*Knock knock…* a voice came from outside the door. It sounded especially silent and courteous that moment. Frisk didn't want to answer her call. She was sitting on her bed, looking at her feet as she was swinging them. She felt something in her throat as she heard her calming voice again. She knew Toriel came to apologize, but didn't know if she was ready to face her again. She was ashamed for her behavior before.

"Perhaps it'd be better if I don't answer… she might go away…" the thirteen year old kid thought and stopped swinging her feet to prevent the goat mother from hearing her move.

After some time, a silent chuckle came from behind the door.

*I know you are still here, my child.*

Frisk didn't want to smile at that, but she did.

*And I know you like jokes now. You think your old mom doesn't know how to be hip like the youth nowadays as well?* Toriel said in a goofy voice and Frisk widely smiled.

"Mooooom…" she said and put a pillow over her face. Even though no one was there, she felt embarrassed.

*Oh, come on, my little one. Let me at least try.*

The goat monster leaned closer to the door to her child behind the door silently snicker and mumble something.

*Knock knock.*

After a long time of waiting with a gentle smile on her tired face, she got an answer.

"Who is it…?" the child annoyingly asked and Toriel's smile got bigger.

*Goat.*

"Goat who…?"

*Goat to the door to find out who is knocking.*

"I know who's knocking, mom. I'd always recognize your voice."

Toriel felt her heart ache for a few seconds.

"You've… been here with me for the past five years… almost six now… How could I not recognize it?"

*I could voice act.*

"No, mom, you couldn't."

Toriel laughed at that and put her big fuzzy hand on the doorknob. She sighed before asking: *May I come in?*

There was no answer, so the goat mom carefully opened the door and walked in. She saw the child she was taking care of sitting on her unmade bed, a pillow at her thighs. Her head was lowered; she didn't want to look at Toriel. Her hair was shabby and her hands were hidden in her blue shirt with lilac stripes which was still too big for her, even though five years passed. Toriel wished she would never grow out of it.

As the child wasn't responding, she looked around to see the room she was in. The toys behind the bed were facing her, looking a little sad as well. It seemed like Frisk didn't play with them in a long time. The wardrobe was still filled with the old clothes from before, but Frisk rarely wore them. She would almost always wear the same striped shirt and Toriel couldn't wash it as often as she would like to. But she understood the child: it was the only thing Frisk still had her reminding of her own life on the surface. No shirt could replace it. The cupboard next to the wardrobe was filled with new toys and all kinds of small figurines now. Frisk would sometimes make figurines made out of clay by herself, which she would then put into the cupboard as well, never to touch again.

Toriel took a look on the picture frame on the cupboard as well. In it, there was a rather small picture which showed Frisk and Toriel widely smiling at the camera. Frisk was still a nine year old back then, and her cheeks were rosy. Toriel didn't change at all. Both of them were taking care of the yellow flowers located on the small grass patch Frisk fell at a year before. Toriel was holding a watering pail and had a funny-looking straw hat on her head. Frisk was holding a bouquet of the yellow flowers. Everything on that picture was talking about happiness, even though there were just two members of the family. The picture was taken by Napstablook, whom Frisk befriended as well. It was also the only picture they had taken because Napstablook accidentally dropped the camera, and despite the mother and the child saying that it wasn't his fault, the ghost cried himself out of the Ruins. He doesn't come to the Ruins very often now.

The last thing she looked at was the drawing which she never removed, even though it always reminded her of the time when everything went wrong. She didn't bother taking it off the wall because Frisk never questioned it… and also because it was super glued to the wall. Toriel widened her eyes as she realized that there was a change on the flower. Two dots as eyes and a long line as a mouth with teeth sticking out was added to the old drawing. She didn't question it too much, though.

*Is everything alright, my child…? You seem… like you are mad, for some reason.*

Frisk didn't respond, so Toriel approached her and sat right next to her. The bed squeezed and screeched, so Toriel laughed a bit.

*Oh, my… Seems like I should train a little more.*

As she said that, she looked at Frisk and noticed a smile on her young face.

"Mooooom… Why would you say such things…?" Frisk asked while laughing a bit. She tried to conceal her laughter, but it didn't work.

