Chapter Two :: Breakfast At Muffet's

…

Once Frisk signed the contract, everything suddenly began to feel real. In a matter of hours, Chara had arranged her new life. She had food readily brought to her, a plethora of clothes to choose from, and a set of mysterious keys dangling from a heart-shaped keychain. Chara happily explained them all in great detail. There were two keys for her new apartment, two keys for a safety deposit box to keep her money inside, and two keys for her brand new car.

At first, Frisk didn't believe any of this to be true. There wasn't any possible way that Chara could arrange so much for one person in such a short amount of time, but she didn't dare to question it further. There was a sinister look in her sister's eyes that hid many dangerous secrets, and Frisk didn't feel curious enough to find them all out. After witnessing exactly how she conducts her business, Frisk knew it was best to stay out of it. She intended to stay silent, keep her head down, and move on forward without causing any more trouble than its worth…

But the moment Chara and the rest of the gang lead her out back, Frisk wondered how much louder she could possibly get when she saw the set of wheels waiting for her there.

"What'd you think, kid?" Sans asked her, running his fingers tenderly over a set of handlebars.

"You got me a motorcycle? Are you serious? Tell me you're not serious."

Chara suddenly wrapped her long arm around Frisk's shoulders, laughing loudly, "Don't listen to that comedian, sis. He's just another fanatical gearhead showing off his ride at every opportunity he can get. The car I've arranged for you is actually waiting in your privately owned parking space next to your brand spanking new apartment complex. I've asked Sans to take you there and help you get settled in."

"I… I don't know what to say." Frisk was honestly speechless. After a lifetime of poverty on the run from the law, it was almost too good to be true. She had a hard time accepting it all at once. Chara could see the struggle in her eyes. So, she affectionately rested her head over Frisk's hair, and squeezed her shoulders protectively,

"You don't have to say anything else except 'yes' from now on. I'll take care of you, I promise. No one is ever going to separate us again. I won't allow it to happen. Ever."

Once again, Frisk was tragically torn between feeling overwhelmingly grateful… and feeling helplessly trapped. Frisk felt claustrophobic in her embrace. Her sharp gaze could cut through metal. With an excited grin, Chara asked with a wink,

"You still like sedans, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Why do you ask… oh!" Frisk suddenly caught on as Chara cocked an eyebrow at her. As Frisk's mouth dropped open into a shocked oval, her voice was barely audible as she was reluctant to ask, "…you didn't get me one, did you?"

"You're damn right I did!" Chara could barely keep her uncontrollable smile from widening all the more, "Frisk, I'm not lying to you when I say that I'll take care of you. You name it, and I can give you anything that you desire. It's not like before when we were small-time teenage hustlers. You remember when we used to steal car parts from rich people's homes and sold them to the black market? Well, it's never going to be like that again. We're too smart for that. Now we have people to do it for us. How sweet is that? We're the ones running the show this time! These years I've spent apart from you… they've been unbearable. I've spent it all on working every single day to build my empire. And now it's all finally paying off. Now that I have you back, I want to share my success with you. So please, allow me to spoil you as much as I want!"

Frisk could only stare back, wide-eyed in complete disbelief. It was almost as if she was looking into the eyes of a stranger. She was far from the sister she once knew and grew up with. Chara wore a painted mask; desperate to appear professional on the outside, but Frisk couldn't recognise the stranger underneath.

"It feels so strange to see you here with me again. It's like you're back from the dead, and seeing you with all this money and power… it's like you've taken the world by storm in your wake."

"Oh Frisk, I love how you worded that. Then again, you've always been able to describe the world in your own unique way. I've missed you so much. You're the breath of fresh air I need in this rotten community. And yes, I'll admit I'm a pretty big part of it now. I have blood on my hands, I won't lie." Chara tried her best to appear remorseful before her sister, but a small grinning tug on the corner of her lips threatened to give her away, "But you understand, don't you? It's always been this way. You know it's just business. We've dealt with life-or-death situations for as long as we can remember. So you must understand, right? You don't think I'm a bad person, do you?"

