oh wow its been...a couple of months hi.
I never meant to leave this long but writing became something I felt guilty about with everything else I had to do. Thankfully I started to get more time and I managed to churn this out in about a month, while also solidifying future plot points that I hadn't been sure about. I don't know how soon the next update will be but I assure you it will come. I'm literally like...4-5 chapters from the end now with basically everything happening around the same time so it would be hard to just drop it at this point haha.
Thank you all for sticking with it and like...still favoriting and following. I was floored at the activity I got even with the small hiatus. I wish this chapter was a bit better to reward you with but I know it has some pacing issues...sorry. The next one will definitely be better, I promise.
Despite not understanding any part of what he was doing, watching Sans at work never failed to entertain Grillby.
Even now the boy was tinkering away, frowning in concentration as he tightened some screws on the side of the machine, then rushing over to type something into the control panel. It was hard not to notice the resemblance to his brother; the way their brows ridged as they solved a difficult problem, their hands fidgeting as they waited to see the results of their efforts. As different as the two of them were in so many aspects, it was surprising just how much they also had in common. There was no denying that they were related to each other.
Sans spending most of his time in his workshop wasn't anything new. Even Grillby being there wasn't abnormal - he and Papyrus had come down to keep the older boy company on a few occasions, though usually with the intent to get Sans to take a break (which usually just meant doing some coding on his computer). What was new, however, was the fact that Sans had actually invited Grillby down this time. Papyrus too, but homework was preventing him from joining them just yet.
Considering this unprecedented act on Sans' part, Grillby could only assume that he had made some sort of breakthrough, or else needed Grillby's help for something. Since Sans had barely spoken a word after they entered the basement, the flame figured it more likely to be the former.
The young skeleton wiped his forehead, taking a step back from the machine. "...ok. that should do it." He turned to Grillby. "it's time for a trial run."
Grillby tilted his head.
"i'm gonna test the retrieval program. i've done a few simulations and it should work," Sans explained. "as long as we keep the variables simul-ar, which i have."
Grillby was too confused to register the pun. "So you're done."
"maybe. more likely it'll just expose a surprise flaw in my coding but...heh…" His smile widened, barely able to contain his excitement. "yeah. this could be it. i could bring my dad back."
The pride and fear swelled up in Grillby at the same time, and he did his best to only let the positive emotions show. This was good. Sans had accomplished so much, entirely on his own. He had fought and struggled and endured even when the entire world, their entire reality even, seemed against him. No small feat for a twelve year old.
Why then was Grillby still so terrified that this machine of his would actually work?
"Beware the man who speaks in hands."
He shook off that latent feeling of dread. "Do you need me to do anything?"
"i need someone to watch in case it goes wrong; i might miss something. and besides…" Sans answered, voice growing quieter. "you are kinda my lab assistant…"
Grillby never realized that that was something he wanted to be until this very moment.
"i mean, i'd pick pap first but he hates doing all this stuff, so i guess you're just going to have to do," he smirked.
Not so long ago this could have come across as a genuine display of hatred, Sans twisting the knife into his heart even further. Now it was different. Now it was clearly spoken in jest, a friendly jab. A sign of familiarity, perhaps even affection? Grillby knew it was probably too much to assume that. He didn't deserve anything from Sans anyways, so he was more than willing to take whatever he could get.
The boy traced the outline of the badge hanging around his neck. "welp. no point in pushing it off any longer. let's do this thing."
He tossed Grillby a blank notepad and a pen for writing down quick observations - something Grillby didn't even have confidence he could do, but he would surely give it his best. The elemental clicked the pen open as Sans got into position in front of the machine. Although he was facing away, Grillby could still see the reflection of his now glowing eyes in the metal before him. It only took a few moments for the giant bestial skull to materialize above.
Grillby would be lying if he said that the weapon didn't still send chills down his spine.
Once it had finished it's slow arrival, Sans leaned forward onto the control panel, catching his breath as the color in his pupils disappeared. The skull hovered above silently, neither aggressive nor especially peaceful. Just sort of mindlessly floating there.
