Papyrus' Room Later That Night. . .

Flowey crawled in through the window. It was late and Papyrus was sleeping. Next to him were the small beds for Juleyard and Al. It seemed like a good arrangement for everyone since Sans and Frisk needed private medical time. They were in mid-discussion nowadays of where they would put the other two if the barrier didn't break.

Just discussion. A frivolous conversation that didn't really matter. They hadn't even come up with names for the new ones coming. Sans and Frisk were dealing with it, the same way Flowey had dealt with his own problem. He just ignored it.

Everyone ignored things they didn't want to face, but eventually, things happened, and they had to face them.

Flowey curled himself up as tight as he could. With just a few stems, leaves, and of course his petally head he crept toward Al.

He looked back toward Juleyard. Then back to Al. He looked back to Papyrus. Then back to Al. Never really thought it would end this way. Hopefully, he was doing the right thing this time.

Hopefully.

It was so hard to tell without a soul sometimes. Flowey had to take extra steps and guess what would happen, and it didn't always turn out right. But right or not about how much this would hurt, it had to be done. Flowey was a friend, and no matter what, he would continue to be the best friend he could.

Best friend . . . til his end.

Sans and Frisk's Room . . .

Frisk woke up, hearing a knock at the door. She already watched Sans kind of roll out of bed. He was on pretty high alert that night, still expecting Asgore to show up, even though it was late. Did he even bother to sleep yet? She watched as Sans opened the door and saw Al.

"Sup?" Al asked them. He came running into the room and hugging Frisk.

"Um?" Sans went over to Al. "Bedtime was over some time ago, Pal. Why the sudden urge to hug your momma?"

"Just saying bye-bye, pop-pop," Al said to Sans. "I mean. Night-night."

No, that wasn't the kind of fussing for that. "Al, is something wrong?"

"Yeah, kind of? Can you come downstairs for a second, momma?"

Sans helped her up out of bed, and they each followed Al downstairs.

Frisk watched Al move to the middle of the room. He oddly bounced his head twice to the left, and twice to the right. "Howdy, Frisk! Just, uh, wanted to say bye. Figured I should probably tell you before I go, that this whole thing will be over soon. For me anyhow."

Wait. Howdy? Frisk? Something was . . . Frisk looked toward Al.

"Me, Frisk." Al stopped smiling. "It's me. Forgot to mention another thing your battery kids could do. Think you just figured it out."

What?

"Flowey?" Sans stepped forward closer.

"Ah, ah, pop-pop. He's still here," Al said. "Safe and tucked away. I'm just taking a little time to say bye to Frisk properly. Then I'm out. For good." Al approached Frisk. "Yeah. Little Al's soul. I feel it. I know it. I think . . ." Al scratched his head. "Nah, even with all the extra emotional baggage I can sense that's gonna happen. And it'll be a lot, I . . . nope, I was right. Good guesser. This has to be done."

"I'm sorry that I had to drive you out," Frisk said, "but be careful with Al. I wish you hadn't had done that."

"I know, and by the look in Sans' eyes, I probably don't have long anyhow. But, I've been with you for a long time, Frisk Carlisle. Before I leave? I just want one more thing. Something you can't really get as a flower." Al stuck his arms out and hugged Frisk again.

Frisk felt a strange whooshing in her tummy. She almost wanted to stumble forward. Apparently Sans saw it too.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Sans tried to pull Al off, but it wasn't going to happen yet. Some kind of transfer was beginning.

"Sans plowing you later in the pregnancy isn't gonna be enough either, and you can't be in the middle of birth and have that going on too! How's that supposed to work, for Doctor and husbanding? Papyrus gonna be there?" Al said. "No. You don't get it. They took out a lot of power for you last time on the surface, Frisk! You need real power to survive, and there's only two here that can give it to you." Al sighed. "I say bye bye to you as Flowey. Next we meet, I'll never remember. Neither will she."

"She who?" Sans demanded. "Let go!"

"You know who, Smiley Idiot. With our spirits, you'll survive my Frisk," Al chuckled. "Flowey, as you knew me? Well. I gotta go."

"What? Wait!" Frisk shouted before a beam of light seemed to fill the room.

"Umm? Shouldn't I be sleeping?" Al let go of Frisk. "Okay? I'm down here. Was I sleepwalking?"

"What? I don't . . I . . ."

"Power moves through them, like a battery," Sans said softly as he helped Frisk back up. "Flowey used Al. He. He must have discarded his other form and took Al. Then, he used Al to-"

What? What happened?

