AN: I love how this epilogue turned out! It has so much fluff and awesome moments between the characters. It's hard to believe that this story is over! Wow, it went by so fast. Thank you so much for sticking with me till the very end and I hope to see you in my next Undertale story which I have just posted the prologue to. It is called 'Adopted Promise!' for those of you who would like to check it out. Please let me know what you thing and, again, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this conclusion to 'Tattered Dreams!' :)

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Undertale. That privilege belongs to Toby Fox.

Sans trudged nervously toward the ruins, slowly following his brother who was leading the way. It had been a little over a month since everything had occurred and his leg was mostly healed. Everyone had been so busy as of late that this would be the first time he'd seen his friends since he'd first awoken. Tori had decided that it would be a good idea to have a picnic with everyone and the others had readily agreed, quickly setting a date for the next day they all had off. It had been a struggle for some of them, like Mettaton and Asgore, to find free time but they had managed and now... today was the day. The comedian was happy to be able to see everyone again but still, he was worried about how they would react to how much he'd changed. Sure, he still loved puns as much as he always did but he didn't feel the need to make them as often. He also didn't smile as much, not that he wasn't happy... he was. Sans just didn't feel like he had to hide what he was feeling nowadays. His older brother had worked tirelessly in his attempts at getting the younger skeleton to talk about his problems rather that hiding them away and, even if he still had a ways to go, he was making progress.

"Sans?" Papyrus said gently, breaking the silence as he turned to face the shorter monster who was beginning to fall behind. "Are you sure you're up to this brother? If you don't feel ready we can try again later..."

He tucked his hands into his hoodie pockets, anxiously glancing towards the ruins that had just come into view. Sans hesitated, wanting nothing more than to turn around and put this meeting off till another day, but he knew he couldn't do that. He had been putting on his facade for so long that he had nearly forgotten how to be himself. Pap had been an irreplaceable help in the days since he'd learned the truth and the smaller skeleton realized that by not trusting his family and friends... he had just done more harm to himself. So, with that thought in mind, the jokester braced himself and walked forward... knocking on the door before he had the chance to back down. The taller monster sent him a proud look as they waited, not bothered by the others silence. Moments later the door opened, revealing the smiling faces of Frisk and Asriel.

"Sans!" They shouted together, rushing forward to wrap their small arms around the teens waist in a tight embrace.

"Mom told us what happened!" Asriel said, voice hushed with concern.

"Are you alright now?" Frisk asked, picking up where her adopted brother left off. "What about your leg?"

"I'm okay, guys. You don't have to worry." He soothed, before falling silent once more.

The children exchanged confused looks before stepping back, releasing the older being from their hold. They motioned for the jokester to head through the entry, stopping Papyrus as he went to follow. The kids waited just long enough for Sans to get out of hearing range before turning to the elder brother.

"What's wrong with him?" They demanded in unison, eyes filled with fear for their friend.

"He didn't even tell a pun." The small human voiced, upset.

"And he was really quiet..." The goat boy trailed off.

Pap sighed as he thought about how to explain to the children.

"You two know that Sans has been through a lot, right." He questioned, continuing upon receiving twin nods of conformation. "Well that sort of thing changes people... but not always for the worse. Sans used to be a very introverted monster before the loops began, usually keeping to himself rather than socializing with groups of people. Afterwards he was forced to act happy even when he wasn't in order to make it so that no one would figure out that something was wrong..."

"Like make-believe?" Frisk asked, her brothers eyes widening in realization.

"Well, yes." The skeleton agreed, figuring that was close enough. "But now he can act like he used to before this whole mess began. This is how my brother really is. He's still the friend you know... just a little different."

"Okay!" The two exclaimed, glad to know that their favorite playmate was going to be fine.

Papyrus patted their heads before swiftly following his brother, knowing the younger would be worried if he took too long. It only took a few minutes to catch up to Sans. The slipper clad monster was waiting a few corridors away, back leaning against the stone wall and eye sockets closed.

"Brother?" Pap asked, placing a hand on the younger skelebros shoulder as he watched Frisk and Asriel disappear around a corner.

"Hey Pappy, ready to go?" Sans replied, a mostly calm smile on his face as he glanced up at the other.