"...ok...ok…" He huffed between deep inhales. "that should lock the connection to the soul signature…"
"Are you okay?" Grillby asked, not wanting Sans to strain himself but also not wanting to somehow set off the beast as well.
He waved his hand absently without even turning around. "just...gotta set this up, then…" Bony fingers tapped away at the keys. "...fight start."
There wasn't much of a difference at first. Some of the indicators on the machine lit up. A low hum rumbled from the core of the metal. The small dot on the monitor that represented Gaster blipped intermittently. Grillby couldn't tell if this was going well or… well, if it was even going at all. Sans wasn't reacting in any way, eyes just glued to the screen. That must mean it was proceeding as planned, right? Grillby did what he could to jot down what was happening, not sure what was considered important for the process or not.
"...it's holding...i think it's working!" Sans exclaimed. "he's being pulled toward our timeline!"
Sans turned briefly back to Grillby, beaming with excitement. Grillby couldn't help but get caught up in it too. Everything was falling into place. It was going the way it was supposed to go.
And that's exactly when it started to fall apart.
The lights in the room dimmed sharply, and Grillby suddenly realized that their electricity might not be strong enough to power this operation. He barely had time to start thinking about how to work around that before a shattering crash broke any thought processes he had. His head shot up just in time to see the machine vibrating violently, part of the side console rattling loosely as several screws trickled to the ground.
"no...no, no...no, no, no!" Sans muttered nervously. "just a little bit longer…!"
He worked feverishly, typing faster than seemed physically possible. Whatever he was doing, it didn't seem to help. The little lightbulbs on the instrument panels were blinking non stop, faster and faster as the seconds passed. Grillby could feel the heat building as tendrils of smoke started billowing out of the top of the machine.
He knew he was supposed to be writing things down. That he was supposed to be recording everything that was happening so they could avoid any mistakes like this in the future. He couldn't ignore the disaster unfolding before him, though. This environment was no longer safe, and he needed to do whatever he could to diffuse it. Even if it meant shutting the machine down before it was finished doing its job.
Blue bones shot up out of the ground before he was even able to take a step forward.
"stay back!" the boy demanded, looking back at him frantically. "i...i've got this! i can fix this! just, stay back!"
The humming from the computer was amplifying steadily, distorting into a screech that was expanding into every inch of the room. The blaster skull disintegrated into particles as Sans struggled to keep the bones in place and focus on his work at the same time. All the while the machine grew more unstable, more volatile.
More likely to unleash all the energy it was storing inside.
Grillby didn't care how much HP he would lose. He was going to grab his son and get out of there before anything got worse.
"WHAT'S ALL THIS RACKET DOWN HERE?"
It should have been impossible to hear anything over the clamor of the machine, and yet Papyrus' voice rang out clear as a bell. Grillby dropped the pen and paper as he turned to see the child walking through the doorway, covering his ears with his hands.
Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. A bright light was tearing out of the machine, seeming to engulf the basement as it raced toward them. Grillby didn't hesitate, scooping up Papyrus and preparing to race after Sans only to see he was no longer standing by the console. No, the boy was right next to him, tottering slightly as the ground shook. A skeletal hand grabbed his and squeezed tightly.
"hold on!"
Grillby could feel the rhythm of magic charging up and releasing as his vision turned blue. In an instant the light, the machine, the basement, the fabric of reality itself - all of it slanted and compressed on top of each other, nearly flipping upside down. The amount of pressure pushing down was so great it threatened to crush every part of him. Colors and details faded away, replaced with a cold, suffocating darkness.
Then Grillby was staring at the ceiling of his living room.
For an indeterminate amount of time -minutes, hours, days? - he lay there on the floor, letting himself slowly regain his grounding. The hardwood planks underneath him. The yellowing paint on the ceiling above. A small body curled up on his chest, nestled in his arms. The vague and ominous smell of smoke wafting up from below.
