SmileNutMeg on Deviantart asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)

Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. I only own Taylor.

Fire Can Also Soothe

The twelve-year-old screamed as her arm was forced over the open fire. "I told you I didn't want to see another B on your report card!" The man who was her guardian said angrily.

Taylor cried. "Stop!" She screamed, managing to pull her arm away, but he grabbed her hand and forced it over the fire again. "Please, stop! It hurts!"

"Shut up!" He said. "You didn't learn your lesson last time. But now you will!"

Taylor screamed as he pushed her hand right onto the hot brick, burning her hand and she kicked him in the shin, making him let go and she got up and ran, clutching her burned arm and hand close as she ran out the door and kept going. People saw her run by but didn't stop her as she continued running, adrenaline making her run up the nearby mountain before she suddenly stepped and fell, screaming as she fell down a deep hole and landed in some leaves that cushioned her fall. Still panicked and in pain from her arm being burned, Taylor got up and continued running, scared and now looking at her arm. It was badly burned, with large blisters already forming on her hands and blisters forming on her wrist and forearm. She tried moving her hand and winced as it hurt, but she could still thankfully move her fingers, which gave her hope that her arm would heal, but it would take time. As she continued running, she suddenly felt her feet crunch in something cold and looked to see she was surrounded by snow. Knowing how cold it was, she kneeled down and placed her arm in the snow, sighing in relief as the cold snow helped to ease some of the pain from the burns. While she knew she couldn't be out there long, she could stay there for a bit and hope the pain would ease up enough.

Grillby was out enjoying a walk through Snowdin. His restaurant was closed until later that day and he decided to take a nice walk before opening up. As he was heading down the path near the forest outside Snowdin, he heard crying and glanced around, his eyes soon spying a young girl who was holding her arm in the snow and even putting some snow on it, sighing and shuddering as if in pain. As he watched, she pulled her left arm out of the snow and his eyes widened. Her left arm was burned a bright red and large blisters were forming, showing that the burns were bad. Wondering what had happened to her, he began quietly approaching her. "Little one, are you alright?" He asked when he got close enough.

Taylor turned with a start at the voice and her eyes grew huge at seeing a man made of fire. She let out a scream. "Get away!" She cried out, jumping up and running away.

"Wait!" He called out, about to follow, but her fearful look made him pause and she just continued running. Waiting a moment, Grillby finally made up his mind to follow her to keep an eye on her. She was scared of him, but he wasn't sure why.

The twelve-year-old looked around to be sure she had lost him and she gave a terrified shudder. "He was made of fire," she said to herself before seeing a lake nearby. The ice on it had somewhat thawed and she looked in the clear water before dipping her burned arm in it, sighing softly as the cold water again helped to ease the pain. Her guardian had done this before when she had gotten a bad grade, but this was the first time he had forced her hand to lay on the hot brick of the fireplace and held her arm over the fire as if he had been trying to burn her arm off. Rustling caught her attention and she looked before seeing a small dinosaur with no arms come out. "Oh, hi," he said. "Sorry, didn't know you were there."

Seeing he was just a kid, she relaxed. "It's okay," she said, moving her arm around a little.

The boy winced at seeing her arm. "What happened?" He asked.

"I…I got too close to a fire," she replied.

"Ouch," he said sympathetically.

Grillby, who was hiding nearby, suspected it was more than that and it made him more determined to help her. Not only that, he wanted to prove to her that he was a kind soul who wouldn't hurt her.

Taylor then got up, saying farewell to Monster Kid, and continued on, avoiding being seen by anyone and occasionally stopping to either use the snow to soothe the burns or the water, depending on where she was. It wasn't long before she was in Waterfall, which was peaceful and not raining for once. Seeing the majestic waterfall and clear water, she dipped her arm in the water again, seeing the red skin starting to lighten to a lighter red, almost reddish pink. That told her that it was slowly healing and the cold water and snow treatments had been helping.

Grillby was a bit farther away from her, quietly watching her treat the burns, but the blisters looked nasty and also looked like they needed treatment. The fire monster gave it some thought before deciding to continue watching her, waiting to see if he could approach her and she wouldn't run, but he knew that would be a long shot, since she was afraid.

After a bit, Taylor got up and looked down that path that led back to the snowy area she had been in before. "Maybe there's a doctor," she said to herself. "I don't know how to treat blisters."

Hearing she was headed back for Snowdin, Grillby followed her quietly again, seeing her soon reach the snowy town and he slipped inside his restaurant, quickly getting it ready, though he knew it would be quiet for a bit until the dinner rush later on in the evening. He then heard the door open and saw it was the same girl he had been following. He immediately ducked down behind the counter, waiting patiently to see what she would do.

Taylor had made it back to Snowdin, but didn't see any doctor's office nor any other businesses that were open except for the restaurant and decided to ask one of the workers or the owner where a doctor was. "Excuse me?" She called out softly.

Grillby decided to make his appearance. "Yes?" He asked, standing up so she saw him.

Gasping, the young girl fell down and winced as she landed on her burned arm, grasping it as she lay on the floor. The fiery bartender came around the counter to kneel by her and she gave him a fearful look. "Easy, little one," he said softly, gently touching her head. She winced and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

After a moment of feeling his warm hand gently stroking her head and not burning her, she looked up at him in confusion. His fire felt warm, not hot like the fire that burned her. Grillby touched her left shoulder, being careful he didn't touch the burned skin. "What happened to you?" He asked. "Were you in an accident?"

