then, I wandered in here of my own will to try and help 'cause none of those official people were going to. And, and I saw the start of it. I saw the turn. I came here because I met my first re-reset. They were brand new in the early 2000 years. I was just like every other kid though. How could it affect me? But then I watched my friend become one. It was just in his genes, they said. I watched my friend barely walk with help, just shambling away to apparently die. And, and it kicked in. No. No way. But, that's what it was. Humanity's future. I never told anyone why I really hated humanity. I didn't want anyone knowing the truth, they'd be happier not knowing. I mean, I could have said something, but that wouldn't have made any difference. Everyone would have gotten scared, and then it would all just reset. As long as I was a good little girl, no one was going to budge me. I was too close to the Monsters. To take me would be disturbing the habitat even more to them. But I'm dead, and you already know all those details. So, yeah. Welcome to the hell of humanity. It hasn't changed a bit. Well, that's not true. It just got worse. It needs to end." 

"Well, there are some good. That's not exactly what we were discussing?" Alphys said gently. "Chara?" 

"Oh, yeah. The positive part. I don't mean wipe out mankind. I mean keep them out of here so I can finally rest in peace." 

"There. Yes, that's better." Alphys gave Sans a thumbs up. "So . . . do you think you're up to making a barrier of our own?" 

"Another barrier?" 

"Yeah, but . . . this one would be used to make sure they stay out?" 

Oooohh. "Barrier inside a barrier would make it even tougher to get in." 

"Yes, that's what I was thinking. 'Cause we already have our skies so . . . let's just make sure they can't do the same thing again?" 

"A barrier to stop resets. To stop souls from joining forces." With their technology, they could reverse it and duplicate it to create another barrier but. "They'd be equal." 

"Not really. 'Cause um. Their barrier is just a barrier. Ours would have-" 

"DETERMINATION of one mad spirit." 

" . . . yeah, that." Alphys chuckled nervously as she turned off the microphone. "I'll admit, it sounds tricky. But, if Chara is a soul that feels like she doesn't really feel . . . a-and you said that thing about Flowey. I mean, I thought it was the lack of soul and just nothing but DETERMINATION, but what if-" 

"The souls could never escape and it's the barrier itself affecting them," he finished for her. Sans shoved his hands in his coat pockets and jingled them. There was only a slight disturbance of the sound of hot dog wrappers in his coat. "This is the biggest bone-headed idea I've ever seen. I don't know if it's brilliant or psychotic." 

"Well, we could turn off the barrier if there are any problems?" Alphys suggested. "She doesn't seem to have a problem with Monsters though. Just, humans. Well, and she had a few choice word for Balancers, but I told her not to talk about that. I-I think it's more of the human side of them she hates anyhow." 

"Yeah, no, 'cause enslaving humans was totally fine too," Sans confronted her on that issue. He knew Alphys didn't want to second-guess the situation. It was a great idea, but it wasn't all just the humans. 

"After the DETERMINATION is used for the barrier, she might finally be able to disappear too? I think she wants to disappear more than anything. She's ready to really move on," Alphys tried harder to convince him. "We could unplug if things get bad but, I mean . . ." She gestured toward Chance on his back. "She was his babysitter?" 

"If we put up a second, and allowed us to only go through it, we could get Frisky back and they couldn't zap her away again," Sans realized. "Let's do it." 

"Well, we don't have that kind of power yet," Alphys had to admit. "But one day when we do have enough power, we could get it done. I just wanted to talk about it as a possible option. I have the papers and some calculations for it. It wouldn't take long to put up because we don't need any resetting, save, continue, or anything like that. We could focus it on more important things. Like, even if someone got down here, we could make sure they couldn't join forces and make a conduit, you know?" 

"Mm." 

“Okay, maybe I should have said that earlier? Oh, but how about this? I discovered how to tell the re-resets apart, the body teleportation, and their journey trail. So I am close to breaking into the re-resets now to get the trapped souls.” She went back over to her computer and showed him. “See? It's kind of tricky. I mean, three things going on at once. Body, soul, re-reset. Someone could essentially be torn into multiple places at once with the wrong calculations. But I think we could do it with what we know. We just need a little more . . . power again." She groaned slightly. "But, still! It's a nice option?” 

“Great. It’d be nice to have Toriel and them back someday,” Sans agreed. It was a minimal smile though, and he was moving back to his original position. His eye sockets were still on the blinking light on the screen. Frisky's location. 

“You know.” Alphys didn’t know if she should push it, but she had to try. She'd already given him so much more to go on, and he was still just focusing on Frisky. “I have a back little bed for long nights in the lab. Pillow. Small. Simple?” She moved over toward Sans back. “Maybe you would rather let Chance rest there?” 

“He’s fine, I need to hunch over anyway,” Sans said as he set back to work. 

“Oh, it’s really no trouble,” Alphys said softly. “He’s just sort of lying there. Let me just grab him.” 

“No, don't touch.” Sans turned to look at her. “Leave him alone.” 

“Well, Sans? Has your brother, Papyrus, has he maybe shared . . . any thoughts with you?” Alphys said gently. “About Chance? Maybe you are getting too close?” He didn’t answer back, still mad at her for her earlier words. This was getting serious. “He’s so cute when he sleeps. Can I touch his cheek if I’m really gentle?” 

“No.” Sans glared at the computer screen now.  

“Sans, if we get Frisky back, you’ll have to stop this.” Alphys said it. “I mean, he’s a nice boy and all, but he’ll have to go back up with Frisky eventually. Once we find out what the problem had been.” 

“I know that, but Frisky shouldn’t be up there right now either.” His voice was getting harsher. “She was going up, so why did they do that? Why over hundred teleporting signatures surrounding her, Alphys?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe they found out that you know about the snow in Snowdin? Looking up too much?” Alphys suggested. “I probably look up too much. It’s just that, I like to see that sky. I love the extra light I can see too, but I just want to stare up at it. Everyone should know about it.” 

“I shouldn’t have told you yet. We can tell everyone when Frisky gets home.” 

Buh? Did he even catch what he just said? “Sans, what did you say?” 

“Not until Frisky is safe.” 

Uh uh. That’s not what he said. I really have to do this? “Sans? I-I would keep the boy safe. If anything happens, and Frisky can’t come back? I have plenty of room here. I have a life that I could share with someone. Um, and I don’t think I’ll ever get married. Worst case scenario? I would take in . . .”  

The mood was disturbed as a strange farting sound came from behind Chance. Long and low. Sans started to laugh. “He found my whoopee cushion.” Chance groaned from behind him. “Hey? So loud, you wake yourself up?” 

“No. Only yours are so loud I have to wake myself up,” Chance chuckled, instantly knowing what he was talking about. He yawned. “Can we bring mom back yet?” 

“Soon, Chance, soon,” Sans told him.  

“Are you sure? You’ve said that before. Sans.” 

“Honest. Even brought some of Papyrus’ clothes for when we do figure it out. She’ll be cool in Cool Dude. Just get some more sleep.” Sans eye sockets lingered on the screen.  

Alphys knew why Sans was closer to the humans than his brother did. She knew about the many different resets that created new timelines. She knew he must have met FRISK thirty times at least. Something that had the playfulness of Chance. The drive and DETERMINATION of Frisky. But . . . there was something else. Something she was missing.  “Sans, why are you carrying him around like your . . . own . . ." Oh no, what was the word for Monster Skeletons? " . . . baby bones?” 

Sans glanced back at her. Hard. “Alphys. I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“I know, but you won’t even let me touch him. That’s . . . you know I wouldn’t hurt him. And your brother, Papyrus, and Undyne, they all just want to help. You’re getting too close.” 

“I have to,” Sans groaned. “I have to but nobody understands. And you're just going to keep pestering me too, aren't you? Fine. Take him off my back. I’ll show you, but not a word to anyone.” 

Alphys reached for Chance. He was fast asleep again. “He sure does sleep a lot.” 

“Yep. Take him to the little bed you mentioned.” Sans moved away from the computer and followed her over to the back corner. 

“It’s really comfortable. I’m sure he’ll like it.” Alphys laid him down in it and covered him up. “There we go.” 

“Yeah. Now watch him a couple of minutes.” Sans moved further away from the bed. 

Alphys stared at Chance, not knowing what she was supposed to see. But, after a couple of minutes, she saw it. She gasped. “What is happening to the little human?!” 

“No idea. Started happening a couple of days ago.” Sans came over and picked up Chance again. “All I know is when I don’t hold him, he gets worse. He’s sick somehow,” he admitted. “I tried to get Papyrus to hold him once for a little while, when he wasn’t as bad. When I could take half an hour away, but, he just kept getting sick.” He looked at Chance who moaned. “It’s alright buddy, Sans is here. You’ll be better in a couple of minutes.” 

“He was glowing blue. Radiating blue.” Alphys moaned. “That’s not good. A-and that was your kind of . . . blue.” 

“Think I didn’t notice?” Sans moved back toward the computer with him. “Something must have happened to him in Judgment Hall. I even took him to a healer but she said she couldn’t even partially heal him without his mom. And even if she could, his soul would still . . . he’s . . . broken, Alphys. When he stays around me though, he’s better.” 

“Oh. Oh, well that’s good! Does that mean you think this is temporary?” Alphys asked. 

Sans helped Chance back onto his back again. “It’s my fault. Judgment Hall. He’s sick because of me. I know it and I can’t shake it. I can't tell Papyrus or anyone else because no one else knows about Judgment Hall.” 

“Yeah,” Alphys admitted, “b-but it had to be done, right? To fix stuff? And if he’s slowly getting better, then that’s good. Is he? Or is he . . .” 

“Frisky should be here before it happens,” Sans confessed. "Two, three days tops." It was as close to the words he wanted to use for it, but Alphys got it.  

She could tell.  

Chance was dying, and Sans was the only thing keeping it from being a painful death. What a heavy burden. Before she could think of anything to say though, the computer made a sound. A default sound that meant their target was moving.  “Hm?” Alphys looked toward the screen. The isolated dot was moving. Fast. 

“Alphys, she’s finally moving.” Sans moved his skeletal fingers faster than she’d ever seen before. She tried to concentrate on her own computer. 

“This is our best chance, we could try?” Alphys asked. Sans didn’t even answer as he was busily working on the route. Frisky had been trapped inside an area that wouldn’t allow them to pull her back. Now that she was free, they could, but the dot was moving rapidly. She was running, that was for certain.

Chapter Text

------------------------------------------- 

“How did she break out?!” 

“How do I know? I think she flirted with the guard or something!” Conner shouted. 

“Special Dog wouldn’t fall for that!” 

“Well, then she probably petted it, gave it advice, made friends, I don’t know, it’s Frisky!” Conner yelled back at his team. He got on the microphone. “All NEUTRALIST soldiers, capture the evading 95452, I repeat, 95452, PACIFIST status!”  

“This isn't right and you know it,” Friska said looking toward Conner. “Frisky hasn’t done anything.” She gestured to the N on her chest. “Capturing her and having to put an N on myself. I feel so dirty.” 

“We have to have her. Worst case scenario, we can make something work when the guardian reboots.” Conner got on the microphone and spewed out the information again. 

“Do you know how sick that is?” Friska said in disgust.  

“Look, I don’t like it anymore than you do,” Conner said. “I like 95452. Hell, I love the conduit too, and I would have taken good care of it with her if she’d just let me. But. This is bigger than petty stuff, this is freedom. Freedom to go home. Freedom to let humans live the way we are supposed to. And, that’s bigger than love.” 

“Number one, Frisky never could even stand a hug from you, so don’t even try with me,” Friska glared at him. “For two, if you did think of the boy like family, you wouldn't call him it.” 

“Whatever. It's not gonna die.” 

“He’ll be driven insane, and his mom won’t be there!” Friska grabbed her head. “This is so wrong. Ugh. I could so go for a Glamburger right now. Something to calm me down.” She looked toward Conner, getting a hell of a look that warned her she was going into bad territory. “S-sorry. I know, it’s my job. If I don’t. I’m dead.” Friska took a deep breath. “Frisky never takes the direct route. She always likes to scan around a whole area and find its weak points. She won’t go too far, she’ll be trying to find a great place to hide.” 

“Are you sure about that?” Conner warned her. “Her signature is bouncing farther away.” 

“She’ll go right back.” Friska cleared her throat. “I can’t believe I have to do this. Um, trust me. When we were FRISK, she always liked going backward. Seeing how things changed. Looking for new items, searching for new allies. She will conquer the area.” 

“Good. You move up ahead, I’ll assemble a squad.” 

-------------------------- 

Ridiculous. My own team. Frisky hung onto the top bars on the ceiling of the training hall. There weren’t many places she could go, anyone could pinpoint her and bring her right back, but she needed to get her son back. If she could get back to the Underground then she could get a hidden teleport ride with a direct location to a safe place instead. But why did they want her son so bad? 

“Frisky? I know you are up there in the darkness. You can’t hide, you know that.” 

Friska. It had to be big if even Friska betrayed her. “I don’t understand. For how long were we together as FRISK? We know each other so well. If there was one person I could trust on this whole ship, it’d been you.” 

“Frisky.” Friska grunted. “I know it looks bad, but . . . I’m sorry?” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just, I don’t want to die. If I let you go, they’ll kill me.” 

“Why do they want 95451? What are they planning?” Frisky asked her. “Please, Friska. How many times did we smile with the Temmies? Enjoy Cinnamon Butterscotch? Toriel’s trapped you know.” 

“Toriel?!” Friska’s jaw dropped. “No, not Toriel. She was, oh, so nice. Ooh.” 

Frisky knew that comment would get her. Friska’s conscious arose the most around Toriel. Soldiers weren't allowed to remember their civilian life, but Frisky was brought in around 15. Friska was adopted as a soldier. There was nothing waiting for her in the future, just endless missions. There was nothing soothing she'd ever remember. Toriel brought out a more sensitive side to Friska. “Goat momma. She’s trapped in a re-reset, and she's never going to get out. No one will ever reboot.” 

“Don’t.” Friska held up her hand toward Frisky. “Don’t try and find something to avoid a fight with me, Frisky. He is just too important, and I really . . . I don’t want to die.” 

“I don’t want you to die either.” Frisky moved along the top. “I never want anyone to die, and neither do you. Even though you wear an N on your chest, you’re a PACIFIST soldier at heart.” 

“The primary mission.” Friska’s voice was breaking down and tears sparkled in her big, round eyes. “The primary mission always comes first, above everything. That’s what . . . w-“  

Frisky heard a sniffle and some choking. Friska was breaking down. “Pretend you can’t find me. Enough time to get to a teleporter. Just a little while, please? Use this time to break into the re-resets and save Toriel. Goat momma? You know you want to free your goat momma.” 

“Frisky, don’t. I’m not going to listen,” Friska said loudly. “We have to do this. I have to do this. I’m sorry. I know you love your boy, but . . .” 

“But what? Please, Friska? If you’re going to turn me in, then you might as well tell me?” Frisky encouraged her. “What?” 

“I’m sorry!” She shouted. “Frisky, they are going to release all the memories upon him in one blow so that he’ll go crazy! While he screams from insanity, seven souls will take him over and destroy the Balancers!” 

“What?!” Frisky shouted. “He can’t do that, he can’t handle it!” 

"He is special!” Friska yelled. “And I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know until you were brought on board. And . . . what are you doing? Frisky?” Friska came over closer to the corner where she could see Frisky's signature on her own MP. “They’ll be coming soon, please. You’ll be fine. Maybe they can wipe his mind afterwards. It’ll mean freedom.” 

“My child,” Frisky answered her. “I knew someone that once said that.” 

“Stop.” 

“All the Underground wanted little FRISK’S soul, for freedom. She said no. She battled us to keep us away, even though just taking us, to her, would have saved the world. She didn’t care. She was willing to take us under her care forever.” 

“Frisky!” 

“And when we reached the surface, she always invited us to stay with her,” Frisky reminded her. “A child’s soul could save them, and she said-“ 

“Frisky!” 

“-no.”  

Friska fell to the ground in tears. “Oh, Toriel. I’m so sorry. She would so disappointed in me!” Friska threw her  MP up at Frisk as backup started to come. “Save Frisk. Be a good momma!” 

“Thank you, Friska.” Frisky held onto the MP as she heard the sounds of weapons take Friska out from behind. The cruelty of war. She would mourn her friend’s loss soon, but first, she needed to save her son. And there was only one thing on the entire planet that could save her son. 

An unfeeling flower. 

------------------------------- 

“Alphys.” Chance opened his eyes at the dinosaur. “You like Anime.” 

“Oh, so you do remember me?” Alphys smiled at him. “That’s nice.” 

“Yeah, and, um, there was also . . . a robot. He had weird legs. And-and-he was hard to beat.” He started to tremble, making Sans take more notice of him. 

“We’ve almost got your mom,” Sans said, trying to take his mind in another direction. How was he starting to remember that? 

Then the computer went off. 

“Got her!” Alphys slammed a button down as Frisky appeared inside a tube Alphys had made to isolate it for the teleportation. “She should be in there. Sans, the clothes?” 

Sans handed her Papyrus clothes and watched Alphys take off to the teleportation area. It was roughly made, and it wasn't fancy enough to accept anything but organic matter. But, it should have eliminated some external factors and brought her down safer than the explosion last time.  When Alphys came back out, she grinned. “We got her!" 

Frisky came out adjusting the Cool Dude top. “Did I get upgraded?” she chuckled as she saw Sans and her son. “Frisk, is he okay still?” 

“He’s fine.” Sans approached, noticing how tall she had been again. He had seen her that tall during the conduit fight when she was stalling. As tall as Papyrus now. Great. He gestured toward his back as she came over. “He’s sleeping again. He was starting to remember though.” He stood on his tippy toes, getting him up high enough for her to take easier from his back.  

“No, evil robot. No, no not that again! I don’t want to get hit, it hurts!” 

“It’s okay, calm down. Center yourself, it’s alright,” Sans tried to cheer him up. “Hey! Remember Grillby's? That was fun. Great fun. What about Monster Kid? He’s fun to play with.”  

“Oh I knew it!” Frisky grabbed her son quickly. “Sans, we have to get to Flowey. They did something to him from above, and I think-“ 

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” Frisk started to yell from the top of his lungs. 

Frisky quickly reached down and grabbed Sans' bony hand. 

“I need you to take us to Flowey, quickly, or Frisk is going to go insane!” 

“Insane?” 

“They are going to make him remember every timeline. Please, we need Flowey’s help!”

---------------------------

“FLooooooweeeeeeeyyyyy!” Frisky shouted wildly. “FLooooooooweeeeeeyyyy!” 

“Frisky, hang on, what’s going on?” Sans asked her. 

“Sans.” Frisky tried to still her breath. “You have about thirty to forty resets in your head that you have a memory of. How does that feel to you?” 

“There are no more resets.” 

“Exactly, that’s how bad it is, isn’t it? You don’t even want to think about them.” Frisky held her son extra tight against her. “They are reversing the process. He will remember them all. They pushed me to eighty one time, but . . . it’s just too much.” 

“How . . . how many?” 

“Including full resets, part saves, and continues, or just reeeeeeeesets?” A familiar voice came from the ground. 

“Flowey!” Frisky shouted into one of the grassy holes he often stayed around. “Please?” 

“Full resets . . . part saves . . . continues . . .” Flowey popped his head up finally. “Howdy, Frisk! You’re not new to the Underground at all, are ya? But, you don’t know all of it!” He cackled. “Why do I hate hate hate hate hate haaaaaaaaate . . . resets? Continues? The games? The game. Because . . . I have said something similar to that phrase nearly 3,952 times!!!!” He lightly laughed. “That was before your FRISK mission though . . . no, you’re just a meager 892 times. Still, pretty heavy for a little six year old’s mind, isn’t it?" 

"892?!" Frisky could barely believe it. It should have been a few months. Maybe a year, at most. 892? 

“Can you help him or not?” Sans demanded. 

“Mmmm . . . not without a little incentive?” Flowey smiled. “I need to be Guardian again. Give me it, and I’ll give you Frisk’s little innocent wiped mind baaaack.” He giggled and then his face turned dark. “Or he can just remember how many different ways you beat him around with your hate and anger, ricocheting him off of massive piles of bones. Whoa, it took awhile for even momma to forget that, huh? At almost 900, he’d never trust you again.” In a second stem that shot up from the ground was an MP player being flipped in the air as Flowey changed back to a happy face. “I’ll even add a couple bonuses, just for you.  I can give you a chance to save his life." 

"His life?" Frisky looked toward Sans. "What's happening?" 

"You better not be kidding." 

"Yep. Oh but I said two bonuses, didn't I? How about . . . why is he sooooo important? Oh, you two, you don’t want to miss out on that exciting one. It’s life-changing.” 

“He’s right, Sans,” Frisky agreed. “They want him to go crazy and shove seven souls in him so that he’ll take out the Balancers.” 

“What?” Sans looked toward her. “Couldn’t any conduit do that? How’s he special?” 

“He’s got a lot brewing up in the miii-iiiind already,” Flowey reminded Sans. “Give it to me.” He giggled. “If you don’t, you’re killing his sanity. I’m insane enough, but I suppose two is better than oooone? At least until he dies from horrific pain.” 

Trusting Flowey wasn’t something Sans wanted to do. Flowey killed for entertainment. He could save lives, but he didn’t care to. He could out the Frisks with that power. He could take out anyone. Sans grabbed the MP.  

“Clock is ticking.” Flower bopped his petal head around. “Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.” 

“You could erase the world,” Sans said, trying to think. 

“Not full control,” Flowey informed him. “I’m considered the backup Guardian now. I could only hold it for three hours, and . . .  I don’t get that kind of fun.” 

“He’s right,” Frisky confirmed. “It’s a failsafe, just in case the Guardian is a little . . . crazy. Only three hours, and that includes any resets and motion shift. No erasing, no killing, and no hurting.” 

“It’s already where it needs to be on it's little menu,” Flowey said to Sans. “See? Temporary. You can’t turn over the whole thing to me unfortunately.” He cringed. “Just press the button. Just say yes. Just give me the power for three hours. I can’t do anything without the power.” 

“Papyrus, no, I don’t want to kill Papyyyyruuuussss! Moooooove!” 

Sans instinctively hit the button. For good or bad, it was done. “Three hours.” 

“Yes! Good. Now, hee hee hee hee hee hee.” Flowey rubbed his stems together as he cleared his throat and uttered the phrase Frisky once did. “Um . . . I don’t really know what to say, except that . . . I-I’m sorry about crashing everything you’ve ever believed in.” He giggled evilly. “Then again, you above everyone else should probably know the truth. He he hee hee!” He looked toward Frisky. “Good night, Frisks, I’m wiping your memory back to the event. But, Sans? Not you. Don't worry though, a certain dinosaur is going to get to remember too! So say hello and goooood mornniiiiiing!” 

---------------------------------- 

 “What?" Frisky looked around herself next to the little sign. One minutes, Frisk was in her arms, and the next minute, he was gone? "Frisk?!" She left the little teleporting area and looked around desperately. Where was he? Who took him? She watched as several teleportation lights were surrounding her. "No way." Was she getting arrested? 

The first to land in front of her was Conner.  

"Frisky has been located, Sir. She is in the same place as last time," Conner said into his MP. "We will bag and secure her promptly." 

"Bag me?" Frisky looked at his uniform. The P for PACIFIST they wore was now an N. She tried to back away from all the soldiers coming at her, but that wasn't a great place to be. There was nowhere to get away in that vicinity. "What's going on? Conner?" 

“Sorry, Frisky, our division changed," Conner admitted. "Someone else is in charge, and we have to follow the big shots. You know how it is. Besides, this is still somewhat pacifism. We aren’t hurting Monsters, are we? We aren’t going to hurt you, and we are not going to hurt your little conduit. We are just peacefully trying to collect what is ours.” 

“I am not yours and neither is my son. Why do you want him so much?” 

“Doesn’t matter, just come peacefully, and will somebody stop this weird flower thing already! Hold her down!” 

“Can’t Sir, this flower is really filled with DETERMINATION, it won’t, let, up!” 

Frisky watched as Flowey was trying to pull her up from the soldiers trying to nab her. "Huh?!"  

“Hi again!” Flowey chuckled. “Need a little hand? Stem. Whatever. You have to survive this next part on your own, ‘cause I have somewhere else to go.” He flung her away onto one of the thin walls. "A nice jog will do you some good!" 

----------------------- 

 “Looookyyyy what the stoooork brooought!” Flowey laughed as he showed up behind Sans post. Sans stood up immediately. “Long time no see? Maybe?” He tossed Chance into Alphys arms. “Good catch!” 

“Chance?” Sans looked around. Flowey took them into motion shift? He said Frisky and Chance wouldn’t remember but Alphys and I would, why?  

“NEUTRAL, formerly PACIFIST, soldiers are chasing Frisky down. Funny, huh? Shouldn’t be the type.” Flowey giggled. “Type, that’s funny, isn’t it? Oh, come on. Why the sour and confused little skeleton face? That’s what I get for bringing him back to you? He’s not really meaningful to you . . . yet. But, here you go. Here’s my something special I promised last time.” Flowey’s face turned dark as he threw something in the snow and cackled before he left. 

The MP that Flowey gained control back as Guardian with. Sans picked it up.  

----------------------- 

A wall, a mere wall. Still, it kept the soldiers from overtaking her. Frisk. Where are you? What’s going on? She was running alongside the area where she always picked up umbrellas. It would be raining ahead, which meant the walls would run out. Soldiers were following from below on all sides, knowing that she’d eventually run out of room. Home. We were just supposed to go home.  

More soldiers were getting on the wall, figuring out how to stand on each other’s shoulders. She was running out of room. Come on, Frisky, figure it out. At that time, she needed to be FRISK, but it was impossible without her son. As much DETERMINATION as she kept, she wouldn’t make it. Still, even if she had to jump off the wall and run through the water and mud, she’d never just surrender. 

Then, she saw blue light surrounding her while she was running. Her legs moved around, trying to touch the ground. Instinctively, she tried to escape. She knew this light! But, then, it wasn’t hurting her, just lifting her up out of danger. 

Below her, she watched her team start to scatter as blue light came at them. It wasn’t gentle. At all. 

Sans? But, he never sticks around, how would he know we were in trouble? On those horrible playthroughs where she wasn’t in control, he didn’t even stay in place to die. He just moved away. When they reached the surface, he was just gone after a couple words.  

She felt herself getting pulled toward him. When she reached the ground, he moved in front of her.  

“Don’t. Move.” 

Huh? Frisky watched as energy waves started heading their way, but Sans blocked every single one. When it came to fighting, he was always a hard opponent. “Sans, what’s going on? My team flipped on me and Flowey took-“ 

He held his arm up. “Don’t. Move.” 

The blue light was getting heavy on her again. Why? Then, as a wave of energy tried to smack them, she felt herself moving just as fast out of the way as Sans moved.  

“Sir, i-it’s the Guardian itself! W-what’d we do?! Aahhh!” 

Frisky watched as several teleportation lights were set off at once. Ouch. That would probably cause some malformations. “Did Alphys do that?” But before she got an answer . . . 

 . . . she found herself teleported into a house. A house she didn’t recognize. Looking out the window, it was clearly in Snowdin though. 

“Did I get it in time?” Alphys asked. She was holding some kind of MP that wasn’t Frisky's. "Good. Okay, everything's fine." 

Sans didn’t say anything, just went into the next room over where a strange mother with tiny arms came out of. 

“Okay.” She cleaned her hands off with a towel, like she just finished doing dishes. “This procedure is a bit expensive, and I am going to need GOLD up front.” 

“Procedure?” Frisky couldn’t keep the worry out of her voice. “What happened?” 

“Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine. Once I get that payment?” She looked toward Alphys.  

"Yeah, we are getting there." Alphys looked toward Frisky. "Someone's coming, and I don't want you to be afraid. She understands, um, the gist? At least? She won't hurt you, I promise." Alphys looked out the window. "She'll be here soon. A-and don't worry about those soldiers. We've got a temporary shield keeping them out of here. Oh, and Chance is fine. You can see him in just a bit." Alphys sighed as she stared out the window. "Um, okay, I know this doesn't make much sense. Your son  is in a little trouble, and we are going to fix him up." 

"In trouble? Is it why the soldiers are after him?" 

"Sort of. Let's go with that?" Alphys nervously laughed. "Just as soon as she gets here. Right . . . now." Alphys opened the door of the home. "Undyne, thank you for coming as quick as you could." 

Hm? Frisky watched as Undyne came into the house. 

"I promise, not very long. Sans and I have to do something. Just keep a quick eye on her. Remember, don't kill her, just keep an eye on her?" Alphys said again before she headed to the back room. 

Undyne stared at Frisky. Frisky just waved slightly. "Don't get nervous, I promised Alphys I wouldn't kill you." 

A good promise. Hopefully she kept it. "Do you . . ." 

"No, I don't know what's going on, I just know that Alphys gets real hysterical when she really needs help with something. When your friends with a mad scientist, it kind of comes with the territory. Just, be good." Undyne pointed her spear at her. "I am still allowed to injure you if I have too." 

Frisky decided now was a good time to just sit on the couch and stay perfectly still.  

The Monster from before with tiny arms came back into the room. “Okay. Um, you are the mommy, right?” She gestured toward Frisky. “Stand against that far wall over there, okay? Just stay there, and if you feel a little squeeze on your soul, it’s natural. Don’t worry about it.” She headed to the next room. 

Frisky moved to the corner of the wall the woman indicated, but turned her head to look at Undyne. 

“Don't even bother asking," Undyne stated. "Seriously, I don't know. Just do what she says." 

Alphys stopped a moment to see Chance in the healer's room, waved hesitantly, and then continued on past that room to where Sans remained. “Hey. No waiting period. Got the GOLD paid up for you. Um, glad you got her in time. Not a very good place to do a motion shift, soldiers going after Frisky again. I guess, Flowey did that on purpose though. Um.” He still hadn't said anything. “Are you sure about this? If they investigate this later-” 

“He needs healed,” Sans finally spoke. “Go wait with Frisky.” 

Alphys nodded and went back to Frisky and Undyne. “Everything’s ready soon. Just stay against the wall.” 

Frisky moved over toward the wall, but was still confused. She would eventually get the answer, she had to remember that. She felt a small squeeze inside her stomach, and that squeeze increased. She tightened her hands up against the wall, watching her soul in front of her, bright and big. It was like finding herself in an encounter, but there was no enemy. 

----------------------------- 

Sans listened closely through the door. 

“Okay, Chance. I am just helping out your soul. It’s sick in a unique way, and we are going to make it better, okay?” 

“Okay, I guess?” 

 “Alright, I am going to put my hands right by your chest. You’ll feel a little squeeze.” 

Sans felt the squeeze on his soul. He couldn’t ignore the radiant blue in his room, along with his grey soul in front of him.  

“Ah, that feels weird!” 

“I know, no worries. Your parents are on the other side, helping you out with their souls.” 

“Huh?” 

“It’s a subconscious calling, only the souls that helped create you can do that. It’s a lovely connection.” 

“Mom’s soul is helping me?” 

“Yep. Goodness is helping to stabilize your sick soul. There we go. Well, that’s a . . . a unique soul color. Oh, colors. It’s pretty.” 

“What is it? Black still?” 

“It’s black, with a beautiful burst of blue all around. Do you feel better?” 

“I guess. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

“Good! Here’s some Monster candy for you for being such a good little Monster.” 

-------------------- 

 “So, I am going to go talk to the healer,” Alphys said to Frisky, “but I’ll get Chance back out for you. A-and don’t worry about anyone coming after you two, completely blocked now. Completely, a hundred percent, absolutely blocked. Sent them up really, really fast. They might be a little wrongly proportionate, but they maybe sort of deserved it. So, uh, be right back.” She quickly scooted out of the room back to Chance's area. “Uh?” Alphys closed the door behind her, but Frisky could still hear the conversation.  “Just . . . two seconds? Maybe? Uh. Yummy Monster candy, huh? Oh. Oh, I hope that’s that. This way, Chance.”  

Alphys. Why are you starting to call him that name too? Neither of them understood that she would suffer for the repercussions. Then again, right now wasn't the time to think about such a small detail. Her ship betrayed her. Frisk was in some kind of trouble that required a healer. Please be okay. 

She saw him move from his room toward her. “Hi, momma.” 

“Frisk. You okay?” 

He shrugged. “Besides being flung around by a flower? Guess I’m okay,” he chuckled as he hugged his mom. “What was that for? What happened?” 

“I really have no clue, but I’m glad you are okay.” She picked him back up. “I don't know the details, but I think I owe Flowey some thanks.” 

--------------------------------- 

“Okay, he’s alright,” Alphys said as she came in on the other side of the healer’s room. Sans was still against the side of the wall. “The healer said it’s um, black, not grey, and it’s got really, really strong edges of blue? It can’t be changed, that’s .  . . that’s what he is. But, he’s, um, better. He . . . healed.” She knew what that meant, and she knew he already knew too. The room probably lit up with his own soul reacting. “Uh . . . when I went into see him, he was kind of doing that blue thing again, but just with his arm. Then it cleared up.” 

Sans didn't say anything. He moved away from the wall slowly and looked outside. There was a small, tiny spot, devoid of snow. Only a hole. “I’ll be back.” Finding a way to a back door, Sans moved over to the spot in the snow with the moved soil.  

He waited. 

Eventually Flowey poked his head out. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care about you or anything.” Puffs of cold air came from his mouth. “But now you know,” he hissed. “You know what needs to happen.” Then, he shot back into the ground. 

Chapter Text

Sans strutted his way through the alert and red lights filling the room of wherever he teleported to. He only stopped in the middle of the room when he saw a figure half dead on the ground. Her chest was heaving and muttering heavily about Toriel. Another part of FRISK. He didn't even get a chance to talk to that one. 

The figure seemed to focus on him and smiled slightly before finally giving out on life. He bent down and closed her eyes before taking off again. Another innocent soul abused.  

That's all they knew. Abuse. 

“Holy crap, Sans is on board?!” 

“Alert, alert!” 

“Any and all fighters, to the front!” 

“Screw that, that’s suicide, we’ve all seen him fight!” 

Everyone parted like the seas as he passed. He had only one destination in mind. The control room. When he reached it, he tore the door off with his magic.  

When he scooted his hands to the sides, two people split away from the room, running as fast as they could.  

Sans moved to the main computer when he heard something buzz by his skull. He turned to see who had those kinds of guts. Probably someone with DETERMINATION. But they better have enough to take him out because he wasn’t stopping. “Not in the mood today, folks. Knowing the way this place works, I’ve bet you’ve all analyzed every fight I ever fought with FRISK.” He juggled a bone in his hand. “But without practice, you are all boned.”  

Nobody came out. Sans knew they would be preparing conduits soon, so he needed to hurry. He moved through the computer finding all the goodies that he needed power for from below. He pulled out his MP. 

"Alphys. Ready?" 

"You are clear. Ready to take it." 

“Good. First up, let there be light. I wonder how Monsters will react when they see twenty ships right above them in a sky they never knew about. Let's find out.”  

Human. Every human. Every freaking human. They think it’s okay to put someone in resets just to make them shoot? Make them watch their brother die, their friends die, and be the last one left to fight multiple times? Over and over with no escape? He shielded the ship with his own magic as he heard and felt some of the more powerful Monsters below noticing the ships. He worked on his last steps to make sure Underground minds were secured before he got into the heavy stuff. It wouldn’t do any good to free themselves, but then be insane. 

Sans scooted to the side again, sensing another attack. “Oh, you humans don’t like that, do you? Not so easy to fight without a save or a reset, is it?” He moved back to the computer. “Let’s see, Tori. Froggits. Whimsys. Royal Guards. Yeah, Doggo, even you.” He smacked more buttons to send the Monsters back to where they should be. From all the Royal Guards, to the smallest of Ruin creatures. While he did that, he was also sending most of the ship's power straight to the Underground itself.  

"Got it! Wow, really got it! The barrier is at full power, Sans. Ready for the next step." 

Sans wasn’t in a very giving mood. He really wasn't. He really, really wasn't, but he did know there were other kids there like Chance too, probably getting mobilized to fight soon. He watched the screens to their cells as he programmed the doors to open. He felt another attack from behind. “Sorry, but do you really think I wouldn’t dodge that? Aren’t you expecting me to say that?”   

SELF DESTRUCTION IN FIVE MINUTES. 

He heard more screams and yells. Yikes, that was less time than he thought. “Sounds like your bosses don’t like what I’m doing. Take out the employees too? Time for a new job. Maybe something that doesn’t involve manipulating Monsters anymore?”  

Mercy was thin. His mercy was so thin. Luckily the blueprint to each ship was exactly the same, it made the job easier. He hit the very clearly labeled microphone. “Hey, all you kids out there on all the ships. Hi, I’m Sans. Sans the Skeleton. If you’re tired of people taking over your bodies, you better head two doors down. I opened the doors for you all. Stand on those little round things and then you’ll be in a lab where a nice dinosaur Monster will greet you soon. Maybe there will even be candy.” After that, he send the recording into a translation unit for any of those kid that didn't speak Monster. 

Now. He had everyone’s records pulled up and studied already. Everyone was labeled N now, including Frisky, but there were at least 20 on each ship that were only P a few days ago. Pacifist.  

He didn’t want to. He could feel how much rage his body had in it. He literally had blue flames around him right now. But he did it. 

He showed mercy to the Pacifists, but he didn’t have time to figure out where everyone could go. It was a luxury a five minute countdown couldn’t provide. Considering what he knew, they were lucky he even offered that.  

They were lucky he didn’t just crash the ships and let them all burn. Each and every one. 

"Okay. Are you sure about the last thing? Undyne might cut you a break? Maybe?" 

"Close off the transparency to our barrier," Sans warned her. "I promise. This is it, the last time. But . . ." 

"I-I know. Hm. Okay. Transparency closing." 

Last thing. He pulled the Underground into motion shift, one final time. He would need time to prepare for what needed to be done. After motion shift, he destroyed the dimensional barrier surrounding that enabled the ‘gaming of souls’ in the Underground. There was already a new barrier enabled beneath it. 

 Theirs. A stronger one that allowed Monsters to pass in and out as they wanted, but trapped people in or out. It just needed the humans’ barrier out of the way to reach full potential. It would even be transparent so every Monster could see the skies they were all denied.  

Soon. When he was ready. 

He watched as another ship went down. He could see the new barrier working well as the ships just disintegrated as soon as they touched it.  

Even when the humans did get the will to come back and fight, their resets were gone. No more cheating. No more saving. But, before he headed down he had one more message. One message he sent to every ship and every computer connection involved with the ships. 

FRISK IS MINE 

As it blared on the screen on and off, he headed past the control panel and back to where he had come before. He looked one more time at the fallen part of FRISK he'd never get to know personally before stepping over her and moving on his way back. 

The Underground was no longer a place to be trapped for Monsters. 

The Underground was now a place of safety for Monsters, while this . . .  the eventual consequences of what the humans tried to do . . . worked itself out.  

 -----------------------

Sans watched Alphys walking toward him and Frisky. “Hang on a second, Frisky.” He moved over to meet Alphys, knowing she wouldn’t go anywhere and Undyne shouldn’t be bothering her that day.  

“Well, I-I’m . . . here?” 

“Yeah I know. I want to make sure you remember too,” Sans interrupted her. “No time to go through it all, but you’ve got six humans in your lab right now. Real kiddos.” 

“W-what?” Alphys took a step backward. “Why?” 

“Little conduit kids,” Sans added. “They are better off down here than up there. You always wanted some, right?” 

“Well . . . Um, uh. Well, n-not six at least.” Alphys blushed. “That’s a lot of kids to handle.” 

“Oh.” Great. Human kids weren’t going to be the easiest thing to find a family for. “How about you spend time with the humans and decide the few you want?” 

“I-I could handle one, maybe two,” Alphys fidgeted. “This wasn’t what I expected.” She sighed and looked above.  

"A couple days. I just need a couple. A few, maybe. Sorry. Don’t worry.” He chuckled oddly. “I’m having a day straight out of hell too. You better get back there." 

"Okay. Um. Good luck?" Alphys said before she started to walk back away. 

Sans just waved at her and turned. He looked toward Frisky like nothing in the world could ever be wrong. Like his life didn’t just shatter before him. Like he wasn’t responsible for who knew how many deaths to stop it all, once and for all.  

She just gave him a little smile back, holding the MERCY sign in her hands that he just gave her. 

Right now, he needed that sign from her. “Welp, Frisky.” He tried to keep his bones loose as he leaned against his booth. “Alphys said there were problems and it wasn’t as safe as she thought.” He grabbed the ball and shackle and put it back on her foot. “Alphys only got Undyne out for a little while too, so we better get this back on you.” 

“Oh.” He could hear the sadness in her voice as she sighed. “Yeah. Human technology is pretty advanced. It’s fine.” She tried to stay brightened up. “Maybe one day. I know Undyne will see the truth one day too.” 

“Yeah. So, I better get back to watching Chance, and I’ll get you back before Papyrus throws a fit.” Her whole day would begin anew with Papyrus instead of expecting to be chased by humans. Couldn’t do that anyhow.  

Most of them were probably dead. I couldn’t risk it. I did what I could. There were too many on board, I had limited time. I had to do it, I had to stop it! They were responsible for every one. Every time. They were all responsible. He just tried to look happy. “Let’s get you home real quick.” 

“Okay.” Frisky looked toward Chance and Monster Kid still playing in the snow. “At least there’s a bright side to staying longer.” She glanced back toward Sans. “Thanks for letting him play with someone. I didn’t expect to see that this morning.” 

“Yeah, I imagine he doesn’t have many real friends his age. They make an okay pair.” Sans grabbed her ball and took a shortcut back home. “You don’t have long, Papyrus starts his day in twenty minutes.” While he talked, he tried to cover up his yawn. 

------------------------------------------ 

Sans needed sleep. Lots of sleep. He was overdue on sleep, but he couldn’t just leave Chance playing with Monster Kid and nobody watching him. He tried to half-sleep. It was a reflexive sleep that instantly let him wake up to deal with an issue if it arose. It wasn’t the best sleep, but at least if there was any strange sound, he could get up and protect Chance. 

He couldn’t let anything happen to him. He watched him decorate the snowman with more glee than anyone he’d ever seen. He’d never made a simple snowman before. I wonder when I first made one. I wonder which one I made it with. He pulled out the MP. It wouldn’t work much anymore, all the information above being totaled, but he did save a few things.  

For one, his family. Monsters who no longer existed, their presence didn’t even linger in the underbelly in the Underground. Even when he saw the pictures, there was nothing he felt for a single one. He wanted to feel something for them. The only one of those pictures in his family that did survive in some form, wasn’t whole. He was stretched against time, and only in strange places could information be found about him.  

Sans remembered him though. Strange hall, and a door he rarely had seen. None of those were supposed to be there. He walked inside and saw him  one time. A skeleton with a split face. Other forgotten creatures spoke of him. The strange Monster that boated Monsters up and down the Underground spoke of him as the one who spoke in hands. 

Gaster. Brilliant. Probably the one that created the machine Sans used, but even having more clues about him, he still couldn’t feel anything for even him. He didn’t know who he had been in the family either. Who was who. These skeletons though. These few pictures were the only thing left of them. 

Messed up in a reboot. Maybe going through the hell of resets with their own conduit problem and thinking a reboot would be the cure. He put the device back down. The women could have been a sister, a cousin, or a mom. The guys could have been other brothers. A dad. Anything. 

And they were gone. Gone from his mind and existence forever. Thanks to those humans. 

“I have to be getting home,” Monster Kid said. “Do you want to play again tomorrow?” 

“I hope so,” Chance answered. “Bye, MK!” He waved as Monster Kid dashed off. Sans watched him pat the snowman better. “As close to perfectly spherical as possible. That’s how to build a snowman.”  

“Heh. Sure.” As he heard his phone ringing and answered it, the familiar voice of his brother echoed in the phone, making his heart feel so much lighter. “Hey, Papyrus. Good morning.” 

“Sans! Do you have the little human today?” 

“Right again. There’s snow way I’d forget him,” Sans joked. 

“Alright. Well, I shall take care of the other human then before I am off to work. I suppose it’s time to see what Undyne did to her.”  

Ah, the cutting. That’s right. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. Think positive, bro.” 

“Yes, well, I hope so. She sure did grab at her back yesterday.” 

“Probably just had a back ache,” Sans lied. He was good at lying by now. He hated how good he was at lying. “See ya later, Papyrus.” He hit end on the phone and laid it to the side. Just Papyrus’ mere voice could stir more in him than any of the lost souls in the pictures. While he laid against his cheekbone though, he felt the funny sensation of skin touching his bone. He looked down and saw Chance holding his other bony hand.  

“Sans, what’s wrong?” Chance asked gently. “You don’t seem right.” 

Sans covered his face. He just had to touch him with his hand. He just had to even still exist. “Fine. Go play.” 

“No, you’re lying,” Chance answered him. “I can tell, it’s written all over your face.” 

“Not right now. Not yet,” Sans felt like grinding his teeth as he moved his hand from him. “Go play.” Chance watched him a few seconds longer before he went to sit in the snow again in Sans’ coat. No one in the pictures stirred anything in Sans. Not one single Monster or skeleton in those forgotten pictures could touch his heart personally in any way. 

Not like Papyrus could, and not like . . . 

Chance laughed as he tossed snow up into the air, letting it fall on his head. “Raining snow. Ha ha!”

Chapter Text

“Uhhh? Sans? Hello?” Papyrus yawned from his room. “Yes, Brother? Is it my shift already?" 

“We need to talk,” Sans said. “Let’s go for a walk.” 

“What about the prisoners?” 

“A walk with me, Papyrus.” Ooh, his tone was serious. Sans was mostly laid back, whether he was feeling happy, sad, or sad pretending to be happy.  “Oh. Okay, brother. I shall come for a walk with you. Nyeh he he?”  

As they walked, Papyrus stared at his brother. “Sans? What’s wrong? You've been very strange since you came home with the human boy. You haven't even said one annoying pun to me. It's like you've been avoiding me." 

Sans dug the strange device of the human's out of his pocket. It was the one that seemed to win her the battle with the evil human. But, Undyne was supposed to have had that? It was also a different shade. The other one was more of a dusty black and the one Sans had was all red. So, it was a different device. 

Sans pushed some buttons on it while they walked through the snow. “I’m just playing a game. That’s what this thing is for. It's called a Multiplayer and it likes to play games. You want it? You can take real souls and make their lives complete disasters in the name of science. Cool, huh?”  

“Um, huh?” Papyrus didn't understand. What was his brother trying to tell him? 

“Really in this game right here, Paps.” Sans continued to press buttons on it. “I-I couldn’t be more father along if I tried.”  

“Hm?” Papyrus heard his brother's usual slowdown for a pun, but didn’t understand it. Father wasn't a pun to anything that he could understand. “You are confusing me, Sans.” 

Sans didn’t pull his face away from the Multiplayer. “Nothing to get confused about. My life’s a game, daddy’s the reason for the season.” 

“Dat is? Uh, Sans?" That pun was now daddy. Off the word daddy. What? "You’re kind of scaring me, brother.” 

Sans chuckled. “Funny. These puns are not helping me at all. Neither is this, it’s just blank now. Just filled with others that don’t exist. Pap. I’m a pop.” 

Hmmm. “What do you mean? You must mean soda? You can't turn into soda, but you just couldn't mean the other?" Father pun. Daddy pun. Pops. Pun? "Sans?" 

Sans shrugged. “I guess I was the conveniently shaped guinea pig to some humans.“ 

Papyrus felt like his head wanted to explode as his poor brother just came gushing out with so much. Picking the MP out of the snow, he showed him all the saved pictures of Skeleteons. Yes, Skeletons, that they had been related to. He didn't know which was which. He told him about the Forgotten Creatures, and about the strange being named Gaster. 

Then, he backtracked and explained their first human friend was actually a combination of different souls, with the boy being the body and his mother being the one he actually knew. He talked about what he called resets and about Judgment Hall. He explained about the intense magic power that he actually had was way more powerful than he let on.. He tried to go back into history and talk about Prince Asriel and Princess Chara, and then said Alphys was responsible for turning Asriel into a flower and . . . and . . . 

And his head was swimming. Papyrus tried to keep up. He was trying to hold at least the basics because his brother apparently really needed him. That was very clear. “Okay. So our first human friend is actually the prisoners themselves." Okay, he seemed to have that one. "You were forced to fight them in a repeating timeline, just to hit the little one?” He seemed to have that one too. Papyrus shook his head. “Sans, that sounds incredible! But, I haven’t looked at the machine in some time. It’s always just down there.” 

“Yeah. Always is. Don’t know where it came from. Where we come from. We don’t remember anyone but us. None of those. None of them." 

“Yes, okay,” Papyrus said sadly. "This is all very . . . tough, but. But, uh. The pop thing you said?” 

“They tried with others. You know, the strange forgotten creatures. Strange Monsters that kind of appear randomly. Weird phrases. Always seem lonely?” Sans reminded him. “I think . . . our family was involved with it. I think, I was one too. I guess . . . I was the strongest winner.” 

Papyrus whined softly. “Sans? Really? The pop thing?” 

"I don't know for sure. I mean, I don't! That stupid thing will only tell me so much. It's all just information. Information." Sans tried to toss the MP to the ground, but Papyrus stopped him. Feelings or not, there were Skeletons out there with no sign of their existence except a picture or two, and he still wanted that. Even if he didn't remember them, at least he'd know they were never alone. It wasn't just them two in the Underground. 

Sans seemed to bend to his will as he continued. "These conduit humans like FRISK. According to that thing, they are only stoppable with another conduit. And I can believe that. I've seen firsthand what it does. But, the only way they could beat all the other conduits was to get magic and it’s too hard to combine it all. Look." Sans pulled up the players saved files. "I didn't save much. I didn't want to, but here." 

Eww. Papyrus read the data. A conduit with magic literally exploded before birth, killing their own mothers. Only one survived after birth for about three days before blowing up itself. Papyrus covered his face. “That’s horrible.” He scrawled down the page and read about the one successful piece that they pinched the magic on. "What is pinched?" 

Sans just looked toward the top of the cavern. "We have sky too. Boy, how did I forget that one for you?" He pointed up. "You'll see it soon." Sans just seemed to fade away as he stared upward. "I don't know, but I think I can guess. They made it unable to access it's own magic."   

Sans took his bony fingers and made a pinching motion. “A conduit Monster human with no magic. It could survive.” 

“That . . . seems ridiculous.” Papyrus didn't get what good that would do. “Why bother then?” 

“Probably because they could ‘light it up’ later. Strike it like a match when it got older. More able to handle it.” Sans rubbed his shoulder bone. “It couldn't just be anyone though, and it had to be a really strong blast to light it. Really strong, but not kill it, which is impossible for a human. So, that meant it had to be . . .” 

“Sans?” 

“The right pattern of magic. A paternal pattern so it would absorb and have less chance of . . . ” Sans was slowing down again, but it was clear Sans couldn't go on much longer. His poor brother was breaking down. “The kid is mine, Papyrus,” he blurted out as he started to tick off his fingers. “All the hate and death and genocide and the trip to the surface and the resets and the whole journey, it was all just nothing! The only goal was just to make me smack him as hard as possible!” Sans stumbled back. "They just wanted him to get magic, so he'd be unstoppable. The humans . . . could take out the Monsters once and for all with . . . my kid." 

Papyrus just stared at his brother. Just. Just. He could not even say anything. It was . . . Sans had a son that he was never supposed to know about, that served no purpose except to kill off all Monsters. "Oh yes, Monsters of the surface now," he said weakly. That wasn't the right response? What was the right response? 

What was someone supposed to say to an older brother about having a child that let other souls control him so that he could eventually commit genocide across all monsters everywhere? 

This. Was. Big. This was big on two levels, and Papyrus understood that much. For one, if the humans got it, that was the end of everything. The monsters on the surface, and probably them too. Then there was the more personal level. 

Sans was a father. Sans. His Sans. His lazy, annoying, pun-making, fast food eating, brother . . . was a father. That wasn’t a good thing in the Underground. 

“I went up, Pap," Sans said, taking over again. "I found their power, and I took it out. Everything. No more resets, no more soul gaming, no more teleporting, nothing! Alphys and I even made a barrier to keep humans out for good,” Sans admitted as he kicked his slippered foot against the snow. “Afterwards, I did this thing where I wiped everyone’s memory, but my own and Alphys.” He stroked his jaw bone. “I put souls back though, and I brought us back a few days. Everything’s how it’s supposed to be. But, there are humans here too.” 

“What? How many?” 

“Six kids, and probably some others that snuck through. Ten. Fifty. I don't know.”  

Papyrus looked around, like maybe there was an answer somewhere outside that would help him deal with this situation. “The big human?” 

“She doesn’t know.” Sans wiped the front of his skull. “Frisky thinks the whole thing was to expose Monsters to the truth. To ‘reach the surface’. That the stupid imbalance really was an accident.” 

“Oh.” Papyrus fidgeted with his thumby bones. “But . . . well, information is just information. It could be theoretical too, maybe?" 

"I know." His brother gulped. "Um. In the other timeline. I don't even know if that's the word anymore. Before I brought us back to this point." Sans seemed to be losing it a bit again. "The kid was dying. I couldn't help him, I just, kept him close and it eased the pain. I meant that alone wasn't enough but . . ." Sans took a couple step backwards. "I tested it, Papyrus. I did the only real test that counted. The only one that couldn't be faked between Monsters, you know?" 

Papyrus shook his head. His mind was in a tizzy, he just couldn't think of such little details. Test for Monsters?  

"I had to know, and if it was, then he needed healed anyway. So, I took him to a healer." 

Ooh. "Did your soul?" 

"Yep." 

"Ooh." There was no faking that. Okay, so, it was true. Sans was a dad. "You . . . um, you said you got rid of the barrier? Then why can’t we see the sky, Sans?” That wasn't the right thing to ask either, but Papyrus was just trying to sort it out. 

“I can't reveal it yet, but soon. Okay? We’ll all see the stars soon. Together.” 

“Sans?” 

“Yeah?” 

“You have not been lazy at all these past few days,” Papyrus admitted. Sans seemed to have tried to chuckle at that. “Um, okay, are you positive that there was just him?” Papyrus whined. “As hard as that is. Maybe there’s been more?” That wasn't right either, but it was a good question. 

“Naw, I looked hard at it,” Sans said confidently. “No one else.” He shoved his hands in his coat. "That's why they tried so hard for so long. 892 goes. 892 . . ." 

