"Well, hiiii, Saaaaaansy! Sansy, Sansy, Sansy." Flowey bopped his petaled head around as Sans climbed down the stairs.

"So. This is like the second time you did this tonight. And. I still don't know how I feel about the first one. So. You better have a real good excuse for doing that," Sans said, "or out the windowsill you go. And it's already getting super, super cold."

"I want to take a walk," Flowey said.

"A what?"

"I want a walk. I'm a flower that moves. Before bed, I want a walk."

"Okay, out you go." Sans grabbed Flowey by his pot. "Enjoy the windowsill and watch the snow."

"Hang on! In exchange, I'll give you advice on humans you won't find in books," Flowey added quickly. "Come on? They are kind of funny creatures. A walk in Waterfall. And, I'll even give you one advanced tip before we go?"

Sans looked toward the windowsill. Hm. "What tip?"

"Go upstairs, knock on your bedroom door, and tell Frisky that you understand she's shy and that while you're gone, she should feel free to get her PJ's on." Flowey winked. "Cause I guarantee she's already dressed anyhow. Make yourself look good."

"Huh?" He didn't get it.

"Trust me. Human women are beyoooooond shy of their bodies. Probably due to the lack of protection everywhere else. While Frisky does have determination, I think she's done enough in less than 24 hours for you. Agreed?" Flowey asked. "Come on. If you don't start off well, your marriage could really suck."

Sans made a slight groan but did as Flowey said. "You better be right about this." He knocked on the door and said the exact same thing Flowey said to, and climbed back down.

"There. Good. Now, if you weren't so pressed for time, I would say give her a week to get used to that. But, give her 48 hours?" Flowey stressed.

"Why?" Sans still didn't get it. "Shouldn't be ashamed. I don't care. Heck, Alphys wears nothing but a labcoat. She'd take it off any old day." He touched his own coat. "I could take these off any old day too. Whatever."

"Yeah, tip one? She's not a Monster. Humans are shy." Flowey groaned. "You should know that by now."

"But I'm not . . ." Was this flower really right? "But part of the reason you even do that is, you know. Personal signs you'd never hurt each other. I know some Monsters like her tender flesh but I'd never hurt her. I mean, that's what-."

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking," Flowey said. "It's Monster marriage, she should feel comfortable in certain ways with you after the Soul bearing. This is kind of disrespectful of her, yada, yada. Well, it doesn't work that way perfectly with humans! There are different things to it, Sansy. Human and Monster Marriage are very different. The way you approach them is different."

"I . . . I don't get it." Was he really on the up and up? "The longer we take, the more she'll think something's wrong."

"No, she . . . ugh. Fine, before bed, tell her to be prepared for tomorrow night then?" Flowey said. "I still suggest 48 but whatever. At least 24 is something. Now, let's go! I need my walk."

Sans took a shortcut to Waterfall, half feeling like an idiot. He was taking advice from Flowey. But, the flower did have experience with girl humans. Something that was kind of rare.

"Warm, warm, warm, warm, warm."

Oh yeah, downstairs probably got too cold for it. Well, maybe . . . maybe it could stay with either him or Papyrus at night. If it really proved itself to be good. "Okay. You better have good stuff, and no more than a few minutes. I don't want to leave with just Pap guarding the house too long."

"Fine. Tip one. Open the bathroom up to your wife and son. They are humans. They need groomed, and cleaned, and I doubt she really wants to deal with having to wait to get teleported there all the time. It's their new home. Make it feel like it."

Oh yeah. They did have to do that, and it would be a much less prisoner feeling if they could do that on their own. "I can do that. It's just always been like that."

"Yeah, it was her . . . hiding place. Anyhow. Good. Tip Two. Women like flowers. Monsters and humans, all women."

"Well, I'm holding one right now," he joked.

"Not me, not flowers like me!" Flowey complained. "Pretty flowers. In a bouquet. And I know the kind Frisky likes the most." Flowey gestured around him. "Get some small echo flowers for her, wrap the stems together, and give them to her."

Uhhh? "That sounds weird. They just repeat random stuff."

"Just, trust me. Frisky will love echo flowers. If she doesn't, don't listen to any more of my advice."

Sans shrugged, put Flowey down and grabbed a few small ones. He reached in his pocket and fished out a Grillby wrapper. He tied them together with the Grillby wrapper. "Like that?"

Flowey winced. "You know what? It's you, so fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Flowey sighed. "Last but not least. Frisky is human and as horrid as it is to Monster's ears? Tell her she can sing."

Sans didn't look as ready to try that. "You heard that stuff?"

