Asgore was stunned, staring at them. At least Frisk figured so, considering she was looking from each of them herself.

"Majesty, we didn't mean to hide it, but you-" Papyrus began but he was cut off.

"Enough!" Asgore winced. "You . . . knowingly deceived me?"

"Monsters loyalty falls to family, Frisk was in a predicament," Papyrus said to Asgore again. "The best form of protection was secrecy."

"Until I had contracts to sign for her!" Asgore yelled at him. He stomped his foot, making Frisk wobble. The whole house shook. "You would have kept this secret all to yourselves!"

Frisk felt two pairs of hands join in each of hers though, keeping her from falling.

Sans. Papyrus.

That's why they were staying by her side. I'm dumb. I'm sooo dumb for not noticing. It was more than just a doctor thing, it was a family thing. But. Frisk wouldn't start thinking of what that entailed now. She couldn't assume that human history was right. That is what landed her in such trouble in the first place.

Frisk heard the computing sounds of Mettaton, probably recording the news.

"When were you going to bother to tell me?" Asgore growled at them. Frisk watched as both Sans and Papyrus shoved the children behind them, like they were unsure about what Asgore would do.

"After the barrier," Papyrus said. "When everyone was happy. They were still little boss monsters. That way there'd be no hurt feelings?"

"According to the contracts she did sign, these kids are protected too," Sans said to Asgore. "By your own words."

"By my own words." Asgore moved away farther from Frisk. "By my own words, I gave her an easy way out. Allies to help. By my own words, I apparently guaranteed her to you." He held his finger out towards Papyrus and Sans.

Undyne intervened, coming between them. "Majesty. Instinct would make them find the best choice for family. You can't eliminate them for trying to save the little skeleton's mother."

Asgore was silent, but he didn't lower his finger.

"I'm sorry," Undyne said softly. "Sire."

Asgore put his finger down and turned away. "Fine," he agreed. "Contracts were signed, I can do nothing." He turned back around and glared at Frisk.

I didn't even know. He thinks I knew?

"But, I never agreed in any of those contracts that I would ever let you out of those chains."


"She didn't know," Sans said in her defense. "Me and Papyrus just found out right before the fight ourselves."

"Just as Argon learned, then so shall you," Asgore answered to them. "You do not. Challenge. The king."

Huh? Challenge. "Welps. I guess Argon didn't want to just sacrifice his human away," Sans said.

"You are pitiful excuses for family," Asgore said out loud. "Denying your own blood."

Hm?

"We weren't denying, just putting on hold," Papyrus said. "We would eventually tell the truth."

"I see no proof of that. Make note of that, Mettaton. I see no proof of it," Asgore said. Mettaton continued to make whirring noises. "To me, you willingly gave up the human and her children since you didn't offer the truth."

What was he doing? I know he's mad. I knew he'd be mad, but what's he doing? Sans watched him approach again. He was trying to look behind them at Al and Juleyard.

"Majesty, what are you doing?" Papyrus asked.

"Which one of you is even the father?" Asgore asked the two of them. "All I see so far is an equal compassion between the two. Considering the dialogue, I suppose Papyrus is? After all, you seem to care the most. Then again, you also weren't willing to put anything on the line for them. Only lies." Asgore turned away and moved toward Burgerpants. "Meanwhile, you have been working, watching out for Frisk, and letting her share and sleep in your home."

Whaaaat is he doing?

"I think you'd be a better father," Asgore said to Burgerpants.

"Uh?!" Burgerpants held out his paws. "N-no? I wouldn't?"

"I think you would. Traditionally, cats are used to taking care of large litters. I'm sure you'd do even-"

"You can't give my human away!" Sans shouted to Asgore.

"Well. I suppose I see which one is the father." Asgore glared toward Sans. "Al and Juleyard are very powerful. If their brothers and/or sisters are that same way, I'm not sure you would be equipped to deal with them."

"And I am?!" Burgerpants pointed out.

"Better than Sans? From this point of view, yes," Asgore said.