He was alive. Alive and gradually more aware. Unfortunately, any relief he was feeling over that fact was quickly replaced with anxiety. The house felt stable and oddly normal considering the events in the basement, but that was only one of many worries. He sat up and inspected the child he was holding, realizing that neither boy had said a word since they landed here. Hopefully that could be chalked up to them being overwhelmed by everything that just happened.
Papyrus was clinging to him, eyes wide and slightly unfocused. In shock. Grillby started rubbing his shoulder to try and calm him. Poor little guy was just coming down to make sure everyone was all right. He had no idea what he had been walking into, no time to process all the sights and sounds that had accosted him as soon as he entered the workshop.
Papyrus wasn't responding as well as Grillby would have hoped, but the elemental himself was having a hard time staying calm. He hardly understood what had transpired with the machine, his mind still reeling from the sensory overload and adrenaline, and he didn't even want to think about what the basement looked like after all that. Despite all that, he had to be strong. If he was a sturdy foundation then the three of them would be able to weather the storm, no matter how big.
Realizing Sans was no longer next to him, holding his hand, he turned to find the boy.
Almost immediately any semblance of strength seeped out of him.
Sans was a few feet away, sprawled on the floor. He was twitching sporadically, heaving deep, rattling breaths. Grillby couldn't remember setting Papyrus down or even moving, but the next thing he knew he was by Sans' side, staring down in horror. The boy was fighting to keep his eyelights steady, the hazy orbs locked on Grillby's glasses. A red liquid started escaping from between Sans' teeth, dribbling onto his chin. His voice mumbled, as if he was trying his hardest to say something. Something he needed Grillby to hear.
And then his eye sockets went dark.
Grillby couldn't move, could barely breathe. It was the very nightmare he had had for the last few months. Except this time it was real. Painfully real. Already he could see his flames reflecting in the slick appearance of the child's bones. He wasn't imagining it like Dr. Cottontail had suggested. This was all taking place in front of him, just like before, and there was no way to deny it.
It was happening again.
Grillby had failed Sans again.
This time might be the last.
He put his head in his hands, the thoughts and anxieties buzzing around him incessantly, making it impossible to think a coherent thought. It was as if the machine was exploding over and over again inside of him, a cacophony of screams and blinding lights. He could feel his flames burning erratic, threatening to unleash themselves, but there was nothing he could do. He really was powerless in all of this, wasn't he? Only good for watching people around him turn to dust.
Sans was going to dust.
Grillby was going to -
"HE NEEDS HIS MEDICINE."
Papyrus' voice shook him back to reality. The boy was kneeling next to him, gaze still distant.
"His...his medicine?" Grillby asked, sounding much more shaken than he ever wanted his son to hear.
Papyrus nodded, frowning in confusion as his eyes started to focus again. "...IT'S NOT HERE, THOUGH. IT'S AT HOME."
The skeleton child seemed perplexed at his own statement, but it was okay. Grillby was able to pick up the remaining pieces.
Dr. Cottontail had been wrong. Very wrong. This was obviously not a normal case of magical exhaustion. Magical exhaustion didn't do...whatever this was doing to Sans' body. Even without extensive medical knowledge he felt confident in that. Somehow, Grillby recalled references to a 'condition' in Sans' notebook. A condition and a medicine he sometimes had to take for it.
That medicine wouldn't be here at all. It would be in Hotland. In the house of Dr. W. D. Gaster.
In an instant Grillby realized what he had to do to save Sans.
He stood up quickly, almost instinctively grabbing his coat but he thought better of it. Where he was going he wouldn't need that anyways. He turned to Papyrus, saw him look so small and alone, tugging at the cape around his neck, and immediately questioned his decision. Leaving the boy here in this state, after everything that had happened, felt wrong. Very wrong.
At the same time, though, he couldn't have anything slowing him down on the way. He couldn't worry about two children when there was an obvious clock hanging over the life of one.
He couldn't let Papyrus lose his brother forever.
"Papyrus, I need you to listen to me," Grillby said, crouching down to his level.
Papyrus nodded, appearing more aware than he had been a few minutes ago. Good. Grillby needed him to listen closely.