"Tell her to sing soft. Soft songs," Flowey said. "You might be surprised how well you can handle it. But, humans have been denied song creation nearly five hundred years. Humans love it, so put up with it."

" . . . can't I just get her some Monster Music?"

"No, let her sing! Monster Music is all beats."

"Great beats."

"There is no words to it. She needs to sing. Sing! She probably won't even sing in front of you, just let her know she can sing. You don't want her to feel unwelcome, do you? If you want her to really feel like home is home, then you better make her feel home. She never could sing anywhere except her cell. Why do you think you find them all over MP's? It's the only way humans get them. Plus, it gives her determination. And, well, let's face it," Flowey snickered. "You're gonna need that, aren't you?"

"Okay, walk over. Anything else?"

"Yeah. When you hand her the flowers, say it's to 'welcome her to her new home'. Now, I guess, off back to the cold. Ugh. I can't believe I have to do this for you, Chara," he muttered.

Back in Snowdin . . .

"Hey! Hey, Babe!"

Hmm? Frisky got up from the bed and looked out the small window. Oh, not him. How did he know where she was at?

"Come on, Babe! Come on? Talk?" Conner insisted from outside. "At least share some food? I'm starving. You're not a prisoner anymore, right? Please? Help? You can't ignore a call for help, right? Not my sweet girl."

Frisky rolled her eyes, grabbed her tiny emergency astronaut candy and headed downstairs. She didn't need simple food now that she wasn't FRISK anymore. She opened the front door. "Here. Here is some astronaut candy. I can't give you anything else, Conner."

"Nothing else? Body temperature's really low out here." Conner breathed into the air, showing off his breath. "A man could freeze to death out here."

"Well, you should leave Snowdin."

"Or?" Conner winked. "You look pretty warm in those pajamas. You could always help warm me up?"

Pathetic. "Go find shelter. It's not going to be here."

"You can sneak me in the back?"

"No. Get out of here and go find shelter. I mean it. I know you have an MP."

"Aww. But, Frisky?" He breathed in his fingers. "Okay, but I'm not real far away, alright? After all, I heard you married a Monster." He winked at her. "That means you're still going to have to warm up with a man's real flesh to stay satisfied."

Frisky didn't even answer that as she shut and locked the door.

"Damn. One day I am going to get her." He chuckled as he walked backward a bit. He turned around with the astronaut candy and ran straight into a short, funny looking little Skeleton. "Uh? Coat and shorts at the same time? Oh yeah, you're the little puzzle guy."

"Uh, human?" Sans shrugged. "Didn't know if you knew this? But, that's my wife you just said that about? Okey dokey? So. Let's not say that again."

"Oh. Yeah." Conner looked up to the window. "I mean . . . of course, Sir. I'll just be on my way."

"Probably a good idea." Sans closed his eye sockets. "Probably a real good idea. Probably a better idea not to ever come back either."

"If you haven't figured it out yet," Flowey chimed in. "That's your signal to run before he opens his eyes. Moron."

"Nah. No, wait." Conner waved his finger at him. "You're Sans the Skeleton, I remember now. Someone's gotta be like LV 19 to fight. I'm not that at all," he said confidently. "Judge me if you like, I'm just level one. I'm PACIFIST. Never hurt a Monster."

"Pretty sure you should still run," Flowey chimed again.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I forgot all about that. I don't lift a finger until someone who commits GENOCIDE rolls through." Sans shoved his bony hand in his coat pocket. Feeling his empty bottle of catsup he flung it out.

"Out of catsup? I could go get you some."

"Well, what a great guy you are, huh?" Sans opened his eye sockets and they were completely dark with no sign of light.

"I told you," Flowey said. "Stupid human."

"Uh? Something wrong? Look, I don't want to fight." Conner put his hands up. "Really."

Sans closed his eye sockets again. "Hey, hey. You know what? Sounds great. Except that life for me has kinda changed, pal, and the last thing I need is someone skulking outside my home. And hey, I think my brother agrees. Right, The Great Papyrus?"

"Right!"

Conner turned and saw Papyrus behind him. "Oh. Hey? Hey there. Both Skeleton brothers, huh? So, aren't you the one who tests humans through puzzles too?"

Papyrus stared at him roughly. "Human. Prepare yourself!"

"Yeah, Papyrus isn't really that sweet until after you do the puzzles. And, I'm not a big ball of candy over here either, pal. I mean, I've got to get my new wife pregnant in a short amount of time, she's not even comfortable with me seeing her naked yet, and you're saying you want to take her away. Not a ball of laughs right now."