"Kiddo, beddie, now." Sans teleported him right out of the room, and then Frisk heard fidgeting in the kitchen. She went into it, to check out the sound. She watched Sans reach in the fridge chugging down a beer. Did he understand what happened? "Sans?" Frisk asked slowly.

"Just a second. Really. Just." He tossed the beer in the trash can. "Feel a little like being in there right now. Just kidding. Maybe."

"Flowey," Frisk said to him. "That whole? Did he?" She didn't want to say it. It couldn't be true. "Did he just . . ." Frisk pulled out the kitchen seat, sitting down, trying to work out what she saw. "Is he . . .?"

Sans walked over slowly. "Flowey's gone."

"It. Can't." No. Way. "But he's so. But he was even able to cross over here," Frisk started to reason. "He can go anywhere."

"He didn't." Sans came over toward her. She felt his arms around her lightly. "Flowey was nothing but a soulless flower. He was watching, every day, everything about you. He couldn't ever help though. He was right. Not that you were going to die necessarily," Sans said slowly, "cause me and Pap would have done everything to make sure that didn't happen. But, yeah. He was right that it wasn't gonna be easy. I'd be uh . . . you know, and Papyrus would be doctoring. But, it's an awkward time, birth, all that pain, you wouldn't even know."

"Sans!" Frisk didn't want to hear about awkwardness. "Flowey wouldn't let it all go in the name of awkwardness. Flowey. Flowey wouldn't. We wouldn't do that. We steered each other not to hurt to try and . . ."

"Flowey is gone," Sans said again, "but, that's not the reason I reached for a beer, Frisk." She felt his chin bone lightly on her head. "Al's got power, power I didn't know. He and Juleyard, when Flowey said battery, he meant more than I thought. He used Al's power, but more than just to take over his body temporarily. He used it on you."

"Just tell me," Frisk said. "I just want to know." Why he did what he did.

"Power flows through Al, giving and receiving. Flowey left the physical part of him behind, and became pure energy into Al's body," Sans said. "Do you get that?"

"Al shared a body with Flowey," Frisk said. She got that. What she didn't get was why her friend had to die! "I. I get that."

"Sorry. Getting a little." Sans rubbed at the tears on her cheeks. Frisk tried to back a little when he did that. "Yeah, um. So, Flowey took Al. He could only give him back at that point by putting his energy into something else. But, he had Al's power too, and when he touched you the first time? The hug upstairs? He grabbed the other hidden power in you."

Hidden power? "What hidden power?"

"Chara," Sans said.

Chara? "Did he sacrifice her power too?"

"Sort of? Frisk. Look. Neither of them really were . . . there? They died a long time ago. What made them, them? It's been gone a long time. Chara was reckt with so much LOVE, and Flowey, that guy's been through who knows how many timelines? So."

Frisk wiped her own tears away while she waited for Sans answer.

"So Flowey put their spirits basically into the new little ones in ya."

" . . ." Frisk stared hesitantly at him. " . . . hm?"

"Yeah," Sans said. "We're having Flowey and Chara's spirit reborn. I'm gonna go chug another beer here."

What? Flowey? Chara? "Flowey and Chara? They're going to be . . ."

"Not the souls, just their will. Call it personality if you want."

Frisk stared at the table as she started to feel herself lose it. She was good so far. She'd survived a lot. A bunch. She'd been good. Held it together real well. Had some downturns, but eventually got back up and dusted herself off. Got over it. Did it. It's what she did. Her determination always made sure she could get back up but-"

"Frisk!"

Frisk didn't even know she almost fell off of her chair. Her crying was becoming harder to control. "Flowey's dead, but I'm going to see him in the face of my future son?!"

"Beautiful, hang on, whoah." Sans tried to console her. "Look. I know. I get it. You were alone, and you had no one there for you. No one but a little flower that knew what you went through all those years. I'm sorry. I know how it feels to lose the closest person to you."

"But I'll see him, in my own children." Frisk didn't know what to do. She thought about walking out of the kitchen and out of the house, into the cold to get a hold of herself better. But, Sans wasn't letting go.

"I bet I'm not half as good as the flower at cheering you up," Sans said, trying to hold her. "But? I've got a perfectly good shoulder to lean on."

Frisk looked at his shoulder.

"Beats the cold out there. Pretty comfy I hear," Sans said. "If you wanna try it out?"

The cold probably wouldn't be the best for her children. And, Sans was . . . Frisk came over toward his shoulder and leaned on it. She felt his arms embrace her, with a strange clasping feel of his bony digits on her back.

After a few minutes, Sans finally spoke. "There ya go. This is what Sans and Frisk always should have been about. Would have been easier."

Frisk tightened up a second after she heard that.