"Call Dogaressa and tell her to come over. You...you remember her number right?"
That was a dumb question, and Papyrus gave him a look that made it obvious. Numbers were always easy.
"I have to go get Sans his medicine but we'll be back as soon as that's done, okay?" Grillby said, doing everything possible to not let the child see how frightened he was. "Stay here and stay safe. We won't be too long."
Papyrus nodded again, but he looked conflicted. Or at least, as conflicted as he could be while still being dazed.
Grillby wrapped his arms around him, giving a gentle squeeze. "Good. You're a big boy, Papyrus. I love you."
"I LOVE YOU TOO."
There was no time left to lose. Grillby drew back and made his way over to Sans. His condition hadn't changed at all, and Grillby had no idea if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Gently, he lifted Sans up into his arms - stars, he felt so light, so empty - and headed toward the door. It took a lot of self control not to focus on the damp softness of the boy's bones, which was already making him feel nauseous thinking about. They just needed to get out, and fast.
He didn't dare look behind him as he shut the door, but his soul shuddered a little as he heard a faint 'LOVE YOU TOO, SANS' from inside the house.
Snowdin was a blur. Grillby had no idea if he passed anyone on his way - surely he had to - but even if he did he paid them no mind. He had a singular focus, a singular goal. Everything around him was unimportant and irrelevant. All that mattered was Sans was still alive and there was still time to save him.
It was a little shocking, then, when the Riverperson suddenly was in front of him.
"Tra la la~ It seems you have decided to run to, not from." The caped figure tilted their head a bit, almost as if they were amused.
Grillby looked around, realizing he had made it to the dock at the edge of Snowdin. He didn't even consider the danger of falling into the water as he clambered onto the boat. "I need to go to-"
"Home is where the heart is, but Hotland works too," the Riverperson said matter-of-factly.
He couldn't help but stare at the strange monster before him, unable to come up with a reason why they would know this information. He nodded slowly, taking a seat.
The boat took off without any further discussion. Grillby tightened his grip on Sans as the vessel gained speed, dimly aware of the water hazard all around him. The skeleton still felt soft and warm. Much warmer than usual. It wasn't Grillby's heat affecting him either; the warmth seemed to be emanating from inside his body, almost like a fever. It was the strangest fever Grillby had ever encountered though. He could sense the temperature rising in strange bursts, as if it was bubbling inside the boy.
If only he could understand what all of this meant.
"Tra la la~ You can't make an omelette without breaking an organ or two."
Grillby turned to the Riverperson. The monster was leaning out over the water precariously, seemingly very calm despite the ominous words they had just spoken. The Hotland dock was in sight at this point, the boat gracefully coming to a halt as they approached their destination. Grillby stood up far before it was safe to do so, adjusting his hold on Sans so that he'd be more secure, then jumped onto the red-tinged earth. His landing was a tad shaky, but he refused to lose his balance. He'd be more impressed about this feat if the panic still wasn't eating at the edge of his sanity.
He looked back, giving a small nod toward the Riverperson, thankful for the expedited trip. They shook their head in return.
"Beware the man who came from the other world."
Grillby tried not to think about that as ran toward the unknown.
If Snowdin was a blur, Hotland was a smear. Red and greys blending into each other as Grillby struggled to identify where exactly he was. Or, more precisely, where he was supposed to go. Asgore had said that the guard were not able to find the house that Sans had claimed existed. All Grillby had to go off of was that it was near the Core, but that left a lot of possibilities. He dashed through the streets, nearly running into several Vulkin and Pyrope in the process. From his understanding he was headed near where the Core was, so that was a start.
It quickly ended, though, when he was stopped in front of a chrome building.
There was nowhere else to go, as far as he knew. There were a few other ways to get further into Hotland, and eventually reach New Home, but this was the only one that would take you to the Core. To where Sans said he lived. So this had to be it, right?
The building was very industrial, a far cry from a home with young children. Ducts coming out the top. No windows to be seen. But there was a door. Grillby walked up to it, only to realize a crucial part was missing: there was no knob or handle to use. He pressed around, trying to see if there was a way to push it open. After a few minutes it was clear that it wouldn't work.