"Yeah, that?" Flowey said looking up at him. "That's a Monster way of talking about that! Frisky's not gonna be happy you said all that to him. And don't share it down at Grillby's either. She really wouldn't like that."

"Eww. I mean. Oh," Conner said quickly. "Yeah, uh . . . it's not my fault though, you know? Babe, I mean Frisky?" He chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah, she is the one who opened your door for me. So, you know, she's partly at fault. I can't help it if I'm good with women, can I?"

"Ooh, you are painfully stuuuupid," Flowey groaned.

"Frisky isn't at fault," Sans said. "She opened her door of her home to someone she thought needed some help. Because, that's Frisky. And you knew that."

Conner held his hands up. "Yeah, that's of course your business. Whatever magic you gotta do to shell out a kid with a human. Um, so which way out of Snowdin? Cause um?"

"This guy has clearly never been in the Underground." Flowey sighed. "And I am not repeating that same phrase again. Ever. So. Look, you idiot human! They never pulled you into an encounter. Just run and don't come back. Seriously, don't come back. This is not a good time to play around with these guys."

"Oh? Oh!" Conner finally ran away.

"What a bonehead, a complete and utter bonehead!" Papyrus complained. "Where did you go, Sans?"

"The pet needed a walk," Sans said. "Don't worry, just a few minutes." He trotted back into the house and set Flowey back on the table. "Just tell her 'welcome to her new home' with them, right? You better hope this works."

"It'll work. Just watch."

All of this seemed really strange. Was the flower leading him to doom or success? He had proved himself helpful before, and even told him the truth about Frisky being in the Underground. Is this really right? I mean, echo Flowers just repeat stuff they catch. Plus, if she liked them, she already had an echo wreath with no muttering from Toriel. And if I tell her she can keep hiding her body, then that's just going to make her feel more ashamed of it. And that's a horrible way to start this marriage thing.

He shook his head. Why were humans so ashamed of their body? He wasn't ashamed of himself. He was just bones. Alphys wasn't ashamed. Most Monsters weren't ashamed. Clothes were more of a personality attribute or necessary for the weather. The only reason he even bothered with clothes like his coats and shirts was because he always had them too. Ever since he could remember there were just tons of coats, shorts, and silly white shirts.

And the bathroom. Flowey had paused there for a second when he spoke to him. A hiding place. Why did she need a hiding place back then? Were humans really welcomed, yes or no? He went back to their room and saw her sitting by the bed in her clean, warm pajamas. She was probably getting tired.

"Okay, now it's bedtime. You get dressed?" She seemed fine. Not upset. Not blushing. "Uh. Are you ashamed of your body?" He'd ask her directly. That should help keep him out of trouble. She was clearly trying to work out what he said. Shoot, this was stupid. "You shouldn't be. I'm sure it's fine. I'm all bones myself." He shrugged. "We'll try tomorrow night. I claim the right side. It's easier to wake up when I can just roll out in the mornings."

She looked like she had conflicted emotions. One side seemed embarrassed while the other wanted to laugh. "Uhh . . . hm. Is that important?"

"Yeah," Sans said as he got into the bed. "I'm lazy. It's important I get to roll out of bed easily."

"Not. Um." Frisky sighed. "Well. I guess. Um. Uh. It is marriage."

"Uh?" Sans looked over at her. "Well, I guess I can share the side of the bed?"

"No, it's fine." Frisky laid down on the pillow. "What do you have in your hand?"

"Oh? Oh yeah." Sans looked over in his hand. He forgot about that. He handed them to her. "Here. To welcome you to your new home."

"Echo flowers? To welcome me?"

"Uh huh." Sans could feel himself getting tired fast. He felt like he could sleep at least a week, and he still had his new hours to begin tomorrow. "Don't forget the kiss on my bony cheek and . . ."

" . . . and . . ." he knew he faded off at least a few minutes. In the middle of the sentence. Shoot. He looked over toward Frisky. She was already asleep. But, there was a small humming. He looked over at the echo flowers.

There was slightly different humming in each one. It was so low most Monsters probably wouldn't have noticed it. They were way over, tied up with his Grillby wrapper to her side of the bed.

Except for one. There was one just right between them. He picked it up and listened.

"Thank you, Sans."

Oh. She did like them. Well? Yeah, well, it is the rules. Actually the do's and don'ts were more like guidelines, and things like cuddling couldn't exactly be proven or enforced. But. He dragged her hand over a little bit. "Busy day for you too, huh?" No movement. The whole marriage, barely escaping the cold with her life, and thinking her son was dying was probably a lot to take. He brought her body over closer. Heh. So, she really used to be mine? How? Not that it mattered. None of that past stuff mattered anymore. His memory had been reset, and he could never remember, even if he wanted to. Her memory had been wiped clean. There was nothing left that remained except Flowey's knowledge and a single photo.