"Will you stop saying that?!" Papyrus shouted to Asgore. "Sans will be a fine father!"

"Easy." Sans held his hand to Papyrus. "He's just trying to goat me. Goat. Get it?" He tried to chuckle, knowing Asgore hated jokes in serious moments. He was trying to get to Sans. Make him lose control. But it took a lot for him to lose control.

"While I never bothered putting in the father information, since I believed I was it? I also wrapped Frisk up pretty tightly in that contract," Asgore said to Sans. "Meaning, the true father will not be up to DNA. It will be up to me."

Oooh.

"And right now, I see you as an unfit father. So, unless you are willing to show how much you support your family, by the time this is over? The human may live. Her family may live." He gestured to Sans. "But there's no guarantee I will continue to let you have them."

"Sire," Undyne said softly. "I think we should have a talk. Asgore?"

Sans just sort of wrinkled up the sides of his bony face, in a strange kind of smile. "You don't want Burgerpants to get my kids. Nah. Since you're not first, you want to be second daddy. What? Miss your little kids that much, willing to replace them with mine? Willing to take all my new family, is that it?"

"Sans, don't egg him on," Undyne said through her teeth. "He is angry. You've got no idea how much LOVE he has. Don't. Trigger. Him. If you care for your family, don't trigger. I'll tell you how to keep them, so just knock it off. Now."

Asgore let out another puff of fire from his nose and left the house. Undyne relaxed.

"I have to talk to Asgore, then I will come back and talk with you about your little monsters. Don't bug him. Don't do anything. Just instruct the human to get some rest and take care of her." She headed out the door. "I'll do my best to see if I can't grant some kind of favoritism toward you."


Frisk heard it. Right on cue. The children were so quiet before, it was hard to see. But who else's child would be as bold to say what he did next?

"Speaking of granting favor-" Al said, "do I get the Grillby burgers now, or do I have to wait until Sans is like actually declared as a father? Cause he was my brother the first time around when he made the deal anyhow, so logically that shouldn't matter."

"Al," Juleyard scolded him. "Our memories are already fading, how do you still remember that?"

"I'm just saying, other timeline or not, deals should be honored. So if we are given away to Mister Goat or Mister Cat, then I should at least get my burgers before I forget about the-"

Sans groaned. "In the morning, Al. In the morning I'll get you your Grillby's, whether you remember it or not."

Yeah. Now it was obvious. Little monsters acted like their fathers. It was a miracle Sans and Papyrus managed to keep everyone in the dark for so long.

"Promise? Double promise this time, 'cause you are like two weeks late on that promise so far," Al complained. "I'd hate to see your tab here."

"You and I both," Sans chuckled, not taking the whole thing Al said too seriously. He gestured to Frisk." But you? Upstairs. My room. Lie down. Doctors orders. I'll be up soon."

Frisk didn't move right away.

"Now is really not the time to stress out your doctors," Papyrus said. "Up the stairs."

Frisk still didn't move. Instead she looked at the children. Then back toward them. They should have told me. Were they going to keep me in the dark too? For how long?

"She sort of knows you were smart butts," Al said toward Sans. "Momma's always been a smart cookie. I remember that much."

"It's not that we wanted not to tell you . . ." Papyrus fidgeted and looked toward Sans. "We planned on telling you. Eventually. Really."

"I knew something was up," Frisk admitted. "But I didn't know what."

"Yeah, I guess most monsters wouldn't be so . . . accommodating," Sans agreed.

"Accommodating?" Frisk asked him. "I was eight when I fell, and instead of even questioning me about anything, you threw puzzles at me, along with sharp spikes, in freezing temperatures. These kids? You carried them most of the way here, letting them sleep."

Juleyard clapped. "She is very smart." He looked toward Sans. "I don't remember that much about her smarts, but I know she is momma. Right?"

"We knew it wasn't right," Papyrus said, "but Asgore had a hard time with his own family though, and because of that, he was cutting you a lot of slack. We really needed that."

"Yep." Sans waved. "So. Hi, Honey. Welcome home."