"Well. Well!" Papyrus shook his hand to the ceiling. Oh, he didn't know what he was supposed to say, and he just couldn't take it anymore! “Surface dwellers! They shall not do anything else, nothing else! I, The Great Papyrus, will never let them! Because!” His bravado started to fade. “Because that was a horrible thing to do! Sans? I’m. Uuhhh . . . Saaaaans!” He bent down and pulled his brother into a desperate hug. “What a horrible, horrible, horrible thing!” 

“Hey, you know, it’s okay.” Sans patted his brother’s arm. “Calm down. I’m fine, everyone’s fine. We’ll make do.” When Papyrus finally let go of him, Sans held his bony finger in front of his mouth. “Not a word, okay? I don’t want anyone else knowing yet. We’re cool. Okay?” 

Papyrus tried to cheer up. “This is okay. Alright! Um, at least there is someone still existing. That's great news, you are right! I’m an Uncle now. That’s exciting news." He tapped his chinbone. "So? What's next?" 

Sans shoved his foot in the snow, digging a hole with his foot. "I think if we're careful about it, I think . . . a committing. But, if anybody finds out the truth." He shrugged. "Well, you know the only option from there." 

"Ooh, yes, having a family without marriage is illegal. So, then I wouldn't just have a nephew. I'd have a sister. And, because Skeleton Monsters are such a low Monster count. As in two in the entire Underground,  a uh . . . another niece or nephew within a certain amount of . . . Oohh . . . Nyeh he he, that's . . . hmm." Papyrus joined his brother in one big sigh. "I'll be absolutely careful, Sans. You're right. But, what about the other humans, will they know the truth too? Would they be after your, um, boy?" 

"The Underground's secure, and those other ships were taken out. But, considering what they put into getting Chance ready, I'm sure they'll try to come up with something. You know humans." 

"Well. I don't know humans, but, commit sounds good. Do humans have a committing process?" Papyrus asked. 

"I don't think so. And, I don't think Frisky's going to be thrilled about it." 

"Well, I'm sure of that too. But, what option is there? It's dangerous up there, and now they are going to want my nephew! Funny word. Nephew." Papyrus sounded it out. "Neeepheeeewwww. Nephew." 

"Yeah, but you don't know human DETERMINATION like I do," Sans added. "She's going to try and convince me there's some other ally ship or a Balancer ship that she can trust. I mean . . ." Sans shrugged. "I really doubt she wants to spend her entire life trapped Underground."  

"Uh, yes. It's . . . but she'll get to see the sky? We all get to see the sky soon! So it won't be the same." 

"Not for human eyes," Sans said. "The barrier we made is a flip of the first one holding us. The illusion will be for human eyes instead of Monster eyes. She'll literally feel trapped. Stuck in Snowdin. Forever. With us."  

"Oh. I see. So, a hostile committing?" Papyrus moaned. "We really will have prisoners forever, won't we?" 

"No, I mean. I'm pretty sure Chance won't need secured. He didn't before." Still. Geez. "I can't stand to talk about this much more, Papyrus." 

"It's. It's okay, Sans." Papyrus patted his shoulder. "It will be okay. You will be a good dad. You've uh . . . you've got the back-bone for it!" He tried to make a joke, tried to pull Sans into a better mood. Into feeling some relief that he didn't have to hold it all alone. 

"I don't even have the spine for it," Sans answered back. "I mean, I like kids. I would make a dang good Uncle, I think. But. But there's no way I'm going to be a good dad." 

"You're wrong! You will be an excellent dad, I'm sure of it." Papyrus patted his shoulder harder.  

"Are you kidding?" Sans gestured to himself. "No one looks at me and says 'hey, that guy would make good dad material'. No way." He waggled his coat. "I'm just the ridiculously short and lazy funny guy who barely manages to keep a job." He stumbled back some. "It should have been you, Pap. You would have made a much better father." 

"Don't say that! I know you, Sans. You are an excellent brother, and you can be a good father!" Papyrus bent down and gave him another hug. "You'll see. We'll be fine." He stood up proudly. "You'll raise a fine Skeleton boy, and I will be the proud Uncle. I promise." 

"Yeah. Because it'll be a barrel of laughs while Frisky is chained on shackles." Sans shook his head. Cruel. Too cruel. The Underground had different rules than humanity. They had their own laws, and Sans wasn't above them, nor was anyone else. The law was the law. 

"Maybe she'd warm up to the idea of never seeing the sky again and being trapped in the same  . . . town forever . . . with umm . . ." Papyrus couldn't finish easily. "She might get along with us one day?" 

"Sure, because that's the only thing she'll be upset about." 

"Oh, yes. The human ship thing. Your activity probably attracted those surface monsters and . . . if they find out the truth about Chance . . . they could be wiping out humanity." Papyrus stopped talking again. "Well, the only other option was to let them take them, Brother! You should not feel bad. You just freed the Underground, you didn't actually do any of the . . . you know, the murdering part." 

 Sans shoved his hands in his pockets quickly. "We don't have too long. We've got to get things ready to pass a committing. Just make sure no one knows the truth," Sans warned him. "If anyone spills the truth, then I really don't get a choice. And as bad as Frisky's going to hate this . . . it's nothing compared to if anyone finds out." 

"Yes, and that would be very bad," Papyrus agreed. "But, we can't keep it a secret from everyone. Someone will have to know, otherwise they'll be asking why." 

"Yeah, I know." Sans looked at his fingers. "There are a couple who'll know, including . . ." Undyne. There was no dodging that one. "One day at a time though. They are still prisoners, and we aren't ready for it yet." He looked toward Papyrus, almost desperately. "I mean, I know I didn't ask, but-" 

"Of couse, you don't have to!" Papyrus insisted. "You can't carry everything alone! I will commit to them too. Um. Frisky, and Chance." Sans finally had a semi-smile kind of look.  

"Thanks for not just calling them human." 

"No, no, no, from this day forward. Frisky and Chance! I promise. We will all be the best roommates ever." Papyrus tried to hide his slight whine. "But, you know? You are going to tell them, right?" 

"Yeah. Day of. Frisky. It's only right." 

"Right! Good. Okay. Okay! I will start looking into the preparations." 

"Great, but we can't do anything around Frisky. Even the day we get this done, she can't know. She'd bolt. She's going to bolt," Sans warned him, remembering all the times he tried to get FRISK to do something. Whether it was staying away from the surface or to stop killing dang Monsters. No matter what it wanted. It always won. Extra careful. Extra careful. "And whatever you do." 

"I know, Sans, I promise! No one will know that you are the father. I shall breathe not one word." 

Then, Sans heard a familiar little laughter from the ground as Flowey popped out. He was never defined in the program so his mind was never wiped.

“It was worth the cold to hear it!” Flowey laughed at Sans. “I knew you’d do it.” His face turned evil as he cackled. “I knew that anger would be so great inside of you that you’d get rid of them once and for all.” Then his face turned pleasant again.  "Say howdy to the new fam for me."

Sans was far from in the mood to deal with him, but he couldn't just walk back inside and ignore it. Not after what it did. “What do you want?” 

“How about a thank you for letting you know? How about a thank you for not letting you lose the only other family you have that’s still existing besides Papyrus?” Flowey tilted his head. “I want to hear it. I want to hear a thank you.” 

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” Flowey tilted his head in the other direction. 

“For not letting me lose him, Asriel.” 

Flowey wiggled his head from the left to the right and back again. “Toriel’s got a ton of mismatched shoes and striped T-shirts. More than you think. The humans still have some protection, but it will be gone soon, so better get prepared.” He sunk back into the ground, but then popped back up, letting his petals hang upside down. “By the way, for being sooooo smart . . . you’re still soooo stupid. You only think you know everything.” This time, he sunk back into the ground and stayed gone. 

“That flower was really Prince Asriel?” Papyrus asked again. “It was so much information you said. So confusing. It used to give me advice.” He scratched his skull. “What was that last part?” He approached the hole. "Hey, what did you mean by the last part?” 

“Don’t trust him,” Sans warned him. “He twists the truth, and he loves to hide things. When he does tell the truth, he draws it out, so just let me deal with it if you ever see it. If he has something else, I’ll figure it out,” he yawned. Toriel though. Maybe she could help watch the new little conduit humans too? She liked kids a lot. He would try and get some more rest, but he’d have to get up earlier than work to reach her. He was going to have to confide in her too.  

Because . . . he was going to need those dead kids' clothes. 

----------------------------------------------- 

Idiot. Hello, what an idiot. Flowey thought he was smarter than that. Sans used to be smarter than that. Maybe he hadn't used his brain in so long some of those smarts had faded away? Didn't he notice? Didn't he figure it out yet? 

Oh well. It's not like I care. I don't care. I'm a flower, I have no feelings. Nothing but DETERMINATION. I win. I won! So . . . why am I still hanging around, teasing him? I should go experience something new. Make something new happen.  

Still. How could the smiley trashbag really think that humans were actually that cunning? They weren't. Most of the technology was just the Balancers. Humans ran things for the Balancers. 

Humans were responsible for trying to turn San's son into a weapon. That was very, very true. For that, they were going to be very, very sorry. 

But honestly? To think that humans had those kinds of brains was very, very wrong. Oh, well. He'll figure it out later. Maybe. But, I don't care. I'm a flower. I. Don't. Care. 

------------------------------------------------

"It starts with an Earthquake." 

"Don't," Friskay growled as she looked over the cliff from the Dog Marriage area. No. No. 

"Lenny Bruce is not afraid." 

"No." No. If they could have ran into any other FRISK. Any other FRISK. "HONESTY, I swear, don't do it." 

"Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn." 

"Oh gaw, no." Friskay covered her ears as Farrisk and Friskarino both just sunk their heads. HONESTY. She used to have a little harder of a mind, but, Chara's influence upon the body sometimes hit the lesser used pieces more. And Friskeye honestly didn't do as much, so . . .  

"It's the end of the world as we know it!" Friskeye started to sing as she hopped onto the top of the dog stations. "It's the end of the world as we know it!"  

"HONESTY!" Friskay shouted, but it didn't do much. 

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fiiiiiiiiine!" Friskeye chuckled loudly. "It's the HONEST truth you guys! I was there!" She giggled as she ran around the dog's stations. "He came in all like fire burning blue and whooooah! And then, he said really cool things and then before you know it . . . it's the end of the world as we know it!!!!" Honesty sang. "And you know it's got to be the honest truuuuuuth." 

"Why. Why. Why." Friskay covered her head but looked down at Snowdin. "I thought losing Frisky to the same guy who pretty much made it so that all humanity is going to get wiped out was bad enough! But, oh no! We just had to find HONESTY to top it off!" 

"Friskay." Farrisk came over to her. "Calm down. I know. She's unbalanced, but we can't just ignore Friskeye. She can't take care of herself no more. It's a risk when were all in a conduit for so long. It just gets . . ." He looked back toward HONESTY, still singing an old ancient apocalypse song. "At least we all broke apart." 

"Yeah, that's great. We could live the rest of our lives in the Underground until we die, because Sans made it that way." Friskay glared at Farrisk. "And you and Friskarino just pretended it would never happen." 

"I never said that it wouldn't. I said I didn't know what he was going to do. That's why we left to get help." Farrisk held the MP up. "Okay. We're not really trapped. We made actual teleportation spots to cause less distraction, remember? It was in during the takedown. Right before, so it's still there." 

"She's just getting to you," Friskarino agreed. "HONESTY hasn't been herself in some time. We're still here. It won't be that bad." 

"Yeah, and we still have our plan. We made contact before that outburst," Farrisk reminded her. "We can still turn this around." 

"No," Friskarino still couldn't agree.

"Friskarino, don't even. Not with me right now!" Friskay stood up. "Think of all the people lost on the ships! You think he really saved them all? He probably saved the kids, and he might, might, have saved PACIFISTS. But everyone else? He didn't have time. You know it. I know it. Once those alarms go off, there is like five minutes! Even if he had time, there's a pretty fair chance he wouldn't have saved them either." 

"Don't yell at me," Friskarino answered back. "I don't know who he saved or what he did. That's besides the point. What you two are planning is still wrong." 

"Wrong?" Farrisk groaned. "How is it really wrong?" 

"Are you kidding me?" Friskarino looked away. "Humans took everything away from him. You've seen the reports. Damn. Just . . . let him have his kid. It's his." 

"It's Friskys," Friskay reminded him. "Okay, so I don't know scientific stuff, but it's just . . . biological!" 

"And, we can't really even say that," Farrisk backed her up. "It's just information. Information can and has been bogus before. We won't know until we get Frisk to safety. Then the Balancers can confirm or deny this stuff." 

"By then, the Balancers won't give him back." 

"Look, were lucky we even found our way to the peaceful ally ships of Balancers." Friskay sat back down. "Protected by treaties. They guarantee he'll be safe. We would not put him in any danger." 

Friskarino still didn't answer back right away. "It's still Sans'." 

"JUSTICE!" Friskay confronted Friskarino. "Life doesn't always get happy endings. We'll be lucky if we can even turn this around to save the human race because, his little hissy fit? Oh I guarantee it caused some big boys to take some vengeance." 

"We can't think small. This is too big. If the wrong people get a hold of Frisk, he's going to be used to wipe out Balancers and Monsters alike." Farrisk stepped away toward the cliff. "And, Frisky doesn't deserve to be stuck in the Underground forever. Besides, you guys know what's going to be coming up next. We have to work fast." 

"Umm . . ." Friskay looked toward Farrisk. "What do you mean what's next?" 

"Monster relationship? Underground?" Farrisk hit his head. "Seriously, Friskay? Were you asleep during that class?" 

"Ugh, it's been so long since I had the dang historic classes. Don't judge." Friskay groaned. "But what do you mean by what's coming up next?" 

"Sans has to marry Frisky, and then they have to have another baby eventually." 

"What?" Friskay looked between both of them. "Wait, what?" 

"Monsters have a different rationality to things. They don't have the same . . . instincts as Balancers tend to follow," Farrisk said softly. "How often have you seen anything really bad down here? I mean, they do kind of get in fights, and sometimes a life is lost every now and then. Sometimes, it can even get really bad. But overall? No one cusses. No one vandalizes. No one even really steals. It's the human side of Balancers that make them so terrible, you know?" 

"Uh huh. That didn't help at all, quit stalling. Why does Frisky have to marry that weirdo?" 

"Because Monsters hold more respect for that kind of thing. When someone finds out about Frisk's magic, and if the mission really was supposed to trigger it . . . well, then, if Sans' doesn't marry her. Someone else will." 

"Oh, shit." Friskay rolled her eyes. "Because Frisk is the unfunny skelly guy's, then Frisky is automatically his too? Or she gets thrown to another Monster?" 

"Yeah, and he'd be ridiculed and untrusted. You really need to remember more." 

"There was no need. I bring weapons and ammo to FRISK, others supply the book stuff." Still. "That sucks. That totally sucks. Like oh my gaw, that . . . fucking . . . sucks." 

"Yeah, but when Monsters aren't plentiful. You know, like Froggits and stuff? Then, it becomes even stricter. King Asgore will have to decide how long before . . . oh, shoot, what are they called? Well, basically another Skeleton is born. Because there's only two down here in the Underground now." 

"Ugh! That's barbaric!" 

"There's limited Monsters down here. They do what they do to keep going. And it's not really more barbaric than what happens to us, is it?" Farrisk challenged her. "Now, we all can tell Sans put this into motion shift one more time. He probably needs a couple days for something. So, that should give us ample time to figure out a strategy to rescue Frisky and Frisk before the marriage, and get them to the Balancers ship to end all this before things go any more sour." 

"Agreed," Friskay nodded. "Gotta get her out of that situation." 

"Yep." Farrisk looked back toward Friskarino. "Come on. We're going to need you on this too." 

Friskarino just continued to look away while Friskeye found her way over toward them. 

"Does it really matter? Because . . . it's the end of the world as we know it!" She started to sing again. 

Chapter Text

Sans knocked on the ruins door, but Queen Toriel didn’t answer. She was probably upset from last time, thinking the small Frisk thing was a mean joke. It would be better to talk to her in person anyways. He took a shortcut in the ruins and knocked beside her front door. 

“Who is it?” 

“Impossible.” 

“What?!” Toriel opened her door. “Impossible.” 

Sans waved at her. “Told you. Hello, Queen Toriel. I need to have a little conversation sans knock-knock jokes this time.” 

Having detailed conversations was hard. Explaining everything to Papyrus. Now explaining things to Toriel. This time though, he didn’t drudge up Flowey or her daughter’s essence that complicated FRISK that was now running the barrier. 

“That’s . . . uh . . .” Toriel touched her chin, rocking in her chair back and forth. “Six?” 

“Alphys wants to take care of one, maybe two,” Sans said. “These kids are all young, Tori. They can’t survive out there. Can you handle them?” 

“Four human children?” Toriel sat back in her chair for longer. “That is a lot of children. The ruins are so small. They always want to leave.” 

“Not this time. There’s no way out. We can leave, not humans,” Sans reminded her.  "Besides, their other life is bad enough that I don't think that's going to be a problem."

“I would have to fix up my other room, I only have a couple extra beds.” Toriel rocked in her chair longer. “If we leave on trips outside of the Ruins and anyone messes with my children, I will not be merciful.” 

“Makes sense,” Sans agreed. “Well?” 

“I don’t mind human children. I am glad to hear someone else likes them too. Four is tough, though. Are you sure no one else wants to take care of them?” 

“Humans have always been on the menu for Monsters, but after this mess. When everyone discovers the truth, they are going to be the main course.” Sans shrugged. “I still don’t know how many might have snuck through. Could be ten. Could be a hundred. I’m already hearing reports about it, but I’m doing what I can.” He yawned. “Can you watch four of them for a little while at least?” 

“Okay,” Toriel agreed. “I cannot abandon children in need. But, perhaps you could use some rest yourself?” She smiled as she stood up from her chair. “I have just the right bed for you.” She covered her mouth. “Not that I meant you were as small as a child! Um.” She raised up her finger. “You said you could use a couple of outfits for your own child? Come, let’s get that figured out.” 

Sans looked through the mess of children’s stuff. She kept most of it in a room labeled for renovation. Most everything was about . . .  his size, and a little smaller. Then, he ran into a couple of outfits finally. “There we go. Thanks, Tori. This’ll help in the future.” 

“Oh, I know. So, Frisk, huh? That’s . . .” Toriel rubbed her fingers. “My child was a mother, but she rode inside the soul of her own child? With others. Which is what I saw? So, that’s . . . awkward.” 

“At first, it kind of is,” Sans said as he dug for anything else that might fit. “But, Chance and Frisky are way different. I’ll let you meet them one day.” He stood up with the clothes. “This is all?” 

“Yes. Oh, I remember that one.” She sounded a little sadder. “Very, very small. I was surprised it could move around by itself. It was over 500 years ago though.” She looked toward the outfit. “It was often so sick. They must have been just learning how to use conduits. It’s . . . it sounds so horrible.” She looked toward the clothes Sans was holding. “Your child, Chance, he is quite small.” 

“Good thing. It’d be harder for him to ride the dog,” he joked. 

“It’s much smaller than before,” Toriel noticed. “It changed when you did that thing?” 

“Yeah, it did. Some of the dormant genes kicked in." And really. How could he not have even questioned that? Data error was for Frisky because of teleportation, but Chance had already physically been in the Underground.Or maybe, he didn't want to question it. 

Or maybe, he just didn't want to question it. 

“What about his mother, the one I knew? What does she look like now?” Toriel asked. "What does she act like? How is she different than the boy? 

“She’s . . .” Sans pointed to himself. “She’s got soft hair, really fragile skin, and blue eyes too. But, she's different. She's the part with DETERMINATION,” Sans chuckled. “Too dang much, so just be careful if you hear her doing puns or jokes.” 

“Why, is she that bad at them?” Toriel asked. 

“It means there is a fight coming.” Sans looked at the clothes. A red shirt with yellow stripes, a purple shirt with blue stripes, and a blue shirt with purple stripes. Sans knew Chance would like the last one the best. It looked like his old shirt. “Thanks, Tori.” 

“Um, Sans?” Toriel sounded a little unsure. “All these different timelines. What . . . happened?” 

“Doesn’t matter, it’s all over.” 

“Yes. But?” She asked. “When Asgore . . . well, what-“ 

“Sometimes you took the power back, sometimes a fish overthrew you and banished you here, sometimes I came to live with you when Papyrus died, sometimes Papyrus would be King, sometimes the famous Mettaton would be King, sometimes we made it to the surface, sometimes other stuff happened, and I don’t really care about any of it.” His voice was probably too firm, but he didn’t want to talk about it. At all. He tried to sound more upbeat again. “Thanks, Tori. I’ll have my friend Alphys contact you soon.” 

“Sorry. It’s just overwhelming. There’s so much you said.” She tried to smile back. “Over a thousand years, and I feel like I’ve been in the dark.” 

“It won't be dark soon anymore,” Sans insisted, trying his best to smile. “Not very long and you'll see the skies. Promise. See ya, Tori.” 

"See you, Sans." She waved at him. "Oh, and good luck on the committing! I promise, I will not tell another soul about the truth."

-------------------------------------------- 

Chance looked over toward Papyrus. He was busy in another best guard book. He wasn’t watching him super careful, but it was still boring. He just sat in the snow, wishing he got to have more than a huge coat and floppy sweater that never fit. The sweater wasn’t strong enough for the weather, but the coat was practically a blanket and annoying.  

Papyrus barely even acknowledged him, only looking at him every few minutes. Well, it’s not like Chance could go anywhere. He sighed and looked at his ball. Stupid ball. If I could just move this thing. Hm. Funny. For a split second, he thought he saw it scoot. With his mind. Okay, that’s not possible.  

Then again, it was almost natural. He looked around, making sure nobody noticed the boring human, and then pointed to the ball. A small amount of blue light arose around it and it scooted again. Slightly. Cool! Wow, conduits couldn’t do that. Slowly but steadily, he moved the ball a little more, slowly, until he got it behind the bushes. There, he tried lifting it. 

That was harder. It was heavy. Scooting it on the snow was easier than lifting it. What else am I going to do though? I might as well practice. Imagine if I could start lifting things.  

Then again, his mind drifted back to the question ‘why’? He didn’t have that before he arrived. He was just a normal kid that people took over. What could have happened to give him that new power? 

“Ah ah, Chance.” Papyrus came over toward him, picking up his ball and chain. “You are getting too far away. But, that’s okay. It is break time!” He carried him away. “That means we are going to get more library books! Education is important to get ahead in life.” 

What? Papyrus actually called him by the name Sans used for him too now? Frisk personally liked the name, and even called himself it now too. But, Papyrus? Well, shoot, he only ever called him a human, a pet, or a prisoner. 

Why was he actually getting a name? 

------------------------------------- 

While Papyrus was dwelling on books in the library, Chance was doing the same thing.  

“Sir?” The librarian tapped on Papyrus’ shoulder. “That thing you have on your ball and chain?” 

“Oh, it’s fine. Perfectly fine, doesn’t bite at all,” Papyrus assured her. “Chance is a good boy. No need to be frightened.” 

“Okay. Did you know it was reading?” 

“Extra learning is good for it.” Papyrus looked at Chance. “He likes education. He’s going to be a smart boy!” Papyrus moved over to Chance's ball. “Come, Chance. My break is almost over, and I must always be on alert for intruders.” 

Chance put his book down and grinned at him. “You bet, Papyrus.” He grabbed a small picture book from the side that was the same color as the book he wanted to check out. “Can I check out a book?” 

“Um, Calculators?” Papyrus scratched his head. 

“Yeah. The world I’m from, every kid is supposed to know a little. And, I am kind of not as knowledgeable?” Chance lied his butt off. 

“Oh. Well, I suppose. Hand me your book.” 

“Can I check out more too?” 

“Um? Okay, three,” Papyrus settled on. “No more than three.” 

“Okay.” Chance grabbed the calculator book, but put the book on Human Molecular Biology Theorizing, and Monster Molecular Biology underneath it. These books had to have the answer to what was happening to him. 

-------------------------- 

This is getting ridiculous. Frisky stood up and went beside Sans who was sleeping. Doing nothing but being chained wasn't her idea of a good time, but not being able to do anything was the hard part. Now that they had their little Mercy talk, she felt comfortable enough to do this. She stood beside his booth, grabbed one of his Grillby wrappers and tossed it past his head. 

He caught it instinctively, which she suspected. He looked toward her. "What are you doing over here?" 

"Helping to guard," she said. "You need help." 

"There's no one coming," he insisted. "Guarding's a waste of time right now, it's  fine to catch some Z's." 

"It would be, if you actually slept." Frisky looked toward him. "Go to sleep. I can touch your arm and wake you if anything happens." 

Sans looked a little uncomfortable with her observation. "What do you mean? I sleep all the time. I'm the laziest guy around Snowdin." She wasn't falling for it though. Sans was one of the hardest working Monsters she knew. He was doing a half-sleep thing he mastered so that he could handle the hell her saving and resets caused in his life.  And it must have been real hell. He had to eat several times a day just to try and combat the need to sleep too. All because the resets were wrecking him with his one hit point.

"You know, I've never told you I'm sorry about that part," Frisky added as she looked back toward him. "I know that when everything resets, Monsters don't suddenly get their energy back. I know that the weaker the hit points a monster has, the more it affects them. And, I know there have been quite a lot of activity since humans have been down here. Plus, me and . . . I know that my meddling couldn't have been easy on you. So seriously. Get some real rest." 

Sans looked around himself. "Real rest?" 

"If you don't give yourself real rest, then when you are needed, you're going to be too tired," Frisky told him. "No one is invincible." It was true. Before he remembered the resets, he had already been so affected by the interrupting saves and resets that he slept right through Undyne. She never had to worry about talking to him while she was outrunning Undyne, he was always conked out. 

Sans still looked unsure. 

"I promise I shall rattle your bones in seconds," Frisky said. Sans closed his eyes again. After a few minutes, she tossed another Grillby wrapper past his skull. This time, he didn't wake. Good. "Pleasant dreams," she whispered softy. 

Finally. Without needing questions about her world. Without feeling guilt about the genocidal runs. Frisky could finally give her friend Sans what he needed. A real break. Some real rest. After a few minutes, a peculiar thing happened. He was snoring. 

How do skeletons snore? Then again, how do they see with only eye sockets or hear without ears? Close eye sockets without real eyelids. Laugh with no internal organs. Peculiar. As he got louder, someone walked by and called him a lazy bum. 

And he was finally asleep enough for her to take action against that. "Excuse me, Sir, what did you say?" 

"Sans. Always sleeping. Look at you, actually taking up his duty," they pointed at her. 

"I am proud to help him with his duty considering all he has done for me. He is not having me do anything, I insisted upon this. He is one of my dearest friends." 

"Well." The Monster still didn't seem convinced. "He's kind of fun, I'll give ya that, but a dear friend? How dear?" 

"If you get one step closer and wake him up, you will regret it," she said. "He needs sleep. Leave him be." 

"Heh. Oh, is the little chained up human going to fight me?" 

"On the contrary, I really do not like to fight." She winked at him. "I prefer other activities." 

"Oh." She made him blush. "Well, um, I'm married." 

"Yeah, I know." She leaned over the booth, gently grabbed his jacket and drug him over, whispering into his ear. "I know all kinds of things. Like, where and when she shops. Like, where and when you like to eat. I also know at exactly what. Point. I could get away with really flirting with you?" He looked toward her, blushing even harder now. "While she's watching." He started to back away. "So don't wake him up. I act. I don't fight." She winked at him again and watched him leave. 

Good. That took care of one of them. Frisky watched the day though, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. No intruders, Monster or human. Just the same residents. Still, it was quite relaxing to see the sun shine above her. If it got much nicer, the snow might actually start to melt. Of course, it wouldn't melt very far before it got cold again. 

Strange though. Snowdin was supposed to have one of the most vicious climates on her planet next to Hotlands, which is why that area was perfect for Monsters. She felt a little cold, and even a bigger chill at night, but she was still getting some protection from above.  

She had to. Even now, she was standing in the icy snow. And while a little cold, it was nothing that made someone need to go and beg for shoes. More like a chilly sidewalk. That only meant one thing, which also helped to keep her spirits high. 

FRISK was still connected. Even though the connection must have been light, the fact that she wasn't freezing meant at least more than two Frisks made it out, and they were still able to transmit for protection. She looked over toward Sans again.  

For some reason, even though the threat of FRISK was gone, he still seemed unable to relax. Hopefully, a good day of some absolute rest would help. He was either yawning, sleeping while standing, or fighting. Even the few jokes he'd managed to do lately didn't seem to change his expression at all. It was more of an act he put on so no one could tell something was bugging him. 

What is bugging you? Of course, he'd never tell her. He kept most of his secrets, just that. Secret. But, at least she managed to get him to get some good rest. She honestly wished she could have had a pillow for him.  

------------------------------ 

"So, how is Sansy?" 

"Resting." 

"Still?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh. Say, do you know when he'll stop by at Grillby's again?" 

Sans' friends were being a bit peculiar. Normally, Sans wasn't bothered much before, but this was like the sixth friend that stopped by to see him. Which was frustrating. "I don't know. At some point, Sir." 

"Oh. Okay. Sorry to disturb you." He left. 

Odd Monsters. Frisk looked toward the sun. It became too cloudy to see it too well, but it looked like the afternoon had been cleared away. Sans was supposed to move over to his second job selling hotdogs soon. Which she didn't want to wake him up for, but she didn't want him getting in trouble either. 

If she jostled his arm awake, he might go into alert mode. Frisky wanted to wake him up softer. But, how do you gently wake up someone like Sans? As she looked at the snow, she had an idea. She picked up a little in her hands and sprinkled it on top of his skull. 

No response. She bent down and sprinkled more snow on his skull. Still no response. Hmm. She bent down and tried to pick up more snow, but felt something on top of her head instead.  

And it wasn't a sprinkle. He was up and laughing at her. 

"There's snow comparison for a snowball on the head," he said. 

Frisky wiped the huge pile of snow off her head. "I think it's about time for your second job." 

"Great." Sans picked up her ball and whistled on the way there. Frisky could easily tell he had gotten the rest he deserved. 

"Hey, Sans, how's it going?" Sans friend from Grillby said as he waved at him. 

"It's going to the hot dog stand," Sans said back. As he arrived at the hot dog stand, he grabbed one. "So. You want one?"  

"Sure." 

"Good. Here. You want another one?" 

Um. Frisky looked at him oddly. Did he just stick a hotdog on her head? "Did you just put a hotdog on my head?" He was amused about it too. Oh no. If there was catsup on that hotdog, it would be a pain to wash. "Catsup?" 

"Sure." 

Sans! Never mind putting him in a good mood, he was now destroying her hair. How was she going to pull that off of her head without help? He wasn't going to help, he was the one who did it. The one who did it, grinning like the devil. Hmm. Weaknesses. Sleep. Food. It didn't take long. "I will make you a deal. I still have a little bit of GOLD in my account. If we stop by a shop tonight, I can make us a cake. With half of it, catsup frosting. If you can get this off my head without losing any catsup in my hair." 

Ooh. Ooh, she had him. If Skeletons could drool. He rubbed his jawbone as he lifted the hotdog slightly. "Well, I liked the deal. But I already lost, so."  

He smeared it. He smeared the ketchup all the way down the sides of her hair. Nooo. 

He chuckled. "Aw, come on. Don't go seeing red now." 

Frisky glared at him, her hands fisted. "Catsup all over in my hair. Great, why stop there? Add mustard and relish while you're at it." 

"Okay." He did just that with the mustard. "Where do you want the relish?" 

"On the sides would be great, just like a hotdog. Got any onions?" 

"You're a strange one." Sans shrugged. "But I like them strange. Cheese?" 

"Squeezable?" 

"You bet." 

"Sure why not. Can you make it wavy in my hair?" Sans was on his guard, she could tell, but he still finished her request. Gloppy strings of cheese fell all over her hair. She still didn't lose her cool. 

"Okay. Seriously, what are you going to do?" Sans asked. "You're covered in condiments. A Monster will try to eat you that way." 

She took a step back. "Advertising. Once Monsters hear me shout just how great a hotdog vendor you are, and how well the condiments stayed on, I'm sure they'll come running." She held her hands up and felt him put her hands down. 

"Hey, no joke, I have to keep this job!" 

Got him. She pretended to slip into the snow and fell all the way down him. Shaking her hair because after that 'accident' she was also dizzy and needed to regain her bearings. "My, that was an unexpected fall." She turned around with her thumb in the air and her left eye closed like an artist judging their painting. "Ooh. Looks like you've been Van Goughed." 

"Van what?" He looked at his white shirt and coat. It wasn't the biggest deal to spill catsup, sometimes, but he was smeared in it. Along with the relish, mustard and gloppy cheese. "Frisky?!" 

"What? I slipped." She shrugged her shoulders. 

"You are so dang lucky I didn't meet you much inside FRISK like the others in Snowdin. I might not have kept that promise," Sans said, taking off his jacket and trying to fling a lot of it off. He turned it inside out. "But you also aren't lucky." He moved toward her ball and chain. She quickly went after the same direction. He changed direction, wrapping the inside out jacket around her. 

She was too surprised, she stumbled for real this time, complete with Sans, into the snow.  

"Ha!" he said pointing to her shirt behind her coat. "Wearing the shirt or not, it really was you this time." 

"Actually, these aren't my clothes," she reminded him. "They are yours, so I was still successful. I won this." 

"Did not." 

"Did too." She laughed as he started to tickle her. "That is cheating, that is so against any code!" As she wiggled around though, she noticed something strange. "Sans? I didn't know you had a blue tongue?" 

His tongue? Sans tucked his tongue back in his mouth quickly and got up off the ground. That was weird. "Come on, we need to go home and get redressed. Papyrus is going to kill me when he sees us." 

--------------------------------- 

Chance was laughing. Frisky stood straight up, like a good soldier. Sans just waved.  

"Sup?" 

"Don't sup me, Brother!" Papyrus shouted as he gestured to Frisky and him. "What is that?!" 

"Condiments." 

"They are all over you!" 

"Guess so." 

"Why?" 

Frisky and Sans both pointed at each other. 

"She did it," Sans blamed her. 

"He put a hotdog on my head, Sir. With catsup." 

"She was going to yell for 'advertising' and it could have got me fired." 

"He used his inside-out jacket and got the condiments all over my clothes, Sir." 

"They were messy because she rubbed against me." 

"I slipped. Twas an accident, The Great Papyrus." 

"Twas no accident." 

"Yes, I see." Papyrus covered his skull with his bony hand. "Both of you are to blame!" Chance continued to laugh as he came over and rubbed the catsup off his mom's shirt. "No, no, don't you get dirty too." He moved Chance away. "Go get dressed, and tonight a bath. Each of you!" 

Sans took Frisky upstairs and left her be while he continued back downstairs. 

"Don't even think about sitting down until you are all cleaned up," Papyrus warned him. 

"Pap. Um." 

"No, I don't even want to hear sorry!" 
Sans stuck out his tongue for him to see and then tucked it back away. 

"Uh?" Papyrus' scolding stopped. "Why do you still have a tongue?" 

Sans shrugged. Every once in awhile, it would manifest while he was eating a hot dog or a Grillby's burger. They were so good, it often couldn't help itself. He kept it plenty tucked away for his brother's spaghetti though. Something tasty triggered it, but, he hadn't been eating anything. Not only that, it was still there. 

"Hm. Eating on duty?" 

"Nope." 

"And it's still there?"  

Sans opened his mouth again. The tongue was still there. 

"That doesn't make any sense. What stimulated it?" Papyrus asked. "Why is it still stimulated?" 

"A skeletongue of a question," Sans winked.  

Chance laughed. "Wait. How do Skeletons suddenly have tongues, and then not?" 

Ooh. Sans share a look at Papyrus. Chance didn't know a thing about Skeletons. There was a good chance with the way his body reacted, he was going to become one. "Later." Yeah, reality hit his head again. That had to have been the most fun experience he had ever had with any FRISK with the hotdogs. Since she refused to meet him but one time except in Judgment Hall, he wanted to see if she remembered it. Add at least one new experience, but it was so much better than that. None of FRISK ever tried to take him down in one of his own games.

It was fun. Lots, actually. But, that wouldn't happen again anytime soon. Not once she knew. 

Not once she really became a prisoner forever. 

"Sans? You okay?" 

"Fine. Um. Did you want to switch again?" 

"If you want?"  

"Yeah. The kid is less messy." Sans tried to chuckle. "Come on, Chance. Let's go." 

"But, don't you want a longer break?" Papyrus asked. "Sans?" 

-----------------

Chapter Text

"Uh. So." Alphys stared at all six of the children. It was such a big decision. All the kids were wonderful, but it's not like 'mother' ever entered her mind before. It would be nice to have someone though. That big lab, so far away from everyone. That would be a good thing for them too, no one would be able to hurt them. 

One or two. She knew she should probably pick two, too. But who? None of them had names. They all seemed fine. Ohh. Sans wanted her to make a decision though, and four of them would be sent to Queen Toriel. 

The Queen would have room for four. Once again, two. "Oh my." Alphys just waved at them. They all smiled but stood up straight in a row with their hands behind their backs. Like little soldiers. "Which one of you wanted an Aunt Alphys again?" 

They all raised their hands eagerly. 

"Yeah, I thought so." She laughed nervously again. None of these kids had any real family. Any real name. 

"I think the two at the end suit you, Dino Nerd." 

"What?!" Alphys watched as Chara appeared right behind the kids. "Ch-Ch-Ch-" 

"Chara. Formerly Princess Chara. Still technically Princess Chara but whatever. Not like everyone always respected my human butt." Chara smiled at the kids. "Yo! I'm Chara. Spirit, can't hug ya. Sorry. Sup, kids?" 

"Uh?" Alphys cleared her throat. "Aren't you supposed to be . . .?" 

"The barrier reaches everywhere," Chara smiled at her. "Everywhere! Ha, I'm not trapped anywhere. All of the Underground I can roam in now. Don't worry though, I can't touch anything. Not like I have a real body. I'm just a spirit, but, it feels good. I feel really good again. Able to move around." She walked along the floor. "Anywhere I want. Not trapped. Not forced to watch anything. Not forced to eat anything. I can . . . I can just be me. I can even talk to Monsters, how crazy is that? They don't even know I'm not really alive anymore. Really cool trick. So, which two are you getting? You know, I can help babysit. I was really good at that." 

"Wow." One of the boys smiled at her. "You're cool." 

"I know. And 'cause you know that, it makes you cool too." Chara winked at him. "Hey, you speak Monster?" 

"Yes," he said.  

"Monster's not too hard. Best to study more though, really is before you get all out in the Underground. I did that. It took me a good three years before I felt good enough to come over. Yep, no more cheating with other souls anymore," Chara teased him. "So you want a goat for a momma, or you want a dinosaur for an aunt? One's in the Ruins, and ones in a lab. So." She shrugged. 

"Uuhh . . ." 

"Alright, I'll be nice and talk to you in your tongue. I knew you didn't know Monster enough, fibber." Alphys heard Chara talk in a strange tongue. Probably human. The kids started to speak back to her. 

"Um. None of them really want to stay in a lab. They are kind of scared you're going to shove needles in them and stuff. But, they still want family, so they are torn." 

"No! Uh, no. I'm not here for that." Alphys held her hands over her chest. "Safe. Safe here." She looked toward Chara. Maybe it was a good thing she was there after all. There would have been an old translator somewhere, but it would be nicer to talk to another human. Well, human spirit. Monster children would probably scream if someone just confessed they weren't alive like Chara did too, but the children stayed still. Perfectly still. 

Perfect. Little. Soldiers. Alphys felt her heart almost break. They knew they were in a lab, but they still didn't run off. Two of them would be chosen, and none of them left or even blinked. "Queen Toriel can't handle all six. But, I-I don't want them to be scared either." 

Chara talked to them again. This time she got a slightly different response from a couple. "They understand," she said. "I said I'd be around as a bonus over here. Um." This time, Chara was the one acting weird. "I kind of . . . well I. I don't want to see my mom. Not that I hate her. It's just that. I just don't feel right about it." 

Alphys nodded. She looked back toward the children. "Um. Very safe. Really cozy. Comfortable." Alphys tried to keep her words simple.  

One of the kids finally stepped forward. She looked like a little girl, but her hair was cut short. It was hard to tell. "I can . . . I can speak dang good Monster." 

Dang good. Close enough. "You want to stay with me?" Alphys asked her. She nodded. Okay. Good.  

"Come on, you guys," Chara said. "The Dino Nerd needs one more. I bet she'll give big yellow squeezes like Barney or something. Oh wait, that shows probably a couple thousand years old or more. Uh, never mind. You won't get that reference." 

Wait. "A couple?" Alphys looked toward Chara. "It's been about a thousand. Hasn't it?" Did the resets . . . did it really put the world that much behind? "Chara?" 

"Look, I only know what I used to pick up from FRISK," Chara said. "And what I knew from before. I don't know anything else. If you want those specifics, I'm not the one for the job. You need a flower. He knows everything." She did wink at Alphys. "I will say this. Anything I used to know like the actual songs they play? It's ancient. Humans haven't been allowed to make it anymore. Hurts the Balancers ears, so no go." 

"Oh. Well, I  . . . I guess I'll figure how far we are really behind later." 

"Yeah, don't be surprised if it's like three or five or ten thousand years though." 

Crumbling. Alphys felt herself crumbling inside. 

"Too rough. Sorry," Chara apologized. "Anyhow, the kid on the end looks like he's been following the whole story real well. Haven't ya, kid?" 

He looked away a second, then turned back and nodded to her. 

"A boy and a girl. Not bad for an Aunt Alphys." 

"Okay." Two children. She did it. "Thank you for helping, Princess Chara." 

"Yeah, it's alright. Although I miss my Itty Bitty, I have to stay away a bit longer. But, one more thing. The barrier." Chara looked above herself. Even though she was far away from the barrier, Alphys could tell. Chara really was part of the barrier. "Keep it up, don't put it down for anything. Not even a second. There is stuff in the air constantly scanning the barrier, already trying to break in." She looked toward the kids. "Don't you worry though. Your Aunt Chara has got a buttload of DETERMINATION and they aren't getting through my barrier no matter what." 

"Oh. Well, um, the technology itself is pretty hijacked," Alphys confessed. "I don't know if we'd ever want to do that. We might not be able to put it back up. We might lose the power. I don't really know. We won't do anything at first until we at least understand it better." 

"Yeah, you Monsters are too kind sometimes. Especially with all these new humans running around. So, I'll say it again, in a better way for you. Alright? Don't. Touch. My barrier. Capisce?"  

Alphys didn't know what the last word meant, but she could tell from the other words. Yeah. Maybe they should have questioned using Chara's DETERMINATION to help power it . . . 

Chara snapped her fingers. "Check it. I decorated the lab entrance for you with my new laser capability. Isn't that cool? This barrier has lasers. I so have plans for this." 

Oh no. Oh no! "W-what'd you put?" 

"Welcome to Aunt Alphys in the dirt with a smiley face. Figured the kids would like it." 

Or . . . maybe not? 

-------------------------- 

If only she wasn’t prisoner. Frisky would make all kinds of different things. Make some real food. Although Sans always preferred Grillbys, it was mostly because the alternative was a hot dog and spaghetti. His brother’s spaghetti. Which wasn’t the easiest thing to eat. 

It was edible. She’d tasted worse having survived in gnarly jungles, but they really didn’t have to eat like that. Still, she was a prisoner. Maybe she could perhaps ask a little about the oven. No, no. I know we will be free again soon one day. Last thing I need is for Undyne catching me doing that. Honestly, Grillbys was easier. Hotdogs were easy too. She sat up on the mattress with her spaghetti.  

“I have a new recipe tonight!” Papyrus announced as he gave Chance his share too. “It’s sweeter.” 

“Different, huh?” Sans said from over by the door. “Could I get in on it?” 

“Sure, it’s downstairs. Come, Sans!” 

Please be better. Please be better. Sans kept repeating the mantra in his head. At the very least, it would be different. Something he really craved. Honestly, as long as the new spaghetti was edible though, he wanted it. He was really looking for something that wasn't too bad, because he still had his annoying tongue. He'd eaten his usuals, and even shot for an MTT's Glamburger, but none of them satisfied his tongue. He crept up into the kitchen and saw two different pans of sauce as well as the usual spaghetti. “Two pans, bro?” 

“Yes! I found out one would taste better to the human. It has syrup in it.” 

“Syrup.” That was strange, but who cared. It was different. 

“Yep, but I made my usual too," Papyrus said proudly. “You can’t beat Artisan Spaghetti!” 

After taking a bite, Sans quickly dropped the idea of different. Forget different. “Guess not.” Syrup and spaghetti did not mix on a tongue. If only he could get the thing to fade away already. 

“Yes, it is a desert spaghetti. Very sweet, but strange. Then, I have more syrup for on top of the syrup. I suppose they like extremely sweet things.” 

“More on top?” Sans scratched his skull. That didn’t make much sense at all. Why top syrup with more syrup? 

“Yes, but. Oh, oop.” Papyrus sighed. “Shoot, I messed it up. He said only the bigger human would like the extra syrup, and I think I put it on both of theirs. Oh well.” 

“He?” Wait. Undyne was the one who was teaching him to cook, and Alphys swore she wouldn't mess with Frisky or Chance. Besides which, Undyne was an upfront fighter. “Papyrus, where’d you get this new recipe?” 

“From Undyne's Royal Guard of course! Yes, Doggo met with me today and said all the  humans in Snowdin and Waterfall were to have a special recipe spaghetti, but the adults would get it with extra syrup on top. Strangest thing, isn't it? Why would adults like extra syrup? It would make sense that-Sans? Why are you running upstairs?” 

Sans moved through the door as fast as he could as he watched Chance standing, his eyes closed in front of a vomit-filled floor. Frisky was passed out on the bed. “It’s dangerous to take him over by myself, especially with wrong dimensions, but I think we were poisoned.” 

Oh. Not Chance. FRISK. 

------------- 

“I-I’m so sorry! I can’t believe my spaghetti is killing them!” Papyrus wailed as he waited in Monster Kid’s house. "I was following orders. I was just following orders." 

Sans didn’t answer. He was sitting on the couch. Monster Kid’s mother was a light healer. She didn’t have near the strength of Toriel, but she was closer and this was poison. The faster, the better. Meanwhile, Frisky was enduring the pain for Chance. Frisky’s body was lying unconscious, getting treatment too since leaving her body probably didn’t stop the poison. 

“Mm.” Papyrus looked at the floor. “Undyne seemed genuinely sorry about the mixup when I called her. Apparently, there have some very naughty humans in greater numbers, and she was issuing a termination. I . . . I really thought that something new would be nice. I didn't know." 

Sans didn’t say anything else on the couch. He just stared ahead, blankly.  

He watched as Monster Kid’s mom came out toward them. 

“Uh, hello, Sentries. I’m not used to healing humans. I think they will be okay though.” 

“Oh, thank goodness!” Papyrus cried in relief. “That, that would have been a horrible way to go. By spaghetti.”  

“Yah.” Sans looked over toward Monster Kid’s mother. “Can we see them?” 

“Um, no. You can see the mother human, but not the boy.” 

“He probably needs more rest. He’s so extra small,” Papyrus said to Sans.” 

“Um. No, not that. He bounced out of bed and out the window. You might want to go find him.” 

-------------------------------- 

FRISK: ACT: Joke. “We are wrecking your entire house again and we aren’t even making spaghetti this time.” FRISK kept his eyes closed as he jumped from another spear. “You don’t know how good I got at dodging those things. Why are you doing this?” 

UNDYNE: ACT. Talk. “You are not that boy!” FIGHT. 

FRISK dodged her again, easily. FRISK: ACT: Talk. “Yeah, I am. Do you think a little human child could have ever done what I did?” 

UNDYNE: ACT. Talk. “I know what I've seen recently! I know what Alphys told me about you too. About how you could save or butcher Monsters, and you constantly did both. You should feel lucky that I let you live last time!” FIGHT. 

FRISK: ACT. Talk. “I don’t know how you know that, but it doesn’t really matter. Listen, Undyne, I can deal with your spears against me. I can deal with you even carving into me as a warning. I know how you feel about me. I’m sure the news was hard to hear.” 

UNDYNE: ACT. Talk. “I trusted a human! Do you know what humans have done lately?” 

FRISK: ACT. Talk. “No. I don’t pretend to know everything. Just know that the thing inside me that was vicious? It’s gone. Most of what I used to be, it’s gone. What you see is a shell, but there’s someone talking to you from inside this shell. There always has been. And, there’s an innocent boy, who is always trapped inside of this shell too. So, please. Stop attacking.” 

UNDYNE: ACT. Talk. “I didn't start it, you came after me in my own house, so fight, damn you!” FIGHT. 

FRISK avoided more blows. FRISK: ACT. Talk. “There is nothing evil inside of me anymore, and I will never fight you. Even though you keep trying to hurt me, I will never hurt you. I understand why you try to hurt me.” 

UNDYNE: ACT. Talk. “How are you so much more expressive?” Undyne looked at FRISK. “You . . . you barely ever talked. You’re . . . you’re good at dodging, I’ll give you that.” She paused. “Fine. If you want me to believe that you really are the goodness and spirit of the human I once befriended, then you better prove it! I don't care what Alphys said, we are finishing this. Start Running.” 

FRISK knew that would happen. Talking was always the hardest with Undyne. He took off into the night as quick as possible, avoiding the spears that came up from the ground. Dodge. Dodge. Dodge. Dodge. With seven souls in a perfect conduit, dodging was child’s play, but she was only herself inside FRISK. Still, she was feeling weaker and faster than what should have happened. She should have had at least 24 hours inside Chance before feeling weaker. She wouldn’t be able to dodge forever, but, eventually she made it all the way to familiar grounds. Too familiar for Undyne to just keep ignoring the ties they shared.  

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “You still won’t fight. Even after everything, you still refuse to fight. You really are him, aren’t you?” 

FRISK: ACT: Talk. “This is still just a shell,” FRISK said, “but the shell is real too. A little boy who is being hurt by someone who doesn’t understand the value of his life. You know that every Monster’s life is precious, but it’s not just Monsters. Every life is precious, and I try to remember that, no matter what. So, please? Just let us be, in the name of someone who helped you once?” 

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “I didn't do anything to you. Doggo gave it to Papyrus, not me. I pretended to skip it since Alphys said not to mess with you. That was for the other prisoners, by order of King Asgore. But I don't trust humans either. And, how do I know for a fact you won’t turn?” 

Undyne wasn't responsible? FRISK: ACT: Talk. “I'm glad to hear that, but, you can't just kill humans off. Please. I’m not demanding you let me go or trust humans. Just don't make them all equal. Talk to King Asgore.” She could feel her head starting to sweat, getting too close to the hotter part of the Underground. While Undyne barely felt the heat yet, and she was a fish, she was still a Monster. A human shouldn’t be so close. She should have been fine in FRISK but. “I can’t . . .” 

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “What is wrong?” 

Concern. Almost. FRISK: ACT: Talk. “It’s too hot. I . . .” 

UNDYNE: ACT: Talk. “You knew getting this close was dangerous.” Undyne looked around, obviously feeling foolish. “Punk. I . . . I’m sorry for not making more sure that you were okay. Seven souls before, but you’re the . . . the real part that was the little punk I faced. The part that never fought. The part that never gave up.” She approached FRISK and picked her up. “Alright. You’re a good human, and . . . you're free. You and your boy. Come on, I’ll take you back.” 

----------------------- 

Undyne waited patiently inside Monster Kid’s house with Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus asked her about the spaghetti, and if the new recipe would still be good without the poison syrup topping. Sans remained quiet.  

Alphys bolted through the door. 

“Undyne!” she yelled. Alphys laughed nervously. “Um. Let’s go back to your place for a little while?” 

“Why?” 

“L-let’s just go. I-I have something I want to tell you.” Alphys looked shakily over at Sans before looking back at Undyne. “Please come with me? Undyne?” 

“Alright, okay.” Undyne stood up and headed out the door. “What is it?” 

“I-I told you not to mess with Sans,” Alphys said as they started to walk. “I-I know that maybe I said it too softly, um, I-I don’t really like to yell out, uh, everything as loud as it should be. So, um, when I said to stay on Sans the Skeleton’s good side? I-I think I shouldn’t have been like. “Oh by the way, stay on Sans the Skeleton’s good side.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “I-I think I should have been yelling it through a megaphone. It was really important, and um. I . . . I'm sure he's not happy about what happened.” 

Undyne sighed. “Yeah, I get it. I got confused about the kid. When I heard what it could do from you, I-I couldn’t believe I trusted that thing! But, that wasn't my fault. I intended to skip them. Doggo probably got mixed up, or he still had hurt feelings about others teasing him about some occurrence in a restaurant. I don't know. King Asgore is tired of innocent little Monsters being murdered by all these humans inside. But, you were right. One soul or seven, it was still him. I guess I should have talked it out more first, but someone come's at you at your front door and says you poisoned them. Come on, I wasn't overreacting, was I?” 

“H-her, actually. She’s um, a mom inside her son. You can’t forget that,” Alphys said. She didn’t say much else until they reached Undyne’s house. Undyne unlocked her door and went inside.  

Alphys continued the subject now. “I know that you were confused and upset, but Frisky was good. She was confused, and wanted to keep you from hurting her boy.” 

“Yeah,” Undyne admitted softly. “When I battled Frisk, I could feel a difference in power. A lot weaker, but she kept avoiding me as long as possible. Again. He-she would still die apparently not to kill even one of us. To even fight one of us. It was . . . it was still the same human. Proved to me that some humans are still good.” 

“Yes, and um, I-I kind of didn’t tell you everything about Sans? Again, you know? Sorry.” Alphys scratched her head. “I didn’t want to tell you because I’m sure Sans wanted a little more time. But, Sans is. W-well. He lost some people in his own mind.” 

“I won’t mess with them. I never messed with them. I won't even come for a fight,” Undyne promised. “It’s still just the same little punk from before. I get it now. I even granted her freedom.” 

“Yes, but, um, granting them freedom wasn’t what Sans wanted. So, could you ungrant that freedom, so Sans will be happier about it?” 

“Alphys, I still don’t get it,” Undyne almost scoffed. “Sans is one hit point. One. He’s a lazy, no good excuse of a Sentry that I put up with. One spear hit would do him in. Why are you bending me backwards over him?" 

“Well, yes. Technically he is the weakest opponent. But, well, there was a reason he can’t gain EXP. And I can’t go through it right now, but uh. Well, I shouldn't reveal secrets, so, just stay on his good side?” 

“You said that he fought FRISK and lost at the end of any of the bad timelines,” Undyne reminded her. “Lost. So. Why should I be afraid of him? Because he was the last one to make a stand?” Undyne covered her face. “Alphys, just relax.” 

“Okay. Just, maybe not visit Frisky or her son yet?” Alphys warned her. “And maybe, don’t see Sans for awhile?” 