"Don't wind up like a rope, Frisk. I'm not leaving you twisted in the wind," Sans tried to joke to her. "Just saying, for this bag of bones, this is more of my bag."

Frisk loosened up again. How could he hold her that well? How could he comfort her after losing the most important person in the world she knew, after she had . . . had done that to him? I shouldn't be here, in his arms. This is wrong. Someone else should be here. What was I thinking?

"Getting all tense again, Frisk," Sans said. He tried to rub her back with his digits. It felt strange when he did that. Another reminder he wasn't human, but it actually felt good. Like, his hugs were so much closer than another persons because you could feel every bone trying to hold onto you.

In that split second of thinking about that, she noticed Sans stole a look at her. Dangit.

"That again, huh?" Sans questioned her. "Frisk. Papyrus is okay now. You did what you could, I know that. Yeah, you couldn't save everyone. Nobody's perfect. I'm not holding that against you. I'm just holding you. Can I just hold you?"

I don't know. I'm one heavy package.

"I ain't so light myself," Sans said, still reading her. "Can't walk as a murderer with you, but we can both pretend to be package deliverers? Heavy and Fragile is our department."

Okay. For some reason, that actually made her crack a smile.

"Hey. There ya go. Someone's feeling a bit better," Sans said. "Now, if only that smile were an actual laugh."

Don't push it. Underground jokes were hard to laugh at.

"Well, I wouldn't be Sans without trying to make someone laugh. Kind of my goal Underground. Make sure everybody's happy," Sans said.

Even if you're unhappy.

"Especially when. Makes a guy feel better."

"You could stop reading me," Frisk said.

"Then stop thinking so much," Sans got her back. "There's no part of me that wants to come up and shoot you in the back. And naw, that's not 'cause you happen to be momma of my kids either. Got you before you could think it."

I'm so shattered. I can't hide anything.

"Then don't," Sans said.

"Flowey." Frisk had no choice, her whole body just couldn't take it. "He was always there. He always knew when I went away, he always knew what days would be the worse. If I saw him with a box of cookies or donuts he stole from the morning with a bright, big smile? I knew my day would be absolute hell, but I'd get the donuts or cookies. He was the only one who talked to me like a person. First and only to get up and greet me, and first and only to wish goodnight for so many years."

She sniffled as Sans held her tighter. "That world was hell, especially as just a child. I only powered through because of Flowey. The kids, it gave me more of a reason to get through, but before them? Without him. Without that one person there, even just a soulless flower saying 'Howdy, Frisk! Gonna be a tough one. Good luck!'. I couldn't have done it. I was never alone, yet I was always alone, except for him." The soldiers. They always watched but never spoke to her. If they did, it wasn't with kindness. "The kids. Even after doing that to me, I couldn't bring myself to hate him. I understood why he did it, even if he couldn't."

"Wasn't bad," Sans finally said. "Just, soulless. Couldn't tell bad from good. Had his own course he tried to follow. Not knowing right from wrong through emotions is like wandering down a deep, dark hallway you've never seen before. Somehow, he still knew what he wanted, even if he couldn't navigate it perfectly."

"That was my Flowey," Frisk finally agreed. "No flashlight in the dark."

"Well, now it's completely dark where he's at," Sans said. "But? A part of him, is gonna be a part of one of our kids."

"A new part of him. That has a flashlight."

"And . . . the thing that ended timelines too. Yippee. I guess."

"Yeah," Frisk said slowly. "Their wills."

"Yeah. Feelin' a little better or you want Ol' Sans to hold you longer?"

Frisk smiled slightly. "Think I'm better." Look at him. After everything I've done, he can still be good. He's got no tongue, how does he kiss? That thought just shoved itself seamlessly into her head, but she wasn't sure he read that one. He had started to look away a little more by that point. Please don't have heard that. Don't say that Frisk, maybe he'd hear that. Oh, shut up. "I-I'm better," Frisk settled on, pulling away.

"Okay. So, um?" Sans gestured behind him, outside of the kitchen. "I'm gonna have to do something, Beautiful, and it's not something you need to view, so you can go lay back down. Uh. Probably look in on ya upstairs, but that's about it. It's real important though, especially now. The souls of our kiddos, they aren't Flowey or Chara. It's just their spirit or will. So. No need to go telling Asgore about any of that."

Yeah. Frisk nodded, understanding wholeheartedly. If Asgore found out what happened, that Frisk was bearing the spirits of Chara and Flowey, he would most definitely take her back. Even now? What about now? Flowey was gone, there was no one left to understand her, just Sans. She was finally getting used to Sans for support, what if- "What if telling Flowey to leave wasn't enough? Sans, I really don't want-"

"I'm taking care of it now. I need you to wait here. Like I said, we're probably gonna look in on ya once." Sans helped her sit back down. "He's gonna make sure you look genuine about it."