*I don't know… I know it's a tickly subject, but…* she said and suddenly started tickling her. The kid started laughing and squeaking from laughter as she tried to push the goat monster away. After some time, Toriel stopped and the kid hugged her mother.

"I'm sorry."

*I am as well, my child. It was not really nice from me to pull you away from that door by force, but… you must know that I want to protect you. This monster you were talking to… he is dangerous, my child, but nice. Do not worry, Frisk, I will not let him know that you are human, and everything will turn out just fine.*

Frisk was silent at that. As Toriel knew that she was sad because she couldn't be a friend to him, she gently hugged her back.

*It is for the best that way.*

"I know…" Frisk said, "But it's been such a long time since I met a new person…"

*It would be the best if you just forgot about him. He… cannot be your friend. I am sorry.*

Frisk firstly lowered her eyebrows, but then she smiled widely.

"It's okay."

Toriel smiled back.

*But promise me you will not do anything reckless, okay? I don't think he will come back anyways… So don't go searching and waiting for him, please*, Toriel said, even though she knew something was going to go wrong with her plan. Her motherly instincts were telling her so.

"Sure, mom", Frisk said and Toriel got up.

*Make sure you get down to dinner. I've made snail… uh, I mean… vegetable broth. Have fun, my child*, she happily said and elegantly stood up. Before she headed out, she quickly glanced at the flower drawing again and glared at it for a few seconds, before facing Frisk again and smiling. Then she silently opened the door, went out and closed the door afterwards. Frisk was left alone, in peace.

* I don't think he will come back anyways… So don't go searching and waiting for him, please. HAH! Such an IDIOT!" Frisk heard two familiar voices speak to her. The first one sounded like Toriel, but the one right afterwards sounded like a certain flower she knew.

*Do you REALLY think she is trying to PROTECT you? Hah!

Frisk blinked a few times before bending and looking down the bed to spot a familiar face. The flower was happily smiling at her. Then he covered his face with his leaves.

*Peek-a-BOO!* he changed his face so that it looked like he was melting as he said the second part. Frisk jumped up and screamed a little. She froze for a second before returning her head down to see the flower happily swinging left and right.

*Missed me?

Frisk lowered her eyebrows and said: "Not really."

Flowey stopped moving and just frowned at her. They were staring at each other for a few seconds before Flowey started his happy dance again, but this time, he didn't look happy.

*I had to break through walls to get here, so SHUT UP.

Frisk blinked and Flowey smiled again.

"You didn't have to, really…"

*Let's try this again, shall we? Do you really think she is trying to protect you?

"Well… yeah. She's my mom. Moms are protective."

Flowey rolled his eyes and frowned.

*Yeah right. She'll leave you behind sooner or later.

Frisk looked weirdly at him, so he returned to his cheerful side.

*Hey. She only keeps you around because she is LONELY. That's what old people do. They keep people around so they won't be bored.

"Uh… she's not an old person…"

*Not?! Hah! She'd be like forty in human years… Or even worse… forty one! Ugh! So old.

Frisk stared as he said that.

*Anyways, she's lying to you. That should be pretty much obvious right now. That guy's been here for years. He's just waiting for something… One day, she overheard him practicing knock knock jokes from boredom. That's how your 'mom' and the skeleton met. The end.

Frisk stared at him. Flowey wasn't the old Flowey anymore. Suddenly, the flower frowned.

*DON'T YOU GET IT?* his face got scary again, *SHE'S TRYING TO KEEP YOU IN HERE. YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ESCAPE THE RUINS. WHY NOT TRY...?

"She said I shouldn't go talk to him anymore… He is dangerous."

*Everyone is dangerous in here.

"She knows what's best for me, Flowey," Frisk frowned at him and Flowey saw that this time, he won't be talking her into anything, "you can't replace her love."

The yellow flower shook from that word. Love. He couldn't bear hearing it.

*I'm just saying that the skeleton will come again. And again. And AGAIN. AND AGAIN. You will remain trapped in here till you DIE, if it's going to go on like this. And he will still be waiting for someone who could understand him… someone he could trust. He WILL wait for you Frisk.

Frisk frowned and grabbed a toy from behind the bed.

"Flowey, I won't disobey. I promised."