Frisk felt incredibly uncomfortable, almost as if there was a glaring spotlight on her at that moment. Her eyes darted over her sister's shoulders towards Asriel. He leant back against the brick wall, oozing with grime and decay, with a cigarette burning in his mouth and a cold look in his eyes as he watched the two sisters vigilantly. Frisk could tell he would take Chara's side in an instant if there was a disagreement between them. Frisk knew by the way he affectionately watches over her. He seems to care about Chara a lot. So then, Frisk moved her gaze to Sans in desperation, but he was no help either. She was met only by his trademark grin as he waited patiently and silently beside his bike. He let it be known that he had no intention of interfering with Chara. Frisk was on her own.

And so, she reluctantly nodded as she told her sister everything she wanted to hear.

"I don't think you're a bad person. How could I when you've given me a place to stay and a chance to start over? Thank you, Chara. I guess I owe you my life."

Chara was certainly satisfied with that answer. She mentally took note of this promise as she cupped her sister's face between her hands, and smiled as innocently as her devilish features could allow. Frisk hoped with all of her heart and soul that this won't horribly backfire in the coming future.

Then, all of a sudden, Frisk was taken by surprise as Chara revealed a cap from behind her back. She quickly pulled it over Frisk's head without any sort of warning. Frisk gasped as she felt the hefty military cap cast a shadow over her eyes.

"Take this as a personal gift from me to you." Chara told her cheerfully with a smirk, "That military cap was part of the first uniform I ever received from the army, along with this jacket I have on now. They're all tokens of my past, remnants of my glory days where my impressive kill count on the field earned me these medals of excellent service. But it's strange… it's almost as if I need permission to kill now. Because the moment I perform the exact same duties on home soil, those medals mean nothing and I'm suddenly branded as a monster. Funny old world we live in, isn't it?"

"…it really is." Frisk nodded hesitantly, and adjusted the cap on her head to lift the peak over her eyes. Then, before she could say anything else, they were all interrupted by the loud rumbling that echoed from Frisk's empty stomach. Chara almost doubled over with a burst of laughter, whilst Frisk's face burnt up like a furnace.

"Oh Frisk, you must be starving after living on scraps for so long. We'll have plenty of time to catch up later. Sans, treat her to breakfast, will you? And hurry! My little sister is withering away as we speak! So you better ride fast before she snatches your 'skeleton' nickname away from you."

He chuckled, almost bitterly, kept up his carefree smile as he swung his leg over his bike, and replied bitingly,

"If you keep up those kind of jokes, at least I won't have to worry about you snatching away my other nickname."

Frisk hopped over the back of the bike, and shuffled forward to hug his torso tightly for safety. As she nestled her head against his back, she felt the growing heat from his neck prick at her skin.

"What's your other nickname?" Frisk curiously asked.

Sans laughed, "The comedian."

He revved the engine to life. Before Frisk could even begin to brace herself, the bike roared excitedly as the wheels furiously scratched against the road. They sped away, leaving behind clouds of dirt rising from the skid marks etched into the ground. Chara watched after them, squinting her eyes through the dirty smog in the air, and scowled with silent rage. Asriel recognised that look in an instant. Chara was not amused by Sans' last remark, at all. In times like these, he was unsure on how to deal with her. Chara had a naturally hot-and-cold personality, and no one knew this better than her off-again-on-again boyfriend, Asriel.

In that instance, he gambled a move by slowly approaching her by her side. Then, boldly, he wrapped his arm carefully around her waist. He wanted to let her know that he was there for her. He wanted to be able to cheer her up in any way he could. He was so hopelessly obsessed and in love with her to just leave her be… but she stared onwards, motionless with a distant gaze in her eyes. He was at least grateful that she let him hold her this time.

Even so, he wished… for once… she would look at him exactly the way he would look at her.

…

…

Sans sped down the city streets, his bike roared and weaved effortlessly through the few cars on the road at that early hour of the morning. It had barely turned six, and the sun was only just beginning to rise over the horizon. The blue sky was a mixture of deep ocean blue, descending into a heated burst of blood-red over the skyline, which made the city look as if it was on fire.

And still, Frisk's mind was barely there. So much had happened over the course of one evening, and suddenly she found herself on the back of a stranger's bike, heading towards the home she never had. It was a surreal experience. As she shot down the road with Sans tight in her embrace, she honestly believed for a moment that she was floating in an ethereal realm, far from the reality she once knew.