About it? "About what?"

"About Flowey's loss," Sans said.

Oh. "You're gonna call Asgore and tell him you killed Flowey because he came back, aren't you?" Frisk already knew.

"Not in front of you," Sans said. "Wouldn't do it in front of you. Won't be that cold about it either. That's not me."

Yeah. She knew that. Still. "How much of . . . of our son will he be like?"

"Who knows?" Sans said. "For all we know, his spirit could be inside a girl. Maybe it'll be nothing like him. Maybe it'll be everything like him. This kind of thing? It's never happened before in the Underground. There's never been a transfer of magic that could happen that way. Not 'til Al and Juleyard came down. Man, they got some power."

"Okay," Frisk said. "But. What of the babies now? I mean. This whole thing."

"It's been two months, Frisk. They ain't developed much yet. If Flowey was gonna do something . . . it'd have to be soon anyhow. Me getting him kicked out was just the catalyst to make him do this." Still, Sans sighed. "Still, that energy might have sped things up a bit. We'll watch you carefully, okay?

"But? All that . . . LOVE?" Frisk questioned. "Chara?"

"LOVE couldn't go. I bet it was spread out to every monster Underground." Sans looked at his own hand. "It shouldn't give more than maybe six points or so. Even I feel a bit more powerful." He patted her on the back. "Come on, Frisk, let's get you back to bed. I'll get Papyrus up and handle this, okay?"

"Don't let the children wake up," Frisk warned him.

"Yeah, I definitely got that," Sans said as he steadied her as she got up. "Last thing I want is for them to hear me."

He went upstairs with her toward the bed, and even helped her down in it. Frisk watched as he grabbed his collection of socks from a corner. Uuh? "Washing?"

Sans chuckled like him actually doing laundry was a joke, but stifled it. "Nah. Just get some rest."

Papyrus yawned as he got up. Sans had knocked on his door and telepathically battered him to get up quietly, but not to wake up the skelekids. He yawned again as he went downstairs. Well, this is new? Nesting behavior? Papyrus had been reading up on family. Sans was currently cleaning the floor, bringing dirt out of the crevices and gathering it in the center. "I applaud this action, Brother."

"Uh, hey Bro?" Sans then went to the couch and . . . started to shake his socks out on top of the stack of dirt? "Kind of there, need a little bit more."

"Um?" What? "Sans, what are you doing?"

"Asgore," Sans said to him. "Gonna have to have him justify a death."

A death?! "Are you sure?" Papyrus asked. He looked at the floor. "Are you cleaning because of . . ."

"Dust. Sort of," Sans said. "Don't worry, I'll take the trash out soon."

Oh! "I feel like regurgitating! If I could regurgitate!"

"Nah, remember? Quiet. Don't let the kids wake up," Sans warned him again. Sans dipped down and got more of the dust off the floor.

"Uh. But, who?" Papyrus asked. "I mean, how?"

"Flowey," Sans said softly. "He came back for Frisk. He was mad," Sans said, "and I didn't like the way he was acting. I took action." Sans cleaned up all that he could in the corners, tossing it in the trash. "I told Frisk. She knows. She's . . . hurting, but I couldn't let some little evil flower try to weasel its way into here."

"Sans." Papyrus couldn't believe it. "I know it was . . . not the best flower."

"I did what I thought was best," Sans said again. "Look? I didn't want to lose her, and I don't know everything that he could have done. Honestly? I thought he'da ducked or something. I was just showing that he couldn't take them. That's all."

"Oh." It was an accident. "I'm sure King Asgore will see that." Papyrus sighed. "Tis a sad fate when such a terrible thing happens Underground. How is Frisk?"

"Hurt, but she understands what happened," Sans said. "She's trying to be brave, like she always is, but she's hurting."

"I'm sorry, Sans," Papyrus finally said. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I know you are the last monster who ever wants to hurt another. You never like to get into fights."

"Not really," Sans agreed. "I had to do what I had to do."

"Yes you did, and I don't blame you. I know you, there probably wasn't a choice. It's not the size of the monster that counts," Papyrus said. "It's the intentions."

Sans nodded as he watched Asgore step through the door. Right on cue. Of course, Sans knew he'd show up in the middle of a sleeping schedule, deep into it. There was no reason to call. "Majesty. Just about to call you. Something happened." Sans finished throwing the dust in the trash.

"I see something serious happened?" Asgore asked. He looked toward Papyrus.

"The flower is gone," Papyrus said. "It didn't take the hint. Sans tried to go easy? It was an accident?"