“I get it. I get it.” 

“I-I don’t think so,” Alphys warned her. “I came running this way as fast as possible when I saw what was happening, Undyne. Even though Frisky inside her son looked like she was in danger, she was never in danger of dying. She actually wasn’t in most of the good timelines either. There’s a . . . there was a force around her. I couldn’t see it or understand it so well, until I knew more about things, and had um, some extra data. But, um.” She sighed. “Just, please don’t mess with Sans.” 

“You’re beating this subject to death. I get it, I promise. If King Asgore asks for a blanket killing again, then I will doubly go to the house and make sure she and her son is fine. Okay? I even duked it out with the little guy again. Girl. Whatever.” Undyne shrugged. Alphys bugged her one more time to be extra careful, and then left. 

“Funny,” Undyne said offhand. “Alphys. Really. Just because he knew about timelines doesn’t make him all powerful. One hit point.” She rolled her eyes and sat down in her kitchen table. “Still, at least the kid’s alive. Mm, woman. Geez, what do I even call it?” 

“Frisky.” 

“Yeah, I could call it by its name. Huh?” Undyne turned around and saw Sans at the door. “You forgot to knock.” 

Chapter Text

“I forgot to tell you,” Sans said, his voice sounding a little irritated, “something important. I need a pay raise and more hours.” 

Was he kidding? “A pay raise? More hours?” Undyne got her hair out of her face. “You can’t even stay awake for the little work you have now.” 

“It depends on your idea of awake,” Sans replied, “still, I’m going to need a pay raise and more hours.” 

“Why?” 

“Because you just freed Frisky and Chance, so now I have to really hurry. I don't have much time left. I can’t put it off much longer anyway.” 

“What are you blubbering-" Undyne didn't finish her sentence as she found herself in an encounter.

Sans pushed his hand in the other direction from where Undyne was sitting, making Undyne fly to the other wall.  

Undyne rubbed her head unenthusiastically before reaching for her spear, which became pinned to the wall. 

“See. How to explain?” Sans started. “I didn’t really care before what was happening. Who was really in charge of FRISK. I didn’t even try to stop them in the timelines unless it was an all-out battle to kill every Monster they could.” Sans pointed at her, making her rise to the middle of the room. “It was real boring, resetting, and almost numbing. I followed clues that popped up every now and then, but other than that, I didn’t really care about anything at all. Everything was pointless.” 

He pointed downward, slamming her to the ground. “I died several times too, like everyone else. But, you probably knew that.” He flung his arm up, sending her in the air, and then crashing down below again. “I bet Alphys told you that, but I know she didn’t tell you everything. She knows I like privacy, and she probably can’t remember everything.” Sans brought her back to the middle of the room and stood her back up. “And I’m not bothering with it all again. It’s draining, and it’s a lot. So, just keep this in mind.”  

He stuck his hands back in his coat. “I’m worth a pay raise.” He approached her closer where she was constantly growling and giving him dirty looks. “Yeah, I know, annoying huh? I've never been affected by board rules. Probably a guardian thing. I don't know. Anyhow, back to the interview. One hit point doesn’t matter if I know how to dodge, but that handicap is gone too, due to a little ditty I heard." He took his bony finger and shook it at her like she was being bad. "You don't know want to see what I can do now." 

He took his magic completely off of her. She quickly grabbed her spear, but before she did anything, he used his magic to lift it up. “I’d much rather just do what I do now. Hang out. Tell jokes. I like that kind of life. Lots of magic means fighting and Royal Guard and things. I’m not interested in that unless it’s an emergency. So, if we could keep this between us, I’d appreciate it.” He took his magic off her spear again. 

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK “How the hell are you so strong?!” Undyne panted, holding her spear at her side. 

Sans scratched his skull. “Like I said, a little ditty Frisky let me play. Now, Frisky and Chance.” He waved his hand around. “Alphys tell you about the human experimentation?” 

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK “Yeah, she did. A horrible, cowardly race.” Undyne stood up. “Spying on us. Entrapping us. Even now, they are hiding and killing innocent Monsters to try and grow strong. There are no innocents except that boy. Which apparently was a woman. Still trying to get used to that." 

“Hm. Knew there was a reason I haven’t heard of any around here lately.” Sans shook his head. “So, ‘cause Chance was a kid, he was innocent. Just older humans are supposed to die." 

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK “King Asgore's order." Undyne sighed. “A horrible species. They had no right to manipulate us.” 

“Can’t quite disagree,” Sans admitted. “I almost want to wipe every single one off the face of the planet. Heck, the only reason FRISK ever even made it to Snowdin is because I made a promise to watch the human. A thousand years, probably more, thinking we were down in the dark. Surrounded by cavern walls. Entrapped. Manipulated memories. So, I can’t blame ya, but, that ‘horrible race’ also did something else too.”  

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK “Help us reach the ‘surface’?” Undyne groaned. “I know, there are some few good ones. I remember hearing about that.” 

“Yeah, but that’s not what I was going to say.” His eye socket suddenly had the vision of an actual eye inside of it. Undyne had never seen that before. Ever. It was so creepy and the sheer power radiating from him was so intense! "Leave my humans alone." 

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK “Your humans?” That phrasing. That look. Undyne couldn’t move, and she did not know if it was from his magic or . . . her own fear. Fear of that look in his eye. 

Sans closed his eye sockets a moment, and reopened them. His eye sockets were back to normal. “Sorry about that. I get in little moods sometimes. Anyhow, do whatever you want to the others. King Asgore or otherwise. I'm not going to fight you on it. I don’t care, but not Frisky or Chance.” He closed his eye sockets again and sighed. “Frisky’s goal was a lie. She doesn’t know it yet, but the only goal was to make us fight. All the timelines, resets, genocide, it was all the human’s game to make me strike Chance. To light up his own magic.” 

“Magic?” 

“That kid. The body of the one you actually fought? Yeah, that was mine. I already lost way too much. So many pictures. Way too many pictures.” His voice became uneven. “Want more, Ask Alphys. Ask her whatever at this point.” He opened his eyes again, weary. "How'd the interview go this time?"

UNDYNE: ACT: TALK. "You came face to face. Rattled some of my hit points. Kept control. Much better than last time. When you first applied, you were on the other side of Snowdin from me." She sighed. "So, a little Monster is yours that you didn't even know about." Shoot. Undyne closed her eyes, feeling terrible. Horrible. “You should have told me sooner! Why didn't you tell me that sooner?” 

MERCY: Spare. “I have enough to deal with. I can’t do everything.”  

“This isn’t a little thing, Sans! There are procedures, rules, requirements.” She grasped her head. “If he starts showing magic, then you can’t hide the truth." Not one pun since he walked in the door. In fact, lately his puns had almost been gone. The little lazy jokester. Poor little lazy jokester. “Okay, I'll up your salary,"  Undyne agreed. She eyed him carefully. “You should be more than a Sentry.” 

“Don’t really want that.” 

"What are you going to do?" Undyne said, cornering him, in an emotional sense. "Standard Monster rule would say marriage." 

"Committing under secrecy." 

"Ah, I thought so. Sneaking under the radar. I don't blame you. Especially since you and Papyrus are the only Skeletons in the Underground. Which would mean you'd have another duty." 

"Yeah, I know." Sans backed up a little. "So don't tell anyone. Please." 

"Do you think King Asgore will fall for it long enough?" Undyne asked. "Is it showing any magic yet?" 

"Is he showing any magic yet," Sans corrected her. "Not yet, but something will happen soon. Alphys will make the new barrier transparent and King Asgore should be so fascinated by it,  I don't think he'll think about it too much." 

“Good because as pure-hearted as that human can be, I doubt she'd be into you much. You're kind of . . . uhhh, never mind, but you are lacking a lot, Sans. You will have to take care of two extra people. Even with Papyrus committing to them too, and an advance in salary, you still might not be approved.” 

Sans groaned. “Fine. Emergency Royal Guard. Only in emergencies. I don't want to deal with anything unless everyone else gave it their all. But, don’t tell Papyrus though, he’s in training. I don’t want him feeling bad.” 

“Agreed.” Undyne nodded. “So. The human. Heh, it’s always been a little unpredictable. Are you wanting both contracts, or just hostile?” 

Sans tapped his slippered foot on the ground. “As nice as we've been to each other. I don't see . . .” He stopped tapping his slippered foot. “Hostile.” 

“Smart choice. Probably only choice.” 

“One more thing.” Sans yawned. “But, uh, try to give the humans with P on their outfits a chance if you can? They never hurt anything. Okay?” 

“Hm. Well. I’ll keep it in mind,” she said slowly.  

“Not a rule of course. I just trapped them down here forever too, so you never know. Might decide to change sides.” He turned and gave her a quick goodbye before taking a shortcut back home. 

---------------------------------------- 

They had been worried. Beyond worried. Sans didn’t make one joke and barely talked at all. Papyrus criticized her all the way home, while Sans trotted behind. Quiet. It was already late by the time they got back to Sans’ and Papyrus’ house again.  

Frisky and her son were brought upstairs to go to bed, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she did something wrong. She had to become FRISK to neutralize the poison. She didn’t know how long it would take before she lost control of herself after she saw him start to vomit, and she knew it was her chance to take care of Undyne. To make her understand, once and for all.  

It was always a victory when she won over an enemy without fighting, but that radiant feeling was gone tonight. Sans was up first on watch and tonight he was just sitting on the couch. She had noticed lately that him and Papyrus were rubbing their necks a lot. In fact, Papyrus was rubbing the backs of his legs too because of the couch. I scared them. I-I really worried them. It had to be done, but I never meant to hurt them. And look, because of this prisoner situation, they are still hurting each night for us. Their bones are not made to sleep on that couch. 

Frisky wasn’t her original size, she was small, and Frisk was even smaller. Even though it was Sans’ bed, it was still bigger than the couch. She always curled up with Frisk in her arms anyhow. She’d done that since he was a baby, too scared any moment that he’d become a re-reset. Frisk had gotten comfy in his spot, almost already going to sleep. That was to be expected. “Sans?”  

“Not really in the mood for a talk,” Sans said quickly.  

Great, that wasn’t going to work. However, she remembered something. She moved over toward the other side of the bed and held out the Mercy sign toward him.  

He groaned. “That’s cheating.” He rubbed the front of his skull. “You almost killed yourselves tonight.”  

“Frisk has a failsafe guarantee."

"Then you almost killed yourself tonight."

"Well, what did you want me to do?” 

“Stay there where it was safe.” Sans laid down on the couch. “Why can’t you just listen?”  

“I have to find my own way,” she reminded him. “It's who I am." 

He didn’t answer right away. “If it had been Undyne, then I would have talked to her.”  

“You already did that once. Last I saw I'm still prisoner.”  

“No, Alphys did it last time. This time, I would have talked to her.” He closed his eye sockets. “No one's out to poison you anymore. Guaranteed.”  

“I don’t know. If I got the point across enough, then why didn’t she free us?” Frisky didn’t get that part. She could have sworn she heard Undyne say she freed them at the end, but Sans said she was just delusional and would have to wait until they confirmed it. “Maybe I’m rustier without six other soul soldiers. Everyone pulls their weight.” None of the conversation made Sans happier though. She held the Mercy sign and wiggled it back and forth. “You promised.”  

“Just promise me you won’t do anything like that again?” Sans demanded. “You’re not immortal anymore. Even as FRISK, you couldn’t take the heat.”  

Well, that was tricky. “I promise that I will think more before putting my life in peril.” She had to add the last part.   

"And jumping Chance either. Don't jump him," Sans warned her. "Promise me, unless multiple lives are at stake. And I mean multiple, that you won't do that to the kid no more." 

"How many is multiple?" 

"Unless it stops genocide with another conduit. Isn't that something to the phrasing your used to?" A little edge was still in his voice.

"Sorry. Okay." Frisky nodded. "I promise that as long as we are in the Underground, unless it is considered absolutely pertinent, I won't jump in him." Although I want to add that that poison would have killed him if I didn't do that. But, he should know that already and I refuse to argue. 

“Good.” She could almost feel the relief that came off of him. “From you, I bet that's the best I can expect. But you better keep it. Better get some rest too."  

Best he can expect from me? Oh well. “About that.” Frisky looked beside her. “You and Papyrus are always hurting yourselves on the couch. Why don’t you sleep in the same bed with us? I know it’s kind of a funny thing to ask but-“  

She didn’t even finish her request before she saw him disappear off the couch and appear on the bed next to her. He didn’t bother to use the blankets.  

“Thanks, that was literally killing my bones night after night. No flesh cushioning you know.” He laid his whole body down happily. It didn’t take long before he was completely asleep.   

Well that took the awkwardness out of it. She laid back down close to Frisk, only slightly touching Sans on the side.   

Sans rested for half an hour, too comfortable to move much when he felt Chance’s tiny hand next to his skeletal one. He looked over and saw Frisky flipped the other way. She often did that. Her hair was tussled around as she slept with no problems. The Mercy sign was still by her feet. It was the only time she looked off guard.  

Frisky was always on guard. She had to be to make it down in the Underground. Figuring out how to dodge, when to dodge, when to avoid, when to help, and when to act. Traveling back and forth so many times.  

Before he even knew what he was doing, he reached out and touched her cheek. Soft. Too soft for the Underground. That softness shouldn’t be allowed. A scaly, tough exterior was what she needed. At least some fur to stand the cold. Yet, she just kept marching on. Day after day.  

He felt Chance’s hand twitch again and looked back down. If Frisky woke up right now, she’d see it. A skeletal arm and hand, surrounded with the blue glowing magic around it, like a transparent skin. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them over him, so he had an excuse to cover his bony hands up. I really, really don’t have long. Even if he doesn’t share it, he has no control over it.  

Once his arm moved back to normal, Sans finally tried to get some rest again.  

----------------------------------------------------------- 

"No way, I refuse!" Frisky was getting dragged by the ball with San's own magic. "I refuse to have anything to do with you! What kind of father are you supposed to be?! You murdered my ship! You murdered my friends! You're going to have to drag me in kicking and screaming if you want this so bad!" 

"Momma! Sans, why are you doing this?! Why are you hurting my mom? Why did you hurt everyone?! Why? What kind of dad are you supposed to be?!" 

--------------------------------------------------------------- 

Sans found himself wide awake again, looking straight at Papyrus.  

“Umm . . . Sans. Are you sweating?”  

Sans teleported out of the bed. "I’m fine.” He rubbed his skull.  

Papyrus sighed. "That I'm fine sounds more like I'm anything but fine. Are you okay?”  

"Yeah. Sure. Frisky's inviting us to sleep next to them." 

"Ehh." Papyrus looked at the couch to his bed. "I don't think it would be any more comfortable for me. I will take the couch." 

Sans shrugged and headed away. He'd go sleep the rest of the night in Papyrus' bed, and by morning, he'd be off to . . . I know I don't have long. Should I push another night? If I took Chance, I probably could. But why bother? I've got everything. He just wanted one more selfish night where no one hated him. That dream was so vivid. It wasn't even of the committing. He had seen everyone there, all his friends. Him in a tux and Frisky was in a nice dress. Everyone else was dressed beautifully . . . like it wasn't just a committing, but a marriage. Everyone smiled and waved and cheered, ignoring Frisky and Chance as they were viciously being pulled up by him to the altar. Screaming and blaming him for everything. 

That was too much. That was just too much. It was bad enough to think about how bad a committing was going to go. If anything screwed up, if anyone squealed, how in the world would she ever want to be . . . be with him? Dragged down the aisle. No, I can't think about that. That's not real. It'll be fine. Papyrus won't tell anyone. Toriel won't tell anyone. Alphys won't tell anyone. Undyne won't either.  None of them are going to go against me. No one else knows. But night after night of this thinking wasn't going to do him any good. Should he take another night? Should he just get it over with while it was safe? 

Because he was just lying there. Lying there for who knows how long. He fell asleep a couple of times, but he just had another nightmare again. The same kind. The same clothes. The same everything. 

Trying to hold on. To just hold onto this time, it was like . . . like living the same time over again. Even if the future wouldn't be as bright, he couldn't just stop time. It couldn't reset. Life moved on and . . . did I just hear a laugh downstairs? 

------------------------------------------- 

Chance woke up later that night, looking at his mom. She was always hugging him. It was even easier now because he was miniature. He understood that part, but there was more to it than that. Someone wasn’t telling him something. He was used to that, but there was something even bigger than the usual. His mini-size let him slowly wiggle away from his mom. It took a good twenty minutes though, too fast and she’d wake up. She had really fast reflexes.  

Once he was down, he looked toward the couch. Papyrus was keeping watch right now, which made this next part easy because when Sans’ brother slept, he slept. When Sans’ slept, he was a super light sleeper. Papyrus didn’t have that ability, and he watched them most of the night, so around 3 he finally fell into a really deep sleep, hunched over the couch.  

Chance already knew from his books that the answer wasn't going to be textbook. He pointed to his ball. Having nothing better to do, he had practiced when Papyrus hadn’t been looking. He did learn how to bring it up, just a tad. He could hold its position too, but he couldn’t make it go very high. He concentrated and when it got off the floor about an inch, he floated it slowly towards the door. He pointed towards the door handle.  

He’d never done two at once yet, but a handle was just a small scoot in a circular motion. He tried it and it was easy. Once the door was open, he drifted his ball away with him.   

Now, there had to be an answer to this secret somewhere.   

It took a little bit of searching, but he found something interesting. Books. There were books hiding behind a tiny bookshelf by curtains. Interesting books. There wasn’t anything inside that told him what everyone was hiding, but they were still fascinating. All kinds of neat facts.  

He was currently reading about the Underground’s History. Magic made the fighting systems. He knew a little about it from the human side, but it was the Monster’s source of magic that really blended the two together. Then there was information about Hotlands, the place that MK had told him about. Then there was some information about Snowdin, and he tried not to laugh when it said that ‘a constant source of Monster magic and hope keeps the snow coming’. This is so great! I never get to read so much. Look at everything that’s out in there in the world.   

“You just had to do that, didn’t you?”  

Sans! He lost his concentration and his ball dropped to the floor. Sans grabbed it and him. Busted. “Sorry! I wasn’t trying to escape or anything, I-“  

“Wanted to read.” Sans bent down and looked at the books. “Wanted to figure out what’s happening to you. You’ll be getting that answer soon enough. But, how about one bedtime story before I put you back to bed?”  

A bedtime story? Sans carried him to Papyrus’ room where he was supposed to be sleeping. Sans moved over toward the bookshelf and pulled out a different book. He brought him over to Papyrus’s bed and sat him in his lap. “All about Monsters: Skeletons?”   

“You’re a good reader for a six-year-old human,” Sans said as he ruffled his head. “How come?”  

“I just am, but it doesn’t really work like that with humans anymore. At least, not me and momma.”  

Sans opened the book. “What do you mean?”  

“Hmm. If you unlock my ball and chain, I’ll show you?” Chance asked. Sans took it off and Chance hopped off the bed. He moved across the room and closed his eyes. He pushed his hands in the air. Then flipped several times across the room. He walked back over to Sans. “My brain is like that.” He held his hands up in the air and pinched it. “Even though souls come and go, my brain just seems to hold onto some stuff.” He shrugged. “If I didn’t, I couldn’t read, or do that, or-!”  

He felt Sans pick him back up. “I think I get it,” Sans said.   

“I don’t really age when I’m asleep and there are souls in me. Neither does momma when she’s inside me. I could be 200 and I’d never know. Oh yeah, except my grandparents are still alive. At least that's what momma says.”  

“It’s fine, no worries.” Sans held the book up. “You want to read it?”  

“I thought I was getting the bedtime story?”   

“Well then, there's a chance you read the situation wrong.”   

Chance couldn’t help it as he smiled. Sans was cool. He liked to make puns like his mom, but it was genuine, not because he was trying to keep him in good spirits so his chances of his sanity staying intact was greater. He’d heard all kinds of jokes in his life off of albums and stuff too. Standard for conduit rooms.   

But Sans’ stuff, it wasn’t really the stuff he said. It was how he said it. Someone couldn’t help but smile, no matter what the joke was. He took turns reading with Sans and learned so much. He learned that Skeletons were closer to people than he thought. In fact, they kind of were people. They could have ears or hearts. They could even fully manifest themselves as a person. That explained why there were so many Skeletons that actually escaped capture all those thousands of years ago.   

Skeletons had to use a certain degree of magic to physically make any of it appear, so they only used it for hearing and other basic functions like seeing. In fact, they had the power to even get rid of their own bones, but that was suicide, because without bones, they no longer existed, and could not manifest themselves back. They were either some sort of invisible spirit for the rest of their lives, or they died. No one knew.  

"So . . . you get stuff when you really need it. Like, visualize it? Or . . ." Chance moved closer to the book, looking at the picture. "Or when you instinctively want something? It doesn't use any magic if it's something you really need?" 

"Yep. Doesn't happen very often. Mostly cravings. It usually takes not getting a really good burger after a week of the same homemade food." 

Homemade food was Sans way of saying Papyrus' spaghetti every single night for a week. "How come you still have your tongue? You've eaten different stuff by now, right?" 

"I don't know. It'll eventually go." Sans chuckled. "Maybe it's waiting for cake with catsup frosting." 

"Oh, momma's cake was good. I miss it." 

"Okay, thinking about that this late at night isn't good. Just, you got the basics though, right?" 

"Yep." 

"Good. And . . . without the physical, it doesn't mean you can't. You need to remember that. Real important." 

Why was that real important? 

"It's . . . with a Skeleton, it's just a little different. You've got to just keep exploring for a new way to feel and see. Just, like magic, you know? You don't physically see, but you magically see." Sans put his ball and chain back on and put him back in his room. It was up to him to sneak into his mom’s arms as Sans closed the door and went back to bed.  

Wriggling out was easier than wriggling in. Before he even made it back on the bed, his mother opened her eye and looked at him suspiciously. Oh, she is going to figure it out. “Frisk? What are you doing by the bed?” She picked him up and placed him back into bed. “It’s not going to do any good to try and escape. These balls are a lot denser than they look, okay? You can’t move far. Just, get some rest.”  

-----------------------------------  

Sans laid on Papyrus’ bed, staring up. I didn't even know he had some slight magic to control, and now he can already pick up his ball and chain?!  Couldn't I get a little break? One, tiny, measly break?  

He tried to close his eye sockets, block out reality just a bit, but it wasn’t going to work. He reached for his cell with the intentions of two important phone calls: Alphys and Undyne.  

It was time to get it done before any other Monster knew about Chance’s magic.  

-----------------------------  

Chapter Text

Frisky opened her eyes when she felt something happening to her leg. Papyrus was undoing the shackles? “What’s going on?” 

Frisk was getting his own shackle taken off too. 

“You were right last night. It was unbelievable to us, but it did happen. You convinced Undyne,” Papyrus said. “You’re free!” 

“Uh, hi?” Alphys was by the door. “Hey, Frisky.” 

Alphys was there too? She moved out of the bed with Chance. 

“I worked out almost everything for the transporter.” Alphys smiled nervously. "I wanted to surprise you."  

"That's wonderful." Not shocking, Alphys was a shy Monster but so smart. It looks like she figured out the technology after all. 

“A couple of kinks, but it’s almost ready. Then, you’ll be back to your full size this time," Alphys promised. She looked strangely toward Sans and Papyrus. "Sans said there was a second way, but it wouldn’t fix your size? So, you'd rather wait, right?” 

Yeah, by the Ruins. “I think we can wait for a few kinks," Frisky agreed. “Would it still be today?” 

“Yes. An hour so. Maybe three or four, tops?” Alphys laughed nervously. “Um, so, I . . . wanted to hang out. Enjoy some Hotlands? An MTT burger? Is that okay?” 

“Oh. Oh, the dinosaur lady!” Chance pulled on her harder. “Mom, the dinosaur lady! You promised!” 

Oh yeah. They did have a conversation about that recently last time they had some private time. Still, something wasn't clinking right. “Well, we aren't exactly the same anymore. Getting that close to Hotlands isn't an option." 

"Oh, I know! I made this for you two." Alphys pulled out a cream for her pocket. "Just keep replenishing it when your skin feels bad. Once we get into the lab, you should feel just fine. The kids haven't had a problem so far." 

"Hm?" 

"Oh? Oh! I mean, um. My . . . you! I mean you didn't have a problem. I mean you wouldn't have had a problem." Alphys wasn't acting right at all. "I mean, I have had kids in the past visit. Um, relation? Not my own, of course, you know, relation." 

"Okay." That's right, that is what was bugging me. I never met Alphys in this timeline. Sans had taken her before they met, yet, Alphys still seemed to know her. She was watching the cameras. Well, and Sans had to have shared a lot to get Alphys to work on the teleporter. Still, something is very wrong. It's obvious. Then again, Alphys would never seriously hurt her. The only time she did put her in peril, Alphys was always in control.  Well, until Mettaton. But, Frisk was staring her down. “I guess. I suppose you are ready, huh?” 

"Yes!" Frisk pulled his arm backward in victory. "I can finally meet him." 

“Uh?” Alphys shrugged. “I’m the only one there? What's he talking about?” 

“The lower levels,” Frisky added. 

“I still don’t understand,” Alphys asked again. 

“My dad is down there,” her son answered. 

Sans, Papyrus and Alphys all shared a look at the same time. That wasn't surprising. 

“Well, what’s left of them,” her son added. “I just . . . want to see.” 

“I’ll explain when we get there?” Frisky offered.  

“Uhhh . . . kay?” Alphys looked back towards Sans and Papyrus. “Then, are you ready?” 

“Alright, I am going to see Hotlands!” Chance darted out the room, with Frisky on his tail. 

“Uhh . . .” Alphys looked back toward Sans. “Uh?” 

Sans shared a look with Papyrus. “I don’t know.” He closed his eye sockets. “Probably lied to them. Nothing else new. Just, entertain them. Ready, Papyrus?" 

"Got it. I will head out in just a sec for all the materials. You?" 

"Got the papers, getting Undyne, and then heading to King Asgore's. Alphys, don't forget to keep your cell on," Sans warned her. "When I tell King Asgore, I am going to need the transparency taken off." 

"Yep, and um, there's something else? Chara is apparently, um, is extremely active. Extremely," Alphys said again. "As in she can go anywhere in the Underground now. She can't touch, you know? But everyone can see and hear her now." 

Whoah. "That's some power." 

"Yep. Uh, and apparently the human's barriers may have had a little more inside too? Like, she can use . . . lasers? But, she hasn't done anything but. Just something to keep in mind." 

"As long as she doesn't get too rambunctious."  

"And, um, and . . . apparently we can never, ever bring the barrier down. She said not even a second," Alphys warned him. "She was really adamant about it. She said that they are already watching it and looking for weaknesses above." 

"Of course, but they aren't gonna find it. Not with DETERMINATION behind it," Sans said. "Chance is a dangerous weapon. You haven't seen what he can do, and that was without magic. No one's getting him, no matter what. Better get going. Frisky's bound to have caught the kid by now. Probably waiting on you." 

"Right. No time to lose." 

---------------------------------------- 

“Do you know which one it is?” Chance asked as he jumped up to try and push the buttons. He was a little too short now, so Alphys pushed it, knowing the floor they wanted. 

“Not exactly. I think, a combination,” Frisky answered him. She looked toward Alphys. “I know what you’re thinking, but he’s always wanted to see where he came from.” 

“Y-yeah. Um.” Alphys watched the doors open as they approached. Chance darted forward to the rarely seen Gaster experiment. “All conduits come from . . . these?” 

“Yeah. Pretty much,” Frisky confessed. “Thousands of years ago they were secretly dragged to the surface. Experimented on.” She closed her eyes. “There was more to them than what you see now, and humanity was scared Gaster would unlock the truth. Of course, once humanity gets it's hands on something . . . experimentation always happens and the re-resets and conduits were created. Mankind never knows when to stop.” She sighed and looked toward her son as the creature told him about Gaster. “Bits and pieces, here and there. That's all that's left. It keeps a conduit safe though because they aren’t technically Monsters.” 

“Oh. Uh.” Alphys darted her eyes to the left. “That’s. All of them?” 

“Mmhm.” 

“Never . . . thought Chance was maybe a little more special?” 

"Alphys." Frisky looked straight toward her. “I know that everyone has taken to calling Frisk something different but me. There's a reason though, and . . .” She bit her lip. "I would really appreciate it if you stopped that. Please?" 

"Why?" Alphys pried. 

"Because she's going to get struck for every time someone used a different name than instructed down here," Chara's voice whispered in the air.  

"What?!" 

 
"Um?" Frisky stood up straight. "I would just really appreciate it if you would continue to call him Frisk. If you would like to call him something else, he can also be called 95451. That is his legal authentic identity while Frisk is his mission name." 

"Um. Sans never said-" 

"It made Frisk happy, and Sans wouldn't listen anyway." Frisky met her eyes. "He made it clear he didn't want to follow rules. Just, please? Will you please follow rules?" 

"Every offense?"  

"What?" Frisky moved slightly away from her. "I don't know what you are talking about." 

"Is . . ." Alphys cleared her throat. "Is it really worth leaving the Underground for that other world? It doesn't sound good, Frisky." 

"Good has nothing to do with it. I don't belong here, hence, I could never stay. I am only here on my mission orders," Frisky reminded her. "Besides, after some . . . additional mission mishaps are corrected, we will be freed." She smiled. "Free to live and pursue a normal civilian life." 

"She means when they've whipped her butt a thousand times for screwing with Itty Bitty's name and any other offenses they didn't think were required. They can't hear me though, so I can get away with it. Still, it's waaaaay better than what would have happened if she had failed without that little emergency that popped up." 

"What would have happened if you failed without a little emergency?" Alphys asked her. Frisky stiffed up completely. 

"None of that matters," Frisky said quickly. "Please stop being so intrusive." 

"Yeah. Even I don't want to go into the details of that one." 

Alphys eyes shot open. Chara had no problem saying anything. Frisky couldn't even hear her whispering in her ear. So, oh. It had to have been very terrible. Very, very terrible if Chara wouldn't go into it deeply. "Don't need really fine details. Just, general?" 

"Please stop being intrusive," Frisky answered back. 

"Frisky?" 

"What?!" For a moment, Frisky had an outburst. She stood straight up, taking her soldier position again. "Forgive me for my outburst. Once 95451 is done, we can continue on with the departure of Underground." 

“O-okay!” Alphys held her hands up. The more she pushed, the more Frisky started going into soldier mode. “I'm sorry. Forget I said anything at all.” She still watched Frisky though. Her soldier instinct completely took over. Maybe . . . maybe a commitment with Sans and Papyrus won't actually go as bad as we all think after all? Maybe. Maybe it doesn't even need to be hostile. "Just a quick question. Completely hypothetical. But, let's say that for some reason, Undyne had never let you go. And you had to stay in Snowdin for the rest of your life. Pretty much. I mean, what would you have done? Would it . . . would you have thought it to be bad?" 

Frisky gave her an odd look. "Alphys, are you okay?" 

"Yeah, just, you know. Just curious. Scientific brain, never stops working. Sorry, forget I said anything." Alphys looked around her. Tried to hear any whisper on the wind. Chara really wasn't going to talk at all. Or she was watching the human kids for her very intently, but there almost was no reason to. They never got into anything. They never did anything and seemed overjoyed with the few toys she could afford. They were clearly raised to be very, very obedient. 

If only she could feel comfortable enough letting Undyne meet them. Then, maybe Undyne could babysit sometime. Or, maybe they could watch them together. 

Frisk had stayed with the experiments for some time, going from room to room, and trying to get them to say something different, or to touch them without them disappearing. But, it didn't work. Finally, the little boy gave up. Frisk sighed as he walked up to his mom. “Okay. I guess, I met him. Technically.” 

“As technical as you can get,” Frisky said coming over toward him. “It’s alright. We are always happy as two. Aren’t we?” 

“Yeah.” He smiled at his mom and grabbed her hand. “You should tell Conner that more. He’s such a jerk.” 

“Uh, well?” Conner was a complete jerk, but there were far worse things. “Are you ready?” 

“Will they reappear again?” 

“On and off.” 

“Okay. I guess . . ." He shrugged. "I’m done.” 

“Hey, I know? When we get back on the ship, why don’t I buy you a great, big, gigantic sundae?” Frisky said as she bent down toward him. “With a cherry?” 

“And cream?” 

“And cream. And nuts. And chocolate chips.” She tugged on his sweater a little. “You’ll feel better when you have something that fits too.” 

“Are we going to have sandwiches for supper then?” he groaned. “Can we have maybe . . . enchiladas?” 

“Hmm. Maybe. We’ll see, okay? Haven’t been back in at least a few months. I need to do a lot of ordering. But, we can get that on the list, okay?” Still, he didn’t look very happy. “I’m sorry that your biological father is . . . not really there. I’ve told you many times, but I knew you wanted to see for yourself one day. This was as safe as it was going to get for you." 

Frisk was quiet. “I . . . I still want to stay with Sans and Papyrus though.” 

Oh, not this again. She tried to muster her best smile. “Frisk. You made me a promise.” 

Frisk groaned. “I know. A PACIFIST doesn’t break promises.” He kicked the ground. “I won’t throw a fit.” 

“And we are going to be free too. That extra battle, an emergency battle is worth more than you know.” She ruffled his head. “Come on. Let’s go home.” 

“A promise?” Alphys asked. “What promise was that?” 

“Oh, nothing big.” Frisky held her son's hand as they all went back to the elevator. “Frisk was getting very attached to the Underground, so, I promised if he was a good boy when we had to leave that I would let him see what biologically made him.” 

Then, Alphys felt her phone vibrate. She checked it and saw Sans message. He was ready to talk. “Oh. Okay. Can you give me just a few seconds to check on something too? Five minutes, tops. Just don’t move?”  

Frisky nodded. “We'll try not to move.” 

Alphys snuck over farther to a corner, away from view before she called. “Um. I guess all conduits and re-resets are derived of the Gaster experiments.” 

“Well. Humanity should have known better than to mess with that. It was their own fault.” 

“Yeah, it really serves them right,” Alphys agreed with Sans. “Um. Uh, except should I keep talking like that when I became friends with one? At least, okay, not all of them are evil. But, for the most of the rest, serves them right. So, are we ready?” 

“Almost. Waiting on you. You're getting your own today too, right?” 

“Yep. Especially now. Okay. Uh, Sans? There's something . . . Uh. N-nevermind.  I’ll bring them to your area and I’ll treat them to a burger like a-a last time kind of thing.” Alphys hung up and headed back to the elevator near them. “Okay, so, Grillby’s now?” She almost swore she saw a bit of resentment in Frisky for that. “Or not? A glamburger?” 

“Grillby’s!” the boy said happily. “I still have to say bye to Sans and Papyrus and MK! But, I won’t . . . make a fuss.” He bit his lip. “I’ll try to keep my promise. I promise.” He held up his hand. “A PACIFIST always keeps a promise.” 

------------------------------ 

This. Was. Weird. Frisky looked around herself. Everyone was staring at her again, but differently this time. They were being . . . welcomed. All around town, instead of just getting a polite smile at most, they were truly being greeted. Now that they were inside Grillby’s, the welcoming atmosphere became even stronger. 

“Hello!” 

“Hey there, welcome to Snowdin.” 

Alphys wasn’t meeting her gaze. “Alphys? Are the kinks worked out yet?” Frisky asked. She looked down and saw a Monster slap Frisk in a playful manner on his hand. “Why is everyone being so nice? Extra nice?” 

“Oh, um, just a minute.” Alphys answered her phone. “Oh, hey, Sans. We are . . . just going over by the bustling place in your town, Grillby’s. Um, and people are kind of greeting Frisk a lot. Oh. Oh, yeah, news travels fast it seems.” She looked over toward Frisky and spoke to her. “I’m going outside just a few minutes. Promise, almost ready to go, okay?” 

What news?  Okay, Frisky was used to being in the dark. Sometimes. But, this was getting ridiculous. The entire town seemed to know a secret that Alphys was trying to keep covered up. She was doubting more and more that she was going home. Why can’t I go home? Before she could even consider the possibilities though, she jerked her head straight as well as Frisk’s.  

No. They never came down. Ever. How? Why? She held her breath.  A Balancer. 

“That’s . . . disgusting,” she heard one of the locals say as they approached him. Frisky glanced out of the corner of her eye. He was carrying a human head. How in the-?! 

“Hey. What’s up with this place?” The monster asked as he sat down next to Frisky. He slammed the human head on the counter. “Hmm. Two choices, that's it? Fine, I guess fries?”  

Grillby was usually quick, but it took a matter of seconds for the fries to be scooted toward him. 

“Hey,” a Monster spoke up to him. “I’ve never seen you in Snowdin before.” 

“Huh? What the fuck is a Snowdin?” 

“Ugh. Language, please!” One of the Monsters complained to him. 

“Hm. You.” 

Frisky didn’t move her head, just her eyes. Nothing to entice him. 

“Hmmm.” He breathed in her hair. “You’re human but short. Real short. Little unique. Little cute.” 

Frisky nodded, acknowledging him, knowing she would be in more trouble just ignoring him. 

“Is that your young?” 

“Yes.” She moved Frisk’s head to stare straight forward again. “May I be of any assistance to you, Sir?” 

“Hm. Why would a mother be stupid enough to bring her young out?” Frisky watched his hand almost touch the top of Frisk’s head. “Small bones, tender meat. You’re lucky I already ate. If you care for it, you better keep it indoors from now on.” 

“Yes, Sir,” she answered back quickly. “Thank you for your extreme graciousness, Sir.” Screw Alphys, I have to get out of here. Now. She moved away from her chair, making sure Frisk was not facing him as they moved up. How is a Balancer here? How? How?!  

“Hang on, there.” The monster grabbed her arm. “I didn’t say you could leave little cutie. I just said I wasn’t hungry. Sit back down.” 

Frisky moved into the seat the same way, making sure Frisk’s face was forward. “Of course, how rude of me. I am sorry, I am a very stupid human.” 

“Yeah, I know, you things can't help your stupidity. Hm.” He popped a fry in his mouth. “Still can’t believe this. Never met a human stupid enough to put their young out here, in the open, on their own fucking lap.” He reached toward Frisk’s head. “I’m not hungry, but, I could still kill it. What would you do to keep me from snapping its neck?” 

“Hey, d-don’t talk like that to her!” A local Monster moved on the other side of Frisky. “You can’t talk to others like that.” 

 “Hey,” another local Monster said, coming over by the other one. “I agree. You can’t talk like that. Monsters shouldn’t kill each other.” 

“What do you mean?” The Balancer stood up. “I don’t get this. I go to work this way every day. Never even seen this place, and you’re all starting to freak me the fuck out.” He pushed a card toward Grillby, not understanding the GOLD system.  

Grillby just held his hand up and passed the card back. 

Frisky took a deep breath while the Monsters patted her shoulders, trying to comfort her. 

“Um, so, really close. I have to leave though with Papyrus for something. I'll be right back in an hour or so?” Alphys said as she came back in, but Frisky had had enough. “Frisky? Where are you going?” 

There was a Balancer and she could have lost her son. This was not safe. "I am going to the Inn," Frisky insisted, "and I will not leave it until we are absolutely ready. A Balancer almost killed Frisk, and I refuse to let that happen again. I will not come out until it is time to go." She picked up Frisk, got up and headed out.  

"Oh, really? I'm so sorry. Uh, here." Alphys handed her a spare cellphone. "Here, just in case then. I promise, it won't be long. Okay?" Frisky accepted it with a sigh and continued on her way. 

Walking towards the Inn though, Frisk started to moan in her arms. “Hm?” She looked toward him and felt his head. “Oh no, you're burning up.” I better go back toward the Ruins. Sans or Undyne has my MP, but it should sense I'm human after awhile. “Don’t worry, Frisk,” she said trying to comfort him. “In a few minutes, we’ll get you some medicine.” 

“Momma, where are you?" 

"Hm?" 

Chapter Text

The good news is that the pain in his stomach and eyes and head had all started to go away, but Chance couldn't seem to see anymore. He kept opening his eyes, but he couldn't see. What happened? "Momma, where are you?" 

"What do you mean, Frisk?" 

"I can't see you." He could feel himself in his mom's arms, but he couldn't see her. Nothing. No light at all. The whole world was dark. He kept blinking his eyes. "Mom, I can't see. I-I can't see!" 

"It's okay. Frisk? Hon'?" 

"Momma?" He felt around for her. He could feel her face, but he couldn't see. "Momma! Momma!" 

"I-it's okay, it's okay. I'll find some help, okay?" After a few minutes of walking though, things started to get worse. Frisk felt numb. "Momma?" 

"Huh?" 

"I feel numb. I can barely feel you." 

"What about now?" 

"Momma?" 

"I'm holding your hand, sweetie. Do you feel that?" 

Holding his hand? No. "Momma, I can't feel you holding my hand. I can't. I can't feel my hand. I can't even feel my hand! Momma? Momma?!" 

Nothing. "Momma?! Momma?!" He tried to kick and scream with all he had. He couldn't feel his mom. He couldn't hear her. He couldn't see! "Momma, help! Mommy! Momma?! Mooooooommm!!!" 

------------------------------------------------ 

"What a stupendously glorious day it is," King Asgore insisted as he looked at the small crowd around him. Sans just kept a level face. He figured the king would be a little thrilled with, you know, the sky. He and Alphys gave him most of the details, but was sure to leave out a couple of important bits. King Asgore had had a long and heartfelt speech along with Mettaton on TV about the situation, and everyone was basically dancing around. 

Except them. Which made it a little tough to gather the last bits. But, it was almost done. 

"Don't fret, Brother," Papyrus insisted. "Something tells me that Frisky will . . . w-will not hate us as much as you think. They'll have to live somewhere, and with her being human, I mean, no one would give her a job." 

"I know." Sans sentences were short and to the point. 

"And so, let's see." Asgore looked at his desk. "Two committings today, and it makes absolute sense why. Bless your heart Alphys for helping the little conduits." 

That was something else. Since the conduits were part of the experiment, and treated badly by the humans as well, Asgore was not considering them human. They were considered a 'different Monster'. Conduits. At least that would mean less scorn for them. 

"Okay, let's get you taken care of." 

"Oh, me first?" Alphys asked as she looked toward Sans. "Aren't you ready?" 

"You said Frisky's staying at the Inn because of some kind of Balancer thing?" Sans said. "It's fine. Papyrus is still trying to get the last part." He shrugged. "The sky coming out is making regular business run a little less smooth." 

"Okay." Alphys gestured for her two conduits to come forth toward Asgore. "Already signed and completed by Undyne the Undying." 

"Correct, King Asgore," Undyne said, although her voice sounded a little less enthused than usual with Alphys. "She's got all the necessary furniture, GOLD, shelter, and she can follow the humans dietary needs so it's chances of death are lower. She's taken care of the environment factors by vouching they won't leave without her, and she's got a special cream that keeps them from getting too warm." 

"Good, good. Sounds proper." King Asgore hummed as he took the paper. "You want to be the children's . . . Aunt?" 

"Yes, uh, I think mom's kind of . . . out of my league. Right now. Um . . ." Alphys fidgeted. "But I'll take care of them really well. And, it's nice to have someone around with me. Maybe I can even train them when they get older?"  

"Oh, you don't need any bonus credit like that, Alphys, you're my Royal Scientist. I just have to meet and look at the children. It's mandatory."  

Alphys moved her two children up. "I haven't picked names yet, but I will get on it. Undyne is putting in filler names for now?" 

"Yes, completely understand. Hello?" King Asgore addressed them. "Do you both speak Monster?" 

They nodded their heads. 

"Do you want to live with your 'Aunt Alphys'?" 

They nodded their heads again. 

"How old are you?" 

"Seven," they both said at the same time, still staying very straight like soldiers. 

"And I'm already buying them several toys and trying to interact to try and . . . I don't know the right word but . . . deprogram them?" She tried. 

"Yes, I see. It's alright, I think they'll be fine. It just takes time." King Asgore winked at them and signed her paper. "There, it's official. You are now 'Aunt Alphys' and you can take care of the children. No Monster can come and take them, you have the right in encounters to step in and take their place or help them without any kind of strike being noted against it. And, in the unfortunate case of murder, you have the right for just desserts if you come and see me. Meaning, of course, you have the right to pursue a kill vengeance on who killed them and no one in their family can come after you or claim anything against you through legal means."  

"Thanks, King Asgore." Alphys took her papers.  

"Next?" 

"That would be me," Sans piped up. "Just . . . waiting a bit." He looked toward the door. "Come on, Papyrus," he muttered.  

"I did an examination of the premises. It's fine," Undyne started anyway, getting them into the swing of things at least. "Proper bedding was added, proper dietician was fixed, and salaries and hours were upped and raised. They each are learning about human culture, survival, and . . ." She looked at her notes. "Ah." She whispered over toward him. "Sans the Skeleton is an emergency Royal Guard now. Papyrus the Skeleton is in training." 

"Oh. Well, that's good." King Asgore took her papers.  

"We have most of the clothes requirements," Sans insisted. "We even have shoes, socks, and coats. We are just waiting on a few sweaters, that's it." 

"Okay. Hmm." King Asgore looked over all the notes. "So you're committing a conduit and it's . . . human mother?" 

Sans shrugged and chuckled. "We took them as prisoners, but they've been good. We don't want to see them hurt, and with everything that happened. We wanted to make sure the kid was taken care of." 

"Oh yes, the human isn't going to be able to take care of itself or it's young, so that would make sense. That is truly a decent thing of you two, not every Monster would do that." 

"The mom might not be real pleased about it," Sans warned him. "If she says anything bad during her time to get this done, I apologize." 

"No, it's completely understandable. Just make sure you keep a close eye on her. Humans are not very welcomed. They have never been very welcomed, but now. Hmm. Well, let's just wait for this last item." 

"I am here, Brother!" Papyrus shouted as he took a shortcut right near Sans. "This is the last of the custom wear for the papers!" He groaned and looked toward Sans. "Getting the Temmie's back in gear wasn't easy. They were all shouting 'look at the sky, Temmie!,' it was very tough." 

"But, it's here." Almost done. 

"Great. Just set them down anywhere. The last thing I need is the woman and child. Oh, and what are you going to be considered?" King Asgore asked. 

"I will go with brother for the woman, Frisky, and Uncle for the boy, Chance," Papyrus finished.  

Sans was about to speak before feeling Alphys pull on the side of his coat. 

"Ummm . . . uhh . . ." She got closer to his skull but it was apparent something was wrong. "My social's blowing up all over the place! I didn't see it because I was first, but it's not good!" She handed Sans her cell phone. 

He looked down at the messages. 

ALPHYS, FRISK ISN'T FEELING WELL. 

ALPHYS: THAT'S OKAY. I WILL BE THERE SOON. 

SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH FRISK. I AM GOING TO GET SOME MEDICINE AND I WILL BE BACK. 

ALPHYS, I DON'T THINK MEDICINE WILL WORK. SOMETHING IS WRONG. 

ALPHYS, FRISK CAN'T SEE?  

ALPHYS, PLEASE TELL ME SOMEWHERE IN WHATEVER YOUR HIDING FROM ME THAT THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT? 

ALPHYS?  

ALPHYS, PLEASE ANSWER ASAP! FRISK HAS GONE NUMB, HE CAN'T FEEL MY HAND! 

ALPHYS! DAMN IT, ANSWER ME! 

HE WON'T QUIT SCREAMING. I AM GOING BACK TO THE INN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. IF THERE IS STILL A BALANCER DOWN HERE, IT WILL HEAR HIM AND TRY TO EAT HIM. 

ALPHYS, HE ISN'T SCREAMING. I DON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. I THINK HE'S DYING. HE WON'T ANSWER BACK. 

FRISK IS COLD. UNRESPONSIVE. HE HAS A PULSE, BUT I THINK HE'S DYING. ALPHYS. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. 

So close. They had been so close. 

"Brother?" Papyrus spoke up. "What do you want them to call you?" 

Sans handed the phone back. "We ran out of time." He looked toward Papyrus. "He's changing." 

"Who's changing?" King Asgore asked. 

Undyne looked away briefly and Alphys took her phone back. 

"I shouldn't have muted it. I'm sorry. Big day, I . . ." 

"Changing? Already?" Papyrus gestured for Alphys phone in a hurry and read the messages himself. "Oh. I see." No one spoke. 

No one spoke. 

King Asgore finally pried with a whisper to Undyne. "Undyne? What's going on?" 

Undyne looked toward them. "So, is this a committing or . . . something else?" 

Alphys took her phone back from Papyrus and brought it to Undyne. 

"Just . . . we just needed a tiny bit longer . . ." 

"It's alright, bro." Sans patted his back. "No biggie. They wouldn't like it either way. Let's just get this set up a little different now, and we'll go check on the kid. No prob. No big deal." 

"I'll go check on him," Papyrus insisted. "It's the least I can do for being late with the Temmies." 

"Don't feel bad, Pap. It wasn't your fault." 

"I should have rushed them even faster!" Papyrus stomped his foot. "No. I'll take care of it! The human can't, and we can't dawdle. Did you bring that emergency suit of yours?" 

"Yep." Very short. Very to the point. 

"Okay, um. Undyne?" Papyrus called to her while she was looking at the phone. "We're going to have to switch this, but I'll be back." 

---------------------------------------------- 

Frisky walked back and forth in the Snowed Inn room. She had stopped by Sans and Papyrus' but the door was locked. She called Alphys for advice, knowing that her genius must know what was going on. Alphys said she'd be over soon, but it had already been way too long. 

Frisky just rocked back and forth on the bed, trying to soothe him as he screamed, calling for her. "I'm here," she said over and over. "I'm right here, I swear, Frisk." What was wrong? But then, his screaming stopped, making her more frantic than ever. "Frisk? Honey? Sweetie?" No, no, no. She didn't even care about the punishment anymore. "Chance, honey, please say something!"  

A scream, a cry, a moan, anything. She kept the bed's blanket over him as his body grew cold. She watched him, but he was unresponsive. If it weren't for his pulse, she would be afraid he died. "Please. Please don't leave me. Please." Frisky couldn't help as her tears fell all over him. She was constantly redialing and texting Alphys. Where was she? Where was she?! 

"S-so . . . uhh . . ." 

"Papyrus?!" Frisky got up from the bed and ran over to him. "Please, please help! I-I can't figure out what's wrong with him! H-he's still got a heartbeat but only barely and-" 

Papyrus tried to shoosh her. "It's okay, he's okay! Let me see him." She handed him to Papyrus. "Okay." He patted his back as he tried to pat her too. "It's okay, he's not dying. He'll be fine." 

"His skin is so cold. I-I don't even know how he still has a pulse. I-I'm scared, Papyrus. Please help him?!" 

"Uuhh . . ." Papyrus looked at Chance. He wasn't doing so well with the change. He looked practically gone, like he had just been dusted, without the dusting. He didn't look alive at all. Frisky wasn't fairing much better. Ever since he knew her, she had always been in such good control. For the first time, she didn't look like she had control of the situation at all. 

Sans should have been here instead, but, his brother was going through his own thing too, and this was a rather simple matter. It's just that they were so close. Sooo close with getting away with it. No one would have known until after the fact. They could have all just been fairly agreeable roommates for life! And now? 

From the words on the phone to how Chance looked now, time was up. Even if they tried to, there was no way King Asgore would let it go through with Chance sick, and he wouldn't get better until . . . until he was a Skeleton. Which meant . . .  

Papyrus sighed. Come on. Hello, there? Hey? Um, it's The Great Papyrus! Come on, use some of that skill. Sans said you had a lot of skill. You were even using your magic really well, so just reach out that way. Please? Still nothing. Really, really. It's me, Papyrus! Don't make me get Sans to do this, he's um, having his own problems right now. Come on, a spark. A little spark anywhere? Hello? 

Frisky was staring at him still. "What's wrong with him? Do you know? Is . . . is he?" 

"He's, um." This wasn't good. Chance wasn't even trying to reach him. Papyrus just tried to smile at Frisky. This wasn't normal. Chance wasn't just taking the change slightly bad. If he couldn't reach out to him soon, there was no telling what would happen.

Skeletons were Skeletons. They were born Monsters, understanding magic. Chance was human and only recently learned magic. 

A human moving into Monster form had never happened before to his knowledge. Oh no. No, no, we took this too lightly! Papyrus placed his skull next to Chance's head. Maybe he needed something stimulating to shock him into communicating? Um. If you can hear me then you should know that I am actually your Uncle Papyrus. He wanted to save that reveal for Sans, but he was starting to feel his own sort of desperation. I'm your Uncle Papyrus. Sans is actually your dad! If you just snap out of this, then, you're going to live with us forever. No more people jumping in you! Safe and warm, cozy in Snowdin? You always liked Snowdin, right? So, please? Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Come on! Pleeeeeeaasse?! Nothing. Nothing, no response at all.  

Desperation was setting in more. What was he supposed to do?! Please, please snap out of this? You are worrying your mother. She thinks you're dying. So. Let's not . . . die? Dying's not good. It's really not, it's much better to live. So, live. Live, please!  

He felt Frisky's hand on his bony arm. He looked around himself and saw his magic surrounding himself and Chance. He was putting everything he could into trying to communicate and he wasn't getting anywhere. If Chance didn't learn how to reach out, if he didn't learn how to settle down and use his own magic before his pulsing heart stopped, then the transformation would never complete. It would be like a bird jumping out of a nest and dying from the fall because it didn't learn how to fly. "I have to get Sans." He gave Chance back. "I'll be right back, I promise. Just don't jump in, whatever you do." 

"I can't. I tried that a long time ago to try and help him," she said. "I-I can't do anything. I can't do anything!" 

"I'll be right back. Right backy back, right back!"  

--------------------------- 

Flowey watched through the stained windows of the castle. I don't care. I don't care. What am I doing here? What is happening to me? He looked up toward the sky. It was nice to see it. I don't care. I don't want to care. I don't want to care. Because caring equaled heartbreak. He didn't want heartbreak. He didn't need heartbreak. I don't care. He watched Sans as he tried to tie a black bow tie around his neckbone. All in a white suit, with a little black bow tie. A familiar sight, but his expression wasn't the same. He looked like he was going to a final battle that he couldn't win. He looked like he was hopelessly trying to fight FRISK again. Downtrodden and just going with the motions. 

That’s . . . not how it was before . . . 

---------------------------------------------------- 

Flowey's Memories . . .

"I can't get this dang thing," Sans said. "A little help?" 

"Absolutely!" Papyrus was thrilled as he came over and tied his bowtie. "So, how are you doing?" 

"I can't tie a bowtie. Good thing this isn't a prerequisite," Sans chuckled. "Of course, after surveying the situation, I don't think it's that bad." He moved around the corner, and yanked someone straight over to him. "I had Faith you'd show up." 

