Bertram shivered, drawing the collar of his coat closer around his scaly neck. Of course, they would have to go to Snowdin, the bane of his existence. Scales weren't particularly warm in the snow and ice after all. He was still cold even when wrapped in several layers of heat enchanted clothing. Bah…to be a dinosaur…
There was a reason why scaled Monsters tended to live in Hotland. Still…Bertram was a little worried. He could almost swear that they were being watched from the shadows of the evergreen trees. He squinted into the darkness, but he could not see anything that proved they were being observed. Just flashes of white that could have easily been simple snowflakes in the wind.
"Are we there yet?" Alphys bounced about in the snow, barely able to stay calm as they walked. Alphys didn't seem to mind the cold so much in her excitement.
Since leaving their home she hasn't stopped talking about her friends. How nice they were. How cool they were. She was trying to talk them up, but every-time she mentioned the little bone children, Bertram felt a shiver of guilt creep across his soul. After all, his dear intelligent daughter had came to him for help and he had dismissed her.
Everyone in the guard had tried to comfort him about it, but in the end he still ignored a cry for help and he felt awful. His fault or not, it was his inability to trust his daughter that continued their torture. The conversation over the phone with their guardian hammered in just how fragile they were. It was stressed that they would all need to be VERY careful while visiting. So much guilt…it refused to leave him.
Under his arm he carried a present. Hopefully, it would be a good start to make amends with the skeletons. Inside were some cookies, simple butter and sugar ones. Bribery to the highest degree, but he hoped it would be good enough to at least make them a little more comfortable.
"Almost there." He finally spoke. He reached out a clawed hand to hold his daughter close, a little paranoid with all this ice around. What if she slipped and hurt herself? That wouldn't do at all. He only wished that the 'being watched' feeling would go away. It had started ever since he set foot in the frozen town.
His old instincts flared nervously as he daughter held his hand and led him on, her ramblings a low buzz in his mind.
They were shortly directed to a pleasant little two story house. Seems that Grillby, the boy's guardian, was very well known and beloved in town. Just about everyone knew where he lived. The front of the house was fairly plain and simple. It stood out from the permanent Gyftmas decorations on the other houses for sure.
He hummed nervously, adjusting his coat and hesitantly knocking on the door. There was a sharp bark from inside the house before it went silent again. He had to wait a few seconds before the door opened and a warm draft of heated air spilled into the front step. Bertram's sigh of relief caught up in his throat when he realized who had opened the door. Despite knowing who he was, it was still a bit of a shock for Monsters old enough to remember the war.
Grillby, former Major General of the Royal Monster Military…Bane of Humans…The Flames of Vengeance…. …was standing there, wearing a bright pink t-shirt with 'HOT DAD' written on it in a flaming font. Hot dad indeed.
"Hello…" The fire monster adjusted his glasses as he peered at the two dinosaurs before him. His gaze then turned to the smallest dino. "…..Alphys….I take it? Welcome to our home…"
"YEAH!" She squeaked and flailed her arms as much as they could under several layers of cloth. She vibrated slighted. "Are Sans and Papyrus in there? Are they okay? ARE THEY ALRIGHT? CAN I SEE THEM N-"
"Ah…yes….yes….they are fine…" The flame held up his hands to calm the overly excited child. "They are inside…but please….be careful as they are still regaining their strength…"
"Don't be rough with them, sweet pea." Bertram smiled and patted his daughter's head.
"Please be aware…" The flame addressed Bertram next. "They do not trust strangers….it takes a long time for them…to warm up to people. And…no sudden movements…and no loud sudden noise. Don't try to touch them unless they…initiate contact first. And don't…stare at them."
Seems there were quite a few rules, but understandable ones. "I understand, I'll do my best to not intimidate them." The dino nodded his head. He'll do his best, even though his species were not known for being intimidating. Pastel friendly dinosaurs were the entire family line.
Grillby nodded and stood aside to allow the two to come in out of the cold. Both dinosaurs wiped their feet before entering the house. What greeted them was not children, but an empty living room. It was warm and pleasant enough and quite roomy. Scattered among the furniture were large cardboard boxes with holes cut into them. Holes big enough for a child to climb inside, he figured.