She didn't respond and then he noticed something. The imprint of a hand was around her forearm just above her wrist and it looked similar to how a human would grasp someone's arm and hold it firmly. He put two and two together. "Someone burned you," he said. "On purpose."

Swallowing, Taylor nodded, flinching. "Please, don't burn me," she pleaded.

"I won't, little one," he soothed her, gently squeezing her shoulder before helping her sit up. "Come with me. Let me see if I can wrap up your injuries."

She was surprised by his kind nature. He was made of fire, but yet he was gently helping her up and being careful not to touch her burned skin. Sitting down on the stool he gestured to, she watched him pull out a first aid kit and he looked at her. "Let me see your arm," he said gently.

She looked at him, drawing back into herself. "I'm scared," she said.

He had a feeling he knew why, but gently touched her shoulder. "Why are you afraid?" He asked. "I won't hurt you, little one."

"But…you're made of fire," she said. "Fire…hurts."

Grillby gently took her uninjured hand in his own. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Taylor," she replied.

"Taylor, whoever did this to you misused fire and that makes me upset that something that's part of me was used to hurt you," he said. "Fire can hurt if misused, but if used right, it can also soothe."

To prove this point, he gently rubbed her back, keeping his natural heat at the right temperature so that it would soothe the young girl. Taylor, feeling the warm hand rubbing her back soothingly, relaxed, looking up at him. He smiled and turned his attention back to her hand. "I'll be gentle, but this might sting a little," he said.

She nodded, holding still as he got a towel and filled it with ice and let her rest her arm on it while he tended to the blisters that had appeared. The ones on her arm were small ones that he carefully pierced with a needle and treated them, bandaging them up before looking at her hand. "Can you move your hand?" He asked.

She moved it a little. "Yes, but it's sore," she admitted.

"Well, that at least says it's only a second-degree burn," he said. "You must have pulled away fast."

"I did," she said. "He…He burned me for getting a 'B' on my report card."

Grillby paused in his work, looking at her. "He was abusing you because you didn't get an 'A'?" He asked.

She nodded and the fire monster took a moment before letting out a breath. "Where is he?" He asked.

"Up on the surface," Taylor replied. "I don't think he followed me after I fell down here."

Nodding, Grillby continued his task of treating her hand and he soon wrapped it up. "I'm going to have Lady Toriel look at your hand and see if she can heal it," he said.

"Who's she?" The twelve-year-old asked.

"The Queen of the Underground," he replied.

It was near evening when Toriel arrived and she was shocked when she saw Taylor's arm, demanding to know what her human guardian looked like. Taylor gave them a description and the queen promised to be on the lookout for him while she used her healing power as much as she could and took away what was left of the blisters, but the skin was still red. "I'm afraid the burns are deep and only some healing food and help those heal, but at least the blisters are gone," she said.

Taylor moved her arm. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she admitted.

"Good," said Toriel with a kind smile before looking at Grillby. "Protect her?"

He nodded. "Without question," he said.

Two weeks later…

Taylor came out of her room in Grillby's home, searching for him and soon finding him. He smiled at her. "How's your arm?" He asked.

"I think it's almost better," she said. "I was about to check."

Grillby gently unwound the bandages and smiled at seeing the skin was completely healed. "It's healed," he said.

She was relieved and looked at him. "Mr. Grillby, you…you didn't have to help me, but…thank you," she said.

A warm hand came to her shoulder and she didn't flinch, but touched the hand with her healed hand, making the fire monster smile. "Taylor, I have some news," he said.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Sans was watching for your prior guardian and that human almost made it down here, but the human police caught him in time," he said. "Charges of child abuse and various other charges were brought against him, from what Sans told me."

Taylor let out a sigh of relief. "He can't get me anymore then," she said.

"That's right," Grillby said. "But…you do need a parent."

She looked at him. "But…who'd want me?" She asked. "I'm twelve-years-old. Not exactly a kid anymore."

The fire monster gently rubbed the back of his fingers over the left side of her face. "Not a young kid, but still a child," he said. "And I'd be willing to adopt you."

Taylor looked at him in surprise. "Really?" She asked.

He nodded. "Do you…like living here?" He asked. "Are you comfortable enough here? Do you…feel safe here?"

She heard his unspoken question. Was she still afraid of fire? She was slowly getting over that fear and he had not only made sure she was comfortable, but took care of her too. "You…You really want to be my dad?" She asked.

"Yes, I would, but only if you want that," he said. "But also, you might have noticed, I've come to see you as a daughter."

She smiled and looked up at him. "Fire can burn, but as you proved, it can soothe too," she said. "I…I'm still a little afraid of fire, but I'm not afraid of you anymore. You've proven you'd never hurt me."

Grillby smiled. "So…about that adoption?" He asked.

Taylor looked hopeful. "Please?" She said.

A couple days later, it was official and the twelve-year-old hugged her new father, who returned her hug, rubbing her back and holding her comfortingly. "I'm here, my little candle," he said to her.

"Little candle," Taylor repeated and smiled. "I like that."

"I had a feeling you would," Grillby replied with a smile.

Once burned by fire, the young girl was now embraced by a warm fire that made her feel safe and she knew she'd never have to be afraid with her new father protecting her.

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