Finally, Sans pulled up to a bike rack outside of a restaurant along the sea front. The air smelt salty and damp, and the neon signs blinked through cracked glass above their heads. Although some letters were missing, Frisk could make out the name – 'Muffet's Diner'.

"I go here all the time with my brother. It's got a great view of the sea, and the food ain't bad either."

Sans held the door open for her, and she walked through the diner entrance with curious eyes. The interior looked fairly standard from the outside, but the decoration on the inside was uniquely original. The colour scheme was an unusual choice of silver and plum, and the violet neon bulbs coated the area in a glaring purple hue. But as the sun rose and penetrated the interior through the windows, the plum colours slowly began to fade into an unusual combination of crimson and violet. And finally, Frisk noticed the ceiling draped with white elegant strings in a strange webbed pattern.

Frisk took a seat in the farthest booth of the diner, and shuffled near to the window to peer outside to the sea front. The street lights were still on, barely anyone was around. Quiet saxophone tunes were heard faintly through a jukebox-themed radio behind the counter. Again, Frisk felt as if she was far from the real world, even as the waitress took their orders of pancakes and coffee. Their voices sounded like static, as if they were speaking through a phone with bad connection. Sans relaxed into the chair opposite from Frisk, and it took all of her concentration to finally ask,

"So you work for my sister?"

His eyebrows rose, surprised by that sudden question, before his gaze wandered into the distance.

"I guess you could say that. She hired me for a few gigs, she recognised my potential, then she hired me indefinitely. What can I say, huh? I must be pretty good at what I do."

"And what do you do?" Frisk rose her chin to the air and squinted her eyes suspiciously, "From what I saw, I'm guessing it's not simple doorman jobs at that club my sister owns. What kind of bodyguard are you?"

"It's best not to categorise people, kid." He said monotonously as he pulled out his pack of tobacco, and idly began rolling two cigarettes, "In this business, you gotta be able to adapt. You gotta be resourceful. You'll never do the same thing twice, because life is unpredictable. So you have to be unpredictable too…"

"Oh, don't. Please. Don't talk to me like I don't know what it's like. Because, trust me, I know! My sister and I were born into this shitty business. Hell, we were practically bred for this line of work! So don't give me any patronizing crap, huh? Have a little more respect for me than that." Frisk sighed. The annoyance quickly wore away as the fiery light in her eyes suddenly faded, "...sorry, I shouldn't be too defensive. In a way, you're right to lecture me. I need all the advice I can take. I'm not like Chara. My sister... she's much better suited for this kind of life than I ever was..."

Sans picked up on the way her voice trailed away into the distance, and the way her vacant gaze followed the direction of the sea out the window. He curiously watched her, coated in hues of plum and blood-red, and recognised the pain in her expression. As much as she appeared to be guarded, Sans could still see right through her. She's been dealt with too many raw deals in her life. Too much for a young girl. Then, as he rolled the cigarettes, he commented lightly,

"You two separated at one point."

"Yeah? What of it?"

"Just stating the obvious." He said cheerfully with a mischievous grin, "And, admittedly, I was wondering if you'd expand on the thought."

"What else is there to say?" She snorted with a roll of her eyes.

But she froze when their eyes met, caught in his intense stare. Frisk felt her heartbeat racing. His eyes narrowed, his gaze heavy with intrigue, like nothing in the world could shake his focus away from her. Frisk felt as if his eyes alone were invading into her space, forcefully reaching into parts of her that she kept locked away. She suddenly felt flustered, unnerved by this alien feeling of someone genuinely concerned for her.

Before she knew it, the walls she built around herself began to crumble, and words tumbled out her mouth before she could stop herself, "Although... um, I guess if I were to… describe my past with Chara... we were orphan sisters and small-time partners-in-crime. When we turned 17, we slipped up and failed a heist. The cops put a bounty on our heads, so we skipped town and went our separate ways. Last I heard from her, she was enrolled by an army in a foreign country somewhere. Now she's… this…"

Sans sympathised as he passed her a cigarette, and his eyes softened as she reluctantly took it. Her expression appeared in pain before her mouth wrapped around the filter, as if the fear of appearing defenseless had hurt her. Sans flicked at his lighter, brought the flame to her, and commented as she inhaled,

"I can't imagine how you must be feeling. I don't know what I'd do if I ever found out my brother was a drug lord, as well as a don of his own mafia branch."