And then, one of the boxes wiggled and two pinpricks of white watched from the darkness of the hole.
Ah, there they were.
"Sannnnnsssssss Papyrussssssss!" Alphys ran inside, beaming behind her glasses. "Guys! I'm here!"
The box wiggled before two bone puppies burst forth from the cardboard! Yapping , they tackled the little dinosaur to the ground. Thankfully, her several coats cushioned the collision as she fell with a squeal. She laughed and giggled, trying to fend of the attack of happy licks and nuzzles. The two whined and snuggled up against Alphys, not letting her get up off the floor. She found herself trapped under the puppies!
In the end she gathered them both up in her small arms and hugged them. "Heehee I missed you guys." She smooched them both on top of their bony crests, avoiding the bandage still on Sans's head. They whined in response and began to purr. Sans's tail was wagging so fast it could take out a small child walking behind him. And of course, Papyrus started screaming in delight. She hugged them closer, eyes closed to fend off emotions that threatened to spill over. Her very first friends were safe now…it was almost too good to be true. But here they were!
Both Grillby and Bertram watched the interaction, both ready to jump in in case there was a problem. But…they doubted they would need too. All three kids seemed to be fine at the moment.
Then, all three children jumped up and started chasing each other other through the house. Soon the house echoed with shouts and barks as the children were well…children. They ran about until they had worn away that brief burst of energy to sit with each other once again. The brief episode only lasted a few minutes, but felt like hours to the excited kids.
The children of course, completely ignored the adults in the room. Grillby took it to be a good sign.
"You guys look so much better." Alphys smiled, panting to catch her breath as she sat on the carpet. "You guys have your own clothes and everything now! A WHOLE house! It's so big!"
"Yeah." Sans had changed into his humanoid form (much to Bertram's shock!). "It's great here!" He sat shoulder to shoulder with Alphys, wanting to be in contact with her at all times. "And….you're okay too, right? You're fine?"
"Of course I am! See?" She shed off the layers of coats to reveal a pink simple dress. She held out her arms to show that there were no bandages or marks of any kind. She was whole and safe. Sans gave her a look over, before nodding with a satisfied smile. "That's good…"
"And now that I know where you live, we can visit a wholeeee bunch now!" She picked up Papyrus and cuddled him, who was still a bone puppy. Papyrus purred as he got held, closing his eyes and sticking out a manifested tongue. Alphys smiled and rocked the tiny pup. "We can have more than just slumber parties then!"
"What else is there besides that?" Sans tilted his head as he scratched at his bandage.
"Well, there's dancing parties and cake parties…oh! Maybe we can go out somewhere, like to the toy store! But I'd have to ask Dad and Mister Grillby first." Alphys stole a quick glance over at her father and Grillby, before turning back to Sans. "Are you happy here with Mister Grillby?" She dropped her voice to a whisper "Cause if not…I can bust you out again."
"Oh! No we're happy. See, Grillby is our dad now! " Sans smiled. "This is the best place!"
"Heehee you have a dad now too? My dad is over there!" She'll point. Sans turned to look. Wow, the adult did look a lot like his friend, but more orange and…round?
Bertram turned away from a quiet conversation with Grillby , looking to the children. He startled. The eldest of the skeleton children was staring right at him. Sans stared with his wide white pupils…before suddenly his eye sockets went pitch dark.
The older dinosaur balked at the look. The action seemed to please the skeleton enough where he turned away and back to Alphys. There, they resumed their quiet conversation.
"Don't worry about that…it is…a defense mechanism." Grillby explained. "He is…a nervous child. He relies on…intimidation to protect himself…"
"Ah well…yes of course. That makes sense…" Bertram swallowed. He did his best to tear his gaze away from the children, remembering the 'no staring' rule.
"If anything…he is accepting you rather well…" Grillby nodded. "He hasn't entered any…outright threat displays…lets keep it that way." There was a soft warning undertone to the sentence, that one dad to another could understand. Bertram nodded with a swallow, watching the kids in the corner of his eye.