He leaned his head against the outside of the structure, trying to think of what else he could do. Was there even anything else to do? The guard couldn't even find what he was looking for, how had he expected to find it himself?
This whole thing had been stupid. Impulsive. He should have just stayed home and called Dr. Cottontail. Now he had wasted so much time on something that for all he knew might not even exist. Something that probably won't even help. Maybe it wasn't too late to go back. To get the doctor to monitor him again and provide some healing. Maybe then he wouldn't-
"Y-you're not doing it correctly."
Grillby nearly jumped. Looking down, there was a reptilian child standing nearby. The yellow monster was wearing oversized glasses and a pink dress. She shrunk into herself a bit once he turned his attention onto her, not making direct eye contact.
"The...um...the d-door, that is…" She mumbled, holding her hands close to her chest. "It doesn't work like that."
"...what do I do?" Grillby asked, wondering if maybe it was just a Hotland thing he wasn't aware of.
"S-see the panel next to it?" She pointed just to make sure. "You have to p-put his hand on that. It's only coded for certain monsters."
Grillby looked the girl over, wondering how she could possibly know any of this. She seemed around Sans' age, and the way she was looking at him...it was almost like she knew who he was.
Suddenly it all clicked. "...Al?"
The yellow monster froze. "Alphys. Um...have...have I-I met you before?"
Now it all made sense. This was the child that Sans had written about. The daughter of one of Dr. Gaster's coworkers.
"He has," Grillby replied, gesturing to the boy in his arms.
"...oh…" Alphys squinted at Sans. "I...feel like I've seen h-him somewhere...but…" She looked down at her clawed feet.
"You knew he could open the door," Grillby offered, hoping to spark some memory in her.
"I...I k-know! But…" She sighed. "I don't know how...I just know s-skeletons can open it…"
Grillby waited a bit to see if anything came to her, but he recognized that look in her eyes. The frustration that he had so often seen in Papyrus whenever he couldn't remember something about his life in Hotland. Those memories were gone, distorted by whatever it was that had happened that sent Dr. Gaster away. Alphys didn't probably know anything else, but that didn't matter.
He gingerly took hold of Sans' limp hand and pressed it against the panel. Immediately the door slid up, allowing them to go through.
Yes. She had helped more than enough.
"Thank you, Alphys," Grillby said, a twinge of hope igniting his adrenaline.
"Oh...it's…" She blushed, smiling. "It was nothing." A pause, growing serious. "I hope he gets better."
Grillby nodded. That was all he wanted too.
He entered the building. The interior was just as industrial looking as the exterior. Metal walls and flooring, artificial lighting making it feel a little too bright. It was less a room and more a surveillance area, all of the furniture holding a functional purpose. There was a desk, a few cabinets and other storage, along with a large screen taking up most of the wall perpendicular to him. As he looked it all over he could hear the door close behind him. He supposed the same method he used to get him would let him out, but he was too focused now to worry about that.
Besides, he couldn't put Sans' hand on the panel if he dusted.
There was an escalator going up to a second floor, and Grillby ran over to it. The speed was faster than he expected but he managed to keep from falling backwards. Surprisingly, the escalator seemed to go through the second floor and back down to the first, so he had to jump off rather quickly, running into a bed in the process.
It was like a bedroom, with one super wide bed, a dresser, and another desk. He took it all in, trying to find something, anything that looked like medication. The dresser had all sorts of clothes in it, mostly in children's sizes, as well as a variety of toys and books. He moved over to the desk, rummaging through the drawers and scanning the top. He froze, gaze landing on a picture frame in the middle of a chaotic pile of papers. It was a little fuzzy, but he could still make out Sans and Papyrus, younger by a year or two. Behind them was a nondescript taller figure, whose appearance seemed to shift and dissolve the longer he looked at them. Despite that, he had no question who the individual was.
Dr. W. D. Gaster.
This was his house.
Sans had been right all along.