Frisk took a long and hard drag. Her distant eyes remained on the sea across the horizon. Sans desperately wanted to know what she was thinking, her silence was too eerie. Slowly, as she filled up her lungs with smoke, her voice was barely audible as she replied,

"…is that what she is?"

Sans shrugged nonchalantly.

"Give or take. Trust me, she's no Pablo Escobar. But she's got enough successful investments and finances to be considered one of the most powerful women in the country. She's got connections all over, and it's expanding. The woman really knows how to manipulate the network."

That's when Frisk's eyes grew. Her mouth had parted somewhat. The heavy reality of her sister's rise to supremacy weighed down hard on her shoulders. It was beginning to sound completely out of the realm of reality, and Frisk shook her head in total disbelief.

"I think I need time to dwell on this." She thought aloud, her mind beginning to spin, "I feel like… I've accidentally fallen into the position of an accomplice. I don't know if I can really go through with this... I don't know if I want to build my life on top of all this criminal activity at my feet. I've only just left that part of my past behind me. It's… it's too much."

"Well, now I can see why you think you're not cut out for this business. And honestly, I believe this too." Sans leant back against his chair, his eyes growing softer as he began to realise this all the more, "You seem like a good kid. Now I feel guilty for introducing you to the boss. If I had considered your connection with Chara more seriously, I wouldn't have…"

"It's alright. I think this was fated to happen sooner or later. After all, do you think this is the first time we've been separated from each other?"

Sans' eyes grew wide in shock. For the moment, they were interrupted when the waitress returned with their food. Sans had barely touched or even acknowledged his pancakes and coffee, as he kept his intrigued gaze on her. Whilst Frisk had eagerly tucked into her order, she spoke of her past with a face full of food,

"When my sister and I were young, we were split apart quite often. We were passed around like high quality products, god knows why. I won't go into detail on the things we were paid to do, because personally I'd prefer to keep that part of my life in the past where it belongs, but we must've been good at what we did because demand was high by international clients. That's why most of my childhood memories are of the sea, because the human trafficking routes we'd have to take were on off-license boats. We crossed paths a lot on the seas. No matter where we ended up, we somehow managed to meet somewhere in the middle. So in a way, I always knew I'd see her again. No matter how big the world is, we'd be able to find each other again eventually. But… something is different this time. I've never seen her change so much… we must've been separated for longer than I thought…"

Sans' grin softened.

"Seems like the universe really doesn't want to see you two apart. Heh. Makes me want to believe that all blood relatives have this spiritual connection that links us all together, no matter how far apart we are in the world. Almost poetic, huh..." Frisk caught on to the melancholy undertones of his statement. She was about to query him about it, until his smile widened and his eyes suddenly darted to a figure hurriedly walking down the street, "Hey, speak of the devil, looks like you'll be able to meet my brother today."

Frisk almost jumped in her seat. When she followed Sans' gaze out the window, her eyes rested curiously on a tall figure in the distance, striding in fast paces down the pavements. The man dived in and out of the streetlights. His appearance was only shown in short intervals whenever he stepped into the light, but Frisk could make out his long silhouette. He was dressed in a smart black suit over his white shirt. The top button of his collar was popped open with his prominent collarbone on show. His short hair was windswept to the side, and it was coloured platinum blonde to the point of appearing nearly snow-white. Frisk noted his thick brows furrowed over his eyes. He looked strictly business.

Frisk had to turn to his brother a few times to look for any sort of resemblance… but couldn't find a trace of it. "That's your brother?"

"Yup. Oh, and one more thing… it's pretty important so listen up. Not a word about our jobs in front of my brother, you understand? He's, uh… he's a field agent for the FBI." Frisk's eyes flew open. She almost choked on a piece of pancake caught in her throat. Then she was thrown off-guard when Sans' expression became serious, despite his maniacal smile, as his voice dripped with venom, "Word of advice, kid. I'm not the kind of person you would want to piss off. So if you ever tell my brother about me and my business with Chara, I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand. Capiche?"