Alphys had taken out her phone and accessed her inventory. She proceeded to dump a large pile of building blocks and legos on the floor. Picking one up, she began to show the both of the skeletons how to snap them together. Papyrus was still too young to understand the concept of legos yet. But he seemed happy enough to turn some of the more brighter colored ones in his paws and sort them into piles. Sans picked up on it rather fast and he and Alphys laid on their stomachs and began to build a city together.
"Come, you can help me with lunch…and let them have some…quiet fun alone." Grillby nodded to the kitchen.
"Ah yes…sure." Bertram nodded and followed the fire elemental to the kitchen. He went slow as not to bother the children. To his relief, he was pretty much ignored as the children were far too busy with building to pay him any attention. It allowed him to catch a few snippets of their conversation as he passed.
"We need TWO candy shops, Sans."
"Why two?"
"Cause two is better than one, silly!"
Smiling, he left the children to their playing. Time to help fix lunch.
It had not been a good time for .
Confined to a jail cell ever since the laboratory raid, his only companions were his thoughts. Stripped of his clothing of status, he instead wore a simple orange jumpsuit, a mark of shame. Those he could deal with, but the harassment was a different story, from guard and prisoner alike.
Once it had slipped WHY he was in jail, the harassment has reached ungodly levels. Even murderers and thieves had no pleasant words to say to him once they found out. Even worse, he couldn't even rely on the companionship of his fellow scientists. They were all separated. Where the others were he couldn't begin the fathom.
Perhaps he was being given time to reflect on his deeds and repent…but that wasn't going to work. What was there to repent for? So, he festered in silence in the cold, dark cell, waiting for something to happen.
That is, until the captain of the guard came to 'escort' him to a interrogation room.
And that's where he found himself. His hands shook as metal cuffs dug into his arms. Cuffed to the arms of the chair, there wasn't any hope of escape. To prevent any further struggle, the metal of the cuffs hummed with magic. Magical runes woven in the metal were there to block all attempts of magic from a prisoner. Even his legs met the same fate, cuffed to the legs of the chair. And the chair itself remained firm, bolted to the floor. He was utterly trapped. They were not going to take chances with him.
He stared across the bare metal table at the fish monster sitting across from him. The room was dark. The only light came from a few bare light-bulbs scattered about. Their scant bulbs cast the sterile and gray room in harsh light. It was quite….uncomfortable. Felix kept blinking, after being in the dark for so long, the light was almost unbearable as he tried to adjust.
Gnash picked at his teeth with a claw, glancing at the imprisoned scientist. He was in his full armor, his polished sword sitting in hands reach. Clearly, if Felix did manage to try something, he would regret it.
"We've watched all the tapes." Gnash finally spoke, breaking the silence. "We read all the notes. You and the others are looking at either life sentences, or if the king decrees, the death penalty. It depends on how good of a mood he's in…and I'll tell you now. Ever since he found about about this? His mood has been pretty damn poor."
"It doesn't matter." Felix's voice cracked, rough from not speaking for so long. Ever since his capture, Felix has resigned to his fate. There was nothing he could do to change any of it, so why bother? In the end he was a dead man no matter what he did. All it would chance was how quick and less painful that end would be.
"It does matter. Our King has sworn to protect ALL monster kind. And that includes the children you and your bastard of a leader made and tortured. He is not happy."
"So? Let him not be happy. It doesn't matter anymore."
"IT MATTERS TO ME." Gnash slammed his fists so hard on the metal table, it left dents in it's wake. The sudden display of violence shook Felix out of his cool demeanor, causing him to gape in shock.
"IT MATTERS TO YOUR VICTIMS. Two which are still alive and WILL get their justice." Gnash sucked a breath in through his sharp gritted teeth in anger. "You're lucky you are here right now and that I follow the law. Most of my men want you tossed to the Major General. Remember him? Flames of Vengeance? He'd annihilate you to the point where they won't even be able to find your dust. If he knew where you were, there would be nothing that would be able to stop him."
Felix took a deep breath, despite himself he was shivering.
"Despite that, there is a chance for redemption." Gnash casually withdrew his fists and checked over the armor, making sure they weren't dented. "We need to catch your bastard of a boss, and you can help. If you do, you'll avoid the death penalty for sure. That is the most we can do."