"Yes, lets get this meeting over with so we can enjoy the remainder of the day." The spaghetti lover announced resolutely.

They walked the rest of the way to where the picnic was being held without saying a word and, as Sans hesitated, Papyrus softly squeezed his hand... hoping to reassure the troubled teen.

"It's going to be fine... no one will think any different of you." The elder monster comforted, worried by his bros too quick breathing.

"Y...yea." The comedian stuttered before taking several deep breaths to calm his frayed nerves.

Sans knew that he couldn't rely on his big brother for everything... there were some things he had to do for himself. So, steeling his resolve, the short skeleton rounded the corner and made his way over to where his friends were sitting. As he approached a hush fell over the gathered monsters and he felt his fears returning, but he pushed them aside. Sitting on the large blanket that was spread across the ground, the pun lover met the concerned eyes of his friends and felt a genuine smile grace his features.

"Heya, everyone..." He said quietly, his fingers tugging on the hem of his shirt being the only sign that he was nervous.

"Hello Sans." Tori responded immediately, voice warm and welcoming. "It's so good to see you doing better. How are you feeling?"

The teen glanced up at his bro who had settled beside him before answering sincerely. "I'm okay, don't worry about it."

"That's what he told us too." Asriel declared, pausing in the game he was playing with his surrogate sister.

Toriel sent a scolding look towards her child, not wanting to put too much pressure on the young skeleton by making him feel like he had to talk about what happened. Turning back to her punny friend she let a calm smile spread across her face.

"I'd gladly listen if something is bothering you." The goat mom offered, kindness shining in her eyes. "I'm sure any of us would."

This was met with murmured agreements from the assembly and he felt his soul lighten. How had he ever thought that after what they'd all been through... his friends would abandon him now? The eighteen year old decided that it must have been his paranoia acting up again. During the loops he had been unable to trust in even the simplest things, knowing that it could lead to disaster, yet even now that they were free he still found himself slipping into old routines every so often. Those times were getting further and further apart, though, with the help of his ever supportive brother.

"I'll let someone know if I need to talk." He conceded a short while later.

Quiet once again fell as everyone's eyes remained glued to the comedians form waiting for the pun they were sure was coming. The awkward moment was luckily interrupted by the undergrounds favorite TV star.

"Well..." Mettaton drew the word out, drawing the attention to himself upon seeing the small skeleton beginning to fidget. "Now that the guest of honor is here... how about we get this party started!?"

"THAT IS A GREAT IDEA! I BROUGHT SOME OF MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE AND IT WON'T TASTE AS GOOD IF IT GETS COLD!" Papyrus picked up as Sans cast a thankful look at Mettaton, the robot nodded a bit in return.

The group couldn't withhold their chuckles, knowing how seriously their excitable friend took his pasta, and they decided to let the matter drop. The older skeleton had warned them via phone that his brother wouldn't act like he normally did, though he didn't go into detail, and they could now see that it was true. As the picnic progressed each of the gathered monsters kept an eye out for their still recovering friend, not wanting him to overexert himself, and they each had their own moments of realization.

Frisk and Asriel had already had theirs when they'd met their favorite playmate at the entrance to the ruins. Seeing how he acted then, along with the explanation from Papyrus, had made them see that even if he was quieter and told less jokes he was still the same guy they'd come to know and they were already excited for the next time he would come visit them.

Toriels moment came soon after the event had started. She was still worried by how standoffish the comedian seemed so decided to approach him while the others were busy with their food. The goat lady moved so that she was sitting just to his left and she smiled as he cast an inquisitive look her way. They sat like that for nearly ten minutes, eating Pap's spaghetti in peace before she gathered the courage to breach the subject.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The mother figure asked, concern prominent on her gentle face. "You seem awfully quiet today."

"To tell you the truth Tori... I was really nervous about coming here." He answered honestly, head ducking into his hoodie slightly.

"Why in the world would you feel that way?" She worried, turning to face her younger friend fully. "Surely you know we wouldn't judge you for not acting as you did before we knew the truth?"

She watched as his mouth contorted into an uneasy frown, eyes turned away in shame.

