Chapter 19: Restoring Hope-Part 4

The happiness Toriel felt at having her first two children back could be felt by everyone who sat down at the goat woman's dinner table to enjoy a delicious meal she cooked in honor of her first son and daughter.

Chara was sitting next to Frisk, smiling as he was telling her how he had escaped an abusive home and had fallen down into the Underground. Carmen had been the one to find him and introduce him to Toriel, who he had at first been a bit wary of, but the goat woman's motherly love won him over, especially after he saw how the others were so happy.

"We're all lucky to have her as our mom," David said. "I was scared of her when I first met her, but after she helped me recover from my injuries, I saw that there was no way she could be evil, cause an evil monster wouldn't help someone, especially someone who was from the race of their enemy."

Julie smiled. "Mommy lets me have fun," she said. "I wasn't allowed to do so on the surface."

"I was stealing food from her garden when Nathan found me," Sarah said softly. "He convinced me to meet Mom so that she could heal my injuries."

"Julie found me after I had fallen down due to my injuries I had received from the surface," Thomas said. "I was in so much pain and then Mom came and she healed all my injuries."

"Mom found me outside and hiding when I saw her and invited me in to eat," Nathan said. "And then Julie, Thomas, and David invited me to play with them." He smiled. "I've been with the family ever since."

Carmen smiled. "I found Julie when she had nearly fallen into a hole and brought her home. Mom offered me a place to stay after learning I was escaping my biological mother, who hurt me."

Frisk nodded. "Even though we're down here in the Underground, we've never been happier," he said truthfully. "To go from bad homes to being accepted with open arms by Mom and then the others has been like finding the family we've always wanted."

Asriel smiled. "I'm glad there's at least some humans that are accepting," he said. "Maybe the surface world will change someday."

Chara shrugged. "Well, until then, I'm just glad we have more siblings and that our whole family is here," she said.

"Hey, we should have a sleepover!" Julie said excitedly. "We could camp out in the playroom."

"I like that idea," David said. "I bet Mom would let us."

"Let's ask," Carmen suggested.

They waited until after dinner and after helping their mother with the dishes. "Mom, can we have a sleepover in the playroom?" Sarah asked hopefully.

Toriel smiled. "Of course you can, my children," she said, hugging them all. "Don't stay up too late, though."

"Okay," Asriel said and the others echoed his agreement.

Later on, in the playroom, they were all giggling and laughing as the girls pretended they were being held captive by wicked trolls and the boys were pretending to be the galiant knights that were there to fight the trolls and save the girls.

"Look! There's one there!" Julie cried out overdramatically, pointing in a certain direction.

"Quick! Our magic shields!" Chara said and the girls grabbed some blankets, pretending they were shields.

"Quick, my brothers! Our swords!" Thomas said.

The boys held up their play swords and 'attacked' the trolls while the girls cheered happily.

After a bit, they finally settled down, placing their sleeping bags close to each other. "This is totally the best night ever," Sarah said.

Asriel looked up. "Do you guys accept me and Chara as your siblings?" He asked hopefully.

"You bet we do," David said before looking hopeful. "Do you and Chara accept us as your siblings?"

"Yes," the red-eyed girl said, smiling. "You not only helped Mom, but our uncles and aunts too." She then looked thoughtful. "Maybe...Maybe you can help someone else too."

"Who?" Julie asked.

Chara smiled before letting out a tired yawn. "Someone we know," she said before placing a hand out with her palm facing downward. The others stacked their hands over hers and each others, smiling at each other before bidding each other goodnight, falling fast asleep, feeling sisterly and brotherly love between them all.

After the joyous and peaceful night, with the nine children somehow waking up early the next morning despite staying up a bit later than usual, they were all eating butterscotch pancakes for breakfast when Chara looked up at her mother.

"Mama, where's Daddy?" She asked.

"Yeah," Asriel said. "Isn't he here?"

Toriel gently shook her head. "I haven't seen him in a while," she admitted. "Not long after we had learned of what had happened, I began coming to the Ruins to cope and finally stopped going to the castle, simply making the Ruins my home."

She paused before sighing. "Then, when David fell, I took him in and grew worried that if Asgore knew about a child falling...he might change his mind about the humans."

"What do you mean, Mama?" Chara asked.

The goat woman looked a little pained. "Your father deemed that no human was good and that we should avoid humans altogether," she said. "I doubt he would have raised his trident against a human, but after the tragedy, I didn't want to risk David's life, so I kept him and the rest of your siblings a secret from everyone, until the day that Gaster appeared in Julie's room."

"And then in my room," Carmen said.

"When I felt the magic was familiar, I took a leap of faith and told Sans, who held the position of Judge, though he rarely ever used that power," Toriel continued. "I knew that if he met your siblings and deemed them good, then I could trust him to not only keep them safe, but to help the others see that there were still some good humans like you, Chara."

The red-eyed girl smiled at that. "I'm glad," she said. "And I'm glad to be back."

"Me too," Asriel said.

Carmen looked a bit pensive. "Would Asgore accept us as his kids too, if he knew about us?" She asked.

"I don't know," David said, looking pensive too.

A knock came to the door and Toriel went to answer it, smiling as she let Grillby, Sans, and Papyrus in and invited them to stay for breakfast, which they accepted.

Chara gasped as she saw them. "Uncle Grillby!" She said happily, hoping out of her chair and running up to him. The fire monster smiled as he kneeled down and caught her in a hug, lifting her up into his arms.

"Oh, little firefly," he said. "You have no idea how much we missed you."

"I can guess," she said, hugging him.

"Hey! Where's my sansational hug?" Sans asked, making the red-eyed girl giggle and reach for him and he accepted her from Grillby, hugging her.