Frisk coughed, choking on her pancake. Tears came to her eyes as Sans laughed and patted her back. She definitely noted to keep on the good side of him, as she suspected that this was only a fraction of what he was truly capable of. If he was able to send terrifying shivers down her spine by threats alone, she didn't dare to wonder what he was like if he was pushed any further…

His brother walked inside the diner in a cheery stride, and immediately went towards the counter to greet the waitress.

"Morning, Muffet. Y'know I heard the other day that compliments these days are a dime a dozen, so if I tell you that you're looking more beautiful than this morning's sunrise, will that cover the costs for a full English breakfast?"

Muffet almost dropped her tray of glasses as she stifled a fit of laughter.

"Flatter me all you like, dear, but all you'll get out of me is a smile. I can't pay my rent with compliments." Muffet leant over the counter with a smirk and cocked an eyebrow, "Have you been hanging out with Sans recently? You're starting to pick up his habit for bad jokes."

"I must have been, because I swear that line sounded a lot funnier in my head. Sans must be warping my sense of humour." He hung his head in defeat as if he had only just realised exactly what he said, and sighed with regret, "Muffet, I'll leave you a big tip if you completely forget what I said just now."

"Sorry, Papyrus, I don't accept bribes from police officers. Besides, you have an audience waiting for you over there…"

As she pointed to the booth where Sans and Frisk were situated, Sans peered back with a very large and knowing smile plastered on his face. Frisk pressed her mouth into a tight line as she sunk lower in her chair. They had heard everything he said. Papyrus knew right then and there that Sans would not let him forget this for as long as he lived. With another hefty sigh, Papyrus puffed out his chest with determination to face the music. As he approached them, Papyrus immediately ignored his brother's presence and went straight for Frisk. As Papyrus peered overhead with desperate eyes, she panicked and sank lower in her seat.

Papyrus pleaded, "Please don't believe anything my brother has told you about me. Whatever he's said is a blatant assassination of my character, and I won't stand for it."

Sans rested his head into his hands as he snorted, "Well Pap, that's a shame… because I was just telling her about how much of a stand-up guy you really are."

"Ah. Well then, you can believe that part." Papyrus finally grinned, and held out his hand with a friendly smile stretched over his attractive features, "Now that I've recovered my chance to make a good first impression, it's nice to meet you. My name's Papyrus, the infamous skeleton's brother."

At first, Frisk was completely thrown by the crystal clear irises in his eyes. Finally, she was able to find the resemblance between the two brothers. Despite the tiny speckles of orange tints in his irises, they were almost identical to Sans' in every way. She noted the way Papyrus carried an air of naïvety as he took a tight hold of Frisk's hand and shook it firmly in an overly friendly manner. Unlike Sans, he was naturally bubbly and energetic. His strong jawline was similar to Sans', and although it accentuated the long shape of his face, he still appeared to be much younger than his brother. And there wasn't a single hint of dark shadows beneath his sparkling eyes, which was the most prominent feature that made Sans appear more mature.

Suddenly, Frisk quickly snapped out of her study of his face as she nervously introduced herself,

"Yeah… um, my name's Frisk. Nice to meet you too, uh, Papyrus…"

"Frisk here is helping me out with the car auction today." Sans suddenly interrupted with a nonchalant smile and a quick wink. As Frisk turned to him in confusion, he continued to press forward with the bluff, "Ain't that right, Frisk? You remember what I told you earlier, right?"

Frisk swallowed a hard gulp. She remembered what he said alright. She couldn't ever forget how awful that shiver felt when she received that passing threat by him. Papyrus turned to Frisk, awaiting a response, but she was nearly frozen in terror. An intimidating glaze hid behind Sans' harmless grin. Fearing for her life, Frisk was left with no choice but to nod in compliance.

"Yeah… the car auction…" She didn't even know where to begin with this blatant lie.

"Frisk is new to the gearhead community, so I'm showing her the ropes. Hey Pap, why don't you tell her about that red mustang we're saving up for?"

"Oh, sure!" Papyrus excitedly slid beside Sans, and his eyes practically shone with bright enthusiasm the more he spoke, "Well, if you know Sans, you should know we're really into this community. We grew up in a junkyard filled to the brim with abandoned cars and bikes, y'see, so we practically spent our entire childhood picking them apart and putting them back together in working order. So if you ever need help with fixing up your set of wheels, we're the guys you have to come to. We can fix an engine, change the oil, whatever you need. I swear it's true, we're just that amazing."

