"looks like our guests of the hour have arrived."

The door opening agonizingly slowly, Papyrus managed to get in one final quip before the forms of Asgore and Toriel were visible.

"WAIT, WHY DID YOU REPEAT THE SAME COMMENT YOU JUST SAID NOT TWO MINUTES AGO?"

"Sans, what was this about...a-a..."

Toriel, upon opening the door fully and seeing Asriel in the flesh, dropped the pie she was holding with an audible splat and shakily brought her hands up to her face. Asgore, noticing this sudden silence but not seeing his son due to her form blocking him, lumbered past her and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Tori? What's wrong? Why do you look so...?"

Turning his gaze over to the living room, Asgore felt time stop as he saw a familiar white ball of fuzz sitting at the table. Memories flooding into his mind both heart-wrenching and wonderful, all rational thought came to a screeching halt as he simply...stared.

One thought passed through both of their minds, however; is this real?

Asriel shrunk under his parents' indescribable gaze, watching them just stand there like statues. Toriel and Asgore's eyes bore a complex mix of emotions within them, and the realization that he could once again feel everything they were feeling made him pick up on the atmosphere quickly.

...

Asriel was torn between telling himself that they were scared of this beast, this pile of garbage in front of them and giving into his more hopeful side that they were so happy to see his face again that they were stunned silent. At last, however, Toriel solved his internal warring.

"Oh, my boy! My darling baby, Asriel!"

"here comes the bowl a' honey nut feelios. you're welcome, kid."

Stopping Toriel's advance by getting up and diving into her open arms, Asriel dug his face into his mother's shoulder as she hysterically cried, Asgore eventually scooping both of them into his own arms.

"If this is a dream, let it be that I never wake up...o-oh, my son, I thought I'd never see you a-again..."

Asriel, not being able to restrain himself any longer, bawled from the very depths of his heart. Relief and regret poured out of him through his tears and into Toriel and Asgore, who took in his pain and mixed it with their own.

"NYOO HOO HOO HOO HOO! *SNRK*"

Papyrus sobbed into a handkerchief made entirely out of bones and blew his nose, earning odd looks from Sans and Frisk.

"why're you cryin', paps?"

"I-IT'S JUST SO HEARTWARMING TO...TO SEE A FAMILY REUNITED! THEIR FAMILY EVEN MORE! W-WHAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULDN'T DO FOR...*SNIFF* A HUG RIGHT NOW, TOO!"

His wishes were answered by a small mass pressing against his breastplate. Looking down, he noticed Frisk attempting to embrace him with slightly disappointing results due to her height. It was the thought that mattered, though.

"FRISK...YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME IN CLAN PAPYRUS! YOU COME HERE TOO, BROTHER, WE ARE TURNING THIS INTO A LARGE GROUP HUG!"

"oh no i'm good, don't worr-"

Papyrus ignored his brother as he scooped him up in his other arm, hoisted him over his shoulder and dived into Asgore, causing the king to chuckle, open his arm and welcome the three into the hug as well. After staying like that for ten minutes, Asgore finally spoke up once everyone calmed down.

"I don't know how...h-how you brought our son back. But you should know that you have my undying gratitude Sans, Papyrus...Frisk."

"Yes, what sort of family would we be without our daughter and some relatives? My child, you are always welcome to stay with us no matter how big this family gets. And as for you two silly bones, how would it feel to be honorary Dreemurs?"

Gasping, Papyrus squealed in delight and jumped up and down before managing to collect himself. As he was Papyrus, however, it didn't last long.

"WOWIE, I'D LOVE IT! SANS, WE'RE ROYALTY NOW! I CAN PROBABLY CREATE MY OWN ROYAL GUARD! FOR ME!"

"heh, that's awesome. now i can be that cool, lovable uncle guy who still gets to crack some puns."

"FIRE OFF A PUN AND I WILL BEGIN SCREAMING, SANS."

"the cannons are loaded."

"NO STOP"

Ignoring the laughter coming from Toriel and Asriel, Sans coughed into his hand as Papyrus turned back and glared daggers into him.

"...nah, i don't got anything, you're safe for now."

Papyrus, letting out a sigh of relief and turning back around, didn't notice his brother's widening grin that told the rest of the Dreemur family that a bad pun will be totally dropped. Toriel and Sans, exchanging winks, looked over at Papyrus.

"i mean, if i had to be honest now your reaction was tibia 'spected."

"Indeed Papyrus, today would be a skele-ton of disappointment if Sans and I didn't crack any puns!"

Papyrus began screaming over Frisk's raucous laughter. You wouldn't be mistaken if you thought it was a contest to see who was louder.