As much as this gave him a sense of relief, he couldn't help the anxiety springing up again. This revelation didn't bring him any closer to finding where Sans' medicine was.
Grillby returned to the first floor, cradling Sans on his shoulder. The boy didn't even feel like he was breathing, heat rising by the second. There was no more time for any mistakes.
There were two other doors in the surveillance hall. One looked like another exit, so he headed to the other one instead. It slid open as soon as he approached, revealing a tiny room. Smaller than most restrooms. Grillby walked into it, confused. It was completely empty, nothing inside whatsoever. He turned around to leave only to notice the buttons on the wall.
Oh. It was an elevator.
Only one additional floor was listed, so he pressed the button for it. The door swept shut and without warning as the elevator shot down at breakneck speed. Grillby crammed himself into the corner, trying to keep the brunt of the force off of Sans. It felt like the floor had disappeared underneath them.
They finally hit the bottom. It took a moment to regain any strength in his legs, but as soon as he did he was out the door. Whereas the main floor was too bright, this area was underlit. He had to strain to see very far in front of him. After looking around he decided to go left first, investigating everything as he went.
The hallway seemed to go on forever, even bending to the right at one point. He broke out into a sprint before reaching a large annex. There was what appeared to be a hospital bed in the middle, along with some cabinets and a sink. Grillby did a quick overview, trying to figure out the best way to search it all. It was only then that he realized that it would be far more efficient if he could use both of his hands.
He tensed, not ready to let Sans go just yet but...he had to. He couldn't let anything slow him down. Not even Sans himself.
Carefully, he laid the boy on the hospital bed. The imagery only seemed to make his condition look worse, like a child truly on their deathbed. His bones were no longer a pure white, dulled by the strain his body was going through. The badge around his neck hung off the side of the bed, like it was threatening to drag him down. Grillby tenderly wiped off whatever that red stuff near Sans' mouth was, then forced himself to look away. To not pay any mind to the way his soul felt like it was breaking into pieces. He wouldn't be able to save Sans that way.
Nothing in this room looked like medicine, at least to Grillby's knowledge. Mostly tools and medical equipment, and a few binders of handwritten notes. He ran a hand through the flames on his head, knowing he had to look elsewhere. There was only so many places it could be, he would have to happen upon it eventually.
If there was still any here that is.
He picked one of the new doorways, surely with some sort of logic behind it but at this point it hardly felt like it. Racing through all the rooms, he found nothing of use. Ventilation systems, a shower, and an entertainment room. There was a larger area that had something big suspended from the wall but it was too dark to clearly make out - and obviously not medicine - so he let it be.
That just left one room in this hall. It had a line of refrigerators on one side, and that seemed to be the first promising thing he had found so far. He did recall that certain medications needed to be kept at low temperatures, maybe it was the same for this one? He opened them all, one by one, finding different specimens and unidentified liquids. He would figure that a medication for Sans would be labeled as such, and he wasn't going to just start pumping the kid with any random thing he found. He wasn't that desperate, not when that could easily make the situation irreparably worse.
He shut the door to the last refrigerator, stepping back and allowing himself to take the shortest of breaths. Since there was nothing concrete here, he would have to go back and investigate the two other paths he hadn't travelled down yet. Even so, it was feeling like his possibilities were growing slimmer. If the medicine wasn't down here, where would it even be? This did seem to be the home that Sans and even Papyrus had talked about. Papyrus said it was at home. Why couldn't he find it here?
Suddenly the room felt cold. Colder than it had before. A static tone started permeating the air, making Grillby's flames grow fitful. He recognized this feeling, this terror building in his gut as the noise seemed to flood inside of him. It had been just like this back in Waterfall, after talking with the unnatural monster child. Back when it felt like there was some presence behind him that had not been there earlier.
Just like it felt now.
He shivered, soul beating so quickly it was a miracle it wasn't bursting already. No. Not now. He couldn't afford to let whatever this was deter him now. Sans needed him, and that thought alone was enough to fill him with the courage he needed.
A deep breath, then he turned around.
That courage within him stuttered.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"