"No, no, not the puns on your wedding day!" Papyrus groaned as he rushed over to them. "Faith, you really need to make it clear to him not to get too punny. He gets really punny when he's happy, and this is . . . well, probably the happiest day of his life and-Ooh! Oh no, the refreshments! I haven't poured the refreshments yet!" 

"Chill, bro. We'll be fine. Gaster and the others aren't even here yet," Sans insisted. "It's early. Relax. Boy, I thought I would be bad getting dragged around by my ball and chain today."

Faith sighed. "You know . . ." She rubbed her shoulders. "I still feel bad about this?" 

"Oh not this again." Sans patted her shoulder. "Don't worry so much. It's not the same as in your world, okay? If I didn't believe you weren't right . . ." He pulled her closer. "I never would have gave my Faith a Chance." 

"But this is so risky," Faith insisted. "Sans, really. I . . . not many humans have really been born down in the Underground. To my knowledge, no human or Monster has ever even been married down here." 

"Never cared much about rules, why start now?" He insisted. "Come on, let's go help Papyrus with the refreshments before he blows a fuse. I know he's the Best Man for the job, but even they need a little help." 

"Uh, yeah. But . . ."  She gripped onto the bottom of his tux. "I just, this isn't allowed. Why am I allowed?" She bit her lip. "They seemed very happy. Very, very happy about it."

"That's a bad thing?" Sans groaned as he spun her around once. "Have some faith, Faith. I know he wasn't planned, but Chance isn't going to be a bad thing. Seriously, another Monster Underground is always a great thing." He came over and pretended to knock on her tummy. "No one can answer, but I know someone's there." He stood back up. "Not hard  for anyone to miss my Mrs. You're getting really round these days. Oh, and hey? Queen Toriel wanted to have a word with you. I think she wants to talk about our kid playing with Princess Chara or something. Human bonding."

"Yes." Faith gulped and cleared her throat. "That'd probably be fine. But . . ."

"What's up?" 

"Well, it's that flower again . . ." 

---------------------------------------------- 

I don't care. I don't care. I can't do anything anyhow! He doesn't remember, no one remembers! No one ever remembers! Flowey shouted to himself. I gave Smiley Trashbag plenty of hints. It's been sitting in front of him for days already. What part of there's been almost 4,000 resets and FRISK was only 892 and . . . well, I suppose back then. She didn't have that mission name? Guess I could have said something differently. Oh, why . . . why am I starting . . . h-he wouldn't care anyhow! Different timelines don't matter, pointless, ah his favorite phrases! 

Flowey pulled himself back into the ground and rummaged around his MP's. His personal collection over all the resets. His best prized one though wasn't in his hands. It was in Sans. Still, the others always held information, and there was never any telling when one would come in handy. Unfortunately, even they wouldn't be able to retell the story correctly. And, he didn't want to. That wasn't him. 

And even if he did, why would they believe him? He was a manipulative flower! That was Flowey. That was him. Oh, I don't want to care. I don't want to care . . . 

Alas, that Smiley Trashbag missed one important thing about timelines being pointless. They were only pointless, if everything stayed in the timeline . . . 

 . . . and nothing wasn't yanked away, from the Underground itself. 

Chapter Text

"Saaaaans!?" 

Sans sighed. "Did you get him helped out?" 

"Sans, no. I can't reach him." 

Really? Sans went back to trying to get the bow tie on. "Seriously not that hard, Pap." 

"I know it shouldn't be. Reach out with magic," Papyrus answered. "But, you're not getting it. I put everything I could into it, and I couldn't even hear a distant voice." 

Sans turned. "What?" 

"I'm saying if we don't figure out something right now, there won't be a need for a wedding because he'll be dead!" Papyrus said firmly. "I'm sorry, Sans, but you're going to have get in gear and help me figure this out!" 

Sans took the tie off. "Pulse?" 

"Barely. The skin is ice cold, it's changing blue. His eyes aren't moving, except for involuntary movement." Papyrus grabbed his skull. "I don't know what else to do. I used everything I had." 

Sans nodded. "Okay, we'll try combining magic. That should wake him up." 

--------------------------------------- 

Frisky didn't even question the change in Sans' clothes, if she even noticed as she held Chance so tightly against her.  

"Okay, let's try this again." Papyrus took Chance from Frisky and placed him between him and Sans.  

Papyrus poured all the magic into it at the beginning, the room was practically covered in an orange light.  

Sans added his own, lightly at first. So, Chance. Buddy.  Hey, you really need to come out and see us? Come on. You lifted a big ball before, this is easy. Let go. Just, do what feels natural. Nothing. Remember what we read about Skeletons? This is it, right here. You've just got to reach out. Find a different way to do it. You can reach out your magic to a ball, you can reach out from this body to us. Still nothing. He put more magic behind it. Come on. You're scaring the heck out of your mom. Papyrus too. Let's not make this tough, kid. Let's go. Nothing.  

Papyrus was not kidding. There was a good chance he was going to lose him! He didn't want to overcome him with his power, he had a lot, but he needed to turn up the magic faster. Come on, kid. Come on! Why aren't you saying something? You've got to spread your wings and fly, pal. Let's go, it's time to do actual magic in front of us. Seriously. He pushed even more magic in, the room now dominated from orange to blue. Chance, you have to do this! Be brave, trust your ol' Buddy Sans! This body you're in, it's dead. You're not dead, just it. Sort of. Kid, this is just like a cocoon now. It's time to come out of it, time to become your real self! You're a Monster! He poured even more magic into him, pushing it so much farther this time. Not a sound. Not a dent. Chance was so wrapped up, he couldn't even hear them. Wake up, reality's calling! You're going to die if you don't try something! Buddy, Pal, Chum, do something, I'm begging ya! 

Nothing. Okay, fine! Not the way I wanted to do this but it's time you know. You're my kid, not one of Gaster's experiments. Mine, okay? You're mom and you, you're going to come live forever with me and Papyrus. Happy ever after! Remember, hey? You always said you wanted to do that? Dream come true! Just for you! Just wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP!  

But, it wasn't working. Why wasn't it working? Above all the roaring magic, Sans heard a strangled voice. A voice that was trying to be heard from outside. There weren't any windows, making it hard to hear. It was saying something strange. About faith. 

"It's Not Going To Work If You Don't Have Faith! Smiley Trashbag, Stop Being An Idiot!" 

Faith. What did he mean by faith? He was pouring everything he could into waking him up. 

"Just Join Frisky You Moron!" 

Frisky? Sans looked over toward Frisky, hovering over them. Oh yeah. Kid Skeletons sometimes went too far in other directions when they 'played' and their parents brought them back. Maybe, but he didn't want to risk losing his grip on Chance. What if the loss of magic suddenly was too much for him? "Frisky, I need your hand!" He grabbed it and brought her closer. "I know you're always scared of my magic! I know Judgment Hall is always going to be painful, but you're going to have to be close to the magic for him! Okay?!" 

Frisky nodded and pulled herself closer to Sans. "What's going on, what's wrong with him?!" 

"Just try and hold him, try and talk to him!" He had to be honest though. "He might not make it, Frisky, so make it count!" 

"He has to make it! I have the DETERMINATION to make sure he makes it! I can't lose him, Sans! No, no, I have to have faith!" She held onto him tightly, as Sans wrapped his arms around her. The magic coursing in that room was probably flowing out of the Inn by now in massive amounts. "I've never seen this happen to a conduit! None of this makes sense!" 

"Frisky!" Sans looked toward the boy and her. "He's not just a conduit! His father isn't Gaster's experiments!" 

Papyrus was still trying to hang on to. "Come on, Chance! Come on, you can do it!" 

 " . . . . . . . . . huuh?" 

Sans pulled his magic back as Chance started to wiggled his fingers. 

"Uhh?" Chance started to open his eyes. "What happened?" 

"Frisk!" Frisky wrapped him in the biggest hug and started kissing him. "You're okay? Are you okay?" 

Not a Skeleton. He wasn't a Skeleton? His fleshy hue was back, his eyes were open. He seemed fine. Absolutely fine. "You remember anything?" Sans asked him. 

"I remember . . . I remember hearing some blurry voices . . ." Chance hugged his mom back. "I remember I couldn't feel you and I was crying, and then it all just went away, like I fell asleep." 

"All just went away? No, are you kidding us?!" Papyrus practically shouted at the boy. He turned toward Sans. "Did you hear him?!" 

"Yep." 

"Do you know what that means?" 

"Yep." Getting upset over it wasn't going to help things. But, wait. That close call means he's still able to speak, and he's still human? "Papyrus, I need you to get back over there and see if anyone spilled anything." 

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes! Right away!"  

"What in the world happened?" Frisky was staring intently at him. Sans just . . . kind of smirked.  

"Nobody knows anything!" Papyrus shouted, returning instantly again. "I told them not to say anything to anyone, and King Asgore looked very confused. So." He stuck both his thumb bones up in the air. "We are still fine!" He looked toward Chance. "In a manner of speaking. Ugh! All that effort! I feel sooo drained, and it was for nothing." 

"We couldn't tell. Don't stress," Sans insisted. "It'll be fine. Remember who this kid's supposed to be." 

"A conduit?" Frisky questioned. "Okay, please. Somebody tell me what's going on now? Balancers are in the Underground. Alphys left me hanging. Chance almost died!" 

"Chance was fine," Papyrus said, almost indecently. "Fine the entire time, he bottomed out." 

"Pap, I'll take care of it." Sans moved away, trying to refix the door on the Inn room. "At least we know we've got a few days before anything else happens with him." 

"We didn't even need to use magic! I feel so, so, used!" Papyrus covered the front of his skull.  

"What's wrong, Papyrus?" Chance asked him before grabbing at his stomach. "Uh. Oww . . ." 

"Oh. Oh, yeah. I suppose I should have been watching for that sign too?" Papyrus groaned. "Well, I've never had to deal with it. Everyone is different, how was I supposed to know?" 

"You weren't. I didn't see it either." Sans could not blame Papyrus at all. If they had been wrong, even a little of Pap's magic would have started to leave damage, and he would have figured it out very quickly. All Chance needed though, was just a little soul healing from his mom and dad. Nothing that even involved a healer, just close touch. No wonder Flowey was calling him a Moron, he was pushing all of his power through Chance.

Yet, that kid's body didn't take a single amount of damage at all. It was like water falling off.  

Damn. Massively dangerous six year old. 

The change wasn't going to be easy on him, and Sans would have to have a way more serious dialogue about it. Now, he'd be going through a sick phase. Probably. Every Skeleton kid was different when they grew up, but some of them actually 'bottomed out'. It meant that their mom and dad just needed to be near them when they 'played' too much in the wrong direction of their magic. After that, they usually snapped out of it.  

But, now that that was over, it was time to get back to business. "OK, Papyrus, you go and take care of Chance. I'll explain things to Frisky." No more holding back. "Pretty sure she's been waiting for that explanation." 

Once Sans fixed the door again, he looked toward Frisky. 

It was time. And he knew that the only way to make FRISK listen, wasn't going to be easy. It was more than just a ball and chain thing. Frisky could jump out a window, or try to run, or try to shout something out that she shouldn't if he took it too easy.  

He thought about it at first. Frisky wasn't too bad to get along with, but, he kept thinking about how far she always pushed in the past. One wrong move, and his good fortune that just popped back up? Was toast.  “No puzzle to figure out.” Sans moved around the room. “No exploration. No teleporting. No team members. None of that’s going to help.” He turned around, held his arm up and he had a dangerous glowing eye.  

As he pulled her into an encounter. 

Frisky immediately went on guard as she looked at her board to see what was going on. Her options were TALK, COMMIT. Commit? Why does he want to commit to me? DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “What are you doing?”  

“Telling you news. Sorry, but I’m not playing by the rules of the board again. I’ve never had to. Of course, you always knew that.” Sans snapped his fingers and blue bones were on the sides of him. “This is bad news, and in the past when situations got too tough FRISK always called for someone else to help. So, I’ve got to do this right.” He squeezed his hand, making Frisky get so heavy she almost fell to the floor. “Toriel knows. Papyrus knows. Alphys knows. Undyne knows. Just about everyone you met in this timeline, so no one’s going to come to help you.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “Help with what?” she asked softly, yet still trying to move higher against his magic.  

“Chance's dad isn’t some or parts of Gaster's experiment. It’s actually this guy you’re talking to right now.”  

Frisky got heavier, moving closer to the floor again.  

“He’s part Skeleton Monster. What just happened is because he's changing into a Skeleton, but it’s a lot better than the alternative. Monsters aren’t like humans, we have different rules. You are not the whole FRISK anymore, and I know you, so don’t try anything.”  

Frisky moved up a little more. More DETERMINATION.  

“Don’t try to go back up with him,” Sans explained. “Your ships are gone. You two are going to stay with Papyrus and I. Trust me, Frisky, this is the best way.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “Sans, what do you mean?” Frisky requested, moving up even a little more. “The ships are always there. They are always watching.”  

He aimed his bones directly at her. “I went up, revealed the sky, they were all shot down, and I set us back into motion shift. There’s no way to escape the Underground.  We have our own barrier. Only Monsters can leave now.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “What?!” Frisky really started to fight back against the magic. “What do you mean you destroyed them all? E-even if you did take it into motion shift, surely someone would be here? Y-you didn’t . . .”  

“I had five minutes,” Sans said clearly. “I had to take that chance. Sorry, Frisky. I saved the conduits and PACIFISTS. Toriel and Alphys are taking care of the kids, and the PACIFISTS might be here or not. I didn’t have much time to guide them.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “Everyone else?”  

“Gone.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “But there were a bunch of people!”  

“It’s over. It’s done with. You are lucky I saved any of them.” His voice became so heavy again. “Our life was a game to them. Not just the Underground, but us. They made a kid. A kid between us. For no other intention than to make me strike him!”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “No.” Frisky shook her head. “We were here to bring the truth to the Monsters.”  

“You were here to create a weapon to destroy the Balancers. They used you and lied to you too.” He let up on his magic a little. “Everything was a lie. None of it had a purpose. We. We were all just toys.”   

Frisky was sinking lower, but more on her own this time.  

“Papyrus’ life. My life. My emotions. It was all just . . . a game."

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “I . . .” She was at a loss for words. “I don’t get it.”  

“You wouldn’t,” Sans assured her. “Just think of him like a match. They tried to make a Monster-Human conduit but they kept lighting up and killing themselves. They left him unlit until he got older. Then . . . I was the spark.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “But . . . e-even if it is true . . .” She was slowly coming around to the truth. “If they wanted some kind of weird absorbing thing to happen, why would they have to make you the father?”  

“Paternal. Monster power. Absorption level. It’s technical,” Sans settled on. “So, that’s that. They get him, they win. He'll wipe out Balancers, Monsters, and anything else that exists that humans decide they don't like.”   

Frisky moved higher almost standing up. DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “I could have found a different alliance, one that works closer with Balancers. I can change my teleportation area.”  

“No.”  

DETERMINATION: ACT: Talk. “There are different factions involved in my world,” Frisky tried again. “Treaties. Contracts. I promise, I wouldn’t put him in danger, and I can establish-“  

“-nope-“  

“-visits to the Underground-“  

“-uh uh-“  

“-As much as possible. Will you even let me finish my talk in my own turn?”   

“No. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nothing.” Sans shook his skull slowly. “No way, Frisky. Papyrus and I are committing to you two.”  

Frisky let herself move to the floor, her training and experiences kicking in, in full mode. The only thing she could do . . . was crawl beneath the bed. Under the darkness of the bed, her head started to play back so much. There was just so much . . .  

///Frisky sighed as she looked at her course. "PACIFIST?" That wasn't what she wanted. She couldn't risk being able to just learn to talk out her problems when they started to send them out.  

"Uh, hey?" A girl next to her asked. "Hey, you okay?"  

Frisky waited for the Balancer trainer to turn his back before she bent toward her and spoke. "I wanted NEUTRALIST. I'm not in any condition to be PACIFIST."  

"Why?"  

"I failed my last mission," Frisky informed her. She moved her baby out of the way of her stomach.  

"Yeah, I figured. That or you were fat. Baby in and baby out at the same time. That sucks. Always accomplish a mission, no matter what."  

The Balancer was still turned around.  

"How far along are you?"  

"I don't know, I've got a total mindwipe. I feel like a rookie," Frisky admitted. "I don't remember any of this soldier training at all. I don't know anything about the baby I'm holding in my hands or the one in my stomach. I'm back at square one." She straightened up when the Balancer came her way and waited for it to leave.   

"Oh no, that's bad." The girl looked around the room. "Do you know which guy or guys?"  

"I have the number 04823 but that's it. Total mindwipe reset." 

"Good, 'cause that would have been hard. If you find the guy that matches that number, I will kill him for you. Guys are scum. Most anyway. So what all do you remember?" 

"Just the last two days of classes. Do you know me?"  

"No. We get separated out pretty quick so we don't make friends. Only allies until we get through training and to our ships." The girl waited for her back to turn. "I'm 36320. KINDNESS. You?"  

"Um." Frisky waited a few minutes before the Balancer was further away again. "45952, or um, 96452?"   

"Talking during training."  

Oh no. What was she supposed to do? "Sorry, Sir? I-I just had a question."  

He didn't look satisfied with that answer. "Authentication?"  

"Um." Shoot. "I forgot."  

"You forgot?"  

"I'm new."  

"I'm new. Well, you're not "I'm new." Your number is you. It's only you. You forget your number, you forget your own existence."  

"Sorry."  

"Is that what you are choosing to resolve this situation with? A simple 'sorry'? Is that the right action? I asked you your number, and you don't know it. Is sorry the action that I am wanting from you?"  

"I-I"  

"Lowest score on the last test. 2910458."   

Frisky watched him pull out a weapon, aim it toward a classmate, and shoot.  

"Your name is 95452. Say it!"  

"95452!"  

"Stand up!"  

Frisky stood up.  

"I don't care if you're mind wiped from a failed mission. I don't care if you're caring a stupid re-reset or a conduit. I don't care, you have no protection. Consider this the only warning you get. Now, what is your number?"  

"95452, Sir!"  

"Great. Shout it a thousand times before I finish the lecture and you live. And don't worry, I'm a Balancer, keeping count is easy for me. And the weapon is just a kindness for class. Don't make the deadline, and I'll just eat you for lunch." He opened his mouth and his teeth glinted. "Class ends soon though, and I've only got a lousy sandwich my wife made, so better get started because a three course meal sounds much better."  

"95452! 95452! 95452! 95452!"///  

Life was cruel. It was cruel. How could she have made it through everything, only to end up there? Underneath the bed. Dark and small. To think about the right action. Once again.  

/////"Wrong, try again! Reason it out!"  

Frisky looked around the training facility. Swamp Balancers. Right action. Right action. What was the right action? She hadn't trained for them yet. "Ask if I can swim with them?"  

"Wrong!" She was thrown into a small hole, not much bigger than herself. Her eyes darted back and forth. It was out of her training level, but she was now in the hole. If she didn't think fast, someone would shoot her right there and drag her carcass out. "Mercy, flee!"  

"Correct. They will kill you. There is no reasoning with a Swamp Balancer."/////////  

///Frisky opened her assigned side again. "GENOCIDE?" She didn't want to train for genocide. She looked at 36320.  She put the paper to the corner of her area. Learning TERMINATOR was hard enough to do, but GENOCIDE? It was cruel, no matter where she would be sent out for training. Killing everything in the area with no mercy. Sickening, and she didn't want to do it.   

"They change you all the time until you get more advanced," 36320 warned her. "Don't worry. I'm GENOCIDE too, so I'll help out your area. Stick with me, and I will get you through. I promise."///////  

So many new soldiers with no choice. Those in training. Dead. All dead. Because Sans assumed they were all bad. Even the Pacifists could be bad if they were just in training. Everyone. Anyone in training, just a luck of a draw. 

/////NEUTRALIST. "Dangit." She would forever be neutral?  Frisky knew she should be happy not becoming a GENOCIDER or TERMINATOR, but permanent NEUTRALIST? Her son would be stuck using his body in some horrible missions. She looked toward the side of her. 36320 was sitting somewhere else now. Every once in awhile, she switched cards. It was risky doing so each time, and even though she wasn't the most pleasant person, she was always there for her, willing to take the fall if they got caught.  

Repercussions wouldn't mean being eaten though, their trainer was a human today. Just as vicious, but at least a bullet to the head wasn't the same as being eaten alive.  

According to records she had three mindwipes, two failed pregnancies and her conduit boy she loved. She'd be DAMNED if she was going to screw up again. Pairing often with 36320, she had honed her strategies and moves. She started to follow the lead of two excellent guys in her class. By the end of that year, she was scoring excellent in all the training exercises, missions, and was even declared the top in the class for DETERMINATION now.  

But, that was why she was getting NEUTRALIST, which she didn't want. She needed PACIFIST if she was going to keep her boy sane and alive. Unfortunately, there was another girl sitting next to her. It would be tricky, but Frisky had gotten very good at ACT.  There could be three results from what she would do. There was no time to mess around though.  

She held her boy close to her. "Shoot," she muttered, high enough for the girl to hear. "This is horrible. My poor little boy, I don't see how we are going to survive with this card. We'll be stuck in the toughest of missions." She rocked 95451 on her lap and kissed the top of his head. "There's no way you can survive GENOCIDE and still keep your mind."  

The lie worked. 

The girl tossed her card over toward Frisky haphazardly, pretending it was an accident. She picked up Frisky's card on the table. Either she was PACIFIST or NEUTRAL to have such a kind heart. A GENOCIDER or TERMINATOR wouldn't have gone for the ploy. Frisky immediately took the card, flipped it over, and wrote her identification number at the top.  

The girl was in the process of doing the same when her arm had been grabbed.  

"No trying to switch cards!" The trainer glared at Frisky and looked at her card. Her number was on it. He looked toward the girl. Her number wasn't quite on it. He picked her up with his massive hand and looked toward Frisky. "I don't know if you switched cards."  

"I didn't," Frisky lied, holding her son tighter.  

"I hope not because I wouldn't want to sleep at night with what you did, if you did." He held the girl up higher. "This is 95450. Your biological sister." He snapped her neck and she fell to the ground. "Good call though, with chops like those, you're going to make one hell of a soldier. Maybe you'll even get to teach classes one day." He picked her MP off the floor. "Here. The least I can do is let you see anything left of her." He winked at her creepily.  

Frisky stared blankly as the MP was tossed her way. Her . . . sister?   

"Never assume a human is going to be any kinder," someone said from behind her. "If they make it to this level, they're more rotten than the Balancers. They don't get any worse than 04823."///  

---------------------------------------  

She heard Sans call to her, telling her that she better not try to run out the door or get away again. Is it really . . . over?   

Then she felt something on her foot. A familiar feeling, and she felt herself being dragged out of her hole with Sans' powerful magic. Almost freedom. Almost. They'd eventually find a way through. They always did. There was too much DETERMINATION to escape forever, and when they did? When they saw where she was, living peacefully with Sans and Papyrus? Almost free! Almost citizenship!   

Almost didn't cut it though. As confused, torn, and out of it as she felt it never stopped a battle. And that's what it was, a battle. A battle to make her bend to his will.   

Bending. Bending to someone's will. At least when she was FRISK, she had more say. She could do more things. With Friskarino and Farrisk, their knowledge and their skill alone, she felt like she could take on the world. All those months of that power made her even believe that she was more than she had been. She could go through anything. Climb any mountain. Pass any battle. But it was all just one gigantic ACT.  

And feeling Sans powers against her was just another reality reminder of where she was heading to afterwards. When they found her. When they caught her. She had gained her freedom with that emergency mission, but if she went willingly through this, they would see. They would know. And any chance of freedom would be gone. Frisk would be taken from her, and she would be handed back to 04823 with another mindwipe reset. And all over again. And all over again!  

But, if she rebelled against them, then Sans and Papyrus wouldn't have a happy life either. And as much as her ship and the many innocent deaths affected her, and all the deaths that would or had occurred because of his actions . . . I can't hurt him. Even if I could, I could never do that. I'd rather die. 

She couldn't yell or scream, or make it rough on them. But, she couldn't just go and live peacefully either. An agreeable soldier. That was her best option.  

Maybe I should just give up on the idea of freedom and finally just go to Conner when this is all over. My DETERMINATION, it's just worn so thin now. 

No talk. No scream. No yell. No blame. No voice.   

ACT: COMMIT  

Chapter Text

Flowey groaned as he watched through the stained-glass window. 'Frisky' in a ball and chain. Really? That idiot is such a moron! Gaahhh! There they were, same place. Same position. Different ceremony, with a twist that was just halfway stupid. "He's so stuuuuuupid!" 

Then help him out.  

"What?!" Flowey curled himself under his own stems as he saw her. "Ch-chara?" 

"See? See why you should have gone through with it?" Chara stood next to him, right outside the window. "Look. See? The FRISKS. My Itty Bitty. None of them would exist in this world where it was better to die than to live. If we had wiped humanity out back then, they would have never been born and suffered this way. If you had done it right, it would have all ended. Conduits, re-resets, and Balancers. I mean, the horrible thing about Balancers is the human side." 

Flowey didn't respond. 

"What's wrong? Think I'm gonna kill ya? Should I? For bringing this all on us?" Chara just laughed at him. "I wouldn't do that. I've got something in mind later for you. So, how sick and twisted is this? I'm waiting to hear him say it. Did he say it yet? Did he say he was going to be her brother?" 

"No," Flowey said weakly. "Chara, what um, are you doing-?" 

"I'm not alive, idiot." Chara laughed. "I'm attached to the new barrier. That things got a lot of power and it's using a lot of my DETERMINATION too. Awesome, huh?" She lifted her arms. "I even gave myself a fake form like my old self. It's nice. It doesn't do anything, but I feel better. Hear that? I feel. Do you feel yet? Do you feel any caring?" 

Flowey made a cringed face. 

"Yeah, I thought so." Chara disappeared but her voice was still around. "Don't worry. I've got one more test for her. This isn't over yet, and this time? It'll end better. It'll end a thousand times better. If she passes it." 

"I don't care how it ends," Flowey hissed after a minute of her voice being done. "I don't care. It's more awkward than caring." Still . . . a part of him hoped she was right. Better than last time would be good. 

--------------------------------------- 

Flowey's Memories . . .

"Hey," Sans patted Tahoe's back. "Papyrus could use some help with refreshments too. A lot of the Royal Family is here. This part human thing is a really big deal." 

Tahoe turned around and just stared at him. "You're a really big idiot. But, it doesn't matter. It's all pointless." 

"Uuh. Kay?" Sans scratched his skull. "Could you try and be happy on my wedding day?" 

"Maybe on the next one. Where's the brewski's?" 

"What?" Sans groaned. "Hey, Tahoe, you better be good today. Faith is nervous enough already." 

"She probably is. What else is new. What else is ever new?" Tahoe turned away. "If I were you, I wouldn't let Princess Chara get so close to her. But you know, whatever. Probably doesn't really matter. Just a suggestion." 

"That Skeleton sometimes." Sans shoved his hands into the pockets on his white tux. He looked over on the other side where Princess Chara bounded in. 

Flowey looked over at Tahoe, staring back at him through the stained windows.  

"Homesick?" Tahoe teased him. "Guess they didn't care about making any room for you in this dumb version, did they?" 

"They didn't make room for her either and you dang well know it," Flowey growled at him.  

"Whatever. Humans do what they want, and we just deal with it." Tahoe leaned against the stained windows. "You could do something you know." 

"I can't take on a conduit. Nobody can take on a conduit," Flowey complained. "Just let CHARA do what she needs to. It'll be over and done with." 

"Nothing's ever over and done with," Tahoe complained. "It just loops, over and over." 

"Not this time. My sources say . . . this timeline option won't last much longer." Flowey looked back toward him. "Something wicked this way comes. Have you heard that before? Chara. The real Chara. She used to say that." 

"Shut up. It's coming." 

Princess Chara greeted Sans with a curtsy. "Hello Mister Groom. I hugged your wife earlier. I was wondering if I could see your baby now?" 

"Uh, you can't yet," Sans answered here. "It's still in my Faith's tummy. That's why she was so round, kid." 

"Oh. Where is your new will be wife lady?" Princess Chara smiled. 

"Uh? Not far. Didn't you just say you hugged her?" Sans bent down towards her. "You okay, kid? You look kind of funny. Like, not quite right." 

"I am absolutely fine, Mister Skeleton Groom. In fact, I'm better than ever. Say, how many hit points do you have?" 

"That's not regular talk for a kid." Sans eye sockets went completely black. "What are you?" 

"CHARA. I am here to kill your would be wife." She smiled.  

"What?!" Sans pulled her into an encounter. "You're nuts, kid! You better not come near her!" 

CHARA: ACT: Talk. "So it is true, you don't have to use the board. Gaster gave his family loopholes for it, didn't he? Pretty cool. Anyhow, just take your turn so I can kill you." 

The Royal family came in and saw the fight, screaming at Sans not to hurt their child. Sans took some time deciding which way to approach. 

SANS THE SKELETON: ACT: TALK: "Just take back what you said and I'll end this." 

CHARA: FIGHT 

Tahoe sighed as he watched the Royal Family, the Skeletons, Papyrus, and anyone else in the way get slaughtered. "Just the same thing again, Flowey. Told you. Hm?" 

"Not quite." CHARA walked over to him.  

"Go ahead already." 

"Well, if you're tired of it, then let's move on. Concentrate on a location ahead of you." CHARA smiled at him. "See that button?" 

"Reboot?" 

"Yep. Clear the memories. Clear the resets. Clear the saves. Clear the continues. Clear it all up. Just hit the button," CHARA encouraged him. "Just hit that biiiiig button." 

"Why?" 

"Humans and Monsters don't interact like that. They just don't. 95452 was so low on the totem pole, no one noticed she was even missing at first. She was just a simple incognito surveyor that bumped her head because of that idiot. By the time we figured it out, she pulled the same thing that kid 'Princess Chara', did and was already established down here. So, we left her mostly be. Minimal contact, simple story. It was easier that way, until she did the unthinkable." She made a face. "I mean really! With A Monster!" 

"You don't say. 'Cause I don't really care about any of this. What's the point?" 

"Well, resetting gets difficult with a new human soul in the program, and a new Monster-human soul was made. The more we reset with that kind of new soul, things got bad. We barely had enough juice for mindwiping to make them all forget the princess died so we could get a conduit in here." 

"Yeah. I think there's a little flower that's pissed you forgot about his existence in your little game of make believe down here." 

"Shut up!" Flowey yelled at him.  

"Look. We just need you to give a hard reboot," CHARA said. 

"Oh yeah? What happens if I don't?" 

"Well, we keep going and looping, error after error after error until things get so bad you can't even get a whole hour before you reset. Over and over, errors for the rest of eternity." 

"What happens if I do?" 

"Something different. Isn't that all that matters? Escaping it all?" CHARA smiled at him.  

Tahoe leaned against the wall again, tapping his bony fingers against it. 

"Don't, don't!" Flowey warned him. "Don't do it, you idiot, she's lying! It means that they've almost broke their grip on the Underground! We're almost free from resets!" 

"Would I remember anything?" 

"Not a thing." 

"Then, new times. New days." 

"Be realistic you moron, that's not how it works!" 

"The reboot would kill my cousin Sans' kid?" 

"No, no. We're taking the bride out of here. That's all. It'll be like she never came." 

"The illusion would be over? This fakeness?" 

"No, no, no!!!" Flowey screamed at him from the stained window. "You IDIOT!" His face turned evil and vicious. "It won't end, it won't! All that will end is you! Now is the chance to let it break!" 

"It won't break, it'll just turn over and over and over and over and over and over," CHARA chuckled. "Come on, Tahoe. You have two choices. Listen to a flower that has always been an evil little devil, or go with your own thoughts. You want it to end? Right?" 

"But . . . Sans spent years with her. Sans and Papyrus. They all took care of her for so long. Shoot, the house was even redesigned for her. You going to redesign the house too?" 

"No, don't give them pointers!" Flowey complained.  

"Are you sure they'd be alright? Faith and Chance?" 

"Well. We'll shove Faith somewhere else, that's for sure. She's not touching the Underground again. The abomination . . . I cannot confirm what we'll do with it." 

"Yeah, 'cause that's making me reach for that button. That's my nephew. You've messed up Gaster's brain enough as it is. He's thinking about parallel timelines now because of what you keep doing with his experiments. Although, his idea is tracking all the stuff you do." Tahoe shook his head. "This would hurt everyone." 

"Yes, yes, go with that!" Flowey cheered him on. "You'll hurt your family. You don't want to hurt family. Trust me. Please. Okay, I know, I'm not always trustworthy! Damn it, trust me this time! Leave the button alone. Everything will be fiiiiiiine. Pleeeeease?" 

"Okay, here's the deal." CHARA pushed her hands behind her. "An official declaration that we will not get rid of the abomination. We will probably study it considering the uniqueness of it's existence. I'm sure Balancers would never let us get rid of it anyhow. It is part Classic Monster." 

"And Faith? She's about to pop. How would you cover that up?" 

"Oh. Trust me. That's easy. Almost every woman messes up on at least one mission when they become a soldier." 

"You know, I don't think I want to know what that means." 

"Probably not. So?" 

"It's not right. You know it's not right. Come on, don't do it, Tahoe! You freaking idiot, stop thinking about it!" Flowey was beating his petals on the stained window. 

"It'll all end for you. I promise. Do this, and we'll pick someone new." 

"Liars, you just use me!" Flowey shouted. "Even when I'm not your precious little Guardian, you can't touch my mind! I don't fit your funky programming! You just know, you just know when it's coming so you have an excuse not to give the power to me! Give the POWER to me! GiVe It To Me!!!!" This time, his petals and stem broke through the glass. 

"That flower really wants your power," CHARA spoke looking straight at him. "Come on." 

"You're overusing that conduit," Tahoe warned her. "Your emotion has been way too high." 

"I don't care, it's just a conduit. If it dies, we'll just come right back with another similar kid to control. So, make your decision." 

 
"No, you idiot! No, no, no!" Flowey tried to wrap around him, to keep him from being an idiot, but it didn't work. He got flung off.

He picked up his petaled face off a pre-wedding photo taken. "If only I was more than a lousy flower." He picked up the photo and went back to the ground. He knew what would happen. 

He moved down, down, down into the ground. Down past where resets started to interrupt. There wasn't much room in it. Just enough room for a few things over the resets  and reboots here and there, including his MP's. Yeah, there was a barrier below the Underground, but he found a tiny area, right before it, where the reset didn't affect it. 

It wasn't very big. Just a little glitch spot. He tossed the picture on the top of it all. Sans was dressed in his white tux and tied black bowtie, with the goofiest grin on his face while he was giving his brother bunny ears behind his skull. Papyrus was bending down so he was down in the short little picture. On the other side was Faith, grinning, yet nervous at the same time as she touched her belly. 

Just another slice of what would never be. 

---------------------------------------------- 

"Well, everything is still in order," King Asgore announced. "So, where were we? Sans the Skeleton, what would you like to be?" 

"Um. Uncle is fine, to the kid." Sans looked toward Frisky. Even though she was holding Chance, she was still standing as erect as a soldier with the ball and chain attached to her. "I guess brother to the mom." 

"They have established names, so you need to use their names," King Asgore said. "Frisky and Chance, correct?" 

"That is incorrect, Sir," Frisky spoke up. "My name is 95452. My full designation is 95452, Ship 229, DETERMINATION. Frisky is only an off-slang of what was my mission name, Frisk. The name Chance is a given name by Sans to my son, but it is not his official designation either. He is 95451, Ship 229, CONDUIT. Also known as Frisk." 

King Asgore looked toward Undyne, and then back to Sans and Papyrus who were trying to look humble about that. "Those aren't very good names. Do you wish to rename them?" 

"Yeah," Sans piped up. "Chance and Frisky." 

"But Frisky was part of her mission name. Are you sure you don't want something a little more unique? Especially if you want to get out of this 'deprogramming' I would say, using Alphys term?" 

"Mission name?" Papyrus looked toward her. "I suppose I never thought of it that way. What do you think, Sans?" 

"Hmmm . . ." A name. "Can we do what Alphys did, and make something official later?" They didn't have time for it, but the King had a point. As used to the name as he was, Frisky was still a mission name.  

"Oh, did I miss all the festivities?" Mettaton asked as he whirled himself into the room on his wheel. "Oh, hello OOo OOo King Asgore! I wanted to see if you had any new information to add for everyone about the skies and humans to all my viewers!" 

"Uh, no," King Asgore said. "I told them everything I could." 

"Oh, so sorry everyone! But, let's see. Oh, a marriage! Oh, a um, oh not a happy marriage by the look of those shackles!"  

"Uh, Mettaton?" Alphys said softly. "Maybe not here right now?"  

"Aww, another hostile marriage? Oh, how horrible!" Mettaton came right in front of Frisky, forcing her to back up. "Why so hostile? Isn't it okay to just try and love? I mean, he is trying to take care of you. Isn't that enough?"  

Sans looked toward Papyrus who just shrugged his shoulders and then gestured to the suit Sans was still wearing. 

As Frisky got pushed up further against the wall though, she noticed something strange. Mettaton's front came down and . . . Frisk?!   

"And after all, I'm sure the smooches will be incredible!" Friskay, the KINDNESS that helped her through everything, and definitely the most hostile of the group said through a speaker. "Especially with such a hot stud like a short punny skeleton. Our viewers say that short dorky skeletons aren't quite as low as a swamp creature!"  

Before she knew what was happening, Frisk felt her hands being grabbed, and .  . .  

Snow. Lots of snow.  

"Didn't think we'd just leave you hanging, did you, Frisky?" Friskay took the head of Mettaton off. "Alphys made a lot of spare parts. Took time to get it all done, but you know Friskarino tends to get it figured out."  

Friskarino and Farrisk both came out of the machine too. 

FRISK. FRISK saved her! Frisky tried to half hug them since she couldn't give out full hugs since Frisk was so sick. 

"Like we could let you ever marry Sans the Skeleton?" Friskay shoved her finger in her throat. "Gag me!"  

"You really should have tried to run out the window and meet us at our rendezvouz point next to the umbrellas," Farrisk said.  "I figured that would be what you would do, but Friskay reminded me you might not be the type to do that alone." 

"I knew some of you survived. Weak protection, but still protection down here." Frisky gestured toward their MP3's. "How'd you get those?"  

"How? Let me guess, your almost new hubby didn't bother telling you why the new barrier is so good at keeping out humans?" Friskay asked as she touched Frisky's coat. "Oh, gross. You've got to get some new wardrobe, stat."  

"Yeah, and meds." Farrisk touched Chance's head. "He's not looking so good. Come on, Frisky. We've got medicine on board. We are on an allied Balancer ship right now. Believe it or not, even HONESTY survived. Although, she's even worse off than before. Now she's not half as aggressive, but she is still not doing real well. Don't worry though. They are going to heal him for good, and then we are out of here. On to a new mission! Or, uh, in your case. Back home."  

---------------------------------------------------- 

Chapter Text

They are back. My team! I can have my life back again. I could get my freedom. My previous ship will never get their hands on Frisk and . . . and . . . 

"Here you go." Farrisk handed her his MP after helping to get the ball and chain off her feet. "The new teleporting location is ready. It was made during the whole catastrophe, and it's the only way out. " He smiled. "You know us FRISK's, we always find a way to win." 

No one is going to come to help you, he said. He told everyone. He took every measurement he could so that I couldn't leave. So that I couldn't win. Chance moaned in her arms. "Uh, Sans wasn't marrying me," Frisky informed them all. "He was committing to me. Him and Papyrus. There's a big difference, you know." 
 

"Uh?" Farrisk blinked. "You mean he was going to take you as a sister and Chance as his son? How would that have worked?" 

"He was going to go as Uncle," Frisky said, looking down at Chance. There are literally hundreds of thousands of monster skeletons outside Underground. I could get him the help he would need when he was ready for it. Why didn't that make her feel better? 

"You see?" Friskarino stared down Friskay and Farrisk. "You see, I told you that we should have just let it work itself out!" 

"There's no way Frisky would want to stay in the Underground," Friskay said in their defense. "And if it was just a simple committing, then why so hush-hush? They could have boldly told her without telling her about Frisk." 

"No." Frisky patted Frisk on his back tenderly. "They were so afraid I would leave. As FRISK, I didn't exactly stay in one place for very long. Or always listen too well." 

"Heck no, there is so much out there to the world, you can't help but explore," Farrisk smiled. "Being a soldier is the greatest thing. You never know what you're going to see next. Who you'll battle. What you'll be doing in the next five minutes." 

"Yeah." Frisky lifted her eyes toward Farrisk. "They were . . . they were expecting your actions from me. Your quick-wit ideas and active strategies." 

"Alright, so?" Friskay patted her on the back. "Look, the whole ordeal is done. We have a treaty in place for Frisk and everything. He is super dangerous now, so he'll have to live in a zone they control with 24 hour guard on him. But, they don't want him hurt either because he's still Classic Monster." 

"Yeah, they are kind of happy about him," Farrisk added as he gestured to the little guy. "He is going to be just fine. You and him." He grinned. "As for the rest of us, we'll head out of the Underground for new places and adventures." 

Farrisk. They were expecting Farrisk because I refused to meet Sans outside of Judgment Hall. He never got to know me as FRISK. What I'd do . . . It couldn't matter whether Sans really understood her or not. They would all come. They would all find their way around the barrier, and they would come for Frisk. They would come for her. There was never an escape. 

"I think we should get going. We have a limited time back down here, the Balancers were getting iffy on us earlier," Friskay reminded Farrisk and Friskarino. "They aren't going to assist us with protection much longer. Let's get out." 

"No, not yet," Friskarino insisted. "Come on, you guys. This isn't right." 

"Not this again, Friskarino!" Friskay complained. "Stop saying no." 

"I can't help it," he smiled, "it's-" 

"in my name," everyone said at the same time. 

Friskarino clicked his tongue and winked at them all. "You get the gist." 

The friendly buddy. Chum. Pal. The good moments when he wasn't being ignored so much for the name of GENOCIDE, for continuing the adventure, or because Friskay couldn't stand him. That was Friskarino. He was sensing Friskarino. Once again, not her. That wasn't her either. 

Sans expected the playfulness of Frisk, the audacity of Friskay, the 'I-can't-stop-for-anything' Farrisk, and the laid back kindred charm of Friskarino. But, none of those were her. Why was that hurting her so much? Especially when she'd probably . . . never . . . well, when she . . . 

"Look, I'm transporting first to get this party started," Friskay said as she gestured to Frisky's MP. "This is far from what your used to, so don't clown around. It took forever for Friskarino to figure it out. This thing is one of the latest. It's an MP20." 

MP 20? "How is that possible?" 

"We've been on this roundabout mission for a lot longer than a year. Try ten." Friskay looked over at the guys. "Never aging in FRISK and constant mindwipes. I am petitioning to never be a part of a conduit again." 

"Aw, calm down," Farrisk said gently shouldering her. "We've got Frisk safe and sound for the Balancers. Then we can head out for our next new mission. Friskarino should have the details for it." 

"Yep. We'll be STEVE. So, Stevy, Stevay, Stevisk,and Stevarino. At least, that's what I told Friskay." Friskarino winked back over at Farrisk. "Oh, she was so downright pissed with that name it was dribbling down her leg." 

"Don't even kid. Seriously, it better not be Steve again. I hated that name. I hope it's something like Mike 'cause Mikay isn't too bad." Friskay looked back toward them. "Well, I'll see you up there in a few moments." 

Farrisk nodded, following her up himself. 

Friskarino relaxed on the ground with Frisky still standing in the snow with Frisk. "It's Chara. The barrier is powered by Chara's DETERMINATION." 

"Huh?" Frisky came closer to him. "What do you mean?" 

"Chara and Asriel. When they died, their souls were a Monster and human together. The program wasn't ready for that. They didn't reset inside a re-reset because of that. The barrier however entraps souls to make sure they don't escape. Death of a Monster can't happen, remember? So, they've been stuck. It's not essence. It's not just a lot of DETERMINATION. They physically were the souls, but the barrier changed their way of thinking. Look." Friskarino gave him his MP. "Check out the actual facts. For thousands of years, they've been stuck down here." 

Frisky looked at the data. "If they couldn't be saved in a re-reset, why wouldn't they let them out?" 

"Risk bringing the barrier down for just two mixed-up souls? The Monsters would be free and see everything. Not worth it, to them. Not for two souls. Tragic." Friskarino moved away from that page. "You're like a sister, Frisky, and I know you pretty well. So what are you doing here?" 

"I got kidnapped," Frisky tried to joke. "I'm . . ." 

"Look, you gotta make your own decision on this one, but I'm with ya no matter what you decide," Friskarino smiled. "I know what scares you, Frisky. You're scared that barrier is going to come down. I'll tell you something, and I'll be real with you. We only got this teleporting way out because we were doing it during the catastrophe. And, I think, because Chara's allowing it. The barrier has the same strength as before, but now it's got the DETERMINATION of one hell of a mad spirit with more than a thousand years of suffering behind it." 

"Am I supposed to be happy to hear that?" Frisky questioned him. "Chara is still trapped. She's still tethered down. Even if she's controlling it, she can't rest in peace." 

"According to what's being analyzed right now?" Friskarino dug further into the MP. "And, yeah, they are analyzing and watching the barrier constantly, every second something is recording something about it. But, here. See? She can shoot out from it too. In fact, reports have shown her actually appearing on some researching ships above the Underground, cussing them out." 

"What?" Frisky looked at his MP.  

"She's staying willingly, but, when she's ready, I think she'll just leave the DETERMINATION, and just leave. She isn't trapped. Come on. Sans and Alphys would never do that." Friskarino touched Frisk's head. "It might be five days, five years, 500 years, or they might never break that barrier." 

"You don't know either?" 

"No, not really. But . . ." Friskarino touched her hand. "You've got more than DETERMINATION. And, yeah, things are going to be good up there. Frisk is going to be safe, we got the best allied ship around. You won your freedom. You can live up there. Totally up to you. I'm not gonna diss you whatever you decide." He stood up. "But I will say this before I'm going up with the others. No part of FRISK, even the weaker parts, ever turned away because they were scared of what might happen in the future. Hey, we only live once? At least now, right? How do you want live?" 

Frisky stood up from the snow. "Face my fears." 

"That's what it's always about. Oh, before I go. Uh, the whole dropping in while you were being committed, claiming it was a wedding, and then teleporting you out? That might have brought some unscrupulous eyes to the situation." Friskarino shrugged her shoulders. "Probably not possible to do a commitment if you decide to go back. Sorry about that. Hey, everybody makes mistakes? I'll see ya around, Frisky." 

Frisky looked at the MP. If I take Frisk, he'll be safe. Allied Balancers would be the safest thing for him. We could live with constant surveillance, but we could live. We could live with freedom. I could meet my parents. I would have my entire mind erased of being a soldier, and my civilian memories would be replenished. Frisk would never remember anything, he would have a normal life. 

It was perfect. Except for one thing. 

Sans we'll never see him again. His whole life had been torn apart. His memories were just as fuzzed up as hers. All he had was Papyrus. He was even willing to chain me just to get through everything. He battled me for him.  

Frisky started to walk through the snow. "Frisk would never know Sans was even his father. He'd never have any of these memories of him." No. Not Frisk. Chance. 

Barely keeping a grip on the MP3 she walked further. "I am 95452. I am not the exciting adventurer. I am not the patient one. I am not the funny one. I . . . am . . . the one filled with DETERMINATION . . . to do the right thing." 

Not what was best for her. What was the right thing. With every step, she already knew what she was giving up. 

Her freedom. Her chance to live a free life. She tried to walk through all the snow, back to the patches of trees ahead. "I can't do it to him. I just never could do anything to him. No, I don't care. Sans deserves Chance." She stumbled a little, but kept trying to go. The blizzard was getting intense.  

He could have left her that night with those carvings on her back. He could have just slept and let them fester and scar. He didn't have to take her out to Grillby's that one day. He never had to take her anywhere.  

And when she was ready to die to make Undyne leave them alone, he didn't have to care. And he never had to show me mercy. That sign. That Mercy sign. No.  

She wasn't going to lose it again. Dangit, Sans. Why can't you just teleport to me? The other Frisk's probably had something blocking it. 

"Momma," Chance groaned. "I'm c-cold." 

"I know," Frisky said as she kept moving through the snow as fast as she could. The others had really thrown her far away from the usual course. "It's okay. I have the DETERMINATION to make it because this is . . . the right thing to do."  

Marry a skeleton. She could have gotten her life back, but she'd regret it with everything she was inside. I've dealt with worse. Just not so life-changing that I couldn't get out of it eventually. But. No, there was no way around it. "I have DETERMINATION but I have faith too. I have to have faith that . . . I can deal with this." Sans was friendly. He was a friend. He was Chance's father. Her thoughts couldn't get much further than that now. 

"G-getting c-c-closer." Oh, damn. Why was it . . . oh yeah. The Frisk's had still been here, and now she was feeling the full weight of no more protection on the Underground. She truly was nothing but a mere human. 

She felt herself sink into the snow. Oh, great. I think doing the right thing is going to kill me this time. No need to worry about the whole marriage thing now. What was the temperature outside? Suitable for Monsters, not humans. Sans, just find us. Please find us. She hardly understood the basics of an MP and as she looked into it with her freezing fingers, she could see what Friskay was talking about. It was so different and complicated, it would take hours to figure out how to transport away to a safer place.  

She couldn't go to the Balancer ship though. If she teleported there, they would never let her come back to the Underground. Okay, I r-really should have talked this out with Friskarino. G-g-g-geez, Frisky! Why-didn't-you-talk-it-out?  

There was more than the marriage to consider. She was willingly putting her life on the line to try and get back. There was no way she could prove that Sans and Papyrus were forcing this on her. If the barrier ever came down, they'd know. And . . . and . . . No, I can't be afraid about it. Friskarino is right, I have to face my fears. I am the leader in ACTING! I have two choices. Take my freedom and the safe way out, and take away everything from Sans. Or, give in and accept the consequences if they make it back in. Those are it! 

And considering how much she'd already walked into that cold, and how freezing she was, she already knew that decision. In fact, her next decision was changing.  

Okay. I'm dying, I know it. Someone we'll get us, but I'll be dead. That's a solid fact by now! Okay! Now. Chance is a Monster inside. He doesn't seem to be affected nearly as much. He'll survive. He'll survive and he can live in peace with Sans and Papyrus. And if anyone ever came for him, they would never let anyone take him.  

Yep, that was it. Hit the button to teleport to freedom, or die to let Sans have Chance. Knowing which way she'd still ACT, she dropped the MP and held on tighter to Chance as she kept going.  

Every step further.  

One step further. One step at a time, until she could take no more steps. Sinking to the ground, she looked ahead. If she were FRISK, the length to safety would have been so easy. But not for her.  

"Momma. It's okay, we'll be fine." Chance placed his hands on her. A warm, familiar blue glow was felt on her. Usually, that glow wasn't so friendly when it came to contact with her. It was that same light that had taken her and thrown her around forcefully during Judgment Hall. But, it was a softer touch. A warmer touch. 

"Chance, yourrr sick," Frisky warned him. She didn't know the results of him doing that. She didn't want him to hurt himself to save her.  

"Uh uh." Chance laid back down on her. "Momma. I'm not gonna let you go, no matter what you got yourself into. It's okay. Just relax." He tried to hum a happy tune. "You know Sans. He'll get here soon. He'll get here . . . oops." 

A Balancer looked down at them. "Well. You're dying." 

One last ACT. "Yes, and I very desperate not to. To. Desperate. Son, drift?" Frisky was trying with all she had. She tried to move herself upward. "S-s-s-save." 

"Ooh." He picked her up with one hand and Chance in the other. "A desperate human and it's young. Let's head up ahead and see how you feel about your actions when you warm up." 

-------------------------------

Chapter Text

"Um. King Asgore said that um . . . well, when he finds her . . ." Papyrus couldn't even finish the statement. How could he? If someone had the power to teleport like that, and with such mean words before leaving, it was probably someone who had a real way out. There was a good chance they were gone from the Underground. There was a very good chance, as Alphys said, that it was some of FRISK that had been out there. The cunning and skills of it seemed to match.  

After that outburst and trick, the first thing Alphys did was call up Mettaton. He was currently on TV, and nowhere near the castle. While the speech about the marriage brought up questions that King Asgore wanted answers to.  

At least King Asgore seemed very sensitive about the issue. He even patted Sans on the back. Not that his brother would or could appreciate such a gesture from the King. He seemed to be in his own little world now. "Sans?" Papyrus said. "D-did you get that?" 

"What? Huh? Oh." Sans lifted his eyes from the floor. "No biggie, I guess. You know, I but uh, Frisky won't put him in danger. Probably got safety. Yeah. They are . . . they'll be fine." He looked upward and sighed. "I'm gonna go home and take a nap." 

"Um. Sans? I don't think . . ." Papyrus didn't know what else to say as he hugged his brother. "Oh, Sans! I'm so, so, soooo sorry!" 

"Hey, it's fine. We're fine." Sans patted his side lightly. "Just us two, but it's always just been us two. It'll be okay. Don't cry." 

"Stop that!" Papyrus demanded. "I am trying to comfort you!" 

"Uh, Sans?" Alphys called to him. 

"It's fine, okay?" Sans patted his back again. He didn't really want to deal with anything else. Everyone else knew the answer to the questions the King wanted. What did it matter? "Relax, Pap." 

"Sans?" Alphys called to him again. 

"It'll be great for them. I bet. And, life just keeps going for us." Sans shrugged. "No. Big . . . deal." 

"Sans?" Alphys bugged him once more. "Not everyone left yet. Please look?"  

What did she mean? Sans looked toward Alphys as she showed him the MP that she had kept. "You know, these things always seem to come in handy. Even if they can't be used for as much, they are even handier for social stuff. A little reprogramming, and I can get endless messages down here on the paid without any extra money or plans or uh . . . And um. Sorry, train of thought. Um, there was an alert on it. I didn't think much of it. I wasn't checking it then. But." Alphys shoved it into his hands. "There was some strange teleporting news, and it ended around in Snowdin."  

"As if that helps Sans!" Papyrus said, trying to hug him harder.  

"Well, no, but." She gestured to the right side of the screen. "All of the heat signatures went away, except two. It looks like it traveled on the ground for awhile, stopped, and traveled again." 

Longshot. It was a real longshot. There was really no reason Frisky would have stayed without shackles. She was going for freedom. Really. Why even bother? But . . . "Where?" 

----------------------------- 

Sans arrived where the steps stopped, and then picked back up. He looked backward into the snow. There were two sets of footprints. One made by a Monster, and one made by a human. Then, it just turned into a Monster's footprints after a small part in the snow where it looked like a body or two had been laying. 