"No…I can't." Felix finally spoke up, swallowing thickly. When did his throat get so dry? "I can't help you."
"We need to know where Gaster is." The Captain looked right through the cat, his yellow eyes narrowing. "And you need to tell us NOW."
"I DON'T KNOW where he is!" Felix backed his ears and hissed. "He never told us about any other labs or houses he has. He could be anywhere!"
"Are you sure about that?" Gnash peeled back his lips in a silent snarl. "I've looked over your files. You've been working with Dr. Gaster for years. You were even in his same graduating class. You two were close. You must know something."
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." Felix snarled back. He jerked forward in anger, stopped by the cold metal chaining him to the chair. His fur along his neck bristled from the interrogation. Seems he had found a sudden surge of bravery.
Gnash mealy regarded the feline coldly.
"Oh? And why not. He abandoned you and the rest of the team to face justice while he ran like a coward." Gnash tapped his fingertips together as he started down the feline. "Odd, such loyalty for a…creature like that." Gnash didn't want to quite call Gaster a man or a monster, he didn't deserve such terms anymore.
"Not so much loyalty." Felix frowned, his ears pressed firmly against his skull.
"Ah, fear then?" Gnash leaned forward. "You know, we can protect you."
"No…no you can't." Felix chuckled, a bitter and deep laugh. "You can't. He can go anywhere he wants. He's a powerful mage. And, he has no conscious and only cares about the greater good…the BIG picture. What do you think he'd do to me if I spilled my guts about him? I'm surprised he hasn't killed me already. I am only a liability now."
"But you're fine with him running loose." Gnash quirked an eyebrow. "He's after the children, I'm sure of it, and you're saying you're are okay with that?"
"I'm fine with him doing what he needs to do." The cat looked away.
"And that is?"
"Freeing us all."
"Yes, free us all on the backs of tortured children. I'm sure our King would be delighted." Gnash's voice dripped with sarcasm and withered patience.
"The King would rather us all waste away by waiting for humans to drop into our laps. At least Gaster has a proactive approach."
"Hah! Proactive indeed! Tell me, what did he do to convince you that maiming babies was the right path to take?"
Felix grit his teeth and looked away, refusing to look the Captain in the face. He had no answer to that.
Gnash tsked. "Such a shame. A brilliant mind, wasted by following a psychopath. Keep lying to yourself enough and eventually you'll believe it. How long did it take for him to begin his experiments? You must have had an inkling of how wrong they were. We have the tapes you know…so we know about how much they screamed for help even as they turned to dust in their cages."
Felix closed his eyes, wishing he could cover his ears and shut it all out.
"You must have felt something when you assisted Gaster in breaking their little bones. Or forcing them to train until some died of exhaustion. Or perhaps, you felt a little twinge of guilt when Gaster gave them injections. Injections that would make them scream for hours. Hours and hours of screaming. SURELY, that must have caused you some inconvenience, eh?"
"Stop." Felix growled.
"Or how about when they started falling down or were born crippled? Gaster shoved them into tubes to prolong their suffering. Or how about cracking their heads open and messing around inside of it like you would a toy. How about the times you wouldn't feed them to measure how long they could last? Measuring how long it took for them to start dusting must have been a tough task."
"STOP."
"How about when one of earlier children learned enough common to call Gaster 'Dadda"? And how he immediately killed them. You were there in the tape, you saw it all. That look on that poor kid's face when he pulled out the hammer-"
"STOP. STOP!" Felix roared suddenly. "SHUT UP! FOR ANGEL'S SAKE SHUT UP!"
Gnash scoffed. "Oh really now? Did I touch a nerve there, sunshine?"
"I'm done talking." Felix leaned back, his face hard. "Take me back to my cell. I'm done."
For a while they only stared at each other in complete silence. Gnash sighed and shrugged.
"That's fine. You don't have to talk to me. Instead, you can talk to him." Gnash inclined his head towards the door. "A very, special guest indeed. Why, he even insisted he come talk to you and your buddies. But, we kinda wanted to keep you all alive for proper interrogation first."