"Wow, Papyrus. Those skills must be pretty handy to have if you're ever in a tight spot… like, say for example, if you're involved in some sort of business…" Frisk teased, about to pass Sans a knowing smirk, but she stopped once she could feel the burning heat irradiate from Sans' glare. Immediately, she pressed her lips tightly together. For someone with an alleged sense of humour, this guy can't take a joke.

"Well, what we're actually planning to do is collect all the necessary car parts from shows and auctions for totally cheap prices. That way, we can customise our own type of mustang and we won't have to save up ridiculous amounts of money to pay for the actual model. Smart, right?" Papyrus beamed with pride before he gave Sans a quick nudge, "Although I have to give my brother some credit, he's the one who came up with the idea for it."

Frisk's eyebrows rose then. She could have sworn, for a fraction of a moment, that Sans' intimidating face had coloured into a light blush. He quickly adjusted the collar of his jacket to hide his flustered expression, but even so, Frisk never expected such a frightening and macho guy like Sans to have a bashful side to him. She smirked, amused and interested by him all the more.

Suddenly, a loud noise ripped through the tension and sounded from beneath the table-top. Frisk nearly shouted in fright as Papyrus pulled out his beeping pager. It was Sans' turn to smirk then as Frisk clasped her hand over her racing heartbeat, almost as if he had planned this as revenge. Then Papyrus sighed in exasperation as he ran his hand through his windswept hair, and tried to hide his troubled expression as he reluctantly lifted out of his seat,

"I sincerely apologise for cutting this short, but my boss has called me on duty. Undyne has been working me into the ground since we've taken up this on-going drug ring case. I don't know why, it's just been collecting dust in the archives for so long now. The feds have been working on it for years, but before they're able to make any major breakthroughs, somehow all of their leads end up falling short. It's crazy stuff! It's as if someone out there is tying up loose ends before we can catch them in the act!"

As Papyrus shook his head dejectedly, Frisk exchanged a worried look with Sans as they knew exactly who was behind it all. But they remain faithful to their boss and stay silent.

"Anyway, I think Undyne and I are finally getting somewhere. She believes these last few drug dealer arrests are some primary clues towards unearthing this big-time organisation with direct ties to some illegal protection service, most likely the mafia. But with no solid evidence, we're only just scratching the surface. There's an entire network that I'm honestly struggling to wrap my head around, it's really starting to get to me…"

Before Papyrus became any more flustered, Sans gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder, and a bright smile as he cheered him on.

"You can do it, Pap. You're a tough guy, way tougher than this old bag of bones, so don't let it get you down. Have faith in yourself. Alright? I know you've got it in you."

Frisk was touched by this display of brotherly love, and smiled with a sigh. But this had only made her all the more shocked and confused. Why is Sans working for Chara when he knows that Papyrus is investigating her? Isn't he afraid that Papyrus will find out about his involvement?

It took Frisk a few more silent moments before she came up with a theory, but she kept her mouth shut as she watched the men briefly embrace in an affectionately masculine way. They were two tough men, but their love for each other was plain to see by any bystander. And as he turned back to Frisk, Papyrus grinned from ear to ear,

"It was nice to meet you, Miss Frisk. I'm sure that my brother'll treat you well. He looks scary, but don't let that fool you. He's actually a huge teddy bear once you get to know him a little better. Take my word for it. I'm a cop, after all."

He held out his hand again, and Frisk laughed as she took it more eagerly this time. Then she returned the gesture with her own attractive half-smile.

"See you later, Pap." Sans called after him as he watched his brother hurriedly exit the diner. Frisk amusedly noted how Sans had suddenly shifted in his seat to peer out the window. He was definitely the over-protective brotherly type, Frisk knew this now, especially when he had kept his eyes firmly attached to his brother before he was completely out of sight. Immediately after Sans returned his attention back to Frisk, her perceptive eyes sparkled as she beamed her trademark cunning smirk.

"You're an undercover agent, aren't you?"

Sans chuckled under his breath, "That's a sound theory, kid, but you've got the wrong idea. I got kicked off the force a long time ago… for reasons I don't care to disclose. So I don't work for anybody except myself. You'd better remember that about me from now on."