"I was scared..." The comedian trailed off, trying to find the right words. "I'd been hiding behind those stupid masks for so long that it felt like I had lost who I really am... but Pappy helped me to find myself again. I was afraid that you and the others wouldn't be able to accept me like I am now. I'm not someone who smiles or tells puns constantly. Sure, I still love them but now I don't need to use humor to fool people into thinking I'm alright anymore. If I'm upset I can let it show and know that I'll have friends who will help me. I can be myself for the first time in... I don't even know how long."

Toriel had remained quiet throughout the teens rant, knowing he had to get this off his chest. As he finished, she wrapped her arms around his trembling form in a loving embrace, staying there a few minutes before pulling away.

"Heh, thanks Tori." The boy conveyed, a soft smile growing on his face. "I guess I needed that."

"It is no problem my child." She replied, happy to have been of some comfort to the one she thought of as an adopted son.

About an hour after that, Mettaton made his way over to where the Sans was lounging in the sun. He had known something was different as soon as the skeleton bros entered the small clearing where they had set up for the event. The robotic star hadn't been there during that terrible week and deeply regretted not being able to offer his help back then. As it goes, he had been on tour in a secluded part of the underground with no cell service so only found out about the ordeal when he returned. By then the whole thing was done and over with. Yes, there were times when he didn't see eye to eye with the younger skelebro... like when he'd tried asking his older brother on a date, but recently they had been getting over their differences and Mettaton had even grown kind of fond of the resident jokester. So it was that he found himself sitting beside the hoodie clad monster while the others began a series of competitive games.

"You know..." He said curiously, glancing at the other from the corner of his eye as he watched the activities. "I'm really quite surprised that I didn't notice that little front you had been putting on, I am a performer after all."

"Welp... looks like you're not the only one who can act." The eighteen year old replied, good-humoredly.

Mettaton let out a robotic laugh, it seemed his friend hadn't lost his wittiness during his ordeal.

"Yes, I can see that." The former ghost responded, grinning mischievously. "Maybe I should have you as a guest on one of my shows."

"Don't you dare." Sans deadpanned, left eye glowing a faint blue.

"Well darling... if you ever want to get into show biz you know who to call." The taller being winked teasingly, watching in glee as a light blush covered the smaller males face, it was so easy to embarrass the young skeleton now that he wasn't hiding his emotions.

Undyne had just won her third game, the bean-bag toss, and was heading back over to sit next to Alphys when she noticed Sans talking to the robot. Quickly changing course she walked straight up to them and grabbed the younger monster by the arm, dragging him away without so much as an explanation.

"Umm... Undyne?" Sans tried to protest but was completely ignored.

The fish lady refused to stop until they were both situated on the outskirts of the clearing alongside the warriors timid girlfriend. The scientist looked confused for a minute before understanding dawned on her face as she caught on to what the other female was planning.

"Hey nerd!?" The spear wielder exclaimed, causing the boy to wince slightly at her tone. "What the hell is up with you?"

Sans anxiously pulled on his hoodie without realizing it, unsure of how he was supposed to respond. His two friends immediately took notice of this and grew even more concerned.

"Sans... if something is wrong y...you can tell us, you know" Alphys said, voice calm and quiet.

"It's nothing... I'm fine." He spoke at last, lowering his eye sockets to stare at the ground.

"I don't believe that!" The captain of the royal guard declared, kneeling in front of her younger friend to place an unwavering hand on his shoulder. "You're not making puns, have barely smiled, and seem ready to jump out of your skin... well, if you had any that is. What I'm trying to say is... I'm worried about ya kid. It's only been a month since you woke up from that hell and it takes time... I know that. Don't let anyone push you into anything, give yourself time to heal, Asgore knows you need it."

Tears unwillingly filled the short skeletons eyes as he listened to Undyne. It was true. There were many times that he would wake in the night, covered in sweat, with his magic nearly out of control due to whatever nightmare he'd had. Likewise, he had ended up being prone to panic attacks and had also had a few flashbacks during the last few weeks. Usually Papyrus was there to help him through them... but there had been times he'd had to deal with it on his own.

"Shh, Sans, it'll be o...okay." Alphys whispered, grabbing hold of the teens bony hand and running her thumb across the back in a soothing manner. "We're h...here for you."