"Talk to wh-"
And then the door opened, the light washing out the figure, until they stepped forward. They had to duck, their great bulk and armor was not one made for smaller door frames. And then, stepping inside carefully to not his horns on the door-frame, was the King of monsters.
Dressed in his armor and cape, his trident clenched in his paw, the King surveyed the room. His eyes flashed blue and orange as he frowned. His aura of strong magic was enough to even make the Captain of the Royal guard flinch under it's power. King Asgore stood, regarding the disgraced scientist with both cold fury…and disappointment. It was almost like disappointing the best Dad in the world, and Felix felt his innards twist in icy discomfort.
Felix's breath caught in his throat. All bravado, all thoughts of the King being weak…a fool…died, paralyzed with fear.
Asgore walked forward, leaning down. His voice, deep and powerful, rocked with the undertones of sadness and restrained rage.
"Now….let's talk.With two monsters helping in the kitchen, lunch was ready in record time. Grillby couldn't help but miss the children's presence as he cooked. Sometimes they liked to sit and watch, asking questions about cooking. For now though, it was important to let them catch up with their friend. Bertram proved to be a capable cook, explaining that it was just him and Alphys. SOMEBODY needed to be able to make food.
In time a simple meal found itself put together. Mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and some mixed roasted vegetables. Grillby set out glasses of milk and plates for the children. Satisfied with the placement, he went out to fetch the skeletons and dino.
And what a sight greeted him!
Sans and Alphys had on rhinestone encrusted skirts, glittery tiaras, and bows. In both their hands they had little plastic wands. Clearly, Alphys has brought plenty of items with her, including dress-up props. They were trying to stop Papyrus, who was crawling around their lego city. He stopped once in awhile to shove buildings into his mouth to chew on. He left a trail of colorful plastic collateral damage in his wake as he crawled. He babbled nonsense words as he picked up another building and started pulling it to pieces. Papyrus clearly was having the time of his life!
"Quick Sans! Use your Pup Power COSMOS ATTACK." Alphys posed dramatically, spinning carefully to not step on a lego with her bare feet. "Or the city will be LOST!"
"Uhhhh." Sans was clearly trying to learn this 'game' as he was going along. "Uh…uh….COSMOS ATTACK ACTIVATE! ka-powwwww! Whooshhhh!" He pointed his wand (both had hearts on the ends!) at his little brother.
Papyrus didn't seem to care. He spit out the building he was chewing on and reached over to grab another in his little hands. "Ababa Ba!"
"Pap, you're suppose to fall over!" Sans tried to whisper. "That's cheating!"
Papyrus simply started chewing on the legos again. "Bloo aaaaaahhh bab!"
"IT ISN'T WORKING! WE MUST COMBINE OUR POWERS!" Alphys went to strike another pose, before she paused. Sans looked up to see where she was looking, before breaking into a smile.
"Hi dad!"
"Hello Sans…what are you three playing?" Grillby smirked as he looked over the wreckage. Seems the building block city they were building has fallen to ruin. Papyrus of course was in the middle of it.
"We're magical girls…I think! With….with…" Sans frowned in thought, trying to remember the rest of it.
"Magical girls with superpowers we use to save the day!" Alphys chimed in. "We spin around and get wands and crowns and dresses and MAGICAL POWERS!"
"Yeah I'm a space magical girl, and Alphys is a mecha one!" Sans beamed.
"Oh I see. ." Oh no, this was too pure and innocent. Grillby's flames turned a warm golden color to reflect his mood. "And how did that go?"
"We were protecting the city but…I don't think Papyrus knows how to play too good yet." Sans looked over at his younger brother. Said brother started smashing buildings down and scattering pieces everywhere. "He's a cheater."
"I am sure he'll be…a more involving playmate when he is a little older." Grillby chuckled. "Now, it is time for lunch. Little ones must eat….even magical ones."
Grillby has spoken the magic words It seemed! Sans picked up his brother and all three children made their way to the kitchen. Being magical girls was hungry work! The mess of legos and building blocks lay scattered all over the living room floor. He would remind the children to pick them up and put them away after Lunch.
A flash of movement at the window caught his eye and breaking his current train of thoughts. When he went to look, there was nothing there.