Sans followed the footprints, putting a little more speed in his trot than usual. 

It ended at, of all places, Grillby's. 

What the . . . He stepped inside. Her. It was her and Chance's body. Chance was lying slumped, only half conscious next to a small seat. Frisky was unconscious, stuck in a strange monster's lap. 

 Sans didn't recognize them at all. Lately, Balancers had been seen coming in. Monsters that didn't quite look the same as them. Not in very big numbers, and so far no huge events had happened with them. It was the same with Monsters too. A lot of the regulars were missing. Probably exploring out of the Underground barrier, seeing the rest of the world they had been denied. 

Which would be great later.  

Sans tried to stay casual as he approached the table but he just wanted to yank them away as fast as possible! She came back. She really came back? She was freed away by the rest of the Frisk. But, she stayed? She stayed, and by the look of it, she was risking her own life to get back.  

There were two Balancers. One looked like it was more amphibious. Probably wouldn't be around for too long out of water. Green and thick skinned, it looked like a Monster. The second though was even stranger. It almost appeared human except for some horns on it's head. It was about the size of Papyrus. 

Moving closer, Sans saw Frisky's legs and feet. He had to read up a lot on human survival to pass the committing, and he knew from that, it wasn't good. That might equal permanent damage. Shoot! She needs a healer, quick. Why is she so bad off? Sans approached from behind. "Hey there, new guy. I need to ask you about that human luggage you've got." 

"Don't bother. It's mine." It stood up and held Frisky haphazardly on it's shoulder like a ragdoll. "Look how cute it is? It's not even half my size." 

"Yeah, guess so. But, uh, I kind of need her and that kid." Sans was trying to stay calm, but he really didn't like the way he was holding her. "Hey, Buddy, let's talk about this. Okay?" 

"Hmm . . ." He shrugged. "I'm a reasonable Balancer. What do you want?" 

"I just need them back. Just, hand them over. Cool?" 

"For how much?" 

Really, he had to pay to get them back? "Well, let's talk then. You're a Balancer, right? Hey, that's great. Haven't met one of you yet. I'm Sans. Sans the Skeleton. You're going to find around here your money thing doesn't really balance out to anything. We pay for stuff with GOLD around here. So, why don't I just give you a pinch of GOLD for them?" 

"I don't know. This is a pretty good haul right here." The Balancer held Frisky up by the neck off his shoulder. "Humans don't often have their young out." He stroked her cheek. "How much are they worth to you?" 

Okay. Sans hated fighting. He didn't want to fight in Snowdin of all places. He definitely didn't want to fight in Grillby's. Not only that, that Balancer was holding Frisky, and he didn't want to hurt her. "I got GOLD, not money. Can we try and work with that?" 

"I don't know how much is a lot of GOLD. I could be getting ripped off," The Balancer insisted. "Oh, the feet. Oops." He placed his hands around Frisky's legs, healing her up. "There we go, all better honey."  

Sans watched his hand creep up higher on her legs than needed for healing. "Hey there, thanks for healing her. Appreciate it, but you really shouldn't hold her like that." 

"You really better start to figure out a price then, 'cause I just stopped for a second and then I'm out of here," he insisted. "With my prizes. Oh yeah, and the price would be for the kid. I'm not losing the woman." 

 
"Um." Sans held his hands out. "I really need both of them there, pal, so let's even out this situation." 

"I'm not giving away both." 

"Why not? The situation will stay more balanced." 

"Hey, Sans?" Sans turned to see one of the locals that was still around. "Yo, hey, you need some help?" 

"Nah, nah." He waved him off. "I'm fine. We're just talking. Nothing big." Sans tried to step a little more forward. He and Papyrus had spent a ton on the requirements they needed for Frisky and Chance. He didn't have too much to offer. "Well, GOLD is kind of hard to get unless you get a job inside the Underground. If you pass this way back and forth, then you're going to want some, right? You can find some out there, but without a job, you're not gonna get much. So, what about 10,000 GOLD?" 

"Well. That sounds like a lot." It seemed to be thinking. "That's tough, I don't know. I would almost consider it, but this is really a nice thing I got going on here." 

 "It's just a human and a kid. Barely a couple meals, right? Why don't I just buy you a couple meals instead?" Because he only had enough for a couple of meals. 

"What do you mean? I'm not eating them." He pulled her forward on himself. "She's a unique one. Only the human young are this small, but gawdamn, look at that body." 

"Well then, pal, this isn't exactly the way to woo her," Sans chuckled. "Come on. Crack open a dating book." 

"I'm not eating her and I'm not taking time to woo her." The Balancer touched the top of San's skull. "Aw, look, you're about the same size, huh? Seriously. Beat it, shrimp. You're starting to bug me. Plus, you're kind of freaky. You always talk without moving your mouth and just smile a lot. Creepy grinning little twerp." 

Really? What kind of monster touches another like that? These Balancers really were different.  "I'm. Not real comfortable with the way your touching my skull right now. Really need to back off." 

"Aw, look, the shorty is getting a little teed?" He wobbled his skull. "Look, I ain't got any more time for this, I'm just cutting through to get home. I've gotta get bills paid." 

"Well. Hey. Then stop wasting time with those humans and . . ." The Balancer's hand was still on top of his skull. "Go away?" 

"Oh, look at you. Pretending to be a little tough guy." He took his hand off his skull finally. "Fine, I'll let the kid go for the GOLD." 

"And the other." Sans was getting tired of him.  

"Nuh uh, Shrimp. I wouldn't even trade this short cutie for money." He raised her hand up high and jiggled it. "See, look at her? Love the cute little ragdoll size. This smol bean will be twice as fun when she wakes up." 

"Really." Sans was losing his 'creepy grin'. "She's not a ragdoll. Not a short cutie. Not a 'smol bean'." Whatever that was. "Look. Just, don't make this tough. Kay?" 

"No way, fuck you, you little shrimp ass." He shoved his hands underneath her coat. "Nah, forget it, I want the kid too. Less chance my fun kills it again. They tend to care about their young more than themselves so their chances increase to survive. Huh?" He looked around. "What the heck is that thing?" He gestured to the funny board in front of him. 

Everyone headed out of Grillby's. There was barely any room in there, and with an encounter in there, they didn't want to get pulled into the fight. 

"What's this thing? What's that?" The Balancer looked back toward Sans. "Hey, why are you closing your eye sockets?" 

When Sans opened his eye sockets back up, they were solid black. "One. Last. Chance." He closed his eye sockets again. "Give them up. Now." 

"Neat little trick, but fuck you. You think you can take me on?" 

"Board. Use it." 

The Balancer gazed at the board. He selected Fight. 

Sans easily dodged it, but it did shatter a table on a booth. He knew he had no choice but to fight the thing, but he was still holding Frisky. How was he going to do this?  

"Whuuh?" Chance was snapping out of it. "Momma?" As the Balancer tried to catch up, he quickly rolled out of the way, sensing danger. He still wasn't feeling well, but he was making his way toward Sans. 

"Chance. Know your young, pal, but can't watch you. Get out of Grillby's." Chance knew his way around those boards, and he should guess what was going on. 

"If you try to make it past me, I am going to eat you," the Balancer threatened Chance. 

That Balancer had already made three offenses on the board. Even if he survived the battle, that Balancer was as good as dead. The board was starting to tick red on his side of the field. "Behind the bar, kid. Back way." Chance crawled behind the bar and headed through the back of the restaurant to the back door only the cook Grillby used. 

"Damn it! I can't get half as much without the young," the Balancer complained, still holding Frisky tightly. "I am so going to kill you, you annoying little fucker." 

Sans just stayed still, only moving a second from the dodge of the fight. He wasn't worried about the Balancer, he'd be dying soon. He needed to get Frisky up and off before- Out of time! He hated to do it. He knew that she didn't like it, but it was necessary as the board made a high pitched noise. He used his magic on her and brought her straight toward him. 

Just in time. Sans moved out the backway of Grillby's as he heard the terrifying scream of the Balancer. No one disobeyed the boards. Every Monster in the vicinity probably came to kill him for the offense. Or more likely to make the sound turn off. It was a really horrid high pitched sound, and it wouldn't stop until the offender was taken care of. 

Chance was just outside, but barely standing. Really sick.  

Sans held Frisky, still out like a light. Without any support, he still had to use his magic. At least she wasn't too big. She must be in real bad shape if she didn't even know he was using his magic to balance her. It was the worst thing in the world to her mind.  

Chance was easier. He used his magic to scoot the sick kid closer. He wrapped his other arm around him, part of him not really believing he was there. He should have been long gone. Both of them. They were 'rescued' from him and Papyrus, so . . . "How ya holding up?" 

"Cold. Really, really, c-cold," Chance said back, gripping Sans. "M-m-momma got super cold. Even colder." 

"Kid, temperature's still the same." Sans looked at Chance. That Monster hadn't bothered healing him, only Frisky. No need to heal him, with the way he was speaking about . . . that was just . . . there wasn't even a word for it! No Monster talked like that. They'd eat people. They'd eat each other. They'd fight each other but it was apparent that the nastiness of humanity just joined with Monsters to create those things. Hopefully, there was some better ones than that out there. 

"S-Sans? W-warm?" 

Right. "How come you're so cold?" 

"F-f-frisks. Th-they had protection," Chance muttered. "I-I don't remember much, but I heard them. Th-they left.M-Momma wouldn't go. She kept saying that . . ." 

Sans watched as he slumped right against him.  

------------------------------- 

"Oh my goodness." Monster Kid's mom kept them each in bed. "I am doing what I can. It is apparent that the boy's magic has been helping the regular human woman stay alive, but, even it seems tapped out. Usually a Monster has something reserved, but there's hardly anything left." 

The roll out of danger and running out of Grillby's. They weren't well off at all. Frisky was still unconscious and Chance was back in the same state as before. "You have good timing, Sentry." She kept her hands on both of them. "I do not know if I will be strong enough alone. You see, their hit points keep getting lower, even as I heal them. This is a natural weather phenomenon. Weaker Monsters don't come into harder weather areas like Snowdin or Hotlands for this reason." 

"Whatever it takes. What do you need?" Sans asked. "Another healer?" 

"Ooh. Luck. Lots of it, and a very advanced healer would be good, but I'm about the most powerful in Snowdin. I'll do what I can." 

"Got it. I will get Queen Toriel."  

--------------------------------- 

In no time at all after explaining the situation, Toriel followed him from the ruins to right there, healing each of them as much as she could. "So cold, oh they are so cold! They almost died. The snow is just too cold out there right now for fragile human skin. I keep my children nice and warm in the ruins. You don't come out in this weather for very long, and especially in the conditions right now." 

Please, please, please be okay. Sans looked over toward Papyrus. He had to bring him there. He needed him there, 'cause Sans himself didn't know how to take what was going on. 

"They'll be okay?" Papyrus asked her. 

"Yes, yes, We've almost got them all better." Toriel patted Chance's head. "Your family is almost all better, Sans." 

Sans just stood, staring at them. Still, not quite believing it. Frisky could have left. Could have left and won, like FRISK always did. Whether it was to win the freedom, or whether it was to murder everything, FRISK always won. "Why . . ." Chance was trying to say something before he fainted. He was starting to look better. Just getting some deserved sleep. 

Then, it finally happened. Frisky opened her eyes. 

She looked around, still obviously out of it. "Oh, I did it again. Really didn't think I'd survive that one." She moaned and felt around, probably for Chance. "Huh?" 

"You're in a bed, safe and sound!" Papyrus said from her side. "Both of you are fine now!" 

"Why?" Sans said to her. He should have asked how she was feeling, if she was okay, but it just came out. "You could have left. You should have left. You . . . why?" 

"Because." Frisky shook her head. "Sans, you knew me as a prisoner, and that's all you know of me. You don't remember when we first met. You think I'm one of the other FRISK's. I'm just part, and I'm a part that you don't really know." She laid her head back down. "I don't have DETERMINATION to keep running on adventures. I have DETERMINATION to do the right thing, no matter the cost." She sighed and started to go to sleep. 

"Okay, a little more healing. Back up, Sans," Toriel warned him. But, she gave him a warm smile. "She'll be okay, and, we'll get this done right. Okay?" 

Sans nodded but couldn't say much. She was right though. Even though she'd been shackled, she hadn't gone cursing or fighting. But. She didn't even have shackles, and she stayed. She stayed. For him. 

She put him first. No one . . . put him first. Even though Papyrus tried his hardest for Sans, he was still his little brother. He still took more care of him than the other way around. This was . . . "I need to do something to help. What can I do?" He snapped his fingers. Clothes. "I'll be right back." 

Sans teleported back to King Asgore's, trying to ignore all the utterings and wonderings as he looked through the clothes. 

"Are they alright?!" 

"Is Papyrus coming back?" 

"Now what are you going to do?" 

"Was it really other parts of FRISK?" 

"Do you know why she came back?" 

 He went through the stack and tried to find something better. He'd been having her in his simple shirts and coats, even though they had other clothes now. They had to have something they never wore before to count for it. Well, he could use them now.

And he had no real idea how Frisky would react when she found out she had to marry a Skeleton now, but he wasn't going to start it with a fight and shackles this time.  

"Sans, will you tell us something?!" Undyne finally commanded of him. "Are they okay, yes or no?" 

"Yeah, yeah. There it is." A Temmie dress, the most expensive single thing they bought. Most of the clothes had be custom made, and the top notch designer for that was actually a Temmie. Named Bob. Bob didn't just specialize in the sizing, and Sans and Papyrus had made sure they got some built in magic inside of many of the clothes. It should really help keep her warm, and . . . and the other thing. 

"If they are conscious, we really need to get this done," King Asgore said to Undyne. "The law is the law. As long as it is safe." 

"But, um, maybe a small grace period? Any at all?" Alphys asked him. "I-I think it would be easier to-ooh! Is that her wedding dress?" 

"Wedding dress?" Sans watched Undyne and Alphys both staring at the dress. "What?" 

Alphys seemed to forget she was even talking to the King as Undyne and her came over and checked the Temmie dress. "Is that a dress by Bob? Did you tell her how to design it?" 

"How in the world could a guy understand it this well. Especially you. Who helped you?" Undyne questioned him. 

"Huh? Look, I don't have time for this." He started to dig into the small sweaters for Chance and looked for the socks. "Shoes, shoot! I need shoes for her too. Socks and shoes." He gathered a sweater, pants, socks, and some shoes. He was grabbing the dress and it's matching pants, when he heard a screech from Undyne and Alphys. 

"No, no, no, don't wrinkle it!" Alphys insisted. "That's a custom Temmie wedding dress, you really must be careful!" 

Okay. For one, it was weird to hear Alphys actually speak so loud and directly. For two, it was just a dress, not a wedding dress. For three, he was wasting time. Grabbing the dress again, he ignored the yell this time as he took off. 

------------------------ 

"Impossible." Flowey stared through the stain-glassed windows, getting the strange word Frisky and Chance had actually come back. "That's impossible. He wouldn't have done that. That's impossible!" But it was. It was the same dress. Sans didn't know a thing about anything. So, how? "He made a custom dress that was exactly the same?" 

"FRISK used to say resets caused 97.5 percent of the memory to wipe out." 

Flowey heard Chara's voice around him again. "Which is pretty much all. What's the point?" 

"That leaves 2.5 that dwells inside." 

"I repeat," Flowey groaned. "Soooo?" 

"Apparently her dress was important enough for his 2.5 to remember." 

------------------------------ 

Chapter Text

Sans teleported right back over to them with the clothes. "Here, Tori. Help them get these on." 

"I know, I know. I am sure Asgore is just rushing everything, but healing takes time," Toriel said. "This isn't just hit points, the cold to human flesh is like a poison. The other healer and I will get there though. They will be more than ready soon. I don't think that so much public is needed right now. Plus, they should stay warm. We need them to stay warm. Most important." She moaned. "I know my children are so well-behaved, but I don't like leaving them away too long." 

Sans laid the clothes on top of Frisky and Chance. "I have an idea." If he couldn't do it, the clothes would prevent them from getting hurt. The healer said that Chance had used his magic for warmth to save Frisky, so maybe Sans could do that too. It would give them some time to get Toriel's new kids. He placed his hands on the sets of clothes and watched a little bit of blue swirl around them. 

"Yes, that's an excellent idea. That is incredibly warm," Toriel said as she moved to the other side. "Excellent. Let us go and get the other children. With the other healer and this, it should help more than enough while we are gone." 

------------------- 

I was such a baby. Frisky opened her eyes back up. She was in the warmest, comfiest bed she'd ever been in. How was that possible? Where was she? Chance wasn't beside her anymore. She saw Sans at the edge of her bed. Humans took away almost everything he had, and I was about to do the same. "Sans?" 

Sans head popped up and looked at her. "You're awake." 

"Yep." 

"You didn't leave." 

"No." She put her arms back out. "My Frisk friends came after me, but, I couldn't do it. I'd rather spend my life in shackles than take your own child from you."  

"You know. Um, I hate promises . . . I do. I really, really do. They tend to be tougher work than I like to put in in the end." He stood up. "So, I'm going to make the promise instead. I promise that if you just don't run away from this, and you stay with Papyrus and I, I'll do what I can to make sure you don't ever feel 'owned'. No shackles. No magic against you." He looked over toward Papyrus once. 

Papyrus had a weird expression but shook his head yes. 

"We can't commit to you anymore," Sans continued, knowing he couldn't just trick her. "Your little Frisk friends aren't really going to be welcomed around the place for a bit either," he said firmly, "cause uh, me and Pap? Yeah, we talked it out and we're a little upset with them." She nodded. "They left you with no protection. Whatever it was, it was saving your life." 

"They left you with an absolutely, horrid, horrid Monster!" Papyrus spoke up. "Sans told me about that thing, and I-I-I, ugh! It saved you, but it's dead, so at least we don't have to thank it." 

Oh, the Balancer. "It's dead?" 

"It broke the rules of the board, and it deserved it!" Papyrus answered. "And! And that's all we're covering for that because that was just . . . bad." 

Sans held his bony finger up. "Oh, and uh, one more thing about those other FRISK's?"  

Yeah, she heard the unpleasant sound in his voice. 

"Yeah. Their little outburst changed everything. I have to marry you now," he finished.  

Damn. Friskarino was right about the marriage. "How did you figure out where I was?"  

"That little MP thing that Alphys had," Sans said. "It showed a teleporting alert." 

"I thought so." She smirked. "That should have been hidden. Friskarino must have unhid it. That's probably why he left last too. I guess he didn't know about the lost protection either." 

Sans and Papyrus both shared a look. It looked like they were debating about something. 

"So. Now I just willingly stand there and let myself get married?" Mm. "There is absolutely no way I can just agree to stay without marriage? Contract or something? I-I don't know exactly how it works." 

"Monsters don't work like that." Sans shrugged. "Sorry, I am. I know getting married to a guy like me probably wasn't in any of your future plans. But . . . you got a pretty outfit out of it?" 

Outfit? Frisky looked down at herself.  The first thing she noticed wasn't the outfit, but the blue mist around her. She had felt a lovely, cozy warmth all around her since she woke up. Blue. Sans. Sans' was using his magic for her, and not against her. He'd been warming the bed. She also noticed what he was referencing.  

Her dress was white with special, dazzling snowflakes on the trim, but with a scent that reminded her of the mystic beauty of Waterfall. Above those were small echo flowers stitched into the dress itself somehow. Monster magic. It sure could make some incredible things. 

"Speaking of that marry thing, we still need to do it. Soon," Sans said. "King Asgore isn't always a fuzzy pushover." 

"Okay." As Frisky moved out of the bed though she watched Papyrus practically push her back in, unable to contain himself any longer. 

"You came back, you really came back just for Sans!" Papyrus yelled with excitement. "I promise, human, you will not regret this! Oh sorry, Sister! Sorry, not human!" 

"Papyrus, easy," Sans tried to move him back. "Calm down." 

Frisky watched Papyrus rush Sans next for a hug.  

"Okay, okay," Sans patted his back. "Plenty of time for hugging later. King Asgore is getting impatient, and bad things happen when he gets in a bad mood, so, let's get this done." 

--------------------- 

"Now." King Asgore sat with Undyne in front in the same place they were having a committing in.  

Sans stood up straight as much as possible, following Papyrus' lead. For once, Frisky wasn't standing up so straight. 

"Now, I know I heard this a bit before," King Asgore began. "How having a child without actually knowing about it shouldn't count, so on and so forth. And I know it is a miracle that the human came back on her own and will not need any kind of shackles for this ceremony. However . . . Sans the Skeleton. You were almost her brother and forfeited the knowledge of being your son's father." 

Sans looked toward Chance being held by Frisky again. Still sleeping. He looked toward King Asgore. "The situation was awkward. I didn't really know what to do, Majesty." 

"That is true, but there is a huge difference between father and Uncle. Do you understand that? There is also a large difference between brother and husband. These differences are massive in scale, and Monsters have fought and killed each other because of these differences in the past." 

Sans stared at King Asgore. He knew going from commitment to marriage wasn't going to be a pleasing experience with how the king found out about it. "I understand that, Majesty." 

"Uh huh. As much as I can sympathize with your plight, and I understand you have had a great deal of plight," King Asgore said once again. "You lied to me. Now, if the situation had not been cleared up, you would have only been the Uncle of your own child. The Uncle. You would have basically been denying your own blood's rights and knowledge to it's father." 

This was not looking good. He would have told Chance eventually, but he couldn't tell King Asgore that. He would just get into more trouble. "I just want them safe," Sans tried to reason. "It's all new to me, Majesty. I don't know. I don't know how I'll do as anything, but, I just don't want to lose them." 

King Asgore folded his hands, clearly in thought. "At the very least, you did quickly return to do the right thing. That is something I can't forget in this abundant display of errors. Honestly, had I not been here to see the grief you had felt when they were ripped away from you, I would probably forego this and send them with the second choice. After all, you lied to your King." 

"Um?" Alphys raised her hand from the corner. "Majesty? If I could just say a word?" She approached him. "I know Sans the Skeleton. I've spent time with him, and I can tell you, he didn't want to lie. But, h-he just found out in the cruelest way possible. By some data on a human device. Now, if he was cowardly, he did not need to pursue anything else. He could have pretended the data was fake. He didn't have to have a healing for the boy to find out the real truth." 

"Which records show don't exist. Which you insist is because of this so-called "motion shift," King Asgore added. "After seeing the evidence on that device and our own skylines, it's hard to forget that fact." 

"Not to mention, Sans the Skeleton, he did the difficult part for the barrier. He was the one who gave us the power to put up our own. Remember?" She pointed out too. "Sure, he isn't perfect, but no one is. And, um, considering all that. Don't you think he's earned a wee bit of maybe a kind of . . . break?" 

King Asgore patted one hand on top of the other. "A certain amount of boldness played a part in saving us. I have kept that secret from the public, but you did reveal it to me. Yet. As I said before, there is a huge difference between sister and wife. Son and nephew." 

"Majesty?" Undyne stood up and walked over by Alphys. "As leader of the Royal Guards I have had the privilege of Sans being my Sentry for a long time." 

"Which I see and have all records. Mishaps. Strikes against." King Asgore reached for the papers. "Which in all honesty is making me wonder if you will speak for or against him right now." 

"Yeah, it's true he's not the best at . . . staying awake," Undyne said gently. "But, he is there when he needs to be. When I had a little snafu with the mother of his biological child, he handled it well." 

"I remember talking about that incident. I would have killed you," King Asgore said. "I think any Monster would have at least tried to fight for that crime." 

"Her identity and loyalty was unknown at that time. He did not know anything about the prisoners relation to him," Undyne continued. "Her back has no scars on it, I know that. I never asked but I'm fairly sure it wasn't Papyrus who healed her. We've gone over this. Then, there was the Ipeccaci Spaghetti. By your own orders, they would have died. He spent time and money to get them to a  healer. I just want to bring these facts up again." 

King Asgore rested one hand beneath his chin and tapped his fingers on the table in front of him. "Sans the Skeleton, Alphys and Undyne have put a lot on the line to vouch for you. They have given me solid facts and stories before you even came back." 

"Oh, will you stop it and just agree already?" 

Sans looked behind him and saw Queen Toriel, her four new kids in front of her. 

"Stop poking your citizen. It's a marriage, not a permit to build a home or something," Toriel scolded him. "Honestly, Asgore." 

"Tori?" King Asgore's royal demeanor seemed to fade away. "My beloved Toriel?" 

"Mph." Toriel looked away. "I am here because I expect my children to get married today. I would never miss that." She looked back in front and toward Frisky. In her hand she held some echo flower wreaths. "As confusing as you two are, you are a part of the one I took special care for, and the one that helped me . . . helped me let go." She held the wreath above Frisky's head and placed it on her. "And my other child." She took a smaller wreath and placed it on Chance's head. "Because of you, even though I have new children, I have the courage to come away from the ruins with them as well. They won't be locked away due to my fears." She smiled at them lovingly. "I will just dispose of whatever tries to mess with them." 

"I see," Frisky answered, not agreeing or disagreeing with her. "You're raising the conduits?" 

"I am raising four," Toriel said proudly, gesturing to the children in front of her. "This strapping boy is Matt, that is Lucas, that is Patricia, and that is Margolia. All proper human names." 

"They are conduits," King Asgore corrected her. 

"Human." 

"Conduit." 

"Human." 

"Conduit." 

"Just agree already!" Toriel said in a great huff. 

"Um. Of course I would have agreed," King Asgore finished. "I will allow this marriage to take place then. Undyne, please tell the humanologist standby that he will not be second choice." 

Sans stepped back a bit.  A humanologist? They already had a second choice waiting. Yeah, he really didn't have much time after all. 

"Fine. Undyne, most of the committing requirements were the same, however, it is now just one taking care of them." King Asgore looked toward her. "Is it possible that he can do that?" 

"If I adjust his work schedule, yes," Undyne answered. 

"Well then, let us begin. Which location?" 

"Snowdin is where he lives." 

"Alright then. The most social place is Grillby's, correct?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Well then. We shall dismiss to Grillby's." 

------------------------------------------------ 

Frisky watched around her. She knew a Monster marriage wasn't supposed to be the same, but it felt more than slightly different. Not every Monster had the strength to travel great distances, or to teleport across the Kingdom, so to avoid family and friend issues, the marriage was held in the living location and most social area of the couple's residence. She forgot about that. I can't believe I am actually getting married . . . in Grillby's. 

A quick burger in Grillby's was one thing. Getting married there felt different. Especially once she remembered exactly how many Monsters Sans had been buddy-buddy with. A likeable Monster. Not only that, but marriages in the Underground weren't always a common occurrence. The Underground was only so big. Therefore. It felt awkward walking to Grillby's when rows of Monsters were lined up like a parade outside of it, cheering them on. 

It didn't take long though as Toriel was scolding Asgore again for not remembering the human's condition. Then, she was quickly brought into Grillby's with Sans. 

Inside, there was barely any room to move. Some of Sans friends called to him and he bantered and joked with them about everything. Frisky didn't care. Sans didn't get much time in the spotlight after all. 

The next thing that surprised her though was Alphys, King Asgore and Undyne right behind Grillby's counter, with papers. Again. They were discussing GOLD content, fighting issues, nutrition, weather dialogues.  

"Um, yeah, Frisky." Undyne called her over. "I need you to fill this out." 

Frisky grabbed the pencil and looked at it. A list of things to cook? "What is this?" 

"You need to know at least one dish if you're married," Undyne said. "Really, it's good to know like five. There's ten lines. You can add different varieties if you want to, too. Like, if you can make tomato spaghetti and cucumber spaghetti, it would be two different dishes. Just do your best." 

Hm. "Why?" 

"Why? Cause we'll know what kind of thing to send. For cooking." Undyne seemed surprised at her. "Don't worry too much, Sans can live off catsup alone. You have different nutritional needs though." 

"Lots," Alphys added. "Make sure you put anything you can think of. The Underground probably can't do everything, but um, it could do anything? You never know what will line up." 

Oh. In a minute, she handed it back to Undyne. “Here.”  

Undyne handed her another page. “Okay. See if there’s anything else to add.” Frisky did the same thing and handed it back again. “Anything else? Here.” She handed Frisky about ten pieces of paper. 

Frisky was far from a gourmet cook, but she took care of her and her son on the ship. When they weren’t on missions, then they had to eat more accurately. They couldn’t live off of Grillby’s, hot dogs, Monster candy and astronaut food. Glamburgers and Steak were good, and so were other things, but they were far from the cry of protein and vegetable varieties humans needed. So, she did her best in adding everything. She had no idea what the Underground could actually provide. She had no idea how the food system worked.  

But if she didn’t give it her all, she was afraid she might be stuck with snail pie or something. That seemed to be Alphys point. Not the most appetizing dish to live on the rest of her life. Besides, she just . . . really wanted Sans and Papyrus to have some good homemade food for once too. 

French fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, porkburgers, fish tacos, pork/beef/chicken/any kind of meat enchiladas, pork/beef/chicken burritos . . . 

As she got going she just wrote the number of varieties because it felt like it was taking forever. 

Tacos (3), pasta (over 10), macaroni and cheese (10), hot dogs (10), wings (2), Casseroles (at least 10). 

It took awhile. She didn’t want to get fancy with any hard dinners that she’d need recipes for so this had to do it. She just couldn’t keep it up. Afterwards, she added a note about desserts (Desserts: Cakes, cookies, brownies, pies, ice creams. Many varieties.) 

There. If there was any of her food that could be modified to fit, it would be much easier to live Underground. She gave the papers back to Undyne and went back over by Sans. 

Undyne just looked at all the papers. She gestured for Frisky to come back over and had a whispered conversation. “Yeah, I thought so. Monsters don’t usually eat so much variety.” 

“As long as I can get more than snails, I’ll be happy,” Frisky answered. “Any kind of meat, except snails, and I can substitute.”  

Undyne just gave her an odd look. “I see the history of your culture was still pretty accurate. You have a large base of nutritional needs.” Undyne grinned. “You should open up a business when you're cleared for it in a year. Really bring in GOLD. It takes a long time for that kind of stuff though. Locations aren’t always easy to find. You might actually be better off joining forces with Grillby. Heck, if Grillby knew this, he probably would have put in a bid for you too." 

“Oh.” Helping with the GOLD would be good, but Frisky knew where she was needed right now. The here and now was all that mattered. “I want to help detect intruding humans who are good or bad. I knew many of them. I would have an easier time identifying them, and their chances of going rogue.” 

“Pfffttt. You’ll get all the chance you’ll want. Didn’t you know? You’ll be next to Sans most of your day for the first three months. Gradually less after that. It’s a Monster bonding thing, so, yeah. You’re stuck like glue. Sorry. Try not to die from his puns.” Undyne started stamping the papers. “Don’t worry, he’ll get stuck with bonding time with your kids too. I mean, kid.” Undyne’s eyes went over toward Alphys. 

Hmm. “Kids aren’t a bad thing,” Frisky said, knowing that Alphys watching two of the conduits wasn’t going to make it any easier for those two to get together. Undyne just gestured for her to head back over. Frisky looked over toward Chance in Papyrus’ arms. He was starting to groan. It’s okay. I promise. No matter what happens. You'll be safe here. 

“Alright Sans the Skeleton and . . .” Undyne looked toward Frisky. “Are we just going with Frisky still? Sans the Skeleton and Frisky have agreed to a mutual marriage, and not a hostile marriage. Right?” 

“Yep,” Sans answered. "No shackles or chains." 

"That's the best kind! Good going, Sans!" One of his friends cheered for him in the crowd. 

 “Good.” Undyne looked back at her papers. Undyne moved some papers to the sides as she looked back at Frisky. Undyne went by several more papers. “Okay. Uh, how old is the boy Papyrus is holding?” 

Frisky began to answer. “He is-“ 

“Guess,” Sans interrupted. Papyrus came over toward Undyne with him. 

“He’s small.” Undyne picked up his arm. 

“Very small still,” King Asgore added. “I would say a good . . . two years? What say you, Undyne?” 

“Hmmm. I could have sworn . . .” Undyne bit her lip.  

Chance yawned and started to wake up. “Uh, hey, what’s going on?”  

“Not two at all. He speaks well.” King Asgore approached Chance. “Hello there, little one? Do you know where you’re at?” 

Chance shook his head. “No. I was in the snow, then Sans saved us, and then I don’t remember what happened.” 

“Nice sentence structure.” King Asgore patted his head. “I’d say . . . eight? Seven?” 

“Six,” Sans confessed with a really heavy sigh. “He's six." 

“Yes,” Papyrus agreed, also with a heavy sigh. “He is about six." 

“Yeah, I thought so. I could have sworn he spoke.” Undyne sighed. “Sans.” 

“What?” Sans shrugged innocently. “Nothing wrong with a guessing game. Our family like puzzles. Right, Papyrus?” 

“Right!” Papyrus agreed enthusiastically.  

“Hmm.” 

Sans lowered his skull while Frisky looked toward King Asgore. 

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” King Asgore asked Chance. Chance shook his head but groaned. "Good. Now, this isn't going to hurt at all, but it's very important for Monsters to be truthful. So, I am going to do something very simple to make sure you're a good boy and tell the truth. Okay?" 

Wait. Questions? Frisky lost her relaxed state. Fast.  "What questions? Why are you asking him questions? What kind of magic are you using?" 

Everyone sort of looked at her funny. Sans took a step closer. 

"Relax, it's just a high-level truth magic spell. Don't worry," Sans said. "King Asgore's not going to ask about the barrier or anything," he said. "Just, need to not . . . be so bold in front of the King? Kay?" 

High level truth magic?! There was never any of that against the FRISK's! "No, I refuse." 

Sans tapped his bony fingers together. "Uh, Frisky? You can't just say no to the King." He was definitely not happy with her. "He's going to do it to us too right before it becomes official, so you need to deal with it. Okay?" 

"Why?" No. 

"When we do that, it won't be in public. Okay? No one will overhear anything. Relax." He took a deep breath, glanced back at her a second before looking forward again. 

Magic. Truth magic. No. No, no, no. Frisky felt her breath getting heavier. How strong was it? Exactly what would he say to the king? "Why?" 

Sans looked toward the king, shrugged and chuckled. "Y-you know the boldness of humans, Majesty?" He turned to look at her again. "Kay. So. You're not quite getting it. Um. Frisky? Marriage is going to happen. Monsters confess everything before marriage for a longer lasting marriage. Maybe it's not the human way, but that doesn't matter. It's not going to change but, there is something that could change if you keep making King Asgore . . . not happy. Make peace. Stop. Okay?" 

Frisky turned to face forward. Okay. Human marriage was much better now.  Much, much better now! I don't want to. I don't want to do this. Why is this so important? How come a marriage can't have secrets? Sans doesn't need to know this stuff! I don't want him knowing. She felt herself tighten up. When I was Frisk, I could hide better. Afterwards, I was so scared of him killing me for Judgment Hall that he didn't pick any of it up. Why? Why do we have to do this? She looked toward the back of Grillby's. I made my choice. I can't leave. I don't want them knowing. I didn't want them to ever know! She squeezed her eyes shut as she started to hear the questioning begin. 

"Let's try and see if that worked. Now, not feeling too well?" King Asgore patted his head. "Where's it hurt exactly?" 

"It hurts all over," Chance said. 

"Well. You Conduits are strong ones, aren't you? Okay, let's try again." 

Sans watched Frisky fidget like crazy. He looked toward Papyrus. They usually didn't do it, but just like they pushed magic and tried to reach Chance, they could reach each other the same way. And Sans really wanted to say something, whether it wasted magic or not. Pap? Frisky is not looking good. 

Soul bearing might just be new to her? It's okay, Sans. Are you hiding anything? 

I don't know. I don't think I'm hiding anything she doesn't already know. We went through a lot together. But, she interrupted the King constantly. She knows better than that. She didn't even reference him as Majesty and even said no to him. 

Yes, I noticed that. Well, you'll know it all soon I suppose. 

But, Pap? I mean, what do you think she's going to say? 

I don't know. I, I really don't know. But, but at least there won't be anymore secrets. You used to have so many yourself, Brother.  

I know, and it's hard. It's really hard. The deeper they go, the harder it is. Pap, I never told you, but . . . I . . . for the longest time, being stuck in the resets, I . . . 

It's alright, Brother. I get it. Just, get through this, and we'll all go home happy tonight. I mean, she came back with Chance! Let's just get it done. This whole mess has already taken up the entire afternoon. Shortly after this, it will be bedtime, and the start of a new day! Let's be thankful for that. 

You're right. New day. Thanks, Paps. You're the best. 

Asgore pushed a little more magic into Chance. He had done three rounds of his truth magic and was still getting a vague answer. After the fourth try, he asked again. "Okay. You Conduits are very strong little Monsters. Now, where does it hurt exactly?" 

Chance breathed slowly. "My chest hurts, my stomach hurts, my eyes are so sore I can't keep them open, my right leg hurts, my right knee hurts, my right arm hurts, my throat hurts, and all my fingers hurt except for my left thumb." 

"That's better," King Asgore smiled. Let's begin. How do you like Sans the Skeleton?" 

"Lots. He's cool." 

"Do your mommy and him get along well?" 

"Uh huh." 

"Do you think he is a responsible fellow? Could he take care of you and your mom?" 

Frisky noticed Sans looking a little nervous while some Monsters in the crowd chuckled and said things like 'this is over now'. 

"Sans responsible?" 

"Yes." 

"Sans is the most responsible Monster I know. Without him, we'd be dead by now. What a weird question." 

"Good to hear. Let me introduce myself. I am King Asgore. I rule the Underground," King Asgore continued to talk. "Don't be scared. I once had a human for a daughter." 

"Oh. Well, I'm a boy. I hate it when people confuse me, but, I get it a lot because when I'm a conduit and a girl controls me, then I'm technically kind of like a girl. It's annoying." 

"I am sorry to hear that," King Asgore said lightly. "Mankind was not very kind to you, were they?" 

"Mankind is doing what it must to survive the viciousness of Balancers. While mankind created them, they are slaves to them. We have no say. We are rodents. We are worth nothing, and if a use isn't provided to a human, they will die." Chance coughed. "I'm not supposed to . . ."  

"You should speak the truth," King Asgore said. "The more you struggle the harder it will be. Whatever it is, speak your mind." 

Chance coughed again. 

"That sensation won't disappear until you say what you need to say," King Asgore insisted. 

Chance took long, drawn out breaths. "I'm not supposed to talk like . . ." He coughed again. 

"There is no reason not to express yourself," King Asgore said delicately again. "Please." 

"Fuck Balancers, those bastards should rot in the pits of hell for what they do to us." Chance coughed again.  

"I see. Some very, very strong feelings from a child. I am . . . going to take note of that." King Asgore said.

Chapter Text

"I see. Some very, very strong feelings from a child. I am . . . going to take note of that." King Asgore said. "Hmm. Old enough to understand things. Six years old is usually the right age." He rubbed his beard. "Hmm . . . twelve months." 

"Twelve months?!" Papyrus shouted. "But, but, they don't even know each other that well!" 

"Interruption? Nine months." 

"Ni-!" 

"Pap, don't!" Sans tried to stop him as he tugged on him. King Asgore was probably frustrated enough with Frisky's interruptions. He really wasn't too bad of a King, but he could only stand so many interruptions. And he was getting- 

"Six months." 

Mad. 

"Asgore," Toriel scolded him. "That is not nice. I know it is six years old, but they need some time to get to know each other. Forget the interruptions. Give them the standard year, and maybe another half." 

"It is based by how many Monsters are in the Underground," King Asgore reminded her. "There are still only two. Two, in the entire Underground, there are only two." 

"Um? Well, uh, the kid'll be becoming one too very soon?" Sans added. "That's why he's hurting." 

"Well. Considering the circumstances, and perhaps that there are almost three, maybe I could stick with a year." 

"Can't you extend more? Give them time?" Toriel asked. "Sans should get more time. This is all a very big change for him and his brother, Papyrus." 

"Change?" Asgore came over closer. "What do you mean a 'change'? You knew the bride. You're here for her." 

"I am here for him too. He is my friend," Toriel insisted. "A good friend, who will make a much more excellent husband than you ever did." 

King Asgore turned his attention to Sans. "How did you know my wife?" 

Sans looked to Toriel and back to him. He felt something wrong. "Through a knock-knock door, Majesty." 

"Yes, Grumpy. Don't get so mean." Toriel rolled her eyes. "I met him some time ago through my door. He was knocking and before you know it, we were telling jokes." 

"Jokes?" King Asgore bent down to Sans level so fast, Sans moved back involuntarily. "You have been telling knock-knock jokes with Toriel?" 

"Some?" Sans said, really picking up that this wasn't good. "Something wrong, Majesty?" 

"He stopped by almost every day to share a joke. It was nice." 

"You told my queen, my queen . . . knock-knock jokes every single day?" 

"Sometimes?" Sans didn't get it. He'd seen King Asgore fine with him during the ending right before they hit the surface timelines. What was wrong? Okay, what is different. Let's see. Okay, Toriel fought Asgore. Asriel. Quick chatting. Wait, did he not hear our chat? No, he had to have. But, he was . . . Sans realized he'd never looked back to see the King. But what, what was it? Something, something, something . . . 

"Don't worry Asgore, there's more fish in the sea."  

Sans suddenly remembered Undyne said that! He didn't even think or care what that meant at the time, but as the King was staring him down, he was getting the hint. Quick.  This wasn't good. 

King Asgore moved over toward Frisky. "Knock. Knock." 

"Um. Who's there?" Frisky asked. 

"Three months." 

"Three months who?" 

"I don't know yet. That is up to you to name it." Asgore pointed at her stomach and patted her head. 

"Three months? That is completely ridiculous!" Toriel complained. "You had better change that back." 

"Are you coming home?" 

"No." 

"You have been gone, left me, without a word for so long. And now I find that you've been joking around with another Monster this whole time?" 

"Sans jokes around with everyone!" Papyrus tried to recover. 

"Majesty, really?" Sans held up his hands. "Sir, I-I joke. I like to joke. I joke with everyone! Um, this is not really the way to go?  

"In three months, your lovely wife should have a small Skeleton ready to add to our wonderful population. If you want an extension, Toriel will have to convince me. Personally. Except, she won't. She hasn't even bothered to come and see me in so many, many years. And, she is only here, now because . . ." 

"Big baby," Toriel complained.  

"Not. Helping. Tori," Sans warned her. King Asgore clearly wasn't happy that Toriel just stepped into his life because of them, not for himself. Yeah, that's it! It was one thing when she did it for FRISK, a cute little kid, but he thinks she's here because of me too. And then he probably thinks I'm like the guy that kept her happy? Like, keeping her happy kept her away from him?  

And without feeling the shame of the calling out of Toriel about the human souls and trying to take FRISK's life . . . and especially being watched by his own people in his own element of ruling . . . 

This wasn't going to end half as spiffy. 

Sans looked over at Frisky to see how she was taking the news. He didn't know the exact reason, but whatever the situation was, the King and Queen needed to sort it out themselves because three months couldn't happen! He needed much . . . wait.  

Wait. 

Frisky had to have understood that. But, she was just doing the same light fidgeting as before. Nothing more. Nothing less. That news should have sparked a gasp, another talking out of term, or something. At least, a different tremor or reaction. 

"This matter is over," King Asgore announced. "Frisky, Sans the Skeleton, and I will reconvene to the privacy of the castle for the soul bearing and shall return shortly." 

"I wish to go too," Toriel said nodding to Alphys. "My friend will watch my Conduits a moment." 

"Fine. You are still the Queen, after all. We shall all four go to the privacy of the castle," the King reiterated. 

 ----------------

Frisky moved her feet up and down. Toriel had her hand on her shoulder while King Asgore was over in a corner with Sans. I can't do this. This is sooo dangerous. I can't tell him though. Damn it, I need my Frisks. I know they would come, if they were still here. Small little miracle? Please, please, please. Maybe if they get tired of pushing? Maybe it's like a mindwipe. If it is, maybe I can hold them off long enough that they'll give up because I can't. I just can't. 

"Frisky. My dear?" Toriel whispered. "I can tell that something is very wrong, which is why I want to be here. It's going to be okay! Now, um, truth magic can be hard to take. Very innermost feelings do come out, and it doesn't always come out perfectly right. So if Sans says anything that seems out of character or rude, please dismiss it. And, and don't worry. All Monsters go through this. Considering what happened, remember, they are his unhinged feelings. He himself is very hinged, and . . . and a good fellow." 

Frisky touched her paw. First, Refuse. Second, Dilemma. Third, call out for help. Fourth, song that sticks in the head. "That bad, Toriel?" Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. While Toriel did her little explanation she would work between, training her mind. Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. 

"Well, you see, when Monsters who have no reason to have to get married go through this, sometimes they discover that they . . . they don't really want to go through with it after a soul bearing. This process saves a lot of Monsters grief. From love to secrets that they just can't handle. But, you can do this. It won't take long. Okay?" 

Frisky held her paw tighter. "Toriel. I'm . . .  not good with this."  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. 

"It's okay. Here they come. Don't worry either, it's not like endless secrets. The questions need to be more direct. Okay?" She gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before watching her meet Sans in the middle of the room. 

"It feels like a tickle in the ear," Sans chuckled. "Okay, let's get this thing over with." 

"Name?" King Asgore asked. 

"Sans the Skeleton." 

"Alright, Sans the Skeleton. Do you have anyone you've ever loved before?" 

Sans looked up almost twitching. "I don't think so." 

"That's a weird answer," King Asgore said. "He is fully beneath it." 

"Love is a tricky thing," Toriel insisted. "Go on." 

"What is it you want out of life?" King Asgore asked him. 

"I just want to live. I just want to live with Papyrus and just go on with my life like nothing bad ever happened inside of it." 

Yeah.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Frisky could see what Toriel meant about the honesty. 

"And what would you consider was bad?" King Asgore asked him. 

"Finding out humanity has been doing nothing but playing around with me and my family for starters. Not only did they hide the sky from us, but I mean, how would anyone feel about suddenly finding out they had a kid too? A kid?! I mean, a six-year-old kid, out of the blue. Just found it waiting on an MP." He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "And this kid was okay. Not evil or bad, just okay. Not the greatest thing Underground. Just okay. It's not like we had this real close connection or I thought he was somehow special. Just a kid, just a regular kid. Fun little kid. But then, this regular kid turns out to be my kid. So now, it ain't so regular anymore. Is it? I mean, it's still the same kid. I still get along with it the same way. But, it's just that, I am going to suck as a dad. I don't remember anything about even my own dad. I do get along great with kids. I'd be a good Uncle, I know that, but dad? Man, I am going to screw that poor kid up. But, Papyrus. Papyrus can help out though. He would have made a way better dad. I wish Papyrus had been the dad, and I could have been the Uncle. Because my brother, Pap. Best guy ever. He never hides secrets. He's always honest. Always shares his feelings. A really emotional but awesome guy who's always there. He would have been much better." 

Damn. The pure honesty.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Frisky knew it, of course, but Sans was never that direct about it. 

"Okay. Well, is there any big secret you are hiding from Frisky?" King Asgore asked. "You said earlier you didn't have anything." 

"Nope, not a thing. How could I? I mean, heck, I couldn't even be in my own house without being viewed by some human in my life. She remembers more of my life than I even do. I don't even know when we first met except for a couple of glimpses in her head. Nope, she knew everything." He rocked back on his heel bone. "Everything, everything, everything. I used to hide the whole committing thing from her, but that's yesterdays news anyhow thanks to the other damn parts of FRISK that screwed the whole thing up. I mean, it would have been much better. Like I said, I'd be a better Uncle than a dad. We could have all just been good roommates, you know? It would have been fine, but oh no. FRISK just had to mess around with my life again. They were good at that. Whole or parts. Frisk just can't stay out of my life." 

"Do you want the conduit FRISK out of your life?" King Asgore asked directly. 

"I sure as hell want the whole FRISK thing out of my life! It just brought up reset after reset after reset! Life stopped even mattering. I mean, it was okay sometimes. It was fine. I even helped it out when I could, but, that thing was always half evil too. I mean, I didn't know if I was going to be meeting an okay kid that day, or a killer that had already taken out everything in its path. But whether it was good or bad, it just kept resetting my life. Nothing new. No way to escape. And I tried to escape, I did everything I could to escape, but it was always the same thing over and over again." 

"Well, what about all of the Frisks?" King Asgore asked. 

 All of the Frisks? Not all of them. I don't mind the good parts of Frisk. I sure as hell downplayed it when I took out PERSEVERANCE. That little piece of nothing killed my Brother and all my friends so many times! And then when it mattered, when the resets stopped, he had the gall to come back and try to finish him! No, I enjoyed watching it get shish kabobbed and finally just staying there completely lifeless. I don't know about everyone though. I met one Frisk on board a ship and I didn't even see her live long enough to know her. But the others, I am not happy with them. At all! I mean, at least one of them was supposed to be an okay friend. Right? But, here they come. They took away so much, and they just had to try and take away the last of my own flesh and blood! Mine! I lost a whole lot, so much, so so much, and they try to take the very last thing that I had! So, yeah! Not much love there.  It sounds like there was one that was actually on my side. Don't know him for him, but I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt. Frisky is okay. Frisky is great actually. Frisky is really great actually. I don't know why she's so great. It bugs me too 'cause I hardly know her. She's not the other Frisks that I know. There wasn't a single Frisk I know that would have come back after being 'rescued'. They would consider that not winning, but she did it. She put me first even above herself. Really, really hard to believe, but it was true. So, I'm still working out how I feel about that. But, there's something to her too. I keep sensing something that I don't understand about her. I don't know what it is, and it kind of drives me crazy."  

Toriel bent down to her. "That is . . . actually not half bad of a reaction underneath truth magic, believe it or not. He might remember some of what he said, but most of it will be more like a dream or a dim memory." 

"Well. I would say that's pretty good for you," King Asgore answered. "The truth will fade away after a few minutes. And then." King Asgore looked toward Frisky. "We'll do you." 

No way, I am not speaking the truth. I refuse. No way. I'm not.  

King Asgore placed his hands on her. "What is your name?" 

I won't even trust myself to open my mouth. Not even for that. Nothing. Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Ready.  I refuse. I refuse! 

Sans hung out in the corner by Toriel. "She's fighting it hard, Tori. Really, really hard." 

"She won't even say her name," Toriel agreed. "She is on six doses already. I fear she has some very dark secrets. You should prepare yourself for anything." 

"Geez." Sans shook his head. "I still can't believe I said all that. Did I really just say my own kid was just an okay kid and that I'd suck at being a dad to King Asgore?" 

"It's alright. It's your innermost feelings," Toriel answered. "That's why it's so important to have a soul bearing though. The truth is always exposed. It's too bad humanity does not have this. It would stop so many bad things, reveal the darkness hiding inside. Of course, it's still not perfect," she muttered. She sighed. "When she hits her limit, oh . . . there is a phrase once used on the surface. Sorry. Habit. I mean used beyond the barrier. It was . . . aw, yes. When she hits her limit, she is going to 'sing like a canary'. Unbridled. I wish I knew what haunted her so." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name?" King Asgore asked directly again. 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

King Asgore forced more magic on her. "Honestly, human. Give in. By this rate, you won't even remember a thing you share. You'll just go off. You need to stop. This is a part of the marriage ceremony and it will happen. Name." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name! I want your name!" King Asgore pressed even more magic into her. "By everything the crown stands for, what are you hiding?" He pushed more magic into her. 

"Asgore, settle down." Toriel came over to him. "Be gentle, she is human." 

"I understand, Tori," Asgore said slowly. "But, I've already put in fifteen rounds of magic. Most would be ready by three. Sans was done by two. I could understand the Conduit taking so much, but a mere human?" He rubbed his head. "Name?" 

"I don't know . . ." 

"We might be ready." King Asgore smiled. "What is the name that you are using for your wedding?" 

"I don't know . . . how . . ." 

"How to what?" King Asgore asked again. 

"I don't know . . . how . . . to do it. Like this. In this condition . . ." 

"How to do what in what condition?" King Asgore asked again. 

"She is leading the questioning," Toriel warned him. "Very smart." 

"Ah, yes, I see." King Asgore stroked his beard. "I ask again. What is the name that you are using for your wedding?" 

"I don't know how to do it. Like this. In this condition . . . how will they . . ." 

Another five minutes into it and King Asgore just had his head sunk. "This is getting us nowhere." Each time he asked something, she would continue with the same phrasing, almost like he asked for it. It was just a little added at a time, with the repetition faster in the front.  

"She will eventually run out of whatever she's trying to say," Toriel insisted. "My, she is a smart one. She must have been prethinking these thoughts before the magic." 

"Told you, she's got DETERMINATION to spare," Sans joked. "Seriously, Frisky. This is getting a little . . . annoying?" 

"Alright, let's continue. We will eventually reach this end." King Asgore sighed. "Name?" 

"I don't know how to do it. Like this. In this condition. How will they find each other like this? Undyne should send the letter. She came after me during the pretend date timelines and always said she should have delivered the letter. Why didn't Undyne give her the letter without me? How am I supposed to . . . get them . . . back . . . together." 

"Is that it?" Toriel asked.  

"I hope so," King Asgore sighed. "Name?" 

"36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320 . . ." Her chanting continued of the same rolling numbers over and over.  

Sans just closed his eye sockets. This was getting ridiculous. She may have secrets to hide, but she couldn't keep it up forever. 

"Told you not to hug the- huh?" Right in front of King Asgore, Sans, and Toriel stood someone about Frisky and Sans' size. The strange human looked behind her at Frisky still chanting her number. "Oh, hell no!" She pulled out her MP and . . . 

Engaged an encounter. 

King Asgore, Queen Toriel and Sans just stared at her. Did a human really just engage all three of them at once? 

Right beside her, a guy showed up. Same size. 

"What the . . ." He stared at the strange human woman. "You did not just force an encounter with freaking royalty and Sans, Friskay!" 

"Look at her, Farrisk!" Friskay shouted gesturing to Frisky in the chair. 

Kay. Wedding day not going so well now. Sans just . . . tried to stay relaxed. "It's the Frisks. In person. Great. Say, um? Could you just go now?" 

"You wish, dweeb," Friskay spoke back. "What are you doing to our Frisky?" 

Sans looked surprised. She should be using the buttons. "You really shouldn't do that. You can't break board rules." 

"Until someone actually fights, that rule doesn't exist in the encounter area Friskay sat up," Farrisk said back. "So, let's just talk, huh? It's obvious you are trying some kind of memory thing to Frisky, but you can't." 

"It is part of the ceremony," King Asgore said. "It's tradition and it must be done." 

"Yeah, um." Sans couldn't deal with it much longer. "Look, little Frisk's. Not so happy with any of you right now. Really should just leave already." 