Both girls wrapped their arms around him, cocooning him in a loving group hug as his tears were replaced by the warm feeling of reassurance spreading throughout his soul. They stayed that way until the teen had fully calmed down and even a little while afterwards.

Asgore had been watching the young monster for the last few hours, unsure how to approach him. He felt tremendous guilt for what had occurred during the timelines, especially the ones that had become known as 'genocide loops'. He couldn't help but blame himself for what the teen had been forced to experience. He had appointed the young monster as judge due to his powerful magic and exceptional agility, feeling that even with one HP the boy was best suited for the job. If he had known what was to come, and from one he had once called daughter no less, he would never have allowed it to happen. But there was no use dwelling on what could have been, not when his mistake had caused the small skeleton so much harm. As the king he hadn't even been able to be there when the teenager was being attacked by his own magic, too busy with ruling the underground to help the one he had wronged so greatly. Taking a deep breath, the goat monster decided it was best just to get this over with as it was getting late and the picnic would be ending soon.

"Sans, would you mind talking with me awhile?" He asked, slowly approaching the shorter monster.

"Sure, what's up?" The comedian answered, curious as to what his king had to say.

They moved a short distance away from the rest of the group so they could speak in private before Asgore turned to face him.

"I wanted to apologize to you." The monarch said, remorse weighing on his face. "If I had not appointed you as judge, you may have avoided all the pain and suffering you endured during those horrid loops. I wish I had known something like this would happen back then. I truly am sorry, my friend, for all the wrong I have done unto you."

"What are you talking about?" Sans questioned, disbelief shining in his eyes. "Even if I hadn't been your judge I still would have confronted the fallen child. Do you really believe I would have just sat by after she killed Papyrus... after she killed everyone!? You know me better than that Asgore. It wouldn't have changed a thing, so please, don't apologize for something that isn't your fault."

The goat man sank to his knees, clasping a furry paw on either of the young males shoulders as he examined his face. Seeing the resolve there, the king let out a heavy sigh.

"I suppose you are right." Asgore relented with a nod of his head. "I was foolish to think that you would do any less than you've done. Sans, you are the bravest soul I have ever met and all of monster kind owes their lives to you. If not for your perseverance, we would never have escaped those timelines... thank you."

The jokester just nodded, slipping his hands inside his pockets as he tried to hide the light blue tinge colored his cheeks.

Less than an hour later the monsters had cleaned up the clearing and were saying their goodbyes. Sans let out a yawn, reaching up to rub his tired sockets with the sleeve of his hoodie... he was exhausted from the days events as well as his previous worries. Pap took notice of this and swiftly scooped his little brother into his arms, the younger immediately resting his head on his bros scapula.

"I'd better be getting Sans home." He told the gathered monsters, all of which were watching the pair with fond expressions plastered on their faces. "He's had a long day and is still healing so he needs his rest."

"I'm fine, Pappy..." Came the teens muttered response as he yawned once more.

His friends let out quiet peels of laughter, relieved to have learned that the younger skelebro was on the mend, before fondly waving the brothers off. As Papyrus made his way home, he glanced down at the younger monster he was holding only to be met with his baby bros trusting eyes gazing tiredly up at him.

"You were right." The comedian spoke, voice barely louder than a whisper. "They didn't mind."

"See Sans, there was nothing to worry about." Pap responded, a grin pulling at his mouth. "True friends are people who love and accept you for who you are... even if you change. They'll do all in their power to help, even if they don't know what to do... they will support you."

The slipper clad monster closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer as he was slowly carried through the snowy woods outside of Snowdin. Nuzzling into his brothers signature scarf, Sans felt the older monster press a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"Thanks bro... for everything." He murmured, falling into a peaceful sleep.

The shorter skeleton knew that as long as he was with his older brother nothing bad could happen to him. Chara was gone... just a dark memory from the past. Even so, there was still a ways to go before the damage would be fully healed, emotionally rather than physically, but he knew now that he wouldn't be alone. He had Papyrus and all the others... a whole group of friends who would be there every step of the way, cheering him on, picking him up if he fell, and reminding him that he doesn't have to rely on only himself. After all... the past is not today.

AN: Thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think and I'll see you next time ;)