There was a brief surge of paranoia…before he relaxed. The dogs were on the case. They were guarding the house. He had no choice but to trust them and he did. He has known the Canine guard unit since they were all puppies. All good and dedicated dogs. And if someone did manage to get through them, than they would sorely regret coming here.
With that, he left for the kitchen, prepared for whatever might happen.
After all, prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.
The Dogi crouched, hidden in the snow. They had traded in their usual black cloaks for white ones, becoming almost one with the snow around them. They were trained in the art of stealth, almost becoming one with the wilderness around them. They have stopped in their small patrol area to peek inside the house they are guarding. So far…so good. Grillby was burning brighter than he has for years. It was good to see him happy, him and the children too. They aimed to keep it that way.
They were sure that the adults knew that they were being watched.
Of course, they don't mean to cause discomfort, but they had a job to do. And that job was keeping an eye out over the family. They wouldn't put it past Gaster to attempt to retake his 'property', and if he tried, they would be able to catch him.
Dogamy glanced over at his wife. She was looking tired and he was feeling so too.
"Dear…we've been at this for a while now." He began softly.
("Yes. We have.") Dogaressa's reply was short, her dark eyes scanning the area around them.
They have taken refuge in the shadow of the wood. It offered superior natural camouflage. It's position also allowed them to set up ambushes and trap if need be. Lucky for Grillby, his house was close enough to the wood to offer such natural protection.
"When Lesser and Greater come to relieve us, you are getting some sleep." He looked over to his wife . "You haven't slept at all these past few days."
("How do you expect me to sleep, where there's….that thing…running around? He had no problem hurting these puppies, what makes you think he would have issue hurting the other pups in town?")
"I know…but we're only two dogs. We have the whole canine unit out now. We can't do anything if we're too tired to fight!" Dogamy placed a paw on his wife's shoulder. "You know it, it's one of the first things they drilled into us at the academy."
Dogaressa sighed. ("I know…I know…")
Their conversation cut out when a low short howl echoed from town. The Dogi tilted back their heads and howled back. Two loud barks was the swift reply, drawing closer from the center of town.
Part of what made the Snowdin guard so effective is their long distant communication. In no time at all, Greater and Lesser Dog approached from the haze of snow. When they saw their two commanders, they snapped crisp salutes.
"Lesser Reporting in!" The shorter dog panted, his tail wagging in excitement.
"Greater reporting in! News from the Big Captain!" Greater loomed over the other three dogs. With his magical armor, he was the biggest and strongest out of all the canines in raw physical power.
("Good news I hope?") Dogaressa glanced at her husband. He looked back before squeezing her shoulder again.
"Yes! Yes!" Lesser vibrated, his neck extending a few inches. "Bad scientists talked! Secret bad scientist holes are being found now!"
"Excellent news!" Dogamy grinned. "See 'Ressa? Things are looking up."
"Won't be long now!" Greater opened his small jaws in a wide doggy grin.
Dogaressa allowed herself a smile, a rare thing since the case began. ("Then I suppose you'll be taking our posts for the night?")
Both Lesser and Greater saluted and nodded.
"Alright then, goodnight you two." Dogamy took his wife's hand and began to lead her back to the barracks for some shuteye.
"We will!"
"We'll keep our noses to the air!"
Satisfied, the Dogi melted into the darkness and vanished from view. It was time for them to get some well deserved rest.
Lesser and Greater drew their weapons and assumed their posts. They weren't made for stealth, but their white fur and light armor helped them blend into the snow. If anyone came around, it would be clear that the house was being guarded.
There they would remain steadfast and faithful, watching over the house before them.
They are good dogs! Best dogs! Maybe if they were good, they would have time to go and visit the bone puppies! They liked the puppies! They were good dogs too!
They wagged their tails and panted, keeping a watchful eye over the house.
Good dogs!
Best dogs!
Hours had past since lunch and dinner, and the children had a blast. Of course they played some more, running around and yelling likes kids tend to do. Bertram had given the boys his gift of cookies, but to his surprise they didn't eat a single bite. Sans briefly vanished upstairs with the box when he thought nobody was looking. When he came back down he was box-less.