"Sure, why not? Then after the fact when you find her brain damaged, you going to blame us, Skullhead?" Friskay asked. "Frisky called to me, meaning she's in trouble!" 

And great, another Frisk showed up. Same size, along with another . . . well, a taller Frisk. 

"In the Summer. In the Springtime. In the Winter or the Fall!" The big one shouted loudly in a bad piercing sound to the skull.  

"Keep going and that's what's going to happen," Friskay pointed to the singing girl. "Go ahead. Try and interact with her. That's Friskeye, otherwise known as HONESTY. She used to be just like us. Now look at her. She's what Frisky will be if you keep going." 

"Now, now." The other guy tried to pat Friskay's arm. "Let's all settle down." 

"Fuck you, Friskarino! You're the one that lost track of Frisky and Frisk!" Friskay shouted. "Grab her and let's go. We'll find the kid later." 

"No."  

It wasn't a scream or a yell, but the Frisk's could easily tell Sans wasn't kidding around. His eye sockets went devoid of any light. 

"Beat. It. Now." 

"Would if we could, but we can't. I know you're not happy with us taking Frisky before," Friskarino began. "She deserved to make a choice without chains though. And, when she made that choice, it was better? Yeah? We aren't here to destroy your marriage. Frisky made her decision and it's cool. But, you don't know what's hiding in her mind. Now, I know you can't get married without knowing, but you don't want brain damage either? Right?" 

"This is a simple magic truth telling," King Asgore spoke up. "Everyone handles it just fine. Even children." 

"Yeah, but, Frisky's head. It ain't right no more because of what happened to her." Friskarino looked straight at Sans. "Honestly, if she's asking for our help, she is falling into a bad place fast. And trust me, if you care about her, you won't do it. Let us help you." 

"She's freaking getting married to a Skeleton," Friskay complained. 

"It's her choice," Friskarino told her. "She made the decision. We aren't taking her anywhere. We just need to help Sans know the truth. That's what it's about, right?" 

Well. Maybe that Frisk was okay then. Sans adjusted his eye sockets again to a more peaceful level. "What's wrong with Frisky?" 

Friskay, Friskarino and Farrisk all looked at each other. 

"I don't like it," Friskay said.  

"Frisky needs to get married. There has to be a soul bearing and . . ." Friskarino looked toward Sans. "I really think it'd be good for him to know everything." Friskarino sighed. "If you let us do this a little differently, then . . . we'll help. You've got to do a couple of things though." He looked to Asgore and Toriel. "Just me and Sans." 

"What?" King Asgore didn't like that. 

"Look, I know." Friskarino held his hands up in defense. "But this marriage isn't about Royalty knowing anyhow. And, there's no magic involved. It really should just be Frisky and Sans, but they do need the one who knows the secrets. I was a part of FRISK. I know everything about her. Friskay and Farrisk knows too, but . . . I don't think Friskay would cooperate." 

"Hell no!" 

"Farrisk could I mean-" 

"Nah, you." Sans remembered what Frisky said about the teleporting alert. "This better not be a trick." 

"I understand," Toriel answered. She looked toward Asgore. "It is a new situation. She is human in a Monster marriage." 

"Fine." King Asgore sighed. "Hurry it up, and then we can continue." 

"Great. Now, Frisky probably has a lot more magic jammed in her than she should because she wasn't falling for the truth, right?" Friskarino started. "Yeah, that's not good. So, we need to make her feel safe. Do you know where there is a closet? Preferably big enough for three people. She'll be better off in a dark, enclosed space." 

Sans thought back to when he told her about the committing. She crawled under the bed. Yeah, he'd have to play the Frisk's game if he was going to get this done. "Papyrus has a closet." 

Chapter Text

He took a shortcut straight through to the closet with Friskarino, him and Frisky. 

"That's better." Friskarino smiled. "Dark spaces are where we make last minute decisions, and improves our chances to live. She'll be better here." He leaned against the closet. "Alright. Now, I could just blurt stuff out but you'd never know if I was telling the truth or not. You could judge me, I guess, but doesn't Monster truth magic have a thing where you can do the opposite to make it come off?" 

"You mean the truth?" If Sans said the secrets she kept where she could hear, it should. He was starting to get it a little now. "Not used much, but yeah. The magic'll come off with that. So, let's get this done." 

"Sure. And, I know you're irritated about this," Friskarino sighed. "And I wish I could tell you by the end that's all your going to feel." He fidgeted. "Okay, a lot of stuff is from records that we know, because that's all she knows. Her mind has been wiped so many times. And, unfortunately, she reached her peak. From this point on, anything else done to her brain will slowly eat away at her until she's just like the singing girl you saw. So." Friskarino held up four fingers. "We can probably narrow everything down to four secrets. Well, three, but I think we better cover the first one anyway. It's a nice way to get this started." 

"Sure, let me just get some candles and a pillow." Sans sighed. "It doesn't matter however you sugarcoat what you have to say. Let's just get it said. King Asgore doesn't always have patience and he's had it up to here with me lately." Sans raised his arm above his head. "Okay?" 

"Sorry. Okay, well the first is pretty easy. I'd bet every finger on my hand Frisky didn't tell you about the training ships." Friskarino looked toward him. "You probably chose PACIFISTS to live, right? I don't know exactly, but training ships are roulette's. When soldiers are trained, they change from month to month. So, you don't have all PACIFISTS, and you didn't rescue them all. It was just a draw of destiny of who was assigned PACIFIST that month. Oh, and even the final permanent status. It's decided for you too." 

Sans took a slightly deep breath. "Well, I couldn't have done anything different. Even knowing that, I probably would have done the same thing." 

"Yeah. Don't tell me, tell her. Address  her and let her know the secret you know." 

"Fine." Sans stood really close to her. "Frisky, I know about the training ships now. Really wouldn't have made much difference to me." He saw her rigid body lose just a touch of it's rigidness but not much. 

"Great. So, back to that no choice thing about sides?" Friskarino said. "Yeah, we don't get the final say on permanent either, but your actions in training usually fit a decent side. Frisky however wasn't PACIFIST she was a NEUTRALIST." 

"A NEUTRALIST?" 

"Yep, but she knew her poor kid. Um, well, your poor kid would be going through some bad missions on a neutral side. So, she acted. She lied to the girl next to her. Spoke loud enough for her to overhear Frisky say your son's sanity wouldn't survive GENOCIDE. The girl flipped Frisky her card and took Frisky's but was caught. Except, she wasn't just any girl. Before snapping her neck, her loving teacher told her the identity was her sister. He even tossed her sister's MP to her so she could get to know what little of her she ever could through it." 

"Whoah." Oh, that was bad. He remembered Chance saying something about that. "Chance said his mom never told him much about her." That was why. She didn't know much about her in the first place. He came over to Frisky. "Hey? Frisky? Yeah, uh . . . I'm sorry about your whole sister thing. I know you didn't know her, but I bet it still hurt. And, I know because of how you acted it happened, but you did what you thought was right. You wanted Chance on PACIFIST." He shrugged. "Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing." 

Her body seemed to relax more. She almost needed help standing up now. 

"Okay. This next one? Is tough. I'm not saying much more than the basics to give you directions to the truth." He pulled out his MP and put in some codes. "Sorry." 

That definitely wasn't good. Sans took the MP and looked at the charts on it. "What's this?" 

"Dates are mindwipes. You can think of them like resets, except the environment doesn't change, and it eventually has repercussions on the brain. Frisky went through several mindwipes as well as all of us to survive our sanity against the different timelines and resets. But, those are full mindwipes you see labeled. It doesn't just take out a 'timeline', it takes out everything. You literally wake up not knowing anything about yourself. You've got your same skills, but nothing else. Your mind feels like a complete rookie, even if you've been fighting for years."

Mindwipes. Sans scrolled through. There were a lot. In between the mindwipes were other phrases. Experimental. Budding. Disciplined Action. "I got a good brain but this doesn't make sense." 

"Failed missions, Sans. Things happen for everyone when they fail. It's all bad, but girls, well, they add to the populace." 

"Hm?" 

"Every time a female soldier fails, they get disciplined until they get pregnant." 

" . . . hm?" 

"It's just as bad as it sounds. Frisky failed twice. Neither of them made it to a born status. But, Balancers don't want regular humans. We're just rodents. They want conduits or re-resets, so after it's conceived, well, you see the word experiment." 

What. Sans looked back at the charts again. After every discipline, there was a mindwipe. Constantly. 

"They keep full mindwiping so a soldier's mind stays too rookie and can't-" 

"Shut up." The same number next to Discipline kept showing up. And he could guess by the 'names' of the Frisks what that was. There were three separate charts. One of them had no numbers on the side and was successful. That must be Chance. The others though kept having an identical number. 

" . . .mmm . . . let me know when you're ready to go on." 

Sans kept flipping through the charts. Not that it would do anything. What he saw wasn't going to change. It wasn't going to reset to something happy like 'does not exist.' "Ch-Chance is different." 

"Yeah, I know. Honestly, the furthest data back on Frisky that I can find is when he was already 8 months. So, that was a different branch of things. Trust me. The others weren't yours. They were 04823's. Best Friend to the PERSEVERANCE you fought, but assigned to be a PACIFIST teacher. He was actually Underground for a short time. Left her sister's MP in a Temmie shop along with a Hoodie, just to goad her about the mission failure. Especially since it had been many years. Chance was practically a baby back when things were bad." He looked back toward Sans. "He was also the same guy who killed her sister." 

Sans really wasn't moving. He was still just staring and studying the charts.  

"Uh. You know, Mankind and Balancers, we've evolved a long time, so . . . the ways of getting pregnant aren't really physical. That's the slow way. I mean, I can't say it for sure, I can't get into those kinds of files easily, and I really don't want to know." 

Sans still wasn't moving. He was still just watching the charts. 

"So did Frisky ever tell you about a guy called Conner?" His eye sockets shot toward him. Devoid of any light. Not a surprise, but still chilling nonetheless. "He's not 04823. Just to let you know if you think there's a connection." Sans' eyes moved back down to the charts. "But, if anything ever happens and Frisky gets pulled away, there's a good chance she'll go to him. When she accepts a subservient role to a higher soldier. Mm, that's why he has a name? Well, she loses her chance at freedom but she doesn't have to participate in missions anymore. Neither would Chance." 

Friskarino sighed again. "You need to . . . you need to tell her that you know. Or, did you want the last thing?" No real answer. "Fine. Uh, if anyone ever gets through that barrier or it breaks, I wouldn't doubt if Frisky either goes to Conner or just kills herself. Because hell is waiting for her. See, they used to be able to see down here. They have no idea what's going on, so, if word ever gets out that she's not chained up and she's actually happily living in harmony in the same house as some Monsters, it's going to get bad. If a pregnancy was a failed mission, I don't want to know what would happen for that offense if they bag her alive. And that? That's why . . . everyone wanted her and Chance away. Chance is a cute kid but he's a freaking weapon ready to go off. You know that. And, well, Frisky is going to get punished really hard if anything happens. So. So seriously!" He shouted at Sans. "You take damn good care of Frisky. Because she is DETERMINATION, has a lot in store but it comes from massive amounts of love for the kid.  Everyone gets a choice with their first born conduit what to do, and she wouldn't leave. Women soldiers have dreamed of getting a conduit instead of a re-reset just so they could leave, but she never did that. So, please. Please watch out for her, she's like our sister, and out of all of us Frisks she is the most tender. Got it?" 

He moved over toward Sans. "Here, I need my MP and I'll take off. You can do this however you need to, and make it back to your own wedding. Sorry again, Sans. I'm sure she never wanted anyone to know anything, but. Well, you guys were going to fry her again, and she can't take much more before hitting the insanity zone but . . . she wasn't going to run." He still held his hand out. Sans finally gave it to him. He started to search on his MP. "We're stuck here too. So, if you need help, you already saw what to do. We automatically come when our numbers are chanted over and over from our comrades. MP 9's and up are set up that way." Yeah, he wasn't going to say anything else. If Sans even slightly cared for Frisky, then he had a lot to take in. "Bye, Sans." 

Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. "Guess um . . . I ain't got no choice in any of this? No resets. No going back or anything on all that past stuff. Well, and  . . . this is like one of the times you'd really, really, really want to. So." He pulled her over closer. "That. It's. I'm so freaking sorry, Frisky!" He brought her closer into a hug.  

He was hurting. He was hurting so much, he swore he had actually attained some kind of physical heart or chest. "How could anyone ever do that to you?" Damn. The price of a failed mission. "Promise, I promise. This is it. Me and Papyrus, we're going to take the best care of you and I really, really mean it! And I don't really, really know what else to say! Cause it won't change anything! Just, um. Just." 

That was weird. Frisky's dress was getting wet where he laid his skull. It took a moment to realize he manifested something. Something he needed. 

Tears.

Picking his broken self back up, he stood next to Frisky. "You know. If I had been the Frisk's I think I would have done the same thing they did after all. Especially since you had your freedom. Instead, you came back, and you're scared about how long that barrier is going to hold. You'd go through some kind of torment if you got caught and you did it. Just . . . just so I could keep Chance." He wiped his tears on his tux. "You're way too good for me. I'm not worth this much. I'm just a lazy guy who likes to tell jokes. Although, jokes kind of went south. Nothing's felt funny for some time now." 

He sighed and held her on the side. He still  had to address it. "Frisky. I know that if the barrier fails, hell is waiting for you on the other side." Her body became loose and he continued to hold her. "Frisky. I know that 04823 fathered two unborns and he is who you face when you fail a mission. If you get pulled out and survive that hell, you're going to go to some guy named Conner that bugs Chance, or you might actually just get yourself killed." She slid down more. "I know that my anger toward humans is really not what I thought it was. I know you humans keep saying Balancers, but I don't think I got it 'til now. And, even though Chance is my own kid, and I'd never put him through what they made him to be? I can . . . see why they did it. This thing ain't so cut and dry anymore between humans and Monsters." 

He actually started to hear her breathe, like she was just lightly asleep. As much as he didn't want to right now, they were still in the middle of getting married. He had already made King Asgore mad enough and it couldn't be postponed. "Welp. I guess we better finish this." He couldn't address anything. Yet. There wasn't time yet, and he had to stay cheery for the wedding, or she'd know and feel horrible the whole time. And it didn't do any good to mess up on something that happened years ago. Yet.

Even though he couldn't do anything yet though. He felt something. He felt something deep inside that he hadn't felt in a long, long time and he knew three things for a fact: 

Friskarino was a damn good part of Frisk for going through that for Frisky. 

Frisky thought she was risking hell just so he could stay with Chance. 

Frisky wasn't risking hell because he would become hell if anyone ever touched her or Chance. 

Ever.

Chapter Text

Frisky blinked, feeling herself come back around. She didn't remember anything, but she was standing right in the middle of the ceremony again. She looked toward Sans and Papyrus. They seemed fine. What did King Asgore ask? What do they know about me?  

Undyne was in the front with Alphys and Asgore again. She was looking at papers. “Okay. We're about done. I need to give you some papers and we'll do affirmations in a second.” 

Affirmations? What was that? Did I say anything at all? Toriel looked fine, and she figured if anything fell out of her mouth, she wouldn't look half so calm. Maybe it wasn't really that bad. They never asked Chance the right questions. They must not have asked the right questions. Thank goodness. She felt her whole body feel so much better. 

"Alright," Undyne answered. "Affirmations?" 

“I got this, no worries.” Sans stepped forward. He looked toward Papyrus knowingly, throwing his hands up in a shrug. “I promise not to pun her to death. No more than fifty puns a day.” Papyrus gave a thumbs down. “Twenty puns? Not twenty puns every single day?” He finally got a thumbs up and looked toward Undyne. “I promise to bring in the GOLD needed.” He looked at his bony fingers. “I promise to follow all the rules on the do and don’t list. I promise to keep them at a safe temperature. I promise to try and balance their nutrition thing.”  

While Undyne wrote that down, she gave him the do’s and don’ts lists. “Alright, take these and it's time for the last part.” 

“Oh. That's a lot of papers.” He picked up the papers and brought them over. “Almost done, Frisky. Just one more thing." 

Okay. No problem. No big deal. Frisky probably didn’t know a thing. But hang on, does Undyne? He looked toward Papyrus who was shrugging his shoulders too. There were so many types of Monsters, maybe she didn’t know either? Sans just leaned over to Frisky and gestured toward his bony cheek. "I need a quick kiss." Frisky kissed him real quick. “Great, we’re done.” 

Undyne looked nonplussed at that. She looked toward Asgore and Alphys. Both of them knew it too. “You think we didn’t know?” Undyne walked toward Sans. “Come on. A little bit of humility never hurt anyone. It isn’t over until you do this, so get it over with.”  

“Hey, this’ll be interesting, Sansy-boy!” One of the regular patrons yelled. “How does a Skeleton kiss? Does anybody know?” 

“I don’t know, but go Sans!” 

“Umm.” Papyrus moved over to Undyne. “Can I have a brief word?” 

“Can’t change this,” Undyne warned him.  

“No, no, obviously, but a small word?” Papyrus went over to the corner with her. 

Chance blinked his eyes, slowly waking up. He felt a lot better. 

“Look, the rules are clear, Papyrus. Sans is going to have to deal with it. This is Monster tradition.” 

Have to deal with what? 

“That is true, but tradition never said it had to be in the public, just in front of the leader of Guards or King Asgore? Um, Sans is . . . well, he’s not very used to girls any more than I am. This is tough enough on my brother.” 

Sans and girls? Why are they talking about Sans and girls? Chance looked over Papyrus’ shoulder where he saw his mom and Sans standing right next to each other with a big crowd surrounding them at Grillby’s. Beforehand, he had been hurting too much to know what was going on. 

“Besides which, conjuring is a delicate issue. I don’t think we’ve had much practice.” 

“He’s conjured plenty, Papyrus.” 

“Yes, when it comes to certain things, but not, um . . . this? This is return conjuring. We haven’t played this kind of conjuring for some time. It only crops up every once in awhile, and we aren't very good at it. So, it could take awhile for him to get it. Please?” Papyrus asked. “Just let him and Frisky kiss in front of you as witness in the back? And, uh, don’t rush it?” 

Wait, what? “Sans is going to kiss my mom?” Chance asked surprised. “Hey, what’s going on?” 

“Ah?! Oh, you’re awake?” Papyrus wiggled his bony fingers at him. “Nice nap?” 

Chance was ready to get down though. What was going on? Why was Sans going to kiss his mom? Why was everyone surrounding them? 

“Nice distraction," Undyne complimented him. "Let him down, Papyrus.”  

Papyrus let Chance down where he went running toward his mom. 

“Momma, what’s happening?” Chance asked as he looked toward Sans. “How come you want to kiss my mom?”  

“Oh, Chance. Sorry, I know this is not something normal to wake up to.” Frisky bent down toward his level. “You feel better?” 

“Yeah. I remember someone asking me about something about pain though?”   

“That was me,” King Asgore said as he approached. Chance pulled himself onto his mom’s neck. “Oh, I see you're more awake now. Don’t worry. I know not every human is bad.” 

Sans bent down next to Chance. “No worries, kid. You’re never going back to your ship again. You’re staying snowed in in Snowdin forever.” 

Chance looked toward Sans awhile before looking back at his mom. “Snowdin forever?” That would be awesome! But, they were supposed to go back home. Freedom. “Oh, I get it. We didn’t earn our freedom and you didn’t want Conner touching you again, so you ran away?” 

“Not exactly. Uh.” 

“Heh. Hey, Chance?” Sans sounded funny. “What do you mean by again?” 

“Ah, he liked to sneak up behind her and grab her or kiss her. He likes to make girls squeal.” Why did Sans care about that though? “So come on, what’s true and what’s not here?” Chance begged his mom. 

“We’re staying in Snowdin with Sans and Papyrus,” his mother answered. "Sans isn't lying about that." 

“Are you sure? For how long?” Chance touched the flowers on his mother's head. “What are these for?” He touched his own head, realizing he had some on him too. “Are these the same? Why am I wearing girly flowers?” His face went red and he crossed his arms. “I’m a boy, not a girl!” 

“It’s for the ceremony,” his mom said softly. “Just bear with it a bit? We’re almost done.” 

“What ceremony?” Chance looked all around. “I’m confused.” 

“See?” Papyrus said to Undyne. “It’s confusing enough for him. What do you say?” 

“Alright, fine. You can’t wiggle out of anything else, Sans,” Undyne warned him. “In the back room. You, Frisky and me. Come on.” 

“Where are you going?” Chance asked. 

“Just stay with Papyrus a second, okay? We won’t be long,” Sans said as he and his mom went toward the back away from everyone. 

I don’t know what’s going on, but, well, at least we get to stay longer. Except that his stomach was starting to hurt again. “Papyrus.” He held onto Papyrus' femur. Snow, Sans, home, what? 

“It’s okay. This will all pass.” Papyrus picked him back up. “Soon, very soon, you’ll never feel any kind of a stomach or fever sickness again.” He sighed as they looked toward where Sans and his mom went. “Oh. Poor Sans.” 

--------------------------------- 

“Okay, you’ve got your privacy,” Undyne said. 

“Kay. Frisky, close your eyes.” Frisky gave him a funny look. “Just trust me, and just wait. A few minutes. Maybe more.” She gave a small sigh and closed her eyes. Hmm. I never do this by myself, it just comes with an extra tasty burger. Although, the last one lasted awhile. It didn't disappear until this morning. Maybe that will make it easier? A return conjure used to be kind of a fun thing, but there was no reason to continue doing that. Especially after he learned how to conjure up attacks. Now, if he could return conjure up something like a Grillby burger, it would have been worth the practice.  

Sans wiggled his hands, trying to get his magic to make the most simplistic thing. A simple skin around a finger. It wouldn’t look anything like a human, and translucent, but it would be a good start. He’d practiced a bit that day, but the whole day was a rush of things to do. There was always something he had to do. Undyne watching him didn’t make it any easier, but there wasn’t a choice there. She had to be witness. At least Papyrus did his part and gave him a lot of privacy. Because people would probably be laughing at him trying to do this. 

Okay. First step, visualize. Remember, you already have it. You just don’t ever use it. That Skeleton book he’d read with Chance popped back into his mind. He’d got that to help Chance understand when he started to change, but he found himself working backward in the book too. Come on. I can do a simple trick Skeleton kids loved to play. He moved his bony fingers around as he started to see swirls of blue forming around his hand. Yeah, translucent but real enough. He felt the muscle and skin around his bones. The room felt cold. Oh yeah, that’s why we never use it, who wants to feel cold? Geez, this is what Frisky felt? And it's supposed to be warm in here. Wow. 

Undyne didn’t rush him. Papyrus must have warned her it’d been awhile since he did it. He swished his hand around slightly, feeling the air around it. Cold, cold, cold! Still, it was a step in the right direction. 

Knowing what cold felt like would make the inside of his mouth easier. It was the opposite, but to help remember the warmth, he had to remember the cold. Loose lips sink ships. There’s no way I can manage that yet. Come on, no cheating with a burger. I just had that tongue for awhile.  He remembered the funny, bobbing little thing. Weird feeling little thing. Then, he felt it. Yes, I did it without a burger! 

And Undyne was just giving him a strange look. What? It’s just a glowing blue tongue. What did she expect?  He stuck his tongue out at her, startling her slightly since he never even bothered to open his mouth to talk. Heh, never get to do that. Have to remember that one later. It’d really freak Monsters out. Undyne glared at him but gestured toward Frisky. 

Sans came over toward Frisky. If he just thought of it as a joke, maybe it’d be easier. Like a hand buzzer, or a whoopee cushion in the hand. Something entirely unexpected. “Okay, Frisky, open your mouth.” She opened her mouth.  

It was supposed to be a quick thing. Just touch her tongue for a second or two. She’d be surprised. Like a joke. Easiest way to deal with it. That’s what it was supposed to be. 

That’s what it was supposed to be. But, once his tongue felt the warmth on her tongue, his judging instincts kicked in. It was that feeling again, that feeling that he couldn’t figure out or find again. Instead of seeing it in her face though, he felt it. Something familiar but new. But, what was it? What was it? Powerful like LOVE, but good. So good. What was it? He probed her mouth deeper, feeling everything he could, trying to figure it out. 

He knew emotions. He lived emotions. He could tell any kind of emotion except this one, what was it? And why did she have to be so soft inside too? There wasn’t a single hard spot on a human and the mouth was even softer than the outside. What was it? What was it? What was the emotion that he felt surging from her?  

He could feel confusion, some humility, a lot of surprise, but what else? The feeling felt almost drowning. Energetic, powerful, but not evil. What was it?! Friskarino's last words echoed in his head. 

You take damn good care of Frisky. Because she is DETERMINATION, has a lot in store but it comes from massive amounts of love for the kid. 

She is DETERMINATION . . . massive amounts of love for the kid. 

 massive amounts of love . . . 

Love, not LOVE? Powerful but good. Really good. An emotion that he didn't recognize. How could someone be made of love though? He loved people. Papyrus loved him, but he didn't . . .   

Undyne tried not to turn red as she watched the two. What the heck?! She thought this would be a relatively simple thing. Embarrassing maybe, but he even seemed to treat it like it was a joke at first, even sticking his tongue out at her. But, uh, Frisky was basically nailed against the wall, trying not to move, and definitely not understanding what was going on. Her body was rigid. At first at least.  Geez, for someone who's content to have a lazy life, Sans likes exploration. Let her breathe! Maybe it was never having a tongue or something? Shy my scaly butt, Papyrus. I feel like I'm being forced to watch Alphys special anime. 

Still. Knowing him, he’d say she was the one who said how long the kiss had to be and how it had to go to get out of the jam he put himself into. “That should be long enough?” 

Hang on, what am I doing?! Realizing that was way more than a simple touching of tongues, he let go. Then, when he let go, he saw it in her face. She quickly looked away and touched her mouth. 

How could anyone be made of love? That wasn't anything he ever sensed in anyone. And surely, he would have sensed that from someone he loved, or who loved him? Like Papyrus. Why are my thoughts repeating? Didn't I try to come up with something before? It was hard to finish his thoughts. 

“Okay, that was long enough I suppose,” Undyne said, figuring she owed him a little for the accidental poison and back scratching. “Barely. I guess I’ll count it. You’re done.” She stood up and walked away. 

Sans held his tongue back in right away, and went back to talking with his teeth closed like he usually did. “Told you it wouldn’t be that bad.” The work he did on his hand had faded away some time ago, but his tongue was too stimulated to disappear yet. Really stimulated. In fact, every bone in his body felt nothing but good vibes in every corner. "Look at that, so, the thing, this marriage, you know? It's over. We're married, we're done, we just need to see uhhhh . . . the King. Yep, the King guy. He'll just give us our official things. So, let's go." 

When he came out, King Asgore held a paper for him. He grabbed it real quick but headed straight for Papyrus. “So, it’s done. Things and stuff." 

“Hey Sans, how was it?” One of his old Grillby friends asked. 

“Total hit and a Mrs at once,” Sans said. Damn, he felt like he was right on target today.  

"Great going, Sans. Keep a close eye on your human." 

"Yep, she's the apple of my eye and I'll stay right be cider," he winked at his friend. 

"Sans, really?" Papyrus complained. "Now? You're jokey now of all times? Ugh."  

"Come on, Pap, lighten up. Let's be happy the ball and chain isn't on the ball and chain anymore." 

"Sans!" 

"What? I thought that was rightly groomed for the occasion?" 

"Stop, no! Why are you getting so punny?" Papyrus groaned as he gave him Chance. "Here, here's Chance. He's feeling icky again." 

"Hey there, almost mini-me, how are you? Not quite a Skeleton yet?" Sans asked. He was just rewarded with a groan. He was spaced out. "Eh, two days tops ya think, Pap?" 

"Sans? Are you okay?" Papyrus asked. "You look relieved? Well, I suppose you would look relieved, but there's something else. Are you feeling well?" 

"Completely! It was only a matter of wife and debt, but it's over."

"No, Sans, Geez!" Papyrus covered his face. "Eh. Oh, here. Let me see Chance and I'll see if the Queen can maybe help heal him. You should get home and get the last things ready." 

“Hey, it’s freebie day. Why not?” Sans waved and headed out. He heard more congrats on his way out, but it was lightening up as he walked. Just enjoying a nice walk alone.  He looked at his list of do’s and don’ts. Nah, nothing too bad at all. 

“Hey, Sans!” Monster Kid ran up to him before falling flat on his face. He lifted himself back up and finished running toward him. “I was at your wedding. I was several houses down, but I was there! So, is Chance really staying?” 

“Yep, you bet." Sans jiggled a few wrappers in his coat. He really had a lot of energy in him. Funny. 

“Cool! Where is he?”  

“Chance isn’t feeling well yet. He will be though.” Sans winked at him. “Won't ever be sick again soon. Gotta go. I’ve got a couple more things to do.” 

“Okay. Good luck with your new family!” 

“Yuh huh.” Thank goodness life got more normal now. At least, a little more normal. Well, it wouldn’t be as bad.  

He kicked some of the snow playfully. Him and Papyrus. Papyrus and him. That’s all he remembered for some time. Now, there were going to be two more people in the family. I’ve got a brother who’s beyond cool. I’ve got me, I guess I count. I’ve got a kid who can have people jump in him. I’ve got a . . .  He stopped walking in the snow as he saw Flowey. “I’ve got a flower in my way. What’s up, Flowey? Flowey the Flower? Hey, that's kind of like Sans the Skeleton. We go S the S for F the F.” 

“Are you making fun of me?" Flowey groaned. "You're extra smiley, Smiley Trashbag. Feeling good? Enjoying your last moments before you have to become Mr. Responsible? Personally responsible for two  humans?" 

Sans kept walking. "Sorry lil' seed of evil, you'll have to put the petal to the metal because I don't have time. Got to deal with some stuff, later." 

----------------------------------------

Frisky walked around outside, trying to grasp onto what happened. Sans kissed me. Well, I mean it wasn't really a kiss. He doesn't have lips, but um, it was . . . While she walked around though, she noticed a little rabbit hopping her way.

“Uh, hello?” A little rabbit came over with a little pot filled with soil. “Are you Frisky the Skeleton?” 

Oh, yeah. Name change. Frisky was going to have to get used to that. “Yes.” 

“Hi. There was a little girl who said you’d like this for your wedding day.” He smiled and showed her the pot. “She said to add happy stickers to it too, so I did. She said you’d need it.” He gave her the pot. “Um, congratulations.” He bounced away. 

Then, she heard a laugh. A child’s laugh. She looked around her. 

“Hey there.” 

That voice? She knew that voice. Chara?  

“Don’t worry, I’m not in your head.” She saw a strange silhouette behind one of the trees. “I’m everywhere." 

"In the barrier," Frisky said knowingly. "Are you okay?"   

"Completely." 

“Chara. I thought you would be able to move on finally. Are you stuck? Are you able to move on?” 

“I will but not yet. This barrier is actually going to free me. Finally.” The silhouette moved again. “My torture’s ended. So has yours. You got your happy ever after, but, you don’t even know it yet.” 

"My happy ever after?" 

"Yep." 

"My? My happy ever after?" 

"Uh huh." 

“The whole FRISK is gone now.” Frisky shrugged. “I’m trapped Underground, never to see the light of day again. Chance is going to change, and I’m kind of married to a Skeleton with apparently another one on the way in three months unless Toriel convinces the King otherwise. And if the humans find a way to get into the barrier and find me, I'm going straight to hell. Yeah, go me." 

“Ha! No, silly human. Silly, silly human.” Chara's actual appearance graced itself beside another tree. “I’m tired of this whole thing, but, I’m not going yet. There are a few things I want to do before I finally leave.” 

“I will help however I can,” Frisky answered, “as long as it’s not bad.” 

“Definition of bad depends on who was controlling. Who was in charge. How much I was forced to feel. How much I got drowned in all you FRISK's bad memories and feelings. It’s always been that way. Anyhow, before I go, I have to show you why. Why this is your happy ending.” 

“ . . . Why? Why would you care so much about me? I’m just, me. Just a regular human to despise like every other human.” 

“Do you have any idea how long this game with you has really been running? Time and time again, I just wanted to erase everything. Without you FRISK's in between, I don’t think there would have been an ounce of goodness left in whatever it is I am.” 

“Oh.” Frisky felt her heart beating strongly. “I did what I could. I am sorry I couldn't keep more control." 

“Trapped. All of humanity has been. That’s karma. I’ll stick around to help defend the Monsters and okay humans with my own DETERMINATION until I’m not needed anymore. But after that, I’ll probably fade away. I don’t have or want to have the energy to tackle the next beast coming.” 

“Balancers.” Frisky already knew. “Sans and all the Monsters. They still see humankind as the only evil. I've even told them, but they can't see it." 

“Humans are nothing but slaves to the Balancers. I know. What do you expect, they are part human. Only those who naturally mix should mix it up." She laughed again oddly, which Frisky didn't understand. "I hate humanity. I hated it when I was alive, and I hate it just as much now.” 

“There are good and there are bad in all things,” Frisky said. “I am human. I am full human. I’ve known other humans who were good. Haven’t you ever known a single good human too?” 

Chara was quiet for a time. “We can't judge one by one, but as a whole. The consequences will be felt for all their crimes. It’ll be lucky to survive. But, it really doesn’t matter. I told you, you have your happy ending.” 

“My happy ending?” Frisky still didn’t understand. “My happy ending was being free. Being with my . . . my own family again. Knowing who I was. Who I'd been. Being with my son, in a civilian environment. But, I can't do that. I can't do that to Sans." 

“Really? Let me tell you something, silly Frisky. If the humans or Balancers had gotten a hold of Itty Bitty, they would have killed his mind with the insanity of all the timelines. He would be dead inside while souls that made PERSEVERANCE look like a friendly teddy bear make him kill everything. And you know what? That was your only other ending. Ever. The Balancers anger would have sent him on humans, or humans would have taken out the Balancers.” Chara appeared behind her. “I admit, the teleporting out of here thing was a test. I wanted to see how much time had changed you. How much you were still Frisky instead of FRISK. You passed, congrats. Humans and Balancers have DETERMINATION, and there are still a lot of both of those kinds of rodents out there. Monsters expect to see Balancers with the old barrier gone, so I let a few in here and there. But, I'm not stupid either, Frisky. I've kept a large majority out. But, they’ll find ways around my barrier. Humans and Balancers. Nothing’s perfect. So, ya see? Happily ever after, Mrs. Sans the Skeleton.” 

Kill his mind. Evil souls to flood my son? If that was true, Chara was right. This was the best ending she’d ever get. “I see. Well, I suppose believing any of that was selfish of me.” She sighed. "I'm sure they will all find their way in. Hopefully later than sooner." Change of subject. The only thing that she was good at it. “What is it that you want me to do for you to make you happy?” 

“Just take care of Flowey. When I finally go, I’m taking him too, but I’m not taking him like that. Experimentation. Souls don’t need to be experimented on. DETERMINATION shouldn’t be used like a liquid remedy. We’re more than that, but that’s what humans forgot. Even Monsters started falling into that pit. I mean, I think it was tough enough on Flowey before, but then he just had to go bug and trick Alphys during her DETERMINATION experiments. Wanted even more. Thought maybe that would help him gain the will to stop the resets. But, it didn't work. I mean . . . look at him. He's a flower!" She groaned. "My soul was way stronger 'cause I'm human. I was able to sleep and relax at least near my body, on top of the flowers. But I didn't become them. His Monster soul though. It's just so weak. If it can't expire but it can't go into a re-reset, then all he had was the flowers. And he's got thousands of years where he didn't die and he couldn't sleep, so he's going to need some help. You're the obvious Frisk for this job, 'cause he's not going to get it from me.” 

Take care of Flowey? "Flowey moves as he wishes. I could be nicer to him. Do you want me to talk to him about the past? About kindness? Thousands of years of . . . insanity may be tough to tackle?” 

“Flowey is already slowly changing. With the humans interference gone, I can feel it. And Flowey holds the truths. Before I take him. Before I take my brother, Asriel, he’ll help show you why this is your happy ending. Real happy. Like chocolate! Oh. I miss chocolate.” Chara chuckled as she disappeared.  

But she already told her why it was her happy ending. Chance would be dead inside, fighting all across the world, probably for the rest of his life, for whichever side 'attained' him. Frisky didn’t have time to think about that though as, right on cue, Flowey popped up out of the snow. “Well, well, Mrs. Sans the Skeleton.” He chuckled. “How does that make you-!“ 

“Flowey!” Frisky rushed to him as several lasers actually struck around him. He fell to the ground. All of him. The lasers had hit his roots. Looking at the pot, she quickly grabbed him while he was out and planted him in it. 

----------------------------- 

“No, no, no, no, no!” Flowey kept trying to bring himself back into the ground, away from the pot, but the barrier kept shooting lasers at him. “Not fair, this is so stupid! I was the Guardian of everything, I don’t want to be in a pot like a houseplant, Chara!” 

Frisky just heard a chuckle from above. 

“Quit being a crybaby and take your medicine." 

“Why?” Flowey looked around the pot. “Why are there smiley stickers on this pot?” His face turned dark as he looked at Frisky. “What are you doing?!” 

“Following Chara’s wishes,” Frisky said. “Sorry, but, she isn’t going to let you leave this pot. You have some kind of purpose, I suppose.” 

“Oh, shut up!” Flowey tried to come out again, and was shot at by the barrier’s lasers again. “Damn it, Charaaaaa!!” 

----------------------------------------------------------- 

Sans came back from his house. Everything was as ready as it could be. He heard children laughing though and he could swear he saw Alphys. Sans moved over toward the back of the bushes, into a clearing where the kids were all playing. Toriel, Alphys, and Papyrus were all standing around. He looked over toward Chance who was having just as much fun as the others playing in the snow. After being sick, really? However, the other conduits were playing too. As a Skeleton he wouldn't be able to sense the cold, but if they all seemed fine, the weather must have been more tolerable. Still. He didn't want him out there that long. “Hey, Alphys. Playtime, huh?” 

“Oh! Hey, Sans. Um, congrats, I think?” Alphys gestured to the kids. “The little ones I’m watching are uh, well, they never saw snow. We decided to let them play for a bit. I-I don’t think between you and me they have gotten much playtime." 

Sans looked toward the other kids. Some of them seemed thrilled. Some of them looked confused. While one of them looked . . . borderline strange. “That one in the black striped shirt?” 

“That’s, um, I think Toriel named him Matt.” She bit her lip nervously. “She is healing him at least once a day. Out of all of them, he seems to be the most likely to become a . . . you know. She is really trying to help him, and keep him happy. But, he’s hard to reach.” 

“She can do it.” Sans went over to Matt. “So you’re names Matt, huh? I’m Sans. Good to meet you.” He held out his hand. Matt lifted his eye toward his hand, tilting his head slightly before slowly grabbing his hand. “Shake?” Sans shaked his hand while Matt’s head moved with the handshake.  

“Matt, Matt, Matt!” Chance came over and laughed with him. “This is Sans! He’s cool.”  

Sans watched as Matt smiled toward Chance and shook Sans hand back. Conduits must have a closer connection.  

“Matt, you are interacting so well!” Toriel said as she came over. “Good for you, meeting new friends. New adventures. New everything.” 

“Yep. Everything is new.” Sans looked toward Chance. “You better get your Uncle Papyrus and I’ll get your mom at Grillby's. We’re going home.” 

Chance just stared at him. “Did you say Uncle Papyrus?” 

“Yeah. Look. I know we’ve kind of been ignoring you. You really shouldn’t even be playing in the snow right now as sick as you’ve been.” Sans looked over toward Papyrus who just waved. “It was all awkward. Basically though, your dad wasn’t a forgotten creature.” He gestured to himself. “It was me. You were a secret weapon, kind of, and if you went back up bad things would have happened. So, you have to stay down here.” 

“Oh. That . . . I was a weapon?” 

“They wanted to use you that way, yeah. When you get older, I’m sure you’ll get all the facts.” Definitely older. “Since you’re a Monster though without any claim, your mom and you were on the dinner plate for any Monster that wanted to claim you. So, um, I married your mom.” 

“You married my mom?” Chance just stared at Sans. “Frisky, 95452, PACIFIST soldier, Ship 229? Seriously?” Chance scratched his head. “Wow. That’s. Uh. Neat, but Conner’s gonna kill you. He’s been after my mom for years to break her DETERMINATION and win her.” 

I wish he’d try it.  Huh. Where did that thought come from? Conner was supposed to just be the annoying one, not a bad one. Weird. “No worries though, it’s nothing big. You just live with us without the shackles. That’s pretty much it. Come on, kid.” Sans shouted toward his brother across the open snow area. “Papyrus! Let’s go!” 

“But what now?” Chance asked as he followed after Sans. “Do I have to start calling you dad? Do you keep calling me kid? What do dads and sons do? I don’t exactly know, Sans.” 

“I don’t know either,” Sans said as he grabbed Chance's hand and shrugged. “I think we’re doing fine as is. Call me dad if you want. Don’t if you don’t want.” 

“I am here! Sorry. I got busy with the other little humans. I mean, Conduits,” Papyrus answered.  

“What about you?” Chance asked Papyrus. “Am I supposed to call you Uncle Papyrus?” 

“Uncle Papyrus?” Papyrus tapped his bony finger on his mandible. “I, the Great Uncle Papyrus, accept that name! Longer names, more importance.” 

Sans wasn't the happiest Skeleton in the world when he found out Frisky wandered off. She was supposed to stay in where it was extra warm, but she wasn’t too hard to find. Snowdin wasn’t that big, and humans had distinguishable tracks. When Sans came over to her with Papyrus and Chance though, he stopped. 

Flowey was growling at him from inside a flower pot. The pot itself had words like Celebrate, Cheer up, happy faces, and other nice things that didn’t fit him at all. 

“The barrier.” Frisky’s voice was even. “Chara’s soul. I heard that from Friskarino, not you. Magic truth, huh?” 

Oh. She noticed that. “Um, it's way easier to deal with it in small doses. Not everything everything flows forward." 

"You could have said something about that." 

"What fun would that have been?" 

"That's not nice, Sans. Um . . . what did I tell you?" 

"Everything you ever wanted for Christmas?" Sans gestured to Flowey. "I don't think that was on the list." 

“You suck!” Flowey yelled at him. “You gave Chara all that power, what’s wrong with you?!” 

“She is easy to get out,” Sans said confidently. “I didn’t push her in, she wanted in.” 

“But look at me!” Flowey wiggled all around. 

“Chara won’t let him back into the ground.” Frisky held him toward Sans. “She wants him to stay in here. She said that without the interference of the other barrier that he would change, and I needed to watch him.” 

“I’m not a child, I’m older than any of you!” Flowey yelled again.  

Sans scratched his cheek bone and shrugged. If it had been before the whole family ordeal, there's no way he'd say yes. Flowey was just plain evil. But. Without him, he wouldn't have Chance or Frisky. He also helped when Chance bottomed out, and he really didn't need to do that one. He even reminded him of Toriel's clothes which he really needed because his GOLD barely reached enough. Not to mention it was Chara's DETERMINATION that made their barrier extra powerful. So. “Chara’s kind of helping the barrier a lot, so okay.” He bent down to look at Flowey growling. “I guess it’s a family adding kind of day, and Flowey makes five.” Flowey hissed at him. “Let’s get one thing straight though. You’re a flower. Snowdin’s cold. If you’re a bad flower inside our house, you’re going to an outside windowsill.” 

Flowey didn’t respond, but he continued to look annoyed. 

Sans just started to trot away. “Come on. Let’s go home.” Frisky and Chance were trailing behind with Flowey, having their own conversation, and Papyrus was by his side for support. 

That day could have ended a lot differently. It wasn’t what he expected. And when Frisky disappeared, he thought that had been it. He'd lost them forever. 

But, it wasn’t. Frisky had DETERMINATION, but he’d got it wrong. She wasn’t just that. She was the part that wanted everyone to just be happy. And, he didn’t figure it out until that day. And she somehow had the power of love inside her, instead of LOVE. No idea how, but it was there. 

She was good. She was so good. She was too good. And he tried not to think about all the things he learned during the Soul bearing yet. It was a good time. That confrontation would be later. 

“Papyrus?” Sans looked toward his brother. “This. It turned out okay. It did.” 

“I know. I was surprised too," Papyrus agreed. "Why, I figured she would have headed as far away as possible. This. It’s already over, and it wasn’t bad at all.”  

Sans looked back at Chance and Frisky, then back toward his brother, then back at them again. Then back toward his brother. 

“What is it, Sans?” Papyrus asked. 

“It’s just that even if she knew she couldn’t do anything, most people wouldn’t just willingly do that.” He looked back toward her again, still talking with Chance. He looked back toward Papyrus, and then back at her.  

“Sans? What is it?” Papyrus asked. 

“She. It just.” Sans looked at their house coming up. He felt Papyrus pat him on the shoulder. 

“Perhaps this horrible, horrible thing that wasn’t so bad . . . may actually . . . be good?” Papyrus asked. “Is that what you’re thinking, Sans?” 

Sans didn't really know what to say that. He looked through the other papers and noticed it. It, it. “Whoa, Pap, she can really cook!” 

“She can?! More than Spaghetti?” 

“Way more, and it even says she'll teach you too if you want.” 

“Really? I can learn more than one kind of spaghetti?!” 

“Yeah.” Sans yanked out the papers. “Look at all this. Undyne marked down she could probably join forces with Grillby’s later. It that’s not hot news, I don’t know what is.” 

“Sans.” 

“I mean, the competition won’t be able to touch it.” 

“Sans, don’t start!” 

“The whole business will definitely start with a blaze.” 

“Sans!!” 

“What?” Sans chuckled. “Come on, bro. Don’t get overheated already.” 

“Saaaaans!” 

----------------- 

“I don’t know, Undyne. I don’t think Con and Duit are the right names,” Alphys said as they marched across the snow. In the distance, she saw Sans and his family walking. “Oh, look at that.” 

Undyne curled her bottom lip. “Not them again. Wait, what’s he doing?” She moved up closer. They were too far away to hear the dialogue, but she kept watching Sans look back and forth between the humans and his brother. “What?” 

“I know,” Alphys whispered.  

“That’s a human.” Undyne shook her head. “I can understand the whole he needs to thing, but that’s just . . .” 

“Sweet.” Alphys folded her paws together. “I don’t think he knows either. See how he just kind of looks back and forth? I wonder if Papyrus is going to tell him he’s blushing.” 

“A feat. Blushing without all the cheek stuff beneath.” 

“Oh, yeah, but that’s love. Can’t hide love.” 

“Yeah, but it’s a human. It’s kind of. I don’t know, I mean.” Undyne turned away, but looked back. “I want to look away, but I can’t. It’s intriguing.” 

“It’s romantic. Ah. Oh, and it’s gone.” Alphys shrugged. They were close enough to be within hearing distance now. 

“I mean, the competition won’t be able to touch it.” 

“Sans, don’t start!” 

“The whole business will definitely start with a blaze.” 

“Sans!!” 

“What?” Sans chuckled. “Come on, bro. Don’t get overheated already.” 

“Saaaaans!” 

“Hmm.” Undyne cupped her hands to her face. “Yeah, Papyrus, he can’t help it if he has a hot wife!” 

“Undyne!” Alphys squealed in a harsh yet strange whisper. “He’s bashful enough, you know.” 

“Pfftt,” Undyne said, “You didn't see the kiss."

Chapter Text

“Sans!!” 

"Yeah, Papyrus, he can't help it if he's got a hot wife!" Undyne shouted from a distance. 

"Astronaut food!" 

Huh? Sans watched as Frisky ran ahead. Papyrus reached down for an old wrapper on the ground. She looked toward the forest next to her and took off. Oh gosh dangit. Not again. She's not gonna be easy to keep an eye on. Full of DETERMINATION and love, but still a dang Frisk. 

"Okay." Papyrus scratched his head. "Where is she going?" 

Sans trotted after her with Papyrus and Chance into the clearing. He saw her hugging three other humans. Three familiar looking humans.

"Sans, don't do anything!" Frisky warned him, stretching her arms out over them. "I know, I know you're not happy with them. But, this. These are FRISK, but I swear I am not going to run away with them." 

"Aw, heck. Dodging his attacks way out here in a clearing would have made for one new fun challenge," Farrisk answered. "Sup, Sans. You can judge me if you want. I have nothing to hide that you don't know about me already." 

"Me neither," Friskarino said.  

"I do, but I'm more shameless and I don't care," Friskay said to him with a sneer. 

Yeah, Sans remembered them. He already met them, but Frisky didn't remember the truth magic of course.  

"What?" Papyrus looked toward Sans. "These are all . . . Frisk?" 

Chance went over and tugged on Sans shirt. "They are all Frisk, but you can tell by how their name is pronounced who is who. The girl is Friskay, with ay, the guy on the left is Farrrisk, with a longer ah in it and several r's, and the other guy is just nicknamed Friskarino." 

"I never agreed to that name," Friskarino said as he hugged Frisky, probably happy to see her okay. "But I couldn't say no to it, it was in my name." 

"Oh. Um. When you weren't conversing with Chance, you were conversing with Friskarino and Farrisk," Frisky said to Sans. "These are . . . these are the ones you actually remember." 

"Yeah," Friskay agreed. "I met you once, but I couldn't stand your puns. Sorry, not sorry. Especially since without Frisky, they refused to let us back on the ship. Now we are all really stuck." She glared at him. "I'm glad I walked through all your puzzles." 

Okay. Sans could see it in each of their expressions, and even the way they were each choosing to stand. Farrisk was the adventurous one that didn't want to stick around to figure stuff out. He literally clicked on the tree to solve the puzzle instead of solving the puzzles. Friskarino was the one who actually played and probably met him for burgers. And Friskay . . . was the annoying one who kept hurting Papyrus' feelings by going straight through the puzzles he set up.   

"Uh, don't worry, Sans. We're not sticking around for long," Farrisk said as he gestured to the right. "I am going to see Onionsans and get directions to the city where his friends are. If I get one life to live, then I'm going to spend it seeing new things that I never got to see on the mission." 

"What about you two?" Frisky asked. "Where are you going?" 

"Where else?" Friskay said. "Isolation but fun is key. I'm going to try and make friends with Bratty and Catty. Sure as hell won't find me in Snowdin. Cold and puns everywhere. Seriously. Remind me how we became friends?" 

Frisky actually chuckled as she hugged Friskay. Sans noticed the hug though. Something in it. It wasn't just a nice gesture. "I would be nothing without you KINDNESS." 

"That's true. I am worthy of the worship," Friskay patted her back gently. "I just wish I had taught you better." 

"I got the best training and tips from you." 

"Yeah, but not sense. No human has ever married a Monster. Reasons, Frisky, reasons." 

Hmm. No, gaw, awww . . . He could see it in their eyes. Friskay hated him probably as much as he hated her right now. She had yanked Frisky away. She had the gal to keep talking trash every time she opened her mouth. He wanted to get away from her and leave. But, he could also see something else.  

Of all the Frisks, Friskay was the one Frisky was holding onto the most. Physically and emotionally. She was the one who came first. The one she chanted the number of. The one who actually threw herself into an encounter against him, King Asgore, and Queen Toriel. A battle no human could win. A battle probably no Monster could win either. 

And the eyes of Frisky on her. Trust. Her trust was ultra high. Frisky was low on trust with everyone, but Friskay had hers completely. 

Knowing what Sans knew, it wasn't hard to figure out. Frisky got good and stopped failing because of Friskay. As much as they didn't get along, he was going to have to. 

Their emotions were so high, there was no way to avoid judging them. It was just right there. But, while Frisky missed it, Friskay didn't. And she had a cold look to match it that she knew he just looked into her. He didn't even look that much considering how much he didn't like her but. Uh oh. Her attitude was already bad, how much worse could she get? 

"I'll be closest," Friskarino said. "I'm going to take my time and save up a bunch of Temmie flakes, and see if I can't make enough friends with the Temmies that they'll let me stay." 

"Couldn't miss this most tragic day though. I mean big day," Friskay said looking toward Frisky. "Girl, you never change. For once, would you just stick with a plan that makes you happy?" 

"Friskay, quit that." Friskarino bumped her shoulder. "Sorry about that, Frisky." 

"I would have been kicking and screaming," Friskay said again. "I mean, it was your kid, I get it. If no one came to rescue me, then I wouldn't have left mine behind I bet. But, I would have been tied up with chains, bound and gagged while cursing Sans to Kingdom Come! And look at you?" She gestured to her head. "Nice and pretty echo flowers. All calm, like you actually wanted to be there." She clapped. "Brilliant actress we know and love. Marry the guy that trapped us all until death down here." 

"That's not a nice thing to say," Papyrus spoke up.  

Trying. Really trying. She's important to Frisky. 

"Friskay," Friskarino warned her again. "Sorry, um. She's not so good at blocking her feelings." He glanced toward Sans once and back towards Frisky. "You be good, alright? I'll come see you every now and then. Make sure you are, you know, okay. Don't stay out in the cold too long. Temps dip fast. Blizzards are nasty too. And they are random, so don't go too far, even if it looks clear. Ok?" He whispered something in her ear a moment before backing away. 

Farrisk just shook his head. "Anyhow, I am dropping by Grillby's for one last burger before I take off and see how far I can go. If I survive Grillby's. Worth it though, he can fix one mean burger." 

"I want hugs before you go!" Chance said as he shoved himself at Farrisk and Friskarino's legs. He grabbed onto Friskay's jacket too. With a little effort, they were all hugging each other, except for the humming Frisk in the corner. Chance went over to hug her, but she didn't even really acknowledge his presence. 

"Heh. So many years together, it always feels kind of strange to be apart."  

"Has anyone tried a gnome approach yet? Teleporting errors left us pretty short for humans." 

"I did," Frisky said. "I tried it as a joke, but I don't think it would work as a whole." 

"So, what are the chances that Frisky can get out of here one day?" Friskay asked Sans directly. Yeah, she wasn't going to drop being judged. It was an instinct though, and sometimes the expressive emotions were too hard to ignore. Still, she wasn't done yet. That glint in her eye meant she was just getting started. "I mean, not here, in this bubble you shoved us all in before killing everyone we ever knew. I mean, from you. These laws with King Asgore, is all this going to hold when Monsters start moving away?" 

"Of course they will!" Papyrus answered. "Marriage is marriage!" 

"She's in between suicidal thoughts, don't mind her," Friskarino covered for Friskay. "We all get it." 

"Can't blame her. I did do it, and I'm not sorry." Sans wasn't going to apologize. "Monsters who stay will continue to follow King Asgore. And as bad as it sounds out there, I don't think many want to leave anytime soon." 

"Yes," Papyrus agreed. "We wanted the sun back. But, now we have our home and the sun! And protection from all those humans out there."  