"But I don't understand. You are working for Chara… aren't you?" Frisk was only met with silence as Sans nonchalantly swigged his coffee. "Alright then. If you won't tell me that much, then answer me this – why don't you ask Chara for help with the mustang? If she can find me a sedan in a matter of hours, I'm sure it'll be no problem at all in finding something for you and Papyrus…"

"I am not accepting any favours from that woman. Or anything, for that matter." Sans sharply told her flat out, "I will not accept help from Chara under any circumstances. There's too much of a risk factor."

"What do you mean? I thought you were close…"

"We're only close because we're allowing ourselves to be." Sans stated simply, with a hardened glaze in his eyes that made his presence seem all the more dangerous. But his voice suddenly softened, almost as if he appeared vulnerable as his fingers edged over his coffee cup, "You better wise up quickly, kid. You should know it's not that easy to make friends in the underworld. Chara and I are business partners, and that's all there is to it. When it all comes down to it, Chara considers me to be a liability. She knows about my past, she's aware of my strengths, and most of all, she knows my weaknesses. You can guess what my biggest weakness is already, am I right? That's why I can't afford not to keep Chara close. Because if Papyrus ever catches on to Chara… and if Chara finds out that he's on to her… then…"

Frisk immediately felt her breath hitch in her throat, and gasped as she finally realised…

…Chara won't hesitate to kill Papyrus.

She was speechless. Frisk had no idea there was so much at stake, and finally realised how dangerous Sans' position was. Although she had been exposed to the darkest parts of life for as long as she could remember, it never got easier when she was faced in situations like these. It tore her up inside as she had only began to befriend this man, only to learn that he's walking down a dead man's path.

Suddenly, his 'skeleton' nickname was beginning to make sense. As Frisk glanced at the worn-down expression of the man she was facing, she took a moment to see how the shadows would shape the darkness under his clear blue eyes. They looked so hollow, almost lifeless, as if he was on the edge of completely giving up. Sans idly ran his hand over the shape of his head. His bony fingers grazed over the short strands of hair closely cut to the grain, to the point where his near baldness further exaggerated the shape of his skull. Despite his large muscular build, he was a skeleton of a man through and through. Frisk quickly finished up her coffee to swallow her growing nerves.

Sans digressed, "Anyway, you really do seem like a good kid. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, because it's your life. I only wish that your circumstances were different. I know I'll always regret taking you backstage." He told her honestly as he pushed the coffee cup away, and squared his hollow gaze back to her, "I won't blame you for sticking around. You gotta do what you have to in order to survive in this business. Just like I have to do whatever it takes to protect my brother. Even if it means working for the one woman who would put a bullet in my head if I ever gave her the chance. You know the saying – keep your friends close and your enemies closer. You'd better keep that in mind as well, kid. As long as you're working for that woman, you can't trust anyone. Not even me."

Frisk wasn't exactly sure what to say, but she knew he was right. She knew that nothing had really changed. She's in a dangerous situation just as much as she was when she lived on the streets. If she had any chance of surviving, she had to be smart about this. And she started by following his advice – keep my enemies close…

Frisk was snapped out of her thoughts as Sans rifled through his wallet and placed a few crumbled notes beneath his coffee mug. Then, as he calmly rose from his seat, and as he glanced back at Frisk, she knew this was the only time Sans had shot her a genuine smile.

"Let's go get you settled into your apartment now, alright? The sooner you get all the tedious paperwork out of the way, the sooner you can sleep in your own bed. You look like you're about to drop dead."

Frisk swiftly rose from her seat, shot him back with an alluring half-smirk of her own that stopped him in his tracks, and replied just as cheerfully,

"Hey, if I play my cards right, then hopefully I won't."

…

…

…

Chapter Two End. Chapter Three coming soon…

Hi, thank you for reading! And thank you so much for all your kind reviews! You guys seriously give me the motivation to keep going with my fics!

I had intended on making the chapters shorter, but I'm having such a blast writing this story! I can't stop! Please let me know if you're enjoying it too! A review is always appreciated! And if anyone has any requests to see any specific UT characters, please let me know who you'd like to see! Cheers again, and see you soon~!