Hrm.
The boys were then introduced to popcorn, anime, and dancing…in that order. Sans found that he liked the anime, but not so much the dancing. He wasn't quite used to all the noises and movement yet, and found himself getting a little anxious. Sans grew up in sterile gray walls and little to no stimulation…cartoons and music were still a little overwhelming for him.
Luckily Grillby seemed to have a sixth sense now to Sans's moods and casually suggested that they all sit down for a story. It was getting late after all, and the children were beginning to wind down. Sans and Papyrus had low energy to begin with, but even Alphys was getting tired too. To Bertram, she had played harder than she has for a long time and for once, was properly tired out.
So Grillby sat down, his flames crackling and popping gently like an old warm fireplace. He cracked open an old dog eared copy of 'Winnie-the-Pooh', a human book about little stuffed animals that lived in a wood. Like most books, it was recovered from the dump and restored at the local library.
Since taking in the kids, Grillby has found himself slipping there when he can. They had quite a few books that came from the surface about humans, but the children seemed to like them despite it.
Still a good story is a good story, no matter where it comes from.
Eventually, the stories were over and it was time to get ready for the 'slumber' part of the party. Grillby made a bed up on the couch for Bertram as the kids ran to brush their teeth and get changed for bed. Papyrus was still too young to brush his own teeth. Last time he tried he ate half a tube of toothpaste before Grillby could stop him. In time, teeth were brushed and PJ's were put on and good night's were exchanged.
And Sans was oddly excited despite his fatigue.
"Come on! It's time for bed!" He began tugging on Alphys's hand, trying to drag her to a room down the hallway.
"I know it is! Are we going to your room?" She was a little perplexed as she allowed herself to be dragged along. Papyrus had already ran ahead, seemingly eager for bed.
"Yeah! Wait till you see it!" The older skeleton could barely contain himself, his white pupils sparkling with joy. They didn't have long to go before all three were inside the room and Sans pulled back the curtains on his bed.
The lights were on and the stick on stars glowed a soft green, making Alphys gasp a little!
"This whole room is yours!? Wow!" She looked around the toy and book filled room. It seems that the skeletons had begun to decorate themselves. Crayon doodles began to cover some lower parts of the walls along with the odd sticker or two. It felt homely. Much better than a cage that's for sure.
"I knowwwwww! It's all ours! And we didn't have to do anything for it!" Such a concept was still a little beyond Sans, but he knew he was happy. He picked up his little brother and tossed him on the bed. Papyrus squealed and bounced on his side of the bed as Sans climbed in after him.
"Come on Alphys!" Sans beamed and held open the curtain for his friend.
"Ah! Coming!" Alphys quickly climbed aboard and Sans closed the curtain behind her.
Here in the darkness, the lights and the glow-in-the-dark stickers seemed to make the dark space into a whole other world. A warm and dark world none the less, but pleasant. Sans turned on a moon shaped touch-light and for a moment, banished away the darkness. Sans grinned, happy to finally show off something that truly belonged to him and his brother.
"Guys…this is so cool!" Alphys had ideas already on what to do with her bed when she got home. Curtains and lights were awesome!
"Heehee yeah…and if you get hungry…" Sans reached up into the wooden 'rafters' of the top bunk and pulled out the gift box of cookies. Seems that the wooden beams offered plenty of places to hide food and trinkets. Alphys could catch a glimpse of other hoarded treats now that she knew where to look. Thankfully they all seemed to be sealed in packages. She didn't want to sleep in a crumb filled bed!
"Nah, I'm good, your dad is a good cook. I ate too much." She giggled in response. Shrugging, Sans stuck the box back in with his other stash.
"He's the best cook." Sans could only agree. It had taken time, but now he was able to appreciate all the new food and flavors now that he wasn't so sick anymore. Grillby had explained to him that after a period of starvation, it takes a while for someone to be able to eat well again. Luckily for Papyrus, Sans had always made sure he ate first, so his little brother wasn't burdened with such a problem.
He felt proud of himself for being able to ask for seconds today, much to his father's happiness.
"Yeah he is! I mean, my Dad is a good cook too." She'll chuckle in response.