"Protection from humans? Gaw, Frisky, how can you put up with it?" Friskay said. "So, are you saying Frisky will be trapped with you the rest of her natural life? There's no way for her to get out of this weird ass taboo marriage?" 

"You are definitely not a nice person! Do you have anything nice in you at all?" Papyrus questioned her. 

"I think she's leaning toward suicidal," Farrisk whispered loudly to Friskarino.  

"Marriage is a marriage. It doesn't change," Papyrus said. "Marriage is marriage is marriage!" 

"Marriage has divorce. People mess up," Friskay added. "Toriel left Asgore. Is that all Frisky needs to do, run far away from you when she can't stand you anymore?" She actually chuckled. "Find her years later playing knock-knock door with another guy? You know that you're not going to get an extension, right? Toriel is still his wife, but he thinks you've been flirting. He wants you to seal the deal ASAP so he knows you're not jacking around with his wife anymore." 

That. Little. "I joked with her." 

"I don't think he believes that," Friskay finished. "Made your bed, go lie down in it, Skullhead." 

"Friskay." Frisky finally warned her. "I know you're tough on people, but please ease up?" 

"I think we've overstayed our welcome." Farrisk said standing up, and grabbing Friskay's arms, standing her up too. Frisky finally let go of her. "If you ever need us, Frisky, you know where to find us. Here." He tossed her an MP. "In case of emergencies, we'll be there if you need us." 

"Yeah. You bet. We're not far," Friskay assured her. "Oh, and Conner's stuck here too so if you're in need of a good human boning, you know where to go. Doubt a guy with no ounce of flesh is going to be able to do anything for you." 

"Friskay, I am about to throw you to the Monsters themselves!" Farrisk said clearly upset with her. 

Sans didn't get that one. He knew a lot of bone jokes, but that one didn't make sense. If he had said that it would have replaced failure or hit, but that didn't sound right. Papyrus didn't get it either. It was probably slang for something mean though considering she couldn't say anything nice. 

"If the daddy was a Froggit, would you have done it too? Married a Froggit?" Friskay asked. "What about Onionsans? That huge thing in Waterfall, would you have become Mrs. Onionsans for it?" She rolled her eyes. "It's disgusting to know the answer is yes." 

"Gosh, she is just so terrible," Papyrus said to Sans. "I don't like that Frisk at all." 

"Geez, Friskay, tone it down," Friskarino warned her. "Frisky made her decision, stop harassing her for it. Be nice. You know who is over there." 

"It's just Sans. Geez, PERSEVERANCE had to kill every Monster he came across into Judgment Hall to make him fight. I could badmouth his name all day and he'd never do anything. Seriously you could kill his own brother and he wouldn't care if you left like Undyne alive or something. He won't fight anything, ever. So, when it comes down to it, Frisky is on her own." 

"Friskay, seriously!" Friskarino warned her again.  

"Well, what are you expecting of me?!" Friskay shouted right back. "Frisky could have had freedom, Freedom!" She gestured toward Frisky. "Why? Why?! Things are bad enough when we fail, why put yourself through this willingly?" She squinted her eyes. "At least on the ship you got mindwiped. And I bet this place is going to be primitive too so. Ugh. Fucked by a Monster, just gag me." She tapped her MP and headed out. 

Papyrus' mouth just flew open. "That's . . . thaaa. . ." 

Farrisk looked toward Frisky and Chance. "Uh, screw it. You know I can't even . . . I don't care. Despite everything that happened, I'm still me." He teleported away to another place. 

"Sorry about that Frisky," Friskarino apologized. "And Sans. Um . . . she's just . . ." 

"Never coming to visit!" Papyrus insisted as he stomped his foot in the ground. "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever! None of you are and especially her! Horrible, horrible humans!" 

"Pap." Sans touched his chest. "Cool it. I know we talked about the Frisks, but relax. We'll talk more later." 

"Sorry. We'll stay away." Friskarino sighed. "You do good, okay?" Friskarino looked toward Frisky's pot. "I'm guessing by the silent but chattering angry looking flower in your pot you met Chara, huh? She's, um, letting us teleport still. Not out. She won't let us communicate out anymore, but around the Underground. Trying to help us survive. Don't know why. Never could understand her. So, yeah. Uh. Goodbye, Frisky." He teleported away. 

Damn. Friskay just had to act up like that? Friskay was full of lip, and anyone who didn't know her would think there was nothing but meanness inside of her. But, there was a reason she was kindness.  Oh, there's no way Sans will let me see her again after that. They all took me away, and I know he didn't want me to see them but . . . "I'm sorry. I just wanted to say goodbye?" She offered. "We better get going. It's getting colder." 

"Ya think?!" Flowey lifted his droopy petals and looked at her. "It. Is. C-cold. Why are we still out here?!" He complained and wiggled around.  

"Good idea." Sans shoved his hands in his coat. He needed to get the humans home.

Chapter Text

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"Now?" 

"Not yet, Papyrus." 

"Now?" 

"No." 

"What about the sauce?" 

"Not yet."  

Sans glanced over toward Frisky and Papyrus. She was trying to show him her way of cooking spaghetti. It sure would be nice to taste something different. He could now. He could leave the barrier area whenever he wanted to now. See what else was out there, but now he had Frisky and Chance there too. And they couldn't leave. Even their time outside had to be limited since the weather apparently went from okay for humans to cannot survive pretty quick. 

He looked at the Do and Don't list. It wasn't too bad, but one of the things he needed to do was stumping him. A loving name. A different name than anyone else would call her when he wanted to be . . . affectionate. That human girl got too in my head. Toriel, you really need to call and tell me the King changed this three-month thing already. Didn't you talk to him yet? Gah. I don't date. I don't bother with much at all. I eat. I joke. I'm not made for any of this. I don't know the first thing about anything. 

Outside though, he just kept calm. Acted like everything was completely fine. While inside, he was feeling frustrated. Toriel had his number now. Alphys had his number. Undyne had his number. Someone should be reaching him to say 'Hey, Asgore changed his mind when he settled down'. A year's not even long enough let alone three months. Why do I have to get punished just because I'm a Skeleton? I don't even date Monsters, how am I supposed to figure out how to date a human? This is so nuts. I mean, humans are so different. Heck, Undyne had Papyrus pretty convinced they were pets. 

It was supposed to go date. Then marriage. Then family. But, his life was working in reverse. 

He got family first, and then marriage. Now date . . . then family again.  

When he found out what he had to do, Sans was only focused on making Frisky not leave. During the committing. During the marriage. He wanted to make sure she never bolted, but that was over now. Reality was settling in. They'll call. Someone will call. I just need to concentrate on a thing at a time. What's a loving thing to call her? She says DETERMINATION all the time, but I don't think it'd fit well. Sweetums? Pumpkin pie? Ooh, it's been ages since I had pumpkin pie. That sounds good. No, no, focus! Guess not that. 

"What's a five-letter word for dumb?" Chance asked as he looked at the crossword puzzle he was working on. "Idiot or Moron?" 

"Try Sansy," Flowey suggested. 

"Windowsill isn't too far," Sans warned him. Heh, it was kind of neat to see some of Papyrus in Chance. The kid was brilliant, just like him and Pap, but it was the simplistic stuff that stumped him. He was dealing with crosswords but junior jumble killed him.  Why couldn't I have just been the Uncle? He looking back toward Papyrus and Frisky again. Call. Come on. Call. When his cell rang, he picked it up on the first ring. "Yeah?" He looked back at it a second, forgetting to see who was calling. Yes, Toriel! "Hey, Tori. Sup?" 

"Well, I talked to Asgore like you wanted me too." 

 "Great. So?" 

"Um? I just can't get along with him anymore, Sans! I really don't think I am going to be able to help." 

"But you just said you talked to him?" 

"Yes, and it dropped to two months." 

What?! 

"I could try again if you really want, but I don't think it would work in your favor." 

"What's wrong?" Chance asked looking straight at him. "You don't feel right." 

Why, nothing kid. Nothing at all. Reality is just calling and apparently it's shouting on the phone at me. Two months? 

"Sans? Asgore does have others he will talk to. Maybe you should try them?" 

Alphys and Undyne. I've got to get them to talk to him. 

"You're manifesting?" Chance looked straight at him. "You're sweating, dad." 

And now he's calling me dad? Oh, I did say he could if he wanted. Why'd I say that? "Uhh . . . yeah. Dad, huh?" 

"I figured I'd try it." Chance shrugged. "Most kids call their dads dad. There is also daddy, poppa, pop, and father. Father sounds too proper and I think Pop would get confused with your Pap. I guess I can call you daddy too, or daddy Sans. I don't know. It's all weird. This whole thing is weird, but." He shrugged. "When you've got a soul people can jump into, you have to kinda get used to anything." 

"Ye."  

"Dad, huh? Are you talking to your son now? Have you decided what you want to do?" 

Oh, Tori, I'm still talking to Tori. "Uh, I'll try someone else. Thanks. I think." He hit end on the phone and texted Undyne and Alphys the same message. 

Uh, hey? I kind of need a favor. You're pretty chummy with the King, right? Great. Could you ask him to change the time I have to have a kid? Tonight, preferably. Maybe even now would be good? 

As he expected, Alphys texted him first. 

Alphys: I'm here with Toriel still. She said you might text me, but I don't know if I could do that. I'm just his royal scientist. We're not chummy. 

Sans: Kay. Could you try? Maybe? 

Alphys: Do I have to? 

Sans: Kinda yeah? Please? 

Alphys: Um. I don't know. 

Dang. Alphys was too shy. Sans tried to think of what to say when he got a text from Undyne. 

Undyne: Geez, Stallion, let her breathe! 

Huh? That didn't make sense. Sans: I'm trying to. 

Undyne: Sure, yeah, you call that breathing? It hasn't even been 24 hours. 

 Sans: Come on, Undyne. Please help? 

Undyne: As anxious as you are, I doubt the human is as anxious. Seriously. 

 Sans: I'm sure she's just as anxious. 

Undyne: Considering that kiss, maybe, but I don't know. 

 Sans: Please? Pretty please. Give me a break, Undyne. 

Undyne: I really didn't know it was like that, but. Confusing but then. Whatever, I'll tell the King. 

Yes. Undyne would probably get it done. He waited about a minute to get a text back. 

Undyne: He seemed totally okay with it. Thrilled actually and wished you luck. 

 Sans: Great. What is it, a year? 

Undyne: What's a year? 

 Sans: Uh? The kid thing? 

Undyne: Sans, what are you talking about? 

 Sans: What are you talking about? 

Undyne: You didn't text me that, you texted me you wanted a kid now. 

What?! Sans looked back at his original message. Oh, he'd done it too fast. It did sound like that, but why would she assume that? Sans: Undyne? That's not what I meant. I meant ask him for an extension now, not for permission to have it now.  

Undyne: Oh. Sorry. 

Sans: How could you possibly think it was the other way?! 

Undyne: Cause stud, I saw your kiss. You practically mauled her against the wall. 

Oh. Sans: I didn't know how long it was supposed to be. 

Undyne: Don't even. Who you foolin'? 

Sans:  That wasn't what it looked like. There was something inside of her that I couldn't figure out, and instinct just kicked in. 

Undyne: Sure, yeah. Instinct kicked in alright. 

Sans: Get it switched right, please? 

Undyne: Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who flirted with his wife. 

Sans: We. R. FRIENDS. FRIENDS. FRIENDS. 

Undyne: Yeah. Well. Just better watch out who you're telling knock-knock jokes to. Okay, hang on. 

Undyne: Okay. Listen, Sans. King Asgore doesn't like you right now. For one, you lied about your relation to your son. Then, Frisky told him no at the wedding and she kept interrupting. Then, Papyrus kept interrupting when he did offer a twelve-month break. He also said Frisky was a load of trouble in the Soul bearing. Not to mention the wife snafu. I will ask him to fix it BUT I wouldn't bother him for anything else. I really wouldn't. Seriously, he might ask me to hunt you down, y'know? 

Dang. This wasn't working out well at all. Then, he got a new message. Hopefully, Undyne got it reversed because that was really not happening. 

Alphys: He is super angry! I tried to ask him for an extension for you, and he said he doesn't appreciate the way you joke. Actually he typed it like he doesn't like the WAY YOU JOKE. Um, sorry. 

Shoot! She actually did stop to ask? Motion shift. I sooo need a motion shift right now. Then, he heard his cell go off again. 

"Sans?" Papyrus questioned. "You're phone has really been going off constantly. Who are you texting to?" 

Sans scratched his skull. "No one big. Um, getting congratulations and stuff." He looked back at the phone. Miracle. He needed a miracle.  

Alphys: Um. Okay. Um. Sans?  

She could have put more than that into the message. It wasn't making him feel any better. 

Alphys: I know there's something real bad about when Frisky failed missions. Chara accidentally brought it up, but even she wouldn't continue. So. You went through the soul bearing? 

Alphys: I don't know what it was, but you should, right? I'm not gonna ask what it is, but. Maybe. I mean, if it's something bad bad. Um. 

Alphys: Maybe King Asgore would give her a break instead of you? 

Alphys: Sans? 

Sans: NO. 

Alphys: Sorry. It is bad then. Okay. 

Alphys: Okay. He said he is willing to think about it. He might even grant an even longer than usual extension, but he wants to talk to her. 

That was good news. Sans: How did you get that? 

Alphys: I told him something Chara told me, and he kind of took it from there. 

Sans: What? 

Alphys: It's not good. Do I really have to say? 

Sans: What is it Alphys. 

Alphys: When Frisky was in the lab, she told me not to call Chance by any name but Frisk or 95451. After she said that, Chara said that every time someone called themselves something different than that number or name thing? Well, it was bad. 

Sans: What happens? 

Alphys: When she returned she would have been whipped for each time the other name was said. 

Alphys: Sorry. I don't think her world is really that nice. I haven't left the barrier yet because I'm afraid to see it. 

Alphys: OK. If she ever needs someone to talk to, let me know. 

Sans: I might hold you to that. 

Killed sister. Failed mission pregnancy experiments. Name change. Sans put the phone down. Everything probably had an offense. Any reason to punish humanity. They aren't getting their hands back on them. No one is. Not a human. Not a Balancer. No one. Sans just put on his usual grin toward Chance.  

"That smile is actually creepy," Flowey muttered. "Not being mean, that's just truth. Ph-phone conversation not going well, Sansy?" 

"Wh-why did you call Sans, Sansy?" Chance asked. 

"C-Cause it was another word for idiot or m-moron. O-open a dictionary." 

"Not in the mood," Sans warned him. Okay, like it or not, at least that was fixed better. Next thing. Loving name. I don't know. Dear? Lovey muffin? Ooh, muffins were good. I really shouldn't call her anything related to food, it takes my thinking the wrong way.  

"Sans, it's cold. Really cold in here." Chance breathed. "I can see my breath." 

Oh. Temperature. Even inside? He headed away to check the heat. Yeah, that heat thing. He turned it up. Maybe that would help? He headed back over. Chance was still shivering. "Not warm yet? Eh, don't worry. Couple more days and you'll be a Skeleton." 

"Huh?" Chance stared at him. "What?" 

"Skeleton," Sans said. "Couple more days. No worries, it won't be too bad." 

"I'm . . . I'm going to be a Skeleton?!" 

"Yeah. It'll be fine though," Sans said right before he watched Chance run to his mom. 

"Moooooommmaaa!" Chance grabbed her by the legs extra fast. "Am I going to turn into a Skeleton?! Sans said I am going to turn into a Skeleton?! Momma!" He drug her dress back and forth. 

"It's okay," Papyrus assured him. "You won't have any more body pains. No more sores or ickiness!" He said proudly. "Just some hurt bones if you lay on them wrong. Well, nothing's perfect." 

Papyrus had the right idea. "You won't feel cold. You won't feel hot," Sans added. "You'll be perfect all the time. You'll even be able to play outside no matter what the temperature is. You can even go to Hotlands with no problems." 

Chance was still gripping onto Frisky. "Momma?" 

"I know. Another big change," she said. "You'll be okay." 

"But I'm a conduit!" Chance whined. "Major changes are never okay for us!" 

Frisky bent down to her son. "Now, now. What would the others think if they saw you right now, hm?" 

"Mmm..."  

"What are you?" Frisky smiled. "Come on, what are you?" 

"I'm a Frisk." 

"That's right, you're the Frisk. The root Frisk," she said. "You're a real Frisk." 

"Yeah . . ." 

"And a real Frisk does what?" 

"Never cowers," he said weakly. 

"Who plummeted into ocean depths deeper than anyone else?" 

"I did." 

"Who fought the tough terrain on Mount Piyo Piyo to rescue that important Balancer?" 

"I did." 

"Who had the guts to jump into the fiery lava pits in the Ring of Fire?" 

"I did." 

"That's right 'cause you're a Frisk." She ruffled his hair. "This is just one more thing. So, prepare for it the same way you would prepare for anything else." 

"Yes, Sir!" Chance said as he saluted. He moved back over toward the table and scooted the crossword. "I'm ready to accept my fate, Sans. Um, do you have more advanced material than that little book too? Or is that all I'm getting and I need to just have the DETERMINATION to face it?" 

"No, don't. Don't start that up." Sans sighed. "Look, the more tense you are, the worse it'll be. Just stay loose and when it happens, me and Papyrus will help. Okay?" 

"But . . . but I don't work that way." 

Well, he'd just have to learn. 

"If Sansy says to stay loose," Flowey butted in, "then you probably should. After all you're a Sansy, and a Sansy is as a Sansy does." 

On the surface it seemed like he didn't say much. Sans' own friends called him Sansy sometimes, but he also knew he was using it as a substitute from the crossword puzzle's Moron or Idiot. But, he couldn't expect Flowey to be too perfect. If he was . . . well, that would be weird.  

"Come on, Chance," Flowey continued as he bopped his petals around. "Listen to your dad. All sons are supposed to listen to their daddies." He just looked toward Sans. "Daddies  know best. Don't they, Sansy? Daddy? Hey, why not Sansy Daddy? Or, how about Sansy-Bones Daddy? Or Sansy the Bone Daddy?" He snickered. "What? I'm not saying anything bad. Daddy." 

"What about yet?" Papyrus asked. 

"Not yet." 

"But look at all the bubbles!" Papyrus whined. 

Well, another problem solved. Sans sat down, thinking of his next step. Have Frisky confide in King Asgore and get more time? Frisky kept information locked up tighter than a safe. Uh, at least I've got a teeny bit of time for that. Let's see . . . oh yeah. Loving name. His mind still ricocheted from one subject to the next. Then to one food from the next. Why did so many loving names have food involved? 

"What about now?" Papyrus asked again. 

"Trust me. Not yet. We can open the sauce though," Frisky insisted as she grabbed a sauce can. 

"Are you sure?" Papyrus asked.  

"Yes, just have faith." 

Hmm. Hey, she does say that sometimes. Usually after her whole determination spill. Maybe? Plus, it's not food. And hey, I could work with that. Sans trotted over toward them to test it out. "Hey, how about DETERMINATION? You say it all the time. It could be your name." 

"Determination isn't really an appealing name," she disagreed. "Are you still thinking about what King Asgore said at the committing? I'm not 'programmed' and I like Frisky. Of all my mission names, I like it the most." 

"Come on, just have some faith in it." He got a confusing look from both of them since he gave his usual pun delivery pause. They didn't get it yet. Frisky probably didn't even know about needing one yet. Which made it even better. "Is it ready yet?" 

"I've asked several times," Papyrus said.  

"Just be patient, it will get done," Frisky said.  

"Just have some . . . faith?"  

"Oh, but I am tired of having so much faith it will get done," Papyrus complained. "It is taking forever!" 

"Aw, come on, bro. You can never get tired of faith." 

"It will get done, I promise." Frisky sighed and stirred the sauce. "Good food takes time." 

"And faith," Sans added. "You need to have faith to have good food." 

"Oh. No, no, no," Papyrus said, getting the hint. He knew. "You're picking that one for it?" 

"Why not?" 

"Too punny for you, way too punny." 

"I like it." 

"It's too punny, no!" 

Yep, that was it. 

"Now it's ready." Frisky was paying too much attention to the meal to catch it. Just like a Frisk, she was concentrated only on her goal. She grabbed the spaghetti and dropped it in. "We just need to wait." 

"For how long?" Papyrus whined. "A couple of minutes?" 

"No, about eight. We'll taste test it." 

"Really, that long?" 

"It's alright, Papyrus." Sans watched Papyrus' scrunched up  face, knowing what was coming. "Just have some faith." 

"No, no, no, no." Papyrus kept shaking his head. "Really, not that one. Just not that one." 

"I can work with it." 

"You can work with it too well, Sans!" 

"Repeat. I hate repeating stuff." 

Sans and Papyrus stopped to look at Flowey in the middle of the table. 

"What?" Flowey asked, noticing them. 

"What do you mean by repeating?" Sans questioned him. 

"Nothing," Flowey said to them. "You're having better spaghetti, but it's still just spaghetti. Aren't you ready to try something different yet, Daddy Sans? Hey, I like that. It's got a rhythm to it. Hey, Chance, how about that? Do you like Daddy Sans?" 

What. A pain. 

Frisky turned back around and grabbed a large spoon to taste the noodles. She gave Papyrus a taste test. "See how they aren't hard? That means they are done. We just need to drain the water now." 

"Drain the water?" Papyrus asked. "Really, you take out the water too? Is that what prevents the freezing as fast?" 

Frisky didn't even say anything to that. She just drained the spaghetti holding its top and told Papyrus to stir the sauce. "Okay. It's ready." 

"Are you sure this time?" 

"Yeah, have faith in it, Bro." 

"Saaaaans!" 

Frisky looked between Sans and Papyrus. She knew something was up, but couldn't pinpoint it. She sat down at the table. It was actually a nice table. Another thing Sans and Papyrus had to add. They also had to add two new beds, a dresser and they brought the couch back downstairs. It was nice being able to walk where she pleased without shackles too. Overall though, that was about it so far for real big changes. 

But, as she served everyone the food and sat down, everything came back to her. The marriage part was over, but now what? Would King Asgore change that date? What if she didn't make the date? It would be easy to lie, but then what happened if she did lie? Punishment was routine in her world. What would King Asgore do? And was she really going to have a baby in three months again? And . . . how? Everything was so different between Underground and the rest of the world.  

Which made her think about when she was eventually caught. For the cruelest offenders, they weren't mindwiped. She couldn't have any more mindwipes anyhow. So the results? Look what it did to KINDNESS. Someone who had the strongest essence of KINDNESS. 

Like Chara used to say. Liquid remedies were nothing to mess with. She was truly lucky she managed to have Chance. 

Then again, at least it wasn't a physical thing. Like, like the higher soldier and subservient that were  allowed to physically use their bodies to . . . like, what Conner always wanted to . . .  

 I'm sure it wouldn't work like that! I mean, right? Besides, Sans a Skeleton. There's not exactly anything to . . . interact with. No, I know Underground isn't as advanced, but I mean, not that way. It's not that way. It wouldn't be that way? I really need to think about something else.  Flowey, how to help Flowey. That would help steer her mind in a different direction. 

"This is the best spaghetti I have ever tasted in my entire life!" Papyrus shouted with delight. "Soft yet warm. Pliable. Not frozen. No extra water. The sauce is warm. It's absolutely perfect! What do you think, Sans, have you had a bite yet?" 

Sans didn't have to answer as Frisky saw him already going back for seconds. It was the most simplistic spaghetti she could have made, yet Papyrus and Sans devoured it like it was a gourmet meal. Papyrus was taking turns eating in between making notes. 

"Wowie!" Papyrus said as he stuck out an orange tongue. "It was so good, I instinctively manifested a tongue to taste it!" 

Sans stuck his tongue out at him. "I did that before I even started." 

"Nooo . . ." Papyrus looked at his plate. "Sans, no, you have to share that too!" 

Sans had already gotten a hold of the sauce pan. "What? Just trace amounts."  

Frisky helped her son with his crossword, but watched Papyrus and Sans. They practically argued over her food. Sans was trying to pun Papyrus to death, but Papyrus had to remind him that he couldn't do more than twenty puns a day around her anymore. In the end, each of them were cleaning each of the pots clean. 

While Sans was cleaning up the sauce, there was a knock on the door. Papyrus took the spaghetti pot as he answered the door. "Who would be bothering us at this time of night?" He laughed. "Night. Oh, the stars should be out by now! We should all go see the stars later!" 

Frisky didn't say a word. 

Chapter Text

"Uh, hello?" Papyrus said as he answered the door.  

"Um." Alphys was by the door. "Um. I-I wanted to know if I could see Chance?" 

"Alphys?" Frisky moved over toward her. "You live all the way in Hotlands. You should have gone home by now." 

"I know. Toriel's watching all the humans right now. Conduits. But, um. I." Alphys moved out of the way of her Conduit boy. "This is umm  . . . well, I never really named him. But, uh, I took him to Toriel and she says she can't do anything else with him." 

The Conduit's head was just leaning to the left. Completely unresponsive. 

"She said not to expect a miracle but she sensed before that uh . . . Chance might be able to help?" 

A Re-reset. "95451." Frisky's voice held no nonsense. "Check your friend." 

Chance moved from the table and clicked around his friend's ears. "Hey, PM. Yo, buddy, snap out of it. Come on, man. It's me. Can't forget about me." He whistled to him and hit his hand. "Hey, you want any Monster candy? It's good. Real good." 

"He-he was just fine a few hours ago," Alphys assured them all.  

"It can happen fast or slow," Frisky said moving toward Chance. "Evaluation?" 

"Pretty far gone already." He snapped next to his ears again. "Vision gone. Audio gone. All response to higher conduits gone. Hm. Permission to move to a more drastic measure?"  

"Chance is going to do something that's not nice," Frisky warned everyone. "Don't stop him, no matter what. Even if he gets a response, please don't stop him. Agreed?" 

"Well, umm. . . uh, fine," Alphys agreed. "Anything that might help." 

"Promise we won't interrupt," Sans said still licking at the sauce pot. "Do what you got to." 

"Okay," Frisky said. "Permission granted. Bring him back as close as you can." 

Chance closed his eyes, like he was trying to focus. "Kneel you worthless sack of crud." He swiped the Conduit's feet out from under him, making him land on the floor. He smacked the side of his head. "Hey, you, lousy Conduit! What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?! We're gonna whip you until your entire body is red if you do not respond! Respond you stupid chunk of flesh that barely lives! Respond now or we're sending you straight to a satellite!!" 

The Conduit moved his head and seemed to snap out of it a little. "No . . . no . . . I am . . . here." 

"Bull you’re here!" Chance smacked his feet. No response. He smacked his hands. "Dangit, PM. Not you too." He broke character a second. "What's your priority?!" He smacked him straight in the chest, getting a groan as a response. "You're worthless, you're nothing, you're going to be nothing! You're worth nothing until someone needs to kill you! Nothing! Your only purpose now is to die, just to die! You want that?!" 

" . . . no . . . n-no . . ." The Conduit blinked.  "Nooo . . . nooo . . ." Chance stepped on his stomach again. "Owww!" He grabbed at his stomach. Chance smacked his hands, getting a response. "Ow! Ow! O-o-ow!" 

He smacked his feet again, this time flattening them on the ground so much his legs popped up. This time the Conduit crawled away. Chance smacked his head again extra hard. 

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!"He crawled away faster, grabbed his head and started to cry.  

"I think he's fine now," Chance said like what he did was nothing. He held his hand out to his friend. "Yo, PM. How are you doing?" 

"Uh, hey?" The Conduit smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. Well, PM. Um, how'd I get here? Where's Alphys?" 

"You better go back to your new home. And, don't get unhappy, man!" Chance laughed. "Try and laugh. Life's good. We might be trapped Underground, but we're more free than we ever were before! All that other stuff is over. Don't worry so much, okay?" Chance looked toward Alphys. "Try and keep him in a good mood as much as you can, okay? Especially right now. He's my buddy, and I don't want to have to do that again." 

Alphys hugged the little Conduit. "I'm so happy to see you well again!" 

Chance just nodded and sat back down while Frisky moved over toward Alphys. 

"Listen. This is very important," Frisky said to Alphys. "You need to keep him real happy. If Chance hadn't gotten any response from his chest, he couldn't have saved him. Re-resets. When they fully change, they can never come back. It's not just him either, you need to pay great attention and make sure all the little Conduits you and Toriel are watching stay happy too. I know they aren't tough to watch, and they usually stand around like little soldiers, but you need to really interact with them. And, if you see anything wrong, bring them to Chance right away. He's . . . he's what you would call a higher conduit. Um." She pushed her hands on her chest. "There is something inside his own chest that can sometimes reach a Conduit before it changes. Okay?" 

"Okay, yes, I will watch them real carefully. I-I promise," Alphys said. "Thank you so much!" 

"Wow. That was . . . intense," Papyrus said. "And I am out of spaghetti. Not even a single noodle. Sans?" 

"Tapped out." Sans twirled the sauce pan by it's handle. "So, Chance? That got violent." 

"I have to treat them like the soldiers treat us when we start getting fazed," Chance said as he went back to his crossword. "Don't worry though, I haven't been fazed since . . ." 

"Since two years old," Frisky answered for him. "Only once." 

"Good. Hey, Papyrus? Let's go out and see the stars," Sans insisted. "We'll be back, and excellent food Frisky. You should start teaming up with Papyrus from now on." Sans trotted outside with Papyrus following after him.  

"Ooh. Stars." Papyrus didn't sound so positive. "That was a terrible thing to see." 

------------------------------- 

Annoying. So annoying. What did Chara want already? Flowey growled again as Frisky came over and helped Chance with his puzzle again. Why do I have to be here? What does Chara want from me? This is beyond stupid! As stupid as everything else! Flowey ducked his head.  

It was boring. Not being able to move. Stuck in a pot inside Snowdin. He wanted his ground again. To be able to move and be free. 

"Ooh. Stars. That was a terrible thing to see." He heard the tall bonehead's voice. Perks of being an evil flower. It was easy to crop up on secrets because he had extremely good hearing. Even if he didn't have ears.  

"Yeah, I know." Great, Smiley Trashbag's voice. "I am really not sorry I took out those ships." 

"Look at what they created. Humans! How . . . how . . . could they have come from that?" 

More than humans, idiots, Flower thought. Still being stuck next to a crossword puzzle with a boring mom and kid or spying outside. Even if there was nothing going on, there was the possibility of some kind of secret falling. He started to hop his pot over. 

"Flowey?" 

Great, it was Frisky's voice. He just growled. 

"I think that Chara wants you to learn how to care again," Frisky said. "So, I think we should work on a project together." 

Project? He didn't answer. She moved over to him closer and smiled. 

"You need to relearn about love and caring. Undyne and Alphys are off track completely. Will you help me bring them together?" 

"What?" Flowey whined. "Why would I care about that? Who cares about that?! It was a different timeline. It doesn't really matter, who cares?" 

"I care." Frisky bent closer to him. "Things repeat in timelines for a reason. They aren't magical you know. Certain events do follow certain events because of the way things were set up, but in the case of feelings? It shouldn't matter about timelines." 

Hm? 

"It isn't the letter I delivered and the pretend date we went on that got them together," Frisky said. "It was their love. I could do that event all day, but if they didn't love each other at first? It never would have happened." She sighed. "Now, there is a new factor. I don't think Undyne will deliver any letters because Alphys has conduits now, and I don't think she feels comfortable around human children. You know, without wanting to kill them yet. She's got some growing to do. How do you think we could help that?" 

"Uhh." Really? Seriously?! "You just married a Skeleton, got trapped Underground for the rest of your life, have to have a baby Skeleton in three months . . . and you're caring about that?!" 

"Of course I am," she said it in the most natural tone in the world. "They love each other, and just because an event didn't happen, doesn't mean they shouldn't be happy. I can't force them to be together, but I can help them find their way." 

"Why? Why care? You're life sucks, why care about them?" Genuinely. Her life really sucked. Really sucked! He knew so much that happened to her. He had to know. Why care? Why did everyone have to care? And why her most of all? 

"Same reason I care about you and Chara. I just do. I care about those I know, and even though you are a hard one to get along with?" She groaned. "Very, very hard. You not caring doesn't change the fact that I care about you too." 

Flowey made a sour face. "I don't care about you." 

"You don't have to. I just want to help you." 

"Why?" Flowey watched her carefully. "Because your life is crap, you have to help others? Is that it? To forget how horrid your life is, you dwell on making anyone else happy?" 

"Partly." She wasn't even ashamed to say it. "But not really. My life is hard, but I have Chance in it. I have people and Monsters who care for me. And . . . I don't know. I just get such a good feeling inside when I help others." She shrugged. "You're probably right though. It does make me forget problems in my own life. It might even be an escape device, but, I don't mind. It makes me feel good, and, if I ACT the right way? It makes the other person or Monster feel good too." 

"So . . . you want to help them 'cause it's right. Cause you . . . care . . . even if the timeline isn't fit for them anymore?" 

"There you go." She patted his flowery head. Flowey didn't move. "That is a very caring way to see the problem." She moved away again to help her son with his crossword puzzle. 

Everything going on around her. All the hell those humans and Balancers did to her that she even knows of, and . . . and she is still thinking of her friends' love? Flowey pulled himself under his own petal. She didn't gain anything from it. She didn't gain anything from helping Chara with him either. Even though he hated being stuffed in a pot, she wasn't doing it to torture him.  

And maybe Chara, wasn't doing it to torture him either. Can I really make a difference? He moved further away on his journey, closer to the window to eavesdrop again. He moved the curtain out of the way. Sans and Papyrus were a little out in the distance, probably to make sure the humans didn't hear them. Not real far though, and he could still see them right in their own yard. They were both facing away, staring up. 

"I don't know." Sansy had shoved his hands in his coat. "Pap. That other world is bad. If you leave the barrier, don't expect anything pretty. It's bad. It's real, real bad. Mm. Um." 

"What's wrong, Sans?" Papyrus asked him. "The humans are safe now. I mean, Chance and Frisky. They are safe now. Sorry, the human and Nonduit. No wait, he'll be a Monster soon. The human and the half-Monster? Oh, I'll eventually get it. Sans? What's wrong?" 

"I care." Flowey watched Sans drag his slippered foot through the snow. "It used to take some extreme stuff to make me even slightly care. In the resets. You really don't know." 

"We went over this though," Papyrus reminded him. "We are moving along, and you are fine! Nothing else will happen anymore! Nyeh he he he he! A good day every day, a new day every day!" 

"I know but I . . . that mean Frisk, she was right. She really was. I would never have lifted a finger until FRISK wiped out everyone. I mean, I-I even . . . I even made fun of it .  . . when it wasn't LV 19. I made fun of it for not being evil enough."  

Yeah, Flowey knew that. Even before he started to remember the resets, he was the same way. But, that wasn't really his fault.   

"My mind's been so toast," Sansy continued, "And . . ." 

"It's okay. I can't imagine what I would do if I were stuck looping constantly," Papyrus said. "Don't feel bad. Time is moving. It can't stop anymore." 

"Yeah, but. I want to go back." 

No! Flowey almost hissed through the window. Never! How could he? They were starting to move, how could he even say that?! 

"Huh?" Papyrus stopped looking up and looked at his brother. "What do you mean?" 

"To the not caring part? I want to do that again. I want all the Monsters to just die before I feel a pang of anything. Because . . . I . . . I feel . . . and I don't want to." 

"Sans?" Papyrus came over to him closer. "Brother? What do you not want to feel? You're rattling? Why are your bones rattling?" 

"Cause, I knew. I must have known. Or could have known, but you know, didn't care. I mean, Frisky had Chance. So, I should have known. I could have known. If it were the old me, it wouldn't be anything. If it were the old me, I could just shake this off. But I can't, Pap." 

"Is it Chance? Is it Frisky?" Papyrus asked. He came to his brother closer.  

"It's everything. The pictures. The erased memories. I thought I had a hold of it all, but then I found out Frisky was experimented on. Experiments. Experiments! But, I should have known cause Chance. Cause, you know, Chance. So, why not again? You know? And-and I think I knew but, I . . . I didn't really care . . . I watched Monsters get viciously killed, why would I care about one . . . and it's not like she died or even remembered. And, and why would I care even if she did? I . . . 

"Oh. Well, I don't know what else to say, Sans. Just that, we'll do our best to take care of them now. And if something comes, we will help if necessary." 

"Yeah. We will, you're right. I'm sorry we had to do this. I know it's always just been us here. This is kind of a big change." 

"No, no, no," Papyrus patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sans. I know, they are your family. You couldn't just let them go. Besides. My new sister makes great spaghetti! Who knows what else she can make Underground?" 

Sans rubbed the front of his skull. "Those . . . manipulators. They took so many from the Underground. Wiped them from our own minds. And now Chance is going to be a Skeleton because he's my kid, and I have to have another one and . . . and I'm a bit freaked out, Pap. I am not made for this kind of thing." Sans wiggled a bit. "We’re okay now. We're okay though. I know that, it's just. This is not easy." 

-------------

No, thought Flowey. Cause he didn't know. If he knew. If the Underground knew. 

There were various scales on how things worked with Monsters. Most of them worked at the bottom end. Killing. But, there was so much more to a Monster than just that. In fact, honor played such a huge role Underground. Killing wasn't the worst one could do in the world of Monsters. 

There were more. There were more, and Sans had stumbled upon one soo bad, that he should have been able to have every Monster of every age fighting against his enemy if need be!  

But . . .  he didn't know that.  It'll hurt. Caring will hurt. It will hurt more than one if I share. But, timelines. As remarkable as it was that those two met in the first place, it was just as remarkable they ended up there. Again. They have their boy. They are even married this time. They just . . . don't know. He looked back toward Frisky trying to work on the crossword with Chance. But . . . is the right thing to do, to tell them or not?  Which was kind? Which was cruel?

-------------------------- 

"Sans." Papyrus brought his brother in for a slight hug. "You're . . . you did really well today. You never even fell asleep." 

"Hard to considering what I was doing," Sans reminded him. "But, um. Things are better. They'll get better. I refuse to let what happened to that Conduit happen to Chance. We've got to stay positive, Pap." 

"Yep. That we can do!" Papyrus said enthusiastically. "That we most certainly can do! And we shouldn't worry about Chance like that. He'll be a Skeleton soon. He is correcting himself after everything that was done to him. Why, he might even get a regular grey soul like he should." 

"I wouldn't count too hard on it. Anyhow, I guess it's time I tell Frisky a couple of things. Hm. Do you think she figured out that she's got the lifespan of me yet?" 

"I don't know," Papyrus confessed. "Humans can be dull-witted." 

"No more dull-witted than me. Not seeing it. Right in front of me." 

"But lots of humans have blue eyes." 

"Not that shade of blue, Pap. Come on. Let's go to bed. I still have some hard talking beforehand, so every minute counts before work." 

"Which will be heavier hours. I know, Sans." 

------------------------------ 

"You'll love it!" Papyrus insisted to Chance. "It's a brand new bed with warm coverings that will keep you from freezing. Follow Uncle Papyrus!" Frisky, Chance, and Sans all headed upstairs. 

Papyrus opened his room. "See? It's right on the other side of mine." 

"I'm sleeping in your room now?" Chance looked toward his mom. "But, I never sleep away from you." 

"Uh." Frisky bent down toward him. "This is just another small change, okay? Give me a hug before bed." She knew what he meant though. Ever since he was a baby, she slept with him right next to her. By soul or by physical body, they were always together. Of course, what should I expect? Sans is my husband now, and I probably have to share his bed without Chance.  

"That small dresser next to your bed is yours too." Papyrus moved over toward the dresser with Chance. "See? It's filled with clothes, including pajamas! Warm, footy pajamas." 

Chance picked up the footy pajamas. "I never wear footy pajamas. How do they go on? With the zipper?" 

Frisky came over to his side. Footy pajamas. That would really help keep him warm at night. "You just pull the zipper down and step into them with each of your feet. Then, you put your arms in and zip up." 

"Oh." Chance lifted them to look at them. "Ok." He shrugged, looked at his mom, and got an extra hug. "Can you help me put them on then?" 

Sans and Papyrus both left the room. Sans moved toward his room and opened the door. His bed coverings were new, warm, and freshly washed with Toriel's help. Frisky and Chance were both supposed to share that bed, while Sans and Papyrus would have shared the racecar bed. But, things changed between a committing and marriage. And they had to move Sans' bed into Papyrus' room, and get a real two Monster bed for him and Frisky.

He wouldn't be able to afford Grillby's for weeks to catch his GOLD back up. Same for Papyrus.

There were two pillows, one for each of them. "Well, at least she invited me to bed last night," he said, trying to be cheerful. "That's a little less awkward. And, it's much better on my neck." 

"Yes, that is good." 

"Yeah. I really missed a bed." Sans gave him a thumbs up. "Yep. I got a bed and now I have to lie down in it." 

"That wasn't a good pun." Papyrus patted his brother's shoulder. "Don't start falling into that mood. Just forget that mean Frisk. We are going to be okay." 

"Bedtime, I guess." Chance hugged his mom from outside Papyrus' door. 

"Don't worry," Sans interrupted. "You'll get to sleep with your mom sometimes. Just, not tonight. Gotta talk to your mom, so get some rest . . . my kid." 

"And you won't be alone. I am going to bed too, and I am right beside you on my bed!" Papryus reminded him.  "And, um, the annoying dog. He's . . ." He sighed. "Probably around there too."

"Goodnight, Chance." Frisky waved to him as he went to bed. She looked toward Sans. "Okay. The do's and don'ts I suppose?" 

"Eh." Sans yawned. "Come on."  

Frisky watched him trot into their room. Just Sans. Just sleep. I did this last night. Yeah, but there was a huge difference between that twenty-four hour gap. I am Frisk. I face everything no matter what. Feeling her DETERMINATION return, she went in. Hopefully, she didn't need it. It would be even better if she could just get some sleep.  

Sans moved over to his dresser. "I made some space for your stuff. I don't have everything. I kind of ran a little . . . umm." 

"Low," Frisky said for him. "New clothes, new table, a dresser, and a new bed. I don't even know how you managed it." 

"I didn't. I had to have help from Papyrus." Sans finally gave her the list of do's and don'ts. "Here. It's nothing half bad." He just turned around, walked to his door and leaned against it. 

Frisky looked at the Do's and Don'ts. Do be faithful. That was a given. Do be good to your husband. Do give a loving name. What? "What's a loving name?" 

"Something different, Frisky." Sans just tried to give her a cheerful smile. "I already picked mine. Faith. Don't know why but it just seems to fit." He shrugged. "Close enough to DETERMINATION for me. Which is good cause I was leaning toward Miss Determination." 

"Different? Faith? What do you mean?" 

"Yeah, I wondered if humans had that. Well, um?" He looked up and then back at her. "It's a special name when you want to be affectionate. You know, Monsters aren't always known for being affectionate. Half the time some look like they want to bite each other's head off. So it's kind of a cheating way to show you care?" 

"You mean like honey or something like that?" Seriously?  

"Kind of.  Just don't pick a food. It makes me hungry." 

Oh, Sans. Frisky just found herself smiling at that statement. "Oh, I have no idea." Hm. Do not leave your residence for the first three months unless you are following your husband or another chosen guardian around. "What? What do you mean I can't leave for three months unless I'm following you around?" 

"Yep. And Pap, if you didn't guess that. Kind of similar to last time. Nothing new." 

"Is this something official?" 

"Everything is, Frisky." 

Frisky sighed. Okay, relax. No biggie. At least I can be out on patrol for humans since he does guard too. That was something she wanted anyway. Do cuddle four out of seven nights a week. Cuddle? How would they enforce that? Sans was playing everything by the book though so far. Appease thy husband's needs. What are the needs of a Skeleton? She glanced at him. He was nearly about to fall over. He needs a lot of rest. Look at what he's been doing beneath my very nose. Sans always needs extra rest.  He managed a lot, and he still took time to try and battle her. He didn't fall asleep during the ceremony either. 

Well, need one. She needed to make sure he took more breaks and got more rest. Okay, not too bad. That would appease his needs. He definitely likes my cooking too. I guess that makes it easier. Cooking and sleep. That's Sans. Well, that part was done. Now, the loving name. I don't know a loving name to give him though. I just don't know. Oh, what else? Three nights out of the week . . . Oh. Chance. "Chance gets to sleep with us?" 

"Uh, yeah. That unusual? Little Monsters sleep with their parents three nights a week. It's always that way. That's the reason we had to get a new bed."  

Oh. That was . . . sweet. And it made her feel so much better. 

So much had changed overnight, it was hard to believe she was just a prisoner twenty four hours ago. Oh. The next part referenced new children that had taken place in other marriages. Actually, the word was deceased. There isn't a form of divorce, just death or run away like Toriel. Hm. By this thing Sans was supposed to reference Chance as his son or his kid. That must be why he said 'my kid' instead of just kid to Chance. The don'ts were also quite simple. 

Marriage for Monsters was really just a . . . a loving sort of thing. Until she read the bottom. Rights of Vengeance. Vengeance? 

She was not surprised to see that there was a law on killing a family, but there was so much more. More than she ever knew. Stealing another Monster's wife without killing that Monster? Stealing another Monster's wife and having children with them without killing them? "This is a little . . ." 

"Huh?" Sans came from the door and looked at the paper. "What?" 

"Vengeance?" 

"Oh yeah. Yeah, a Froggit beat down on our door one time and said another Froggit stole its wife, and we had to help it fight." Sans shrugged. "It's a Monster thing." 

A Froggit? "That really happened?"

"Yep."

"But." Frisky knew she had an uncertain look on her face. "You don't even get added support when you seek vengeance just for a killed family member by this paper." 

"Worse things that death." 

I guess so. Apparently, dishonor was very heavy there. "So if you steal something, make sure you kill the Monster?" 

"Yep." 

Fantastic. Well, they were Monsters. Their way of thinking wouldn't be the same. But the rules of marriage was rather simple. Kiss before work, after work, before getting out of bed, and at night? Oh, that was awkward.  

Sans probably noticed her awkwardness. "Ah, you can just kiss my cheekbone tonight. Don't worry so hard about that." He trotted back in front of the door again and leaned against it. "Told you this wouldn't be too bad." 

"You're right," Frisky admitted. "This doesn't sound too hard." 

"Yeah, much better than what you would have gone through if you failed a mission."

Chapter Text

Okay, Flowey. What do you do? He bounced his pot on the table heading to the left. What does Chara want from me? Does she want me to tell them? Am I supposed to tell them? What good would that do? It would hurt them. Chara! What do you want from me? If I tell them, they'll be crushed . . . but Sans would be rightfully prepared. Forget Papyrus, he'd have the King's backing. Flowey started hopping to the right. But it's not like they'll just be able to pick up where they left off. The whole Underground has changed since then. And, they can't remember. There's no way to remember. "Oh, this is so annoying. I hate having . . . feelings," he admitted and moaned with a gurgle. "They are here already, where it all should be, so . . . yeah but . . ." He stopped hopping.  

Oh yeah. "The Underground is completely different and Sans doesn't know anything about humans. Not really, not this stuff. And, and Faith doesn't know either. Not about Monsters, not about anything besides what she needed for the mission!" 

Oh no. Naw, naw, naw. "Really, you couldn't have just killed me instead, Chara?" Great. But yes, there it was. He knew in fact those various changes would be arriving that very night. Fine. Fine! Let's get this over with. 

He knew what he had to do. He moved back to the left. Waiting for his moment. It would hurt. It would hurt Sansy when he knew the truth. But, but it would also hurt Flowey. 

Because he hated the idea of what he had to do afterward . . . he took a deep breath and . . . "Oh, caaaaaaaallllliiinng, Smiiiiiiiiiley Traaaaaaaashbaaaaaag! Smiley, Smiley! Trashbag, Trashbag! Smiley, Smiley! Trashbag, Trashbag! And broooothter, Brooooootherr! Bruuuuuuthheeeeeerrrr! HElloooooooOOOooOOOOooOooooooo! 

Just as he thought, two extremely annoyed Skeletons poked their heads out of their room. 

"What?" Sans asked first. 

"I need something?" Flowey answered. "I need something underground. And not Underground, but under the Underground. I need you to put me back down, down, down into the ground."  

"But you can't go down," Papyrus reminded him. "Lasers, remember." 

"I want to try again." 

"At this hour?!" Papyrus complained. 

"Why yesssirreeeeeebooOOoooooOob!" Flowey sang again. Because singing? Monsters hated singing so much. "I want to go to the ground." He bopped his petaled head back and forth. "Deep into the UndergrooOooound!" 

"I don't know." Sans started trotting downstairs with Papyrus. "I'm thinking deep into the windowsill more likely." 

"Well, then again, it could be attacked by lasers?" 

"Oh yeah." Sans picked up his pot. "Fine. Down into the ground you go." 

"Great! Cause if I can get down . . . then I can give you something, Sans. Something . . . you'd really, really want." Flowey tried to temp them.  

"Hey, what's going on?" Chance asked as he poked his head out of his room.  

"Uh, just taking care of this annoying flower," Papyrus insisted. "Just go to sleep. We shall be back shortly." 

"Yeah, we're going to watch a laser show," Sans said as he opened the front door. Snow started to blow in. 

"No, I hate snow! I hate the cold!" Flowey complained as they moved outside. Ridiculous! Ridiculous! Of course, if he didn't, things would have gotten worse.

"You're the one who wanted the ground that bad, Buddy. Bad enough to interrupt me when I was really not in the mood to be interrupted." Sans set the pot down in the middle of the snow. "Go for it." 

Flowey cringed but looked at the Brothers. "There's something else . . . there's something I know about your Frisky . . ." Ooh. Yep. He had their attention now. "I'm going to bring up something, and it's not going to be pretty." 

He watched Sans starting to look at the stars. "I already know a bunch about her. I don't want to see anything more. I don't want pictures. I don't want data off an MP. Just keep it." 

"True," Papyrus agreed. "She is here, we have Chance, and that's all we need to know." 

Boneheads. Both of them were boneheads. "It's not a bad picture. It's . . . a good picture?" What he said next wasn't technically lying. "It's a picture of her family." 

Sans shared a look toward Papyrus and back towards him. "You've got a picture of her family? Are you sure?" 

Flowey bobbed his petals.  

"I don't know." Sans shrugged. "I've seen pictures of others too, but without memories, it doesn't mean anything." 

Geez, he was a hard one! "Shouldn't she make that choice?" Flowey suggested. 

"I don't know, Sans," Papyrus groaned. "He's an evil flower. Right?" 

"Fine, if you don't want it, I won't get it! But I'll tell her! I'll tell her later that she had the chance to see it, but you guys blew it for her!" 

"Ah, there's the evil part of the flower," Sans joked. "Fine. We'll take the picture." 

"Not without an answer," Flowey said back cheerily. "I'll give it to you for an answer." 

"This is so annoying. We need to get back!" Papyrus shouted. 

"What's the question," Sans humored him halfway.  

"What . . .  is the worst offense to a Monster?" Flowey asked gently. "Name it." 

"Killing?" Papyrus tried. 

"Oh please, Monsters kill all the time," Flowey insisted.  

"Taking another Monster's land," Sans added. 

"No, no, no. Way off." 

"Ooh!" Papyrus held up his bony index finger. "Killing the innocents in a family." 

"Getting closer." 

"Oh. Oh yeah. Remember that Froggit?" Sans asked to Papyrus. "Yeah. Stealing another Monster's wife while it's still alive." 

"Getting really close." 

"Then . . ." Papyrus tried. "Stealing another Monster's family while it's still alive?" 

"Oh. You're really, really, close." 

"You really better have a picture. I hate putting effort into stuff." Sans scratched his skull. "Stealing another Monster's family while it's still alive, and adding to it." 

"Oh yes, that's it. That is indeed the worst offense ever," Papyrus said. "Trying to reclaim it for it's own."

"Or . . ." Flowey added slowly. "Stealing another Monster's family, while it's still alive, and trying to add to it." Both of them still didn't get it. "It's the worst thing ever, in our world. Isn't it? Monsters, creatures with such little feeling, will actually go out and fight for the smallest of Monsters for it." Flowey poked himself into the ground and traveled deep. 

Deep, deep under the ground. Past the spot where there used to be resets. In the little glitch spot where he had always kept his MP's and tiny souvenirs from forgotten timelines. He only had to dig a little before he found it. Am I sure about this? I could just not go up and pretend it was all a joke. That would be evil. They would think that would fit me. 

But, he couldn't. Sansy deserved to know, and when he found out, he'd want his brother right there. Flowey looked at the old picture. A little worn, mostly from his not taking care of it. Because, it was just a souvenir. And he didn't care. 

Caring hurts. He sighed and headed back up with it. He poked his head back up and saw them, waiting for it. Not knowing exactly how that little photo would change everything. "I want to tell you a story first." 

Sans kicked snow with his slipper and Papyrus whined. 

"Just give us the picture!" Papyrus demanded. "We already played your games." 

"It's a quick story, but it's a sad story. It's a real sad story. But, it's a quick story?" Flowey offered. 

"Already did this much." Sans gestured to Flowey. "Better be a quick story." 

"Once upon a time, there was an Underground where humans could roam," Flowey said. "They had already tricked the king into believing that seven human souls wouldn't work, just like they did this time. Only after that, they actually started to come down, little by little. Just little, by, little. One day, while traveling to and fro one human in incognito accidentally bumped into a Monster that was too lazy to walk home from a laboratory. The result gave her amnesia for some time, and during that time, she grew used to the Underground. Said lazy Monster helped take care of her a little day by day. Starting with a little food. A little more GOLD. Until she was so integrated into his life, that they lived together." 

"Is this really going to be short?" Papyrus whispered to Sans.  

"I don't know," Sans whispered back. "Can we put some comedy into the story? It's boring." 

"No, it's my story!" Flowey shouted. "Anyhow, said Monster liked said human. And, even though it's very rare, and very hard to do, somehow they actually found a little thing called love." 

"LOVE isn't rare at all," Papyrus added. "You just need to murder enough Monsters." 

"Right, Bro." 

"No." Boneheads. "Not levels of violence, love, love. The heart kind of sickening caring love. And . . . said caring love lead to marriage." 

"I forgot to brush the human's teeth before bed. That human book said humans were supposed to brush their teeth before bed," Papyrus said over to Sans. "Should we do that when we go back inside? He's probably already up moving about." 

"I'm telling a story!" Flowey shouted at them again.  

"Sorry." Sans looked toward Papyrus. "Nah, he'll be a Skeleton soon anyhow. Then they can't fall out." 