*That's what you think. Curiousness can be your worst enemy, my child. You won't be able to withstand the pressure. Believe me, I was just like you. I wanted to know everything and see everything. Because I could, Chara. And now… it's too late to-

Frisk threw a toy into his face and the Flower squealed. As Frisk reached for the toy to see if he was still alright, because she did care about him, she realized he was already gone.

That night, Frisk didn't get much sleep. She was wondering if Flowey's words were right. The thing she feared most was that she wouldn't find out how it looked outside. She felt her heart burn in desire to look at the snow again… at least to hear him talk about it again, if nothing else. That night, Frisk realized that she wasn't ready to stop trying. She realized she would never be ready to accept defeat and move on. She realized she had to listen to her SOUL… and Flowey.

As a result, she secretly visited the door to the exit day after day, and she would occasionally meet up with the skeleton behind the door. Whenever she would ask for his name, he would refuse to tell it to her, for some reason. But that was fine with her. The monster would talk about the other monsters and their wish to exit the Underground. He would often talk about the snow and how it was greeting her. After a while, she would start talking about the dust greeting him, and he'd always laugh. Sometimes, he would start talking about his jobs, but would suddenly fall asleep. When that happened, Frisk knew it was time for her to get upstairs. Sometimes, he would talk how the trees looked like and how the sky looked like. He would talk about the shiny rocks and dust in a particular cave, and how the monsters would often wish for something when looking at them, as they didn't have stars. The way the unknown monster would describe them reminded her of real stars, so she would use her somewhat bad vocabulary to talk about them. The skeleton wouldn't get the difference, but played along anyways. And Toriel? Sometimes, she could hear them talk when she would pass by, but decided not to step in. She would just smile. Toriel herself would often talk to the skeleton after Frisk went upstairs. This would go on for over two months.

One day, though, when Toriel was not around, something else happened.

"Hey, Frisk's here!" the now fourteen year old kid happily shouted as she bumped into the door on purpose.

*yeah. i know. been waiting for ya, kid. you're late.

"I'm not, you just fell asleep at the door yesterday, remember?" she happily said, failing to realize that he was just playing along.

*oh. right. you know, i'm so good at sleeping, i can do it with my eye sockets closed.

Frisk was just happily smiling. Ever since he agreed on coming every day, she couldn't stop smiling. Toriel knew the reason for that and was happy, but at the same time, unimaginably frightened.

*knock knock.

"Who's there?"

*amish.

"Amish who?" Frisk asked and lowered her eyebrows as soon as she got it.

*oh, how sweet of you. missed you too.

"You do know you just made me say that, right? So that must mean… you missed me, but were too shy to say it yourself."

*nobody likes know-it-alls, kid. good thing you're not one. me, shy? i'm bone to be wild...

Nothing came from Frisk.

*whatevs.

Frisk snickered, but went silent for a moment again.

"You… You said… you would tell me your name if we got to know each other."

*knock knock.

"Yeah?"

*it's doughnut.

"Doughnut who?"

*doughnut ask. it's a secret.

"Oh, come on…"

*sorry, kiddo. as long as you're not telling me what kind of monster you are, i'm not telling you my name. quid pro quo.

"I don't know what that means… Also, I can't tell anyone about you if I don't know your name. They all think I'm making you up…"

*tell them i said hi.

"Oh, why can't you just tell me?" the kid was desperate. Behind the door, the skeleton chuckled.

*'cause i'm bad to the bone.

"Ha-ha. Yes," Frisk annoyingly said before continuing, "knock knock."

*who's there?

"Wire-man."

The person behind the door already snickered, anticipating the joke.

*wire-man who?* he managed to say before he started snickering again.

"Wire you doing this to me, man?"

The skeleton laughed a bit too hard on the joke. Frisk had the feeling he was trying a bit too hard acting that it was that funny.

*ahhh… because i can.

He suddenly stopped the laughter as he realized Frisk went silent.

*hey.

She gave no answer.

*you're acting oddly today. you haven't even asked for the weather outside.

"You told me it's always the same… didn't you?"

*well… it is, but… you'd ask anyways. it's a thing now. telling each other the weather on our sides. i tell you that it's snowy and that the snow greets you, and you tell me the dust is really dusty today and that it wants to greet me as well. i thought it was our tradition to talk like that. didn't you too?

"I… kinda grew out of that phase."

*oh.