"I guess…Dads are just good…right?" Sans blinked.
She nodded. "Yeah! They are pretty awesome…heehee."
For a while they sat together for a while, Papyrus crawling on them to seek attention.
"I'm…" Alphys started. "I'm glad…"
"Hrm?" Sans tilted his head, picking up his brother and cradling him on his lap.
"I'm just…so happy you guys are here now…" Alphys teared up despite herself. "I was just…so worried…"
"I know…but…it's good now right?" Sans for once, looked hopeful. "Dad said…he won't let anything happen to us…and I trust him."
"True…Dad said that Mister Grillby is really strong." Alphys wiped her face with a smile. "I mean, even if he doesn't look it."
"Just what are you saying about my dad?" Sans quirked a brow ridge.
"That he's a nerrddddddddd." The dino giggled.
"….." Sans blinked. "What's a nerd?"
Alphys laughed and proceeded to explain the whole concept of 'nerds' to Sans and Papyrus, only to witness them slow blinking and nodding off after the five minute mark.
Well, she DOES tend to get a little long winded when explaining something.
"GOSH! Fine, I'll explain in the morning!" She giggled and grabbed the pillow she brought, laying down.
Only then to find herself pinned down by two purring bone puppies.
"NO! At least let us get under the covers first. Goshhhhh!" She struggled and giggled, trying to pull up the covers but the pups didn't want to move!
Outside of the door, Grillby listened with a smile until the laughter turned into soft snores. He wasn't quite spying, more like being a little paranoid, and wanting to be sure everyone was safe and sound. When he was sure the children were both asleep, he made his way down the stairs where Bertram was making himself comfortable on the couch.
"Thank you for staying." Grillby began. "Are you comfortable?"
"Oh I am…thank you. And it's no problem…I mean…two adults keeping an eye out is better than one." The elder dinosaur nodded.
"Mhmm…" Grillby walked across the room to look out the window again.
"So…still no sign of the guy…right?" Bertram pulled up the covers to his chin, but was still very much alert.
"No…but they will catch him….or I will." Grillby sighed and closed the blinds, checking to make sure everything is locked up.
Bertram simply turned over on the couch, keeping his ear pointed towards the door. "…good night Grillby."
"…Goodnight Bertram." Grillby nodded, switching off the lights and making his way back to the stairs. "If you need anything, I will be upstairs. Sleep well."
"Thank you, I'll try too." Bertram sighed and settled down, watching as the fire elemental vanish upstairs. The absence of the fire plunged the house into darkness.
He knew that none of them will be getting much sleep that night.
Gaster stepped out of the rocky exit, frowning as his shoe crunched in the snow. So…they've run all the way out here, to the very edge of the underground? Hrm…Snowdin was still quite 'wild' after all this time, with more wilderness than town. It would make sense for beasts to seek out where they belong.
He glanced at his device, the blips on the screen pointing up to the Northwest of town near the tree cover. He was ready to step forward and continue his trek when a soft howl echoed through the cavern.
It was shortly answered by three short barks.
Ah yes, the mutt guard. Gaster wasn't a fellow who particularly liked dogs, but still admired their abilities. After all, he sought to emulate such traits in his creations, particularly the obedience and eagerness to please. But unfortunately, they have proved too willful for that. Failures, all of them.
Oh well, the E3 group should see some improvements, once he gains his experiments back. They would be the new basis for a new line, and maybe this time he will have a properly functioning group, moving up from alpha phase testing to beta phase testing.
He shook his head, he was getting ahead of himself. If he wished to regain his creations, he would need to find away around the guard. No doubt they have a special interest with his creations, due to their current puppy-like stage. And he knew better to cross such a bond unprepared.
Tsk. How unfortunate. He was already falling behind his time table with all these setbacks.
With no access to his main laboratory, he would have to start again, and he needed those two to do so. After all, does one not need a prototype before making a new version?
His musings were interrupted again by another howl and he frowned.
Well…looks like he must make a tactical retreat for now and come up with a proper plan before executing the extraction of his subjects.
He would need to find an opportunity to strike.
And thankfully, he is a patient man.