"I am telling a storyyyy!" Flowey complained. "Others watching them did not like said love between a Monster and a human. It was disgraceful, disgusting and impure! And so . . ." Neither brother was looking at him seriously yet. "The human woman, Faith, was placed into a reset timeline, over and over while a Conduit was sent in, to try and . . . and figure it out. But the Underground can only handle so much . . ." Each brother was starting to pay attention now. "And so, they came up with a new plan. They'd reboot, but, they'd reboot without the human. Memories wiped of her. And they took her . . . out. You see, forgotten timelines? They don't matter. They don't have a purpose. They are pointless," Flowey said as he raised his stem and dropped the picture in Sans' hand. "Only when something isn't yanked out of them." 

Papyrus looked over at the picture. "Oh, not the bunny ears! I hate when you give me the bunny ears! When did we take a picture of that at the wedding? Why is Frisky sooo . . . big?" 

"I didn't get the tie on," Sans said too. "I never managed to get the black tie on." 

"Yes, come to think of it, I wasn't . . . I wasn't wearing that," Papyrus added. "It had been so spur of the moment. And, and that's not Grillby's in the background." 

"That's the castle. That's King Asgore's castle." Sans looked toward Flowey. "Marriage doesn't happen there unless it's . . . what . . ." 

"I told you before," Flowey said softly. "For being sooooooo smart, you're still soooooo stupid." He shook his petaled head back and forth. "Humans are idiots compare to Monsters. They couldn't have figured it all out. Chance wasn't any kind of an experiment that was successful from the others. Chance was . . . a happy accident." 

"Happy? Accident?" Papyrus looked back toward the picture.  

"The only thing they figured out . . . was 'light it up'." Oh. There it was. Flowey moved back a bit as he sensed Sans finally pulling it all together. But, his role was far from over.

It was just beginning. He moved back into the torturous little plant pot, and waited. 

Waited for Smiley Trashbag's next move.

Chapter Text

Sans was still fairly quiet. Papyrus hadn't let go of him, just hanging onto him for dear life. "Um." He still didn't know what to say as he looked at the picture. Frisky was still as short as him. The wedding dress was still the same. It was definitely him. That was definitely his bony fingers giving Papyrus bunny ears in the picture. He looked down from the picture to the flower sitting back in the pot. 

He just went back to the picture again.  

"I'm so, so, so, so, so, sorry Saaaaans!" Papyrus cried on him. 

"Yeah." Sans patted his back. "Just, it's alright. Um." He looked back at the flower again. "So. Yanked, huh? That's . . ." He. He didn't really know what to say. Normally, forgotten timelines didn't matter. FRISK taking all of the Monsters out. Watching Papyrus die. Going to the surface for a few minutes. But, none of it mattered. None of it. But. "Um." 

"Look at that? Look at that big smile on you, hardly any Skeleton has ever looked that happy!" Papyrus pulled him closer to his embrace, almost choking him. "You were supposed to be married!" 

"Am." 

"You were supposed to be a dad!" 

"Am." 

"Yeah, but, this is all . . . well, it's different!" Papyrus pulled him even closer. 

"Let's not break my bones," Sans warned him. "Papyrus, no! Not that!" He felt himself getting lifted off the ground up into his brother's arms. Usually he didn't do that. Papyrus was really hurting for him. "Papyrus, it's okay. Easy. You don't get it. I don't remember. Easy, easy." Sans scrambled more for the actual ground. "Papyrus, put me down. Come on, it's okay, really." 

"But you had your family stolen, Sans!" Papyrus squeezed him even harder. "That is the worsest of the worsest of the . . ." Papyrus gasped. "And-and-and they even tried to give her more children that were not yours?! That's the absolute worst thing! They tried to claim your family away from you!" 

"Pretty bad, I get it, come on, down." Sans struggled in his brother's embrace. "Pap, down!" 

"But they, but they, but they!" 

"Forgotten timeline. Forgotten is the keyword here. Let me down."  

"But you don't get it, Sans! This one is important!" 

"I understand that," Sans said, "but keeping me up in the air isn't going to change anything." 

Papyrus finally put him down. Sans brushed himself off as he looked toward the flower. "Boring story?" 

"Yeah. Your story," Flowey answered back. "Your boring life story." 

Sans shoved his hands in his coats. "That's weird to hear. I mean, she was almost my sister." Flowey actually snickered.  

Papyrus gasped. "That's right, we almost . . . you almost made a sister of your already wife." 

"Almost wife. They never married. They just kept getting killed over and over beforehand." 

Sans rubbed his jawbone. "You know. I, uh. I don't really know what to do with this." He shoved the picture in his coat. "A part of me wants to forget it. Just go on like I don't know. I mean, it's just another timeline. Another set of memories I'll never remember. And they don't matter-" 

"But Sans-" 

"But it did. I mean, even if I don't remember . . ." Sans looked toward Papyrus. "Um. What happened when they were yanked?" 

Flowey sighed. "Your kid wasn't . . . wanted. So, they did the same thing they always do with what they don't want. Turned it into a re-reset or Conduit. But, you know Frisky and her DETERMINATION. They noticed that too. And, considering she actually held a half-Monster Conduit abomination to term? They decided she would be an excellent candidate for a Soul Soldier. Plus, until she learned to fight, they got 'bonus' time to see what else she could handle." He bopped his head around. "Don't worry, Smiley Trashbag! It wasn't the same way you made Chance! No, humans and Balancers don't bother with a physical way anymore, it's all surgical and soul surgeries now. Makes better, stronger, soldiers." 

"And that's supposed to be cheery?!" Papyrus shouted. "They. Took. Sans'. Family!" 

"Sssh." Sans tried to soothe him while he looked back to the flower. "So. So." 

Flowey bopped his head around. "Sorry! Trying to stay warm, warm, warm!" Then he stopped. "I did not just apologize, did I?" 

"Kay. Uh. So. Heh, kay? Um. I've never even dated before." 

"Aww, that's so surprising," Flowey teased him. "Who wouldn't want a stumpy Skeleton who made puns and fart jokes all day eating burgers?" 

"You're not being nice!" Papyrus warned it. 

"It's true though, Papyrus." Sans had to agree. "I mean, never tried anyhow. There's no one really . . . well, you didn't either." 

"Well, I tried once," Papyrus reminded him. "The human seemed like it liked me. I felt popular and cool." 

Flowey just groaned. "You two are hopeless." 

"Fine, okay, in some timeline I actually . . . dated?" Sans said with uncertainty. "And . . ." 

"And physically got involved with a human!" Flowey winked to drive the point home. "Chance was a happy accident. Happy. Accident. So you had to get married." 

"Oh. Ooh." Sans cringed slightly. "Same reason. Sort of." 

"It wasn't bad though," Flowey said. "The royal family was happy to have a union of a Monster and a human! It seemed like it would bring good things. So much so, you were invited to have your wedding at the Royal castle itself. And as you can see from the picture? You weren't sad about it either." 

"You were very, very, happy." Papyrus wiped his tears away. "Sans, I can't quit manifesting tears!" 

"Okay. So, Frisky and I, had Chance. And, I was marrying her. And then." He shook his skull. "I was marrying Frisky pregnant, and then she was taken and-and . . ." 

"Sans, it's okay." Papyrus insisted.  

"Um." Sans found himself with his problem from earlier, and his brother's new problem. Manifesting tears. He wiped them on his coat. "Um. So! Hey! My whole family was taken away, experimented on, forced to be soldiers, and I just got to keep on going and forget all about them. Well, that's . . . kay. Nothing new. I guess. From the other pictures. Just the same. Except for the soldier thing. Fine. So. Is there something I can kill? Anything I can kill?" He looked toward Papyrus. "Any bad humans around here I can kill? I just want to kill, I need to kill something. Now. I gotta kill something now. Anything. Now!" 

"Sans, calm down!" Papyrus held him tight again. "That's your Monster instinct taking hold, but you don't need to do that! Work through it. You have to work through it. You don't want to kill a Gyftrot or something. You'll feel bad later." 

This time, Sans held tightly to him. "I don't remember, but, but this one hurts!" He knew Frisky. He knew Chance. He didn't know them in that time, but he knew them now. It wasn't just random Skeletons and Monsters he'd never known in forgotten pictures, and to think of it hurt. It hurt!  

"I know. I've got you." Papyrus tried to work with him. "You have your son! He's up and about probably in the house even though he should be sleeping. You know him. And, you have your wife! She's upstairs, waiting for you. And, and they'll be here every day. Every day from now on!" 

"Yanked away. I reset, and they didn't. I reset, but they didn't. They were just . . .yanked . . ." Sans shook his skull. "I don't care, I'm finding something to kill!" 

"No, no! Sans, don't make me call Undyne!" Papyrus warned him. He tried to hold Sans back, but it wasn't going to matter.  

Nothing mattered. No one cared how anyone hurt. No one cared about what had been taken away. No one cared about his own kid, or taking away his body for others to control. No one cared about Frisky except to see what they could do with her DETERMINATION. No one cared to let him have years of his own life. Nothing mattered. No one cared. Nothing mattered. No one cared. 

"I called Undyne, she is coming quicky quick! Stop Sans!" 

Nothing mattered. No one cared. Nothing mattered No one cared. 

Nothing mattered. 

No one cared. 

It was pointless. 

It was all pointless. 

"What's going on?" Undyne asked as she arrived by Papyrus' side. 

"Oh, bad things!" Papyrus grabbed his head. "The worst offense ever has been committed, and Sans' Monster instinct is raging too hard for me to control!" 

"Worst offense?" Undyne didn't understand. "What do you mean?" 

"In the resets? You know, the thing that Sans and the brilliant Alphys pulled us out of?" Papyrus tried to explain in a hurry. "He was married with Frisky and she was pregnant with Chance, and they were taken away. Out of the Underground before the reset. Chance is truly his! His, his, and Frisky was his! Once upon a time, and then, they were hurt a lot. A lot. And, and he is-" 

"Frisky and Chance were his family and taken away?" Undyne held out her spear. "That offense. That offense is so great." 

"Oh yes, and, they um. They tried to give her even more kids. But, it didn't work. But. Um. His Monster blood is boiling!" 

"Mine would be too!" Undyne squeezed her hand together in a tight fist. "It already is thinking about this injustice." 

"But I can't calm him down, Undyne! He wants to kill something to ease the pain!" 

Undyne nodded and headed after him. He was leaving Snowdin which was good, but his power really was raging. She could see ground underneath the snow, and traces of his blue magic on the snow glittering around the area. Right now, it sounded like he was running on complete Monster instinct. He wasn't himself, and he would barely even remember what he did when he was done. 

She found him heading into Waterfall and held him up. Before she spoke a word, she saw his eye sockets. There was an eye. An eye flashing between flames of blue and yellow. "Sans! I understand the rage burning inside from this injustice," she announced, "but, you are going to hurt something. You do not want to hurt an innocent Monster, do you? We will help you get your justice. This will NOT go unpunished, but you need to pull yourself together long enough!" 

"No one." His voice was deep. Cold. Almost cruel. "No one can get justice but me. It's mine." 

"Okay. But your justice is not out here," Undyne tried again.  

"Yes it is." 

"It might be, but, you will hurt others through the process. I cannot allow that." Undyne held her spear up high. "Calm the boiling blood long enough for us to see our King." She wanted to say more, but found herself pulled into an encounter. 

With Sans. 

He was so out of control, he didn't even understand what he was doing anymore. 

"Undyne!" Papyrus shouted carrying something over to them. A kid. Sans' kid. "Stop!" He moved over toward Sans. "Looky, look! It is your boy! He has an extremely confused look on his face, but he's here!" He stepped toward Sans. "Stop the encounter, Brother. Undyne isn't who you want to fight. Come on, Looky!" 

Undyne: ACT: Talk. "I don't know if he has that kind of attachment to it, Papyrus. Sans hasn't gotten very close to it. That is risky, don't!" 

"But we have to try," Papyrus protested. "You can't fight him because he'll-" 

Sans started to raise his arm up. 

"No time. Chance!" Papyrus flipped him to look at him. "Sans said you learned magic with a ball?" Chance nodded. "Good. Try and 'move' Sans like the ball, okay?"  

Undyne wanted to yell for him to stop. There was no guarantee Sans wouldn't hurt his own boy, his fury was boiling! But, it was not her turn on the board. Instead she just tapped her spear hard on the ground. Papyrus was holding Chance toward Sans with blue flames licking at him. She squeezed her eyes shut. 

When she opened them, she saw Papyrus right next to Sans, with Sans' little human boy in his arms. The blue flames were still licking all over him, but he wasn't fighting anymore. 

He walked away from the counter, not even bothering with the flee button. 

"Uh, Sans?" Papyrus called after him, but he was just leaving. Just walking away with Chance back into the snow. "Um?" 

Chance just watched behind Sans. He had no idea what was going on. After Sans and Papyrus went out with the flower, he just went back downstairs to figure out the crossword puzzle again. After just a few minutes, Papyrus just fled into the house and grabbed him. He didn't say anything just took a shortcut into Waterfalls border.  

Sans was on fire. Like, an evil blue fire he'd never seen before. He had a pulsating color to his eye and he looked like he was about to fight. Then, Papyrus told him to move Sans and pushed him into Sans like luggage. 

Then Sans walked off with him. He was still glowing with all the blue though. He didn't know if his eye socket still had the scary eye, but he didn't exactly want to look. He just kept his arms wrapped around Sans and continued to keep his magic on him like he used to do with the ball. They walked out further into the snow. Chance kept his magic on Sans like Papyrus said to, but he was getting really cold too. The weather was supposed to be unsafe soon. And, the flames coming from Sans weren't warm. They were cold. Icy cold. He started to shiver.  

But then, he felt something warm beneath him, and then all over him. Sans was warming him up? "Sans? Are you okay?" 

"Yeah." It was weak, but Chance understood it. "Yep." 

"Um. Where are we going?" Chance asked, feeling more comfortable with him again. 

"Oh. I don't know." Sans stopped. He pulled Chance off of his arm. "You're a good kid, my kid." He pulled him in closer for a hug as he turned around. "Do me a favor? Um. Don't tell your mom about this, okay?" 

"Like a secret?" Chance asked. 

"Yeah. Kind of like a secret."  

Sans came back toward Undyne and Papyrus. "Uh. Think I was about to fight. Sorry about that." 

"Doesn't matter." Undyne grabbed his bony hand and pushed her other hand over it. "This offense will not go unpunished. I assure you, we will find the ones who hurt you, and you may have the honors of the blows. If we have to march out of this barrier, every Monster far and wide to find them, we will!" 

"Could we not concentrate on that?" Papyrus offered.  

"Yeah. Um. Not right now. What's done is done." Sans looked toward Chance. "You really shouldn't be out here like this. It's way too cold, my kid." 

Chance just pointed toward Papyrus. 

"Well, I had to try something," Papyrus reminded him. "You were about to kill Undyne." 

"Fight," Undyne corrected him.  

"You were about to fight Undyne," Papyrus corrected himself. "I couldn't calm you down. So." 

His son's own magic. A familiar bond magic. The same reason Chance could absorb his in the first place in Judgment Hall. It must have called him back to his senses along with Papyrus'. That's why his brother was the greatest. He always kept control. "Thanks, Papyrus. Come on, Chance. Let's go home." 

----------------------------- 

"There we go. He is safely back in bed. At least for now," Papyrus said as he came back over toward Sans. The evil but poor flower had been cold, but Sans was actually using his magic to keep it a little warmer.  

Papyrus patted his shoulder. "He is down. Everything is fine. Okay?" 

"Okay," Sans agreed. "I'm alright. It's just that I knew them. I even created one of them. So. Tougher." 

"Okay. Yes. Yes, yes," Papyrus agreed. "They are safe now. No more of those disgusting resetty things. So, I guess. What's next?" 

"Just go on like usual," Sans said. "But, this doesn't leave here. No one tells Frisky. It'll make her feel weird."  

"Faith by the way," Flowey said. "She was called Faith back then." 

"You mean, the name that Sans came up with for a loving name? The one he was belting puns out with left and right?" Papyrus looked at him. "You came up with that on your own." 

"He did last time too. She had amnesia, and he thought 'it fit'," Flowey said. 

"Just. Felt right." Sans closed his eye sockets. "This is big and weird." 

"Right. But, tomorrow I will talk to Undyne more and she can talk to King Asgore," Papyrus said. "This is a very big deal! If the humans responsible for hurting her is here-" 

"Balancers." Sans voice grew cold. "They run the show too." 

"Don't let your Monster instinct take control again," Papyrus warned him. "Um. Just go upstairs to Frisky. Faith. Whatever you want to call her, and do your own thing." 

"Okay. That stuff. What happened to them, it's important. It happened. I can't change that. The fact that they are my family, that's important. Chance is mine, always has been mine, I was engaged to Frisky, and now were married. Just. The feelings. Um. I don't know." He shrugged. "I mean. Do I . . . do I still like her that way?" 

"Oh, I have a book to help!" Papyrus exclaimed as he pointed up with his bony index finger. "It's called How to Know You Should Try a Date, First Edition!" 

"Yeah, 'cause the human wanting to date because it didn't fight you made real sense," Flowey teased him. Then Papyrus got the book, brought it back and showed it to him. "If an opponent resists fighting you over and over, they might want a date. If an opponent flirts with you, they might want a date. If an opponent keeps getting captured and recaptured they might want a date. What is this?!" 

"I don't think I need that," Sans interrupted. "I already got the marriage and family." 

"Yeah, you just need a little thing called love!" Flowey said happily. "And I don't have the right kind of friendliness pellets for that." He snickered. "But you might."

-------------------------------

Chapter Text

When Sans returned to the room, he saw Frisky still standing there. He remembered exactly what the last thing he said to her was before Flowey called him over.  

Frisky didn't smile. "Why did you say that last part? Before you left?"  

"Oh. Uh." Alphys. Alphys mentioned it in the text. He could just lie. Save it. But . . . he knew she still needed to confess herself for their Soul bearing. And if he just got the biggest secret of all time to deal with that night, then getting the rest of this over would be easier than saving it. Then, they could just move on. "I said it was much better than what you would have gone through if you failed a mission, Frisky." 

Frisky fidgeted slightly. Okay, relax. I don't know how much he knows. Besides, okay, it's just Sans. Just. Sans. This isn't like genocide. Yet, it felt very awkward. The way he said it, and then him taking off with Flowey for about twenty minutes or so? What was he doing? Getting more information? "Oh?" 

"Oh? That it?"  

Frisky stayed still as he approached her. It felt like Judgment Hall the way he was approaching her. Calm down. Sans isn't going to kill you. He just knows your deepest and darkest secrets, that's all. Or maybe not. What all does he know?  

"Calm down," he said. "Little talk, that's all. Then, bed. Kay?" 

Little talk. Then bed. But what little talk? "Okay." 

"Good. The Frisks and I played a little game of pretend in the forest," he started. "Cause we did see each other before then. They came to save you from the Soul bearing. Actually," he chuckled. Not quite a happy chuckle. "Friskay actually threw up an encounter between me, King Asgore and Queen Toriel." 

Oh, Friskay. "Sorry to hear that." 

"Sure." He clicked his tongue. He kept clicking his tongue, like he just discovered he could do that. He yawned. "So, you were going to get whipped for each time you or Chance was called something else, huh?" 

She refused to answer. 

"Or, you know, the whole killing your sister to get her PACIFIST card. That wasn't good."  

She refused to answer. 

"Or the pregnancy experiments and mindwipes." 

Okay. Not. Something she liked to share. Fine, he knows some. "Which one talked to you?" 

"Friskarino." 

Little traitor. He didn't have to share everything.  "Fine. What about it?" 

He was quiet for a second before stepping closer. "I consider using him cheating for Soul bearing. He probably got a lot of details, but there were seven of you inside one kid. So, I want to hear it from you. Make sure I got the facts straight." 

Dang this marriage thing. "I don't like talking about it. It doesn't help to think about these things. They interfere with encounters and chances of success. Is this necessary?" He nodded his head. "Fine. Yes, I would have received punishment for the name. There are varying degrees of things I could have done to receive punishment. That is just the way it is. Yes, I got my own sister killed in an ACT. That is true. Is that enough?" 

He was shaking his head. Hmph. "Chance was born successfully. After he was born, I could have returned to a civilian status. But, I chose not to, so that I could keep him. That's what records show. From that point on it was wiped out. After that, according to records, I failed. Then, I failed again. Neither survived, and I have not failed since." Was that enough? No, he still knew she had more. "I don't remember the process, but I know what it is. It's the reason . . ." She looked up a second. "Friskay, my KINDNESS Frisk, is the way she is and why she remembers." Was that good? No. Damn, come on. "You will have to give me some kind of indicator as to what you want me to say?" 

"Stop with the soldier thing," he finally spoke. "You always do that when you get uncomfortable." 

"Justifiably." Hmph. "What? I can't explain the whole process, I just know . . . it involves the essences. Injections into the stomach. Apparently, the essences can be so strong that they can affect the mind afterward. So, mindwipe. Unless . . ." The part she did not want him to know. "Unless you really, really . . . make them upset." 

"So Friskay made them upset? What did she do?" 

"She was on a mission in the grassy jungles. No one came for her when her mission was complete. Not her fault. So, she got to know the residents. Got involved. When they found her living among everyone like she actually belonged there, they knew which punishment to use." She sighed. "If Friskay knows you know, she'll try and kill you." 

"Injections to the stomach, with essences themselves?" He closed his eye sockets. "That's not right. That's not souls." 

"It's just simplifying it, I don't know the science. They just push it all in with DNA at the same time. The DNA creates the body and the usual soul is pushed outward for the essences. So, it's not natural. Which is why afterwards there are injections of all kinds of chemicals to try and give it chances to survive." Frisky shook her head. "It's quite horrible. And, if it does find a way to get a dominating essence, then it's offspring is weakened to the chance of being a re-reset or conduit instead." She sighed. "I imagine I would feel something from these words if I remembered." 

"So. If you ever got caught down here?" 

"HONEST. The one singing in the corner. She no longer represents her soul name, she just blurts out whatever she wished. Sometimes, it would get us killed. Sometimes, it was endless screaming. It was what she felt, so she had the official okay to be HONEST. She was picked for the same reasons PERSEVERANCE was. A foul-up, and she only grew worse."  

"So. If you ever got caught down here?" 

 That long schpiel didn't make it any easier, and it was clear he still remembered his question. Her ACT of distraction wouldn't work. "I would either end up singing all day and become HONEST because I can't be mindwiped anymore, or I would be the opposite of what I am. Like Friskay. I would have no more DETERMINATION. I would be . . . cowardice." She took a deep breath. "But, every Frisk faces its fears, and I refused to take Chance away from you." 

Ooh. He didn't know that much. That's what he was fishing for. I knew it. 

"If you get caught, they are going to scramble your head? Irreversibly?"  

"Unless I agree to be subservient to a higher soldier." 

"That guy Conner." 

"Friskarino actually covered him too?" She rolled her eyes. What did he do, bore him with my life story? "Yes. That guy Conner." 

"Huh. So. Insanity, that guy Conner, or pretty much kill yourself?" 

I really hate when he talks this way. "Yes." 

"Oh. So, you are risking hell on your mind for me to stay with Chance? Got it." 

"Every Frisk faces its fears," she repeated again. "I didn't want you to know that though. But, remember, you promised that if I did this willingly you would do your best to not make me feel like a prisoner," she said to him. "There's risk in everything I do, but I'm not playing 'let's stay inside the house forever' anymore then I would play 'let's stay in the ruins forever'." She looked back at him. "Well?" What was that look? 

He wasn't saying anything. 

"Come on," she said firmly. "Okay, you know it. You got your Soul bearing. Don't break your promise." 

He stepped up closer to her. "The annoying human Conner? You had to give up your freedom for him, right?" She heard his slipper tapping on the floor slowly but rhythmically. "Come on. I'm lazy but I'm pretty smart too. Chance not having to be jumped in anymore? You not having to go through any missions? That's pretty good digs to me, even for freedom. Sounds almost as good. How come you wouldn't just pick that?" 

No, no. He was forcing her into territory again she did not want to share. Besides, it was Sans. Why would he even care? Even having to go through these details. She didn't want to. "I . . . I don't want to have the DETERMINATION to be subservient. I would still have kids, but it would be . . . more . . . physical, but I'm married now anyhow, so who cares, it's not an option, are we done with this yet?" She said it in a hurry. She didn’t want to talk to Sans about that. 

I mean. That was. What Conner had wanted was physical sex. Outdated approach just for fun. She really didn't want to delve into that topic. Least of all with Sans. 

She watched him jingle his hands in his coat while his slippered foot continued to tap. He had better not be thinking of ways to trap me in this house. Even Toriel learned that humans need some freedom. He continued to tap. What else could he want? Friskarino clearly told him the tragedy of her sister. He knew about the experimentation. He even knew what would happen if she got caught. So, what? 

He stopped tapping his slipper and pulled a bottle of catsup out of his coat and drank it down. After it was gone, he put it back away in his coat. "Do you remember how mad I had to be at Judgment Hall before I fought?" 

Mad? About what? What did I do?!  

"Friskay did. Yeah, I, uh, I didn't put up a fight pretty much ever. Not really unless FRISK got LV 19. Pretty much taking out everything between Judgment Hall and the Ruins," he said. "I . . . I just really don't like to fight." He shrugged. "I really don't. It sucks." 

She almost took a step back when he came forward, but didn't. Whatever problem he had she had to face it straight on. 

She watched his bony hand reach out for hers and say something she wasn't prepared for. 

"No one is going to hurt you or Chance. I consider anyone, anything, and especially 04823 coming after you. LV 19. Even if it's PACIFIST, Faith."

04823. The one who killed her sister. The one who kept wanting to try for a conduit with her amount of DETERMINATION. She didn't even bring him up, but. LV 19. He's . . .

If anyone came after her . . . he was going to fight for her? He even used the loving name? She was so shocked from that reveal that she didn't even know how to handle what came next. He hugged her. "No one fights for me. Others help in battle, but no one fights for me. I am Frisk. I'm Frisk. I'm-" 

"Mine forever now. Like it or not." 

Hmm? Frisky knew from her warm cheeks she was blushing. Then, she felt him actually lift her slightly off the ground. Sans! She felt him put her back down. 

Keeping it together was hard. He wouldn't manifest tears again, he willed everything back really hard. He just kept himself his old loose bones. Even leaving catsup in his pocket. All he knew he could get away with was a hug. 

 The way she said it, it was like . . . he wouldn't even care. Like she was sharing something so private to someone who wouldn't even care about it as much more than a footnote. 'Oh, yeah, I had two unborn kids through experimental manipulation by the same guy that killed my sister but whatever'. That hurt. But, it was true. 

"Hmm. Over LV 14, huh. Well, hmm . . . judgment-wise . . . you're a pretty bad person. You wander around looking for people killing them to take their money. That's just plain messed up. And what's worse, is that as bad as you are . . . you aren't anywhere as bad as you could be. You pretty much suck at being evil. Honestly, it's super embarrassing, but maybe you'd be better . . . at not killing anyone? Crazy idea, huh? Let me know how that one goes." 

If he didn't care about hundreds of Monsters dying. Not until they were completely taken out by FRISK at LV 19. Then, why would she think he cared about what happened to her? Because he wouldn't have. Not before. Nothing really mattered before. Life was pointless. 

But . . . not anymore. In fact, he even felt like it was high time he told her everything too. Even the big truth about them would come out one day. Getting just a couple rounds of magic truth was like drinking a brewski or two. Not much more truth was going to flow that he couldn't control.  

But, he didn't want to hide anything from her. Hiding stuff just wasn't easy. Slowly, over time, he swore to himself he'd tell her everything.  

For now. He moved away from her. "Hey." He closed one of his eye sockets. "Did you ever notice how pretty your eyes were?" Yeah, that was a look of confusion. "Really pretty blue. Almost, this color?" She was a little taken back when his blue magic surrounded him, but only for a few seconds. "Oh, and hey. Chances eyes have that pretty color too. Right?" 

"Um. Yeah." Frisky squinted at him, clearly trying to figure out what he was saying. "What about it?" 

"Connection, Frisky. We're all connected." She still didn't get it. "A long, long, time ago Monsters did actually get with humans. Really, really ancient text. So. Do you know what happened?" Clueless. "Eye color change." 

"Okay? That's great?" 

"Yeah. I felt kinda stupid for not figuring out the Chance thing. Pretty obvious now." 

"Yeah, it's fine." 

"The eye color matched the monster's magic."  

"An interesting fact?" She raised her eyebrow at him. "Are you ready for bed now?" 

"Maybe. We have the rest of our lives." Yeah, over time he'd share everything. There was no rush though. They probably had centuries together. "Do you want to know another cool thing about eyes? They can see possibilities. They can see an endless sea of possibilities." Yeah, she was starting to get annoyed. "Come on, I had some left. What did you expect?" 

"Technically eye overheard you punning Papyrus to death for the dinner pots," she reminded him. 

"What, those count? They weren't to you." He kicked his slipper up with a small shuffle. "Bummer. Welp, okay. Bedtime then." He let her get in first so he could have the side. "Night, Frisky. Oh, wait. You need your pajamas." He got out and went over to the dresser. "It's gonna be negative fifty degrees celsius with heavy winds. Don't want you to die tonight. That would be a bad first day of marriage. Oh, here we go."  

Oh good. Furry blue PJ's, matching top and bottom. Nice. They would help keep her warm. 

"Don't worry either, Chance's little bed is right next to Papyrus. If he gets cold, Papyrus will just warm up the blanket. I showed him how to do that." He handed her pajamas to her. "There you go." 

But he wasn't moving. "You want me to get dressed?" 

"Nice to see you see the obvious." 

Uhh . . . then why wasn't he leaving? It's not like she could go to the bathroom. There was no door to that room except the outside balcony. "Okay." He still wasn't moving. "Could you give me a second?" 

He seemed confused. "What do you mean?" 

He remembered. He must have remembered. When he helped with her back, he gave her a few minutes alone to take her shirt off and cover up. He gave her a little privacy with her son all the time before bed. "If you want me to change then I need some privacy." 

Then, a strange thing happened. He looked . . . offended? "Huh? You're my wife now." 

Uh, no. He expected her to get naked in front of him? After one night? She had less than 24 hours to get used to being a Skeleton's wife, and he expected her to just what? He was just tapping his slipper up and down. That move took a lot of DETERMINATION to pull off, and it wasn't a battle. 

"Oh, caaaaaaaallllliiinng Smiiiiiiiiiley Traaaaaaaashbaaaaaag! Paaaaging the Smiiiiiiiileeeeyyy Iiiiiiddiiiiiiiooooot! 

"Not again," Sans muttered. Frisky watched Sans leave and quickly grabbed the PJ's. Thank you, Flowey! 

----------------------------

Chapter Text

Present Time

"Well, hiiii, Saaaaaansy! Sansy, Sansy, Sansy."  Flowey said as he bopped his petaled head around.

Sans climbed down the stairs slowly. This night? It was already pretty hard. He just wanted to call it a day. How much more would he go through? He had to be careful not to be too hard on the flower. If it wasn’t for him, he wouldn’t know about Frisky and Chance somehow being in the past.

Still? He was tired so . . . "What.”

"I want to take a walk," Flowey said. 

"A what?" 

"I want a walk. I'm a flower that moves. Before bed, I want a walk." 

“ . . .” Sans reached the flower and looked at him closer. Then he sort of . . . turned and headed back up.

"Hang on!” the flower called out.

Better be good.

“In exchange, I'll give you advice on humans you won't find in books.”

“Humans aren’t in books, period,” Sans said. “Unless they got the sharp pointy sticks.”

“Right, right, I forgot. No literature at all anymore.” Flowey sighed. “Well then, come on? They are kind of funny creatures. A walk in Waterfall. And, I'll even give you one advanced tip before we go?" 

Sans turned back around and went down the stairs again. "What tip?" 

"Go upstairs, knock on your bedroom door, and tell Frisky that you understand she's shy, and that while you're gone, she should feel free to get her PJ's on." Flowey winked. "Cause I guarantee she's already dressed anyhow. Make yourself look good." 

"Huh?" He didn't get it. “Are you trying to get me into trouble?” That sounded like trouble.

"Look. I’m . . . trying,” Flowey said. “I know humans, and you don’t know squat.”

“Not real good at making friends here,” Sans warned him. He started to turn back around.

“Fine, fine, but I predict something! If it’s right, you need to go for a walk with me,” he demanded.

Huh, “If your wrong, do I just get to go to sleep?”

“Not a word more from this mouth for the whooooooole night,” Flowey told him.

“Fine, I’ll bite.” He turned around on the staircase. “What?”

“When you go to your room, Frisky will have already been changed.”

Uhhh? Weird but simple. “Kay.” Sans went toward his room. He opened the door.

Frisky seemed surprised to see him for some reason. She was changed already though? “No knock?”

“No.” Why would he? They weren’t strangers anymore. “Why’d you get dressed while I was gone?” That was weird. “Things are so weird lately, what if another battle happened or something? You’d be fighting in your pajamas.” Silly human. “Kay. I gotta hang with a flower for a bit. I’ll be back.” He closed the door and went back downstairs.

He got in front of the flower again, and picked him up. “Good guess.”

“Not a guess, Sansy, I knew it,” Flowey said proudly. “I know a lot about humans. I had a sister that was human. Now she’s a barrier and obsessed with lasers.”

Heh heh. “Yeah.” He took a shortcut to Waterfall.

“Ooh, so nice and warm!” Flowey moved his viney body around, digging the warm temperatures. “Ooohhh.”

Sans didn’t know how long Flowey enjoyed the temperature. He fell asleep. He just remember the flower waking him up. “Huh?”

“Okay. First lesson. Human women are beyoooooond shy of their bodies. Probably due to the lack of protection everywhere else.”

Oh. “Is that why she acted weird when I opened the bedroom door?” he asked.

“Without a knock? Yep. Rude as hell to her.”

Oops. Flowey really seemed to get things. “I don’t like this not seeing her naked thing.”

“Yeah, of course you don’t. If Frisky was a monster, it’d be different. She’s a human. No scales. No nothing. She is super, super soft,” he said. “No human likes how super soft they are. They barely let other humans see their form.”

“She still thinks somehow, I’m gonna take her out again. I’ll just throw up an encounter.”

“No. Moron. It’s not that. Hmm. Give me a second, I need to think.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Sans teased him as they continued to walk.

“Okay, I think I got it. You’re married now, and you expect her to do monster wife things, right?”

“Yeah. The simple things.”

“Okay. Then, you should probably follow human traditions as well then, right?”

Sounded logical. “Sure, I could do that for her.”

“Great. Then, traditionally, humans listen to the music on the mp’s a lot, and especially at night before bed. Together.”

What? “No way.”

“Yes way, it’s tradition.”

“No way, that stuff hurts.” Monsters hated music.

“It’s only fair, Sans.”

“No it’s not, that physically hurts. I’m even a skeleton, so that’s how much it hurts.”

“Not a good sensation, Sansy, even though it’s traditional?”

“Not at all nope.”

“Would rather go drown yourself in Waterfall.”

“Yep.”

“That’s how Frisky feels about being naked.”

“ . . .” Hmmm. “Almost wanting to end her life?”

“Close. Not out of fear, but humans can’t stand to be naked. I mean think about it, how many naked humans have you ever seen?”

“Don’t really know humans.”

“Exactly, they cannot stand being naked any more than you can stand music. So? I’m just saying.”

“Is Frisky gonna start to blast that noise if I ask her to get naked?”

“I’m going to tell her that I warned you about it, and I’ll give her a friendly reminder of her own human traditions,” Flowey answered. “While marriage changes a lot of acting between monsters, the act isn’t always the same for humans. Frisky didn’t choose to become Frisky the Skeleton. It was what she had to choose, for Chance’s sake. Share both traditions equally.”

Oy. “Look?” Oof. Human music. “If I could have secured Chance, without all of this? I would have, and I was until Frisk interrupted us,” Sans reminded him. “Now that we did this marriage thing, she has a role she has to play.” That role wasn’t going to get easier.

“Equal is equal. Fair is fair. At least your ears can’t bleed when she listens to music. You don’t have any. Humans also have other traditions too.”

Can’t be worse than music.

“They like to glomp their boyfriends. I imagine that’s for husbands too.”

“What’s glomp?”

“Hang onto you, and not let go. They like to instigate fights too, to prove how strong their man is.”

They what? “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“Nah, they want a strong husband for lots and lots of kids. He’s got to be top of the line, so they’ll say bitchy things to people they want to challenge you.” Flowey started to act out a scene. “You stink! Sans smells so much better than you and he hasn’t washed his coat in years!”

“Oh man, that sounds like gator monster dating.” The gator that survived ended up with the date. “She won’t do that.”

“Normally no, just like you wouldn’t just open the door without knocking. But, marriage changes things, Sansy? Come on. Fair is fair. They also go vegetarian once a week out of the month for the rest of their life.”

What?! “No hotdogs or Grillbys?”

“Or ketchup. When I say vegetarian, I mean all natural. Ketchup still has stuff besides all natural tomatoes.”

No. Way. Not even . . . ketchup?

“Look? I think it’ll be a great marriage. You’ll see Frisky naked, ask others about really embarrassing things she doesn’t want to hear about nudity or loving, and you get to sleep right next to your sweet wife. In return? You listen to her music, eat all natural vegetables for one week out of every month for the rest of your life, be glomped, and get into constant fights that she starts, to prove your worth. I am guessing your first one is Doggo.”

Doggo? “Why would she want me to fight Doggo?”

“Grillbys that one day? Yeah, I was there. I tag along everywhere,” he smiled as he shook his petally head. “Then after him, probably Dog Marriage.”

“I can’t just fight with the royal guards.” Not that he’d lose. That would be pretty bad though.

“If you expect her to get through getting naked and everything else for you, you’ll have to at least compromise. All natural veggies for a week? Fighting machine? Or, music lover?”

“But. Naked is the most traditional thing ever.”

"Yeah, for you, but remember? She's not a Monster. Humans are shy." Flowey groaned. "You should know that by now." 

"But I'm not . . ." Was this flower really right? "But part of the reason you even do that is, you know. Personal signs you'd never hurt each other. I know some Monsters like her tender flesh but I'd never hurt her. I mean, that's what-." 

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking," Flowey said. "I should get a freaking award for this,” he groaned. “It's Monster marriage, she should feel comfortable in certain ways with you after the Soul bearing. This is kind of disrespectful of her, yada, yada. Well, it doesn't work that way perfectly with humans!” He started to mock him. “Part of the reason you even listen to music and eat veggies like a vegetoid is because they are personal signs too. Also, fighting challenges done for her, such huge personal signs you are on her side no matter what.” He quit mocking him. “Look, if you want her to give into you, you better expect the same treatment. Fair is fair." 

"I . . . I don't get it." Was he really on the up and up? "The longer we take, the more she'll think something's wrong." 

“Right, right. Just like not listening to the music she loves is wrong.”

Sans could almost hear the screech as Flowey said that.

“Fair is fair. Equal is equal. Is she just a wife, or is she a friend you promised wouldn’t feel like a prisoner?”

“ . . . you pop up in way too many places,” Sans accused him. Yet, he was right. It’s just that . . . “Human traditions are barbaric.”

"Whatever. Anyhow, here’s some easy advice,” Flowey said. “Open the bathroom up to your wife and son. They are humans. They need groomed, and cleaned, and I doubt she really wants to deal with having to wait to get teleported there all the time. It's their new home. Make it feel like it." 

Oh yeah. "I can do that. It's just always been like that." He had no idea why. No idea why they even had it in the first place.

"Yeah, it was her . . . hiding place. Anyhow. Cool tip two you can do. Women like flowers. Monsters and humans, all women." 

"Well, I'm holding one right now," he joked. 

"Not me, not flowers like me!" Flowey complained as he waved his petally head back and forth in frustration. "Pretty flowers. In a bouquet. And I know the kind Frisky likes the most."  Flowey gestured around him. "Get some small echo flowers for her, wrap the stems together, and give them to her." 

Sans shrugged, put Flowey down and grabbed a few small ones. He reached in his pocket and fished out a Grillby wrapper. He tied them together with the Grillby wrapper. "Like that?" 

Flowey winced. "You know what? It's you, so fine." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Nothing." Flowey sighed. "Last but not least. Frisky is human and as horrid as it is to Monster's ears? Tell her she can sing." 

Oh no, not more traditional stuff. "I have to hear her shriek like that too?" 

"Tell her to sing soft. Soft songs," Flowey said. "You might be surprised how well you can handle it. But, humans have been denied song creation nearly five hundred years. Humans love it, so put up with it. Especially if she is following your traditions. Fair is fair.”

" . . . can't I just get her some Monster Music?" 

"No, let her sing! Monster Music is all beats." 

"Great beats." 

"There is no words to it. She needs to sing. Sing! She probably won't even sing in front of you, just let her know she can sing. You don't want her to feel unwelcome, do you? If you want her to really feel like home is home, then you better make her feel home. She never could sing anywhere except her cell. Why do you think you find them all over MP's? It's the only way humans get them. Plus, it gives her DETERMINATION. And, well, let's face it," Flowey snickered. "You're gonna need that, aren't you?" 

"Okay. Anything else?" 

“Yeah. Don’t keep it from Frisky,” Flowey warned him. “King Asgore will want to talk to her. Don’t hide it. He’s bound to give an extension. Trust me, she’d rather have the extension.”

“Walk over.”

"I want to see her before you leave me back downstairs. You know, just to give you a real hard confirmation that I got everything right?”

That would actually be a good thing then. “Fine.”

“Keep the flowers downstairs too, then take them up after I see her. Say it's to 'welcome her to her new home'. Now, I guess, off back to the cold. Ugh. I can't believe I have to do this for you, Chara," he muttered. 

----------------------- 

Chapter Text

"Hey! Hey, Babe!" 

Hmm? Frisky got up from the bed and looked out the small window. Oh, not him. How did he know where she was at? 

"Come on, Babe! Come on? Talk?" Conner insisted from outside. "At least share some food? I'm starving. You're not a prisoner anymore, right? Please? Help? You can't ignore a call for help, right? Not my sweet girl." 

Frisky rolled her eyes, grabbed her tiny emergency astronaut candy and headed downstairs. She didn't need simple food now that she wasn't FRISK anymore. She opened the front door. "Here. Here is some astronaut candy. I can't give you anything else, Conner." 

"Nothing else? Body temperature's really low out here." Conner breathed into the air, showing off his breath. "A man could freeze to death out here." 

"Well, you should leave Snowdin." 

"Or?" Conner winked. "You look pretty warm in those pajamas. You could always help warm me up?" 

Pathetic. "Go find shelter. It's not going to be here." 

"You can sneak me in the back?" 

"No. Get out of  here and go find shelter. I mean it. I know you have an MP." 

"Aww. But, Frisky?" He breathed in his fingers. "Okay, but I'm not real far away, alright? After all, I heard you married a Monster." He winked at her. "That means you're still going to have to warm up with a man's real flesh to stay satisfied." 

Frisky didn't even answer that as she shut and locked the door. 

"Damn. One day I am going to get her." He chuckled as he walked backward a bit. He turned around with the astronaut candy and ran straight into a short, funny looking little Skeleton. "Uh? Coat and shorts at the same time? Oh yeah, you're the little puzzle guy." 

"Uh, human?" Sans shrugged. "Didn't know if you knew this? But, that's my wife you just said that about? Okey dokey? So. Let's not say that again." 

"Oh. Yeah." Conner looked up to the window. "I mean . . . of course, Sir. I'll just be on my way." 

"Probably a good idea." Sans closed his eye sockets. "Probably a real good idea. Probably a better idea not to ever come back either." 

"If you haven't figured it out yet," Flowey chimed in. "That's your signal to run before he opens his eyes. Moron." 

"Nah. No, wait." Conner waved his finger at him. "You're Sans the Skeleton, I remember now. Someone's gotta be like LV 19 to fight. I'm not that at all," he said confidently. "Judge me if you like, I'm just level one. I'm PACIFIST. Never hurt a Monster." 

"Pretty sure you should still run," Flowey chimed again. 

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I forgot all about that. I don't lift a finger until someone who commits GENOCIDE rolls through." Sans shoved his bony hand in his coat pocket. Feeling his empty bottle of catsup he flung it out.  

"Out of catsup? I could go get you some." 

"Well, what a great guy you are, huh?" Sans opened his eye sockets and they were completely dark with no sign of light. 

"I told you," Flowey said. "Stupid human." 

"Uh? Something wrong? Look, I don't want to fight." Conner put his hands up. "Really." 

Sans closed his eye sockets again. "Hey, hey. You know what? Sounds great. Except that life for me has kinda changed, pal, and the last thing I need is someone skulking outside my home. And hey, I think my brother agrees. Right, The Great Papyrus?" 

"Right!" 

Conner turned and saw Papyrus behind him. "Oh. Hey? Hey there. Both Skeleton brothers, huh? So, aren't you the one who tests humans through puzzles too?" 

Papyrus stared at him roughly. "Human. Prepare yourself!" 

"Yeah, Papyrus isn't really that sweet until after you do the puzzles. And, I'm not a big ball of candy over here either, pal. I mean, I've got to get my new wife pregnant in a short amount of time, she's not even comfortable with me seeing her naked, and you're saying you want to take her away. Not a ball of laughs right now." 

"Yeah, that?" Flowey said looking up at him. "That is going to get an MP right next to your head when you are dead asleep at midnight, full blast.” 

"Eww. I mean. Oh," Conner said quickly. "Yeah, uh . . . it's not my fault though, you know? Babe, I mean Frisky?" He chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah, she is the one who opened your door for me. So, you know, she's partly at fault. I can't help it if I'm good with women, can I?" 

"Ooh, you are painfully stuuuupid," Flowey groaned. 

"Frisky isn't at fault," Sans said. "She opened her door of her home to someone she thought needed some help. Because, that's Frisky. And you knew that."  

Conner held his hands up. "Yeah, that's of course your business. Whatever magic you gotta do to shell out a kid with a human. Um, so which way out of Snowdin? Cause um?" 

"This guy has clearly never been in the Underground." Flowey sighed. "And I am not repeating that same phrase again. Ever. So. Look, you idiot human! They never pulled you into an encounter. Just run and don't come back. Seriously, don't come back. This is not a good time to play around with these guys." 

"Oh? Oh!" Conner finally ran away. 

"What a bonehead, a complete and utter bonehead!" Papyrus complained. "Where did you go, Sans?" 

"The pet needed a walk," Sans said. "Don't worry, just a few minutes." He trotted back into the house.

He went over and looked at his door. This time, he knocked and heard her usual ‘come in’.

Before he even said a word, Flowey was setting the stage. “So, Frisky, Sans wants you to do all the tradition monster stuff for him, like getting naked and sleeping next to him every night, talking about nudity about strangers, and about the physical ways you two should have a baby!”

Frisky blinked. “What?”

“Yeah, no shots down here. King Asgore will probably make a deal with you if you tell him about your-!”

Sans moved him right out the door.

“Sans, wait!”

Sans looked back and watched Frisky come and grab Flowey.

“Yes, I was in the middle of a conversation,” Flowey said snobbishly to him. “As I was saying, you have three months to get very physical. If you don’t want that, talk to King Asgore yourself.”

Damn flower! “Frisky, you don’t have to put yourself through that.”

“I’ll do it,” Frisky agreed, almost instantly.

“But? Well, you did everything you could not to share at the soul bearing?”

“Trust me, I’m helping,” Flowey said to Sans. “Also, I told Sans about the human traditions of eating all natural veggies once a week out of the month, listening to human music together every night, and about you challenging other monsters into a fight with him for a show of dominance. These are all traditional things he would have to follow, if you were to do his. Riiiigggghhht?”

Frisky seemed to stop to think. “Naked?”

“Very traditional. Downright rude to refuse. He also told Conner outside the house about the pregnancy and nudity too. Traditional to share details with other monsters. I told him that would win him an MP blasting beside his head at midnight. Was I far off?”

Frisky’s attitude was switching toward Sans. Hardcore. “Conner? You told Conner that?”

“Promise I am helping,” Flowey said again.

He wasn’t helping at all.

“Marriage is fair, Frisky. So? I don’t know. I would either keep all traditions so fair is fair, or get rid of them altogether?”

Frisky was still staring at him. “So was he right?”

Frisky pulled out her MP.

Sans moved back slightly. “You aren’t setting that to go off at midnight, are you?”

Frisky put it back away and crossed her arms. “Conner?”

“The barbaric human traditions, Frisky?” Flowey asked again. “Are they correct?”

“Yyyyep,” she said. “Every single one.” She glared. “A whole week of nothing but veggies to improve the strength of marriage. Tomorrow, you should fight Doggo for my honor.”

“Sh . . .” Wait. She was mad. It was hard to tell emotions as well with anger. That Conner part was super bugging her.

“Okay, you can take me downstairs now,” Flowey insisted to Sans.

Downstairs? He should throw him outside for that! Frisky didn’t look like she was in a friendly mood. This is why you don’t trust flowers.

He set Flowey back on the table.

"Just take the flowers, and tell her 'welcome to her new home' with them,” Flowey reminded him.

Sure. Yeah. Because everything else worked out so well? Sans went back upstairs. He knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. He checked the door, but it was locked? He heard some conversation going on. “Frisky?”

He heard the door unlock and she was back at the door.

“I have a meeting with King Asgore tomorrow. I’ll be polite and respectful,” she said. “I already told him a little to get it extended to nine months. Apparently, Alphys had revealed a little too, or it would have only been two months?”

“Failing miserably so far. Not even 24 hours and the wife is already mad.”

“I’m mad that you didn’t tell me that Asgore had options. I am mad about you telling Conner anything at all about me. The other stuff I am annoyed or mad about, aren’t about you,” she said.

“I didn’t even want to bug you about Asgore. You already did plenty for me,” Sans said. “You shouldn’t have to do anything else.”

“I would rather do this, than get rushed into that,” she insisted. “Ask me to get naked and you’ll find out what Smashmouth is.”

Ouch? “You’re going to whack me in my jaw bone?”

No. She moved the MP next to his ear and pressed play.

He immediately backed up. “Humans are barbaric sometimes.” Ewww! All the wrong vibes. “It’d been nicer to sock me in the jaw.” Geez. That flower did this all on purpose. Helping? There was no helping.

“What are you holding behind your back?”

Sans showed the crummy echo flowers. “Here. To welcome you home. It’s fine if you don’t want them.” It was recommended by that traitor flower after all.

“Echo flowers.” She took them and actually look please. “A welcome present? Thank you.”

Great. The flower helped with one thing.

“Why do you want to see me naked? Like, strangely bad?” Frisky asked him.

“It’s a sign of trust.” He tried. “Really. I don’t plan on fighting you, or tricking you into becoming weak and taking you out.”

“Oh.” Frisky’s anger seemed to ebb away with the flowers. “Is there another way to show trust?”

“Proving you aren’t scared of me?” That’s what it was about. “We fought. A lot. In judgment hall.”

“Oh. I think I get it now,” Frisky said as she hummed into the echo flowers. She looked at the wrapper tying them together and smiled. She placed them on the bed and went toward him. “Your magic could cut through me no matter what.” She lifted her pajamas enough to show her tummy. “The slightest cut from your magic would disembowel me. Touch my tummy.”

Hearing that, he was extra careful as he rubbed his bony finger against it. She never trembled. “Way too soft.”

“The rest just gets super softer,” she said as she put her pajamas back down. “Is that good?”

“We can compromise,” he decided. “There’s no way I’m doing a week of all natural veggies, forget it. I hate music too, but I . . . you can listen to your music in the house, Frisky. Whenever you want.”

“Really?” Frisky looked so happy. She moved closer toward him awkwardly. Then, gave him a hug. “Thank you very much.”

Okay, flower got two points. He hugged her back. “How soft are you?” He might be able to work with that. “Cut easy like paper?”

“Like a silk blouse falling against a sword,” she said.

Okay. “Let me lie for you, and I can do something. I’m not gonna be a cheery one to anybody though,” he warned her. “It’s an ACT I’d rather not play, but I’ll share less with people, and I won’t ask for you to be naked beside me at night.”

“I can work with that ACT.” Good. She didn’t go into soldier mode.

“Compromise though. I’ll take the challenging that you cause with others over losing my burgers anyday. You in return do have to cuddle next to me and give me a kiss each night. Fair?”

“You’d rather I challenge people to fight you, instead of listen to music?” she asked.

“Yeah. It’ll help with my ACT too.” He didn’t look so excited. “I’m gonna hate this ACT. I get extra cuddles for this. Plus, food, more of your yummy food.” He adjusted his hold on her to tighten the hug. “Pasta Primahuggy.”

“Um? Okay,” she gave in. “I’ll be fine with that. I planned on cooking more food anyhow.”

“I remember when I treated your back, you were just all soft, gooshy skin that I had seen.” He thought back to that. He never saw anything on her that wasn’t soft gooshy skin. “You don’t have anything else but soft skin? No hidden armour anywhere?”

“Nope.” She let go. “Like a snail with no shell. That’s humanity. Nothing else.”

“You sure you aren’t afraid of my magic in any way?” he asked as she went toward the bed. “Not that side, I get that side. Faith.” Right. Probably should have used that in the conversation. “You have complete Faith?

“Yes I have my complete faith in you,” she said, almost like she was getting tired of the question. She got out and went to the other side.

“Thanks, Faith.” He sort of rolled into bed. “I claim the easy roll in side.” He looked at her trying to get comfy on her side, and scooped her over closer to him.

Her cheeks tinged that cute pink again. “Um? Cuddles?”

“Uh huh. Rules. Can’t get rid of every rule.” He wished. Ugh. Tomorrow wasn’t going to be fun. “Are you sure you can’t just sort of get used to it?”

“I’m sure you could get used to having all-natural-”

“Nevermind, soft and gooshy all over.” That ACT or that. Yuck. At least, for now. Eventually. Maybe she’d see better reason? For now, lights out.

Frisky seemed okay where she was at. She renestled around a bit, trying to find a spot that was the most comfortable for her. He was fine with anywhere. Then, he didn’t feel her moving around anymore.

He just felt her breathing up and down in the same relaxed state. Faith is sleeping, where she should have always been.

Not that it mattered. None of that past stuff mattered anymore. His memory had been reset, and he could never remember, even if he wanted to. Her memory had been wiped clean. There was nothing left that remained except Flowey's knowledge and a single photo.  

How different had he been? What made her fall in the first place? Quit. She’s right here. With you. That’s good enough.

-------------------------------------- 

Chapter Text

Outside the barrier . . .

"Yes, I see it. Dead ahead, not hard." 

"Just go in, and straight to the lab. Don't mess with Sans the Skeleton. Don't mess with his wife or his kid." 

"His stuff? It's mine." 

"Nuh uh, our intel say they got married." 

"Son of a bitch."  

"Yes you are, aren't you?" Chara appeared in front of him. "You are not coming through my barrier. Of all people. You're the worst." She sneered. "Go away."