Frisk didn't move. That wasn't funny.

"Can we leave now?" Bratty asked. "We already did our part. This is totally interesting and all, but we're like losing customers and stuff."

"Uh, no. I need all the allies help real quick," Sans said. "Frisk. Up the stairs already."

"Best lie down for now," Papyrus interrupted. "Up the stairs, Frisk Carlisle."

Frisk went ahead and walked up the stairs and toward Sans' room. It was locked. Sans gestured to his door, and it opened.

A bed probably unfit for a human was in there, along with . . . other weird stuff she chose to ignore. Sleep was needed. She took the huge ball of covers and put it on the floor, lying down on the mattress.

After a few minutes, Papyrus came in.

"Um. Human?" Papyrus said gently. "This sure has been an exciting day, hasn't it?"

Exciting isn't the word she would use.

"Anyhow. We will have to try some things with you soon, but Asgore found out about everything before he loosened your bottom chains. But? We'll figure it out. Get some rest, and let's hope that Asgore doesn't give you away in the meantime. That would be really not so good. So? Get some rest."

Frisk sighed, trying to close her eyes.

"Sorry."

She heard a sound from behind her. A familiar sound. Flowey. "Sorry for what?"

"For everything. I was trying to do the right thing, but I can't do the right thing." He popped up over her shoulder. "Without a soul, I can never do the right thing. Whether you're good. Whether you're evil. Even if I really think I did the right thing, I just get yelled at that I did the wrong thing."

Hm? "At least your sorry," Frisk said. "At least you try." She tried to shrug. "I'm wrapped in chains, with kids I don't remember, and apparently twin skeletons inside of me, with an angry as hell king I didn't think could get any more angry threatening Sans of all monsters. Meanwhile, I feel-"

"Like your dying? You are. Sans and Papyrus are going to work on the solution though," Flowey said.

"I don't get it." Frisk looked toward the little flower. "You seem to remember the other timeline? But, you don't belong to this one?"

"I joined," Flowey said. "I can do that. I have no soul. It's a perk."

"But why are you here? Why come to me instead of staying in the other timeline?" Frisk asked. "I don't think it's smart to mess around."

"You're right. It's not, but it was made real clear to me that I wasn't welcome," Flowey said in a huff. "And you know what? I don't care. Idiot has no idea what he did driving me away, but I don't care. That's the great thing about being me. I don't have to. He could have had a perfect ending, but no. He just thought 'screw the little flower', and so? Now he's screwed. Good riddance."

Hm? "Him who?" Flowey wasn't just there because of Frisk, he was driven away by someone else?

"Only I knew it. Only I could do it," Flowey said to Frisk. "But oh no, he thought he was sooo smart. He thought he knew everything. I told him right before I left. Ha! The look on his face when I told him? I wanted to see it linger, but I couldn't. I had to go before he grabbed me and tried to change my mind."

"I? I don't understand what you are saying?" Frisk asked him.

"Never you mind. Just. Another you can be as good as she wants. She can have Toriel, Undyne's friendship, and everything in between. She can have determination, have the will to do what she can to break free. But? Without me? She'll never get a good ending. And so, around and around they go." Flowey snickered. "Say what you want about Chara, she always did have a twisted sense of humor."

" . . . who's Chara?" Frisk asked him. "Who had what coming?"

"He had it coming, and if this one doesn't watch it, he'll have it coming too," Flowey said as he cuddled up next to Frisk's side. "It's okay though, Frisk. I won't leave you. I'm more than an ally. I'm your only friend. I remember what you were like. How it was you committed genocide. The guilt. The pain. The second chance life. How Sans almost killed you a second time. It's all up here." He touched his petally head. "I'm here for you, forever. Your friend 'til the very end."

Uh. Okay. Frisk didn't know what to say to that. That's Flowey for you. She just tried to curl up to get back to sleep. Tried to get the mess that was her life out of her head long enough to find some peace.

Flowey breathed slowly as he wrapped himself around Frisk's arm. "But if he tries to take you away from me again, this one will regret it too."