"I didn't mean to," Sans added as he put the broom up. "I hit it like normal."

"He was after Frisk and your family?" Asgore questioned. Sans nodded. "Then, your emotions would be making your hits harder, Sans. There's no accounting for how much stronger that hits." Asgore came over and looked in the trash can. He took his muzzle away quickly. "Yes. That's definitely the dust of a monster." He waved his hand in front of his muzzle. "The ruins almost still smells like that. Putrid. Undefinable. Death."

"Yeah. I've been told that to," Sans said. "I gotta take the trash out. Should I . . . do something else with it?"

"Normally . . .I see it's already mixed up. Well." He didn't look so pleased. "It will eventually find it's proper way through the winds," Asgore said. "Although this event is tragic, it has really shown me something important though."

"What's that?" Sans asked.

"Well. You are a very supportive father. You take care of your family, you cope with your family, and when hard times come with hard decisions, you make them for your family." Asgore nodded to Sans. "You are an excellent family monster, Sans. I am sorry this happened to you, but every fight a monster enters, always has a potential for death."

"I know," Sans said. "Better get that trash."

"Yes. Um. How is Frisk?" Asgore asked.

"She's upstairs. Hopefully sleeping," Sans said. "If you want to crack the bedroom door and see her, go ahead, but don't talk to her. She's . . . I killed her best friend tonight," he stated. "Even if she knows I had to fight back, and even if she understands what happened. She's not ready to talk about it yet."

"Yes, I understand that." Asgore tiptoed upstairs with Papyrus behind him. "Your dear Brother. I am very sorry for what happened."

"This will haunt him," Papyrus said. "This wasn't good at all for him."

"A good family monster always does what is needed to protect his family. There was no accounting for the extra power his emotions gave to him. No punishment will be given, no worries, Papyrus." Asgore moved toward Sans' door and opened it a crack.

Underneath, Frisk's eyes were puffy, and she seemed to still be trying to calm down. She looked toward the door and noticed them. She looked away, trying to stifle her noise even more.

"Sorry for your loss," Asgore said as he shut the door. Yes, the poor girl. That level of sorrow, it wasn't faked. Asgore thought Sans might have tried something to try and keep Frisk after he heard about the Temmie incident. Which was fine, it showed how much Sans would have wanted to keep his family. How much he cared. Asgore saw it as a positive. But, this?

This wasn't faked. That sorrow was absolutely real. And the smell of monster dust? What else could make that rancid smell except for monster dust? Asgore moved back downstairs. "I will make note of this, Sans. He wasn't a well-known monster, but every monster big and small is accounted for," he said. "No punishment will be given out, this was an emotionally charged battle. So. There's just one more thing we need to discuss. An incident with a Temmie."

"Really need to take out this trash," Sans said.

"Just hang on." Asgore held his paw up. If it had been that important, Sans would have done it by now. "I don't want you to feel worried about it, okay? I know that the Temmie wanted to trade, so to speak," he said. Clearly from this action, Sans didn't need any kind of trial. Asgore would give him room. "I know that last time I was here, things came out a little harsh. Memories seem to hit harder. Feelings hit harder at precise moments," Asgore said. "Frisk is making up for her mistakes, not you."

Sans seemed to be listening now.

"The Temmie simply wants taken care of, the way she should have been. Without a husband, there is no one to watch over her. She has experienced a loss, and she has no way of knowing how her children are faring," Asgore said. "If one of you agree to be her doctor, check up on her, feed her and generally help her get back on her feet? I believe that will suffice."

"I can do that!" Papyrus said from behind Asgore. "I can easily do that! I am a very good coach. I can get others back on track in life, and I am a very good doctor too. I could ease her mind. Get her food. She will be fine!"

"I figured so." Asgore smiled at Papyrus. He looked back at Sans. "Is that fine with you?"

"Y-yeah." Sans seemed a little stunned.

"Good. Now I will leave you for the night. Good day gentlemen." Asgore started to leave.

"Uh? One more thing," Sans said. He followed Asgore outside with the trash can, following behind him. "About Frisk's work. Her condition's kind of delicate."

"I did the best I could," Asgore said. "At the time, I gave her every opportunity I could. Her allies can even make as much as they want for her. She should be eating fine for days, especially with Grillby burgers."

"Yeah, naw, not that," Sans said. "I mean. Doctor Papyrus and I? We've noticed some, uh, changes in her. I just, I don't think she should be gone too long from my power is all."

Oh? "That bad?"

"It's kind of delicate, yeah. Um. Don't think I can go a whole day without a transfer, and really think I should be near in case anything happens."

Oh. "Well, what is it you need, Sans?"