Silence ruled for a few seconds.

"I just… want to see the snow you're talking about."

He didn't say anything.

"I want to see the big, snowy trees. The dogs you know and the small one which keeps stalking your brother."

*yeah, toby. the greatest dog ever.

"The shiny rocks in that cave you were talking about… I'd make a wish too. I want to feel freedom again… even though I love my caretaker; I want to escape, even if it was for a second… just to feel it all again. Also… I want to see all those monsters outside. Froggits, Whimsuns, Vegetoids, Looxes, Migosps, Moldsmals… they are all interesting and my friends, but… Sometimes, I wonder how other ones look. My mother was telling me about other monsters many times, but to actually see them…"

*now, i get the fake star thing, but monsters…? come on, kid, we both know you just wanna get out of here. perhaps you want to see my brother, 'cause he's so cool. or me, 'cause… i don't actually know why you'd want to see me, but, heh. and believe me, those moldsmals and froggits are great in comparison to some monsters. there's this guy, jerry... ugh. no one likes him.

"No, you don't get it."

*i do, kid. you feel like us, but double the pain. cause you're in a prison… in a prison.

Frisk remained silent.

*it's not that i don't wanna help you. i just don't have the heart to do it.

"Literally?"

The skeleton laughed as he realized he just told a joke.

*yeah. but also no. you see, i really like your old lady. she's nice. she loves you from the bottom of her heart. i can't just tell you how to get out of here.

"Wait… you know?"

*kid… don't you have ears? i mean, that'd be entirely possible, but. but.

"Don't avoid the question now."

*i'm not avoiding anything… except everything. man, i'm hungry. wanna join me? i'm going to grillbz.

"Are you kidding me right now?"

*nope.

Frisk stared at the door for a few seconds before puffing her cheeks out again. She would never get rid of that habit.

"Please. Don't you know how it is to have a dream…?"

The skeleton outside was silent. He didn't respond for a long time.

*...listen, kid. i know you wanna escape, but... the lady loves you. would you really do that to her? i mean, i could always cheer her up, but... it wouldn't be the same.

"Haven't you ever had a dream?" she kept plaguing him with questions that were hitting hard. She stood up at her tip toes and leaned closer to let him hear her better, "Like… not having to do anything anymore? I know you'd like that."

The skeleton outside sighed and Frisk heard him getting away from the door.

"It's been 6 years since I fell into the Ruins by now. I haven't felt free for 6 years. I wouldn't be mad if you just left me here, I'd understand your behavior… but I can't keep up anymore…"

No one answered, so she fell to her knees.

"I don't know if you're gone yet or not by now, but… I just wanted you to know that… if I don't look outside for another year… I'll… I'll have to give up. I… will never try to leave again. No, I will never try to even think about it. Maybe it would be better that way… just to give up… But… I… Please don't leave yet! Please…" Frisk started calling him in fear of him leaving her. Little did she know that Flowey whispered those words to her in her sleep night after night.

"I don't want to stay like this forever! I don't want to give up… I don't…"

*sans.

Frisk widened her eyes and stared at the door.

*my name. sans, sans the skeleton.

"Sans…?"

*yeah. i didn't tell you to surprise you with my whoopee-cushion in the hand trick, but then i realized it would be too good to be true.

"Sans…"

*no one falls for it anyways.

Frisk suddenly smiled and tilted her head.

"That's a nice name."

*uh… thanks, kid.

"Thank you for finally telling me it."

*welcome.

They didn't say anything for a minute.

"Why didn't you-"

*listen, kid. you mustn't give up. i don't usually do anything... that's it. but there was something i did that i regret to this day and i can't get over it. you must never give up. understood?

She didn't even have the chance to tell him anything as he just continued.

*i've listened to you for quite some time and i know you're a good person. you won't harm nobody just 'cause you've been inside for a long time. sure, you'll need some time, but…

"Are you implying that…?"

*the old lady's been talking to me almost every day. i... could try asking about the key to unlock the ruins. i don't know how she'll react to it, but... just don't give up, got it?

Frisk widely smiled.

"Are you serious? Sans, I…"

*you're quite the thing, kid. i'm rootin' for ya.

Frisk, even though she knew Sans would never know, hugged the door as she couldn't hug him. He was, however, already gone.