He pulled her even closer, feeling the whole softness of her body and hair against him. "Night. Faith."

Outside the barrier . . .

"Yes, I see it. Dead ahead, not hard."

"Just go in, and straight to the lab. Don't mess with Sans the Skeleton. Don't mess with his wife or his kid."

"His stuff? It's mine."

"Nuh uh, our intel say they got married."

"Son of a-."

"Yes you are, aren't you?" Chara appeared in front of him. "You are not coming through my barrier. Of all people. You're the worst." She sneered. "Go away."

"Hang on, Sir. I've got a spirit to deal with." 04823 put up his MP back in its holder. "You must be Chara."

"Go. Away," She warned him again. "You're not coming into my Underground."

"This pathetic little shield is going to only last so long, and you can't keep me out. It's not in your programming."

"I can keep out certain Balancers, and I will keep out you."

"Balancer? But look at me?" He gestured toward his simple shirt and pants. "I'm nothing but a frail human."

"Uh uh. I got my own intel too. You're one of the original Balancer creations."

04823's eyes lit up red a second before returning back to their original color. "I'm not going to do anything bad. Just ACT. I'll wiggle. I'll flirt. I can throw sticks and play games. Show sympathy. Undecorate, be a sympathetic ear, and whatever else I have to do. I'm not going to hurt anyone." He winked his eye creepily. "I'm PACIFIST. I just need to go to a lab. That's all."

"Not happening," Chara said firmly. "Give it up." She snapped her fingers in a way she hadn't in thousands of years. "You better recognize. I ain't playing with you."

"Yeah, I see." 04823 pulled out his MP and checked her status. "Bailed out in 2000 something. Explains your weird dialect. Well, I'm 04823."

"You ain't shit, that's what you are." She crossed her arms. "You can't ACT with me. And you're not a number either. According to what I dug up, you want Frisky's determination mixed with you to create something even more powerful than my Itty Bitty. And it's not happening. She is happily where she should be. You can't pull out humans anyhow."

"There's always a way around everything. So, Chara. Seems you're fused with the barrier, is that right?" He sneered. "That's it, isn't it? It's using your own determination. Well, that's a lot of it you have. If you were still alive, I could have switched over to you. Unfortunately, I need a little more than just a soul to make my perfect little conduit."

Chara stuck her tongue out at him. "Beat it."

"You can't keep out all the Balancers. The shield isn't built that way. They still think we're just like them," he warned her. "And I will find a way in. I'll find a way. I'll get into that lab and shut you down, and then? I'm going to get my reward. Third times a charm. I've been really making great headway on plans for this third one. It's going to survive, and afterward, mommy's determination is going to be zapped away forever. It's going to be infused straight into it instead."

"Wow. You're such an idiot. If Sans even heard of you near the Underground? Nah, you'd shit bricks if you had to face him when he was angry. No resets. No saves. No continues."

"I'm strong enough without them."

"You only think so."

"Then open up and let's test it out?"

"I would but." Chara held out her hand and 04823 felt the barrier forcing him back. She was reinforcing it. "He's busy getting to reknow Frisky and being a dad to the son you took away from him. Plus, I know that's not a regular MP. I already got that data too."

"Well, aren't you smart."

"Damn Balancer. You better not try and replenish his memories while he's fighting you. That's cheating. Besides, they should both get a fresh start."

"Got a little weak spot for such a lazy guy, don't you?"

"Well?" Chara pursed her lips. "When you have several nice runs and the guy treats you to burgers and fries, and then you have to face him when he's had everything he loved taken away? Yeah, you kind of think he should get his happy ever after. And Frisky too. And Asriel. And of course, my Itty Bitty. No one's using him for evil anymore."

"Ah, so that's how much determination you have? That's how long you are staying?" 04823 figured it out. "When you don't have the determination to correct anything else, you won't have enough to keep us out anymore. Determination alone can't keep us out you know."

"When I don't have determination to correct anything else? It won't matter. Monsters won't always need this barrier. They'll integrate. They'll get out when they find the right kind of Balancers that even them out." Chara chuckled. "Wow. I haven't made a pun in years. My mom would have been proud of me."

"Good. 'Cause it doesn't matter when this thing comes down. 95452's determination is mine."

"Nah, it won't be. And also? It's not happening anytime soon. Seriously. Go away."

"I'll find a way in. There's always a way in."

"Step off!" Chara shouted. "This here's MY Underground now!"

"Fine. But I'll find a way in. One of these days. I will."