It was a few hours after Papyrus stopped loudly screaming and paid a fine for disruption of peace, during which the family had travelled back to his and Sans' house to be respectful towards Alphys. During their walk home, Asriel had mustered the courage to tell his parents about his revival into Flowey, Chara's genocidal plot and the concept of Determination, it's effects and relationship with the timeline's consistency. Sans had occasionally piped in as well, citing his research and his tests with 'the Machine'.

Asgore turned his gaze to the sidewalk, expression melancholy. Asriel looked guiltily at him before turning to Frisk, who placed a supportive hand on his shoulder and another hand on Asgore's leg.

"Chara...but he looked so happy. Why would even think of such a horrible thing...?"

"It was something before he fell, Dad. Something made him so bitter, so evil that he just wanted it all to end. I didn't want to believe it, but...hey, so did I, right? I should know out of everyone..."

Toriel sighed as well, shaking her head as she picked up the pace to keep in line with everyone.

"This is all...far too much. My child, since when were you were able to manipulate time itself?"

"When I fell down...at first, I was determined to leave alive. Then...I met Flowey, and I wanted to save him."

Asriel looked up and smiled, patting Frisk on the head.

"Mission accomplished, sis. Thank you again, I...I don't think I'll ever stop saying that, haha."

"AND THEN SHE MET US, NYEH HEH!"

Smiling up at Papyrus, the skeleton felt his confidence skyrocket as he instinctively pulled a dramatic pose, cape disappointingly flapping in the soft breeze.

"Yep...I wanted to save the monsters with all my power. And then, well...I was filled with determination. All the little things...all the big things...they were all so wonderful."

Sans, chuckling, went ahead of the group to unlock the door. Looking back, he noticed could swear he saw Frisk giving another one of her rare broader smiles that he loved to see.

i'm gettin' soft, the shorter skeleton mused before getting back to the conversation.

"abridged much? but hey, i ain't judgin'. i already did that in the king's castle, anyway."

"COME IN, COME IN! NOW THAT YOU ARE ESTEEMED FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU'LL GET MY PREMIUM, VIP, ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT SPAGHETTERONI FOR DINNER!"

Producing a chef's toque from...somewhere, Papyrus bolted into the kitchen.

"...Spaghetteroni?"

"INDEED, SPAGHETTERONI! AN INVENTION BY NONE OTHER THAN I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS! IT IS SPAGHETTI, MACARONI, RAVIOLI, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT ENDS WITH AN 'I' AND IS IN THE KITCHEN ALL IN ONE POT! OH, THERE'S ALSO TOMATO SAUCE ON IT. LOTS OF IT."

"Isn't macaroni served with a cheese sauce, Papyrus?"

"IT ISN'T IN PAPYRUSLAND, ASRIEL! AND THE POT! IN ANY CASE, GET YOUR STOMACHS READY AND/OR WILLING BECAUSE THE COOLNESS MIGHT JUST OVERWHELM YOU! NYEH HEH HEH!"

Sans, chuckling at the sound of several metal objects clanging against each other and his brother's frantic screams, turned around and sauntered over to his room.

"welp. while god-tier chef papyrus over there prepares the feast this ol' bag a bones will take a quick snooze."

"Very well then, wake up on time! I am sorry that I must leave you so soon, Asriel and Frisk, but I think that my help with this...spaghetteroni is much needed."

"Aw, what about me, Tori?"

Looking up at his ex-wife with hopeful eyes, Toriel rolled her eyes and playfully scoffed.

"Oh, you can survive for thirty minutes or so, Dreemur. I'll be back soon, ok?"

Asgore chuckled heartily and nodded.

"Teasing my old heart, now? But if you insist, then I will wait until the sky turns grey and falls, my love."

Ignoring the sounds of Asriel gagging and Frisk letting out a soft groan, he watched Toriel retreat into the kitchen quickly and silently.

"Heh, Dad and Mom still love each other lots. Hey, Frisk, can I ask you something?"

Looking over to Asriel, Frisk tilted her head questioningly.

"Now that we're all free and I'm back, I want to re-ask you that question I posed over Chara's grave. Why...why did you climb Ebott? Why did you fall down?"


A/N: Cliffhangers, baby! What sort of dark past hangs over Frisk? Will Papyrus finish his spaghetteroni on time? Will he have an impact on what transpires next (probably this is Bonetrousle anyway geez)? Find out tomorrow, probably!

Thanks again for the support, guys, it's fantastic to know that people like my stuff.

Specific review from Fairyhaven13: Sorry man, I'm not too good at pacing. I write as I think as to avoid losing the idea, and try to make that as good as possible. It's only after I finish the chapter (or think there's a good ending point anyway) that I really review it, and then I'm dead tired and don't wanna add anything. Whoops. I hope it gets better, though, as I keep writing chapters for this story as I love to do often.