"Ugh, Sans. It's too early for your puns," Papyrus said in exasperation before feeling arms wrap around his knees and he looked down to see Julie and Nathan grinning up at him. Chuckling, he scooped them up into his arms. "Good morning, my nieces and nephews."

"Good morning, uncles," they all said, hugging the two skeletons and fire monster happily.

Gaster appeared before them and he smiled. "Forgive me for intruding," he said. "But I have some good news."

"Yes?" Toriel asked curiously.

The scientist skeleton smiled. "Asgore's been asking about you, Toriel," he said. "He misses you and hopes you are well."

She smiled before looking pensive. "I...I do want to return and bring the children," she said, looking up at him. "Do you think...he'll accept me back?"

Gaster chuckled. "Believe it or not, he asked me a similar question," he said. "He asked me if I thought you'd want to return to the castle and be his Queen again."

The goat woman felt tears fill her eyes that despite them being separated for so long, her husband still loved her. "Technically, I never stopped being his Queen," she said with a smile. "But...my answer is yes to him."

"I think he'll be happy to hear that," the tall skeleton said before feeling someone gently tug on his cloak and he looked to see it was Frisk, who looked a bit afraid. "What is wrong, my little nephew?" Gaster asked, kneeling down to the boy's height.

"Well...we're a little scared," the boy replied hesitantly.

That made the other monsters look up. "Why are you children scared?" Grillby asked in worry.

"Well, will Asgore accept us?" Thomas said softly.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "If he thinks that monsters need to stay away from humans, he may not even want to see us."

The other five children looked sad at that and Papyrus shook his head. "I think he'll be overjoyed," he said. "To not only have his first children back, but to now be a father of nine children."

"Pap's right," Sans said. "While Asgore felt humans wouldn't understand, he's got a big soft spot for kids."

"That he does," Grillby said, recalling when Asriel had been born and when Chara had been adopted into the family. "He'll be thrilled to have Chara and Asriel back and he won't turn you children away. After all, you seven are the reason that not only they, but Gaster, could return back to us."

"Grillby's right," Toriel said with a smile. "I remember when Asriel was first born. Asgore was so worried about being a father until he first held Asriel. All of his doubt vanished then."

"Just as my doubt did you and Daddy adopted me, Mama," Chara said.

"Yes," the goat woman said, smiling at her first daughter.

David nodded. "Mom's never lied to us and neither have our uncles," he said. "If they say Asgore will accept us, I believe them."

Sarah nodded. "Me too," she said.

Julie looked a little unsure. "What it's like to have a Daddy?" She asked.

"It's the same as having a Mom," Asriel said kindly, knowing his littlest sister hadn't had real parents before.

"Daddies are protective and keep you safe, just like Moms do," Chara said. "Uncles are playful and fun and Aunties are cool."

"Actually, they're all cool," the goat prince said as an afterthought.

"Just like you kids," Sans said with a smile. "Hey, Tori, what do you say we all go and surprise Asgore after breakfast?"

"You read my mind, Sans," she said, smiling.

After breakfast, they began the journey to the castle, passing through Snowdin first, where the inhabitants greeted them with waves and smiles. At Waterfall, they met River Person, who had been on his way back to his boat and had stopped in surprise at seeing not only the royal children, but Toriel as well. "This a truly happy day," he hummed pleasantly as they stopped in front of him, his words sounding like musical notes. "The return of Queen Toriel, Princess Chara, and Prince Asriel, along with the arrival of seven new princes and princesses." He bowed to them, making them all look at him wonderingly while the monsters chuckled.

Toriel stepped forward. "It's good to see you again, River Person," she said with a smile. "We're on our way to see Asgore right now."

"He has been waiting for you," the cloaked being hummed. "Many blessings and good wishes to you and your children, my Queen."

"Thank you," she said graciously before they continued on, passing through the rest of Waterfall and into Hotland. Alphys was happy to see them and went with them as she had some files for the king that he had requested.

"I-I'll w-wait to give him t-these," the dinosaur said. "A r-reunion is more im-important than files."

The children hugged her, to which she returned the hugs and they continued on, soon coming to the castle and entering, heading to the throne room. Undyne had just come out of the throne room and saw them, smiling at them and winking at them with her good eye. "Go on," she said softly.

The seven fallen children looked pensive before taking a deep breath and going inside with Toriel behind them. Chara and Asriel held back a little, hiding behind their mother as they wanted to see their father's reaction to their siblings.

Asgore heard them come in and he looked up from a scroll he was reading, his eyes widening as he saw the seven children and Toriel. Standing up from his throne, he set aside his crown and walked down the stairs, seeing the children look a little afraid. "Hello, little ones," he said, his deep voice gentle. "You needn't fear me. I won't harm you."

They looked at him curiously and he smiled gently. "While humans have hurt monsters in the past, the monsters would never stoop to their level, nor would we monsters ever harm a child," he told them.

The seven looked relieved to hear that and Chara and Asriel grinned before stepping out from behind their mother. "Daddy," the red-eyed girl said.

Asgore froze when he heard her voice and looked up to see both his first son and daughter standing beside their mother. Tears began to fall down his face. "Chara. Asriel," he said, crying unashamedly as he held his arms open and they ran into his arms, hugging him as he held them in a warm hug. "How?" He managed to choke out.

"Our new siblings saved us, Dad," Asriel said.

"They helped us and Uncle Gaster return," Chara said.

"It's true, my love," Toriel said, coming forward.

Asgore stood up after setting Chara and Asriel down beside him and he embraced his wife, more tears falling down his face. "Toriel, my love," he said.

"Oh, Asgore," she said, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."

He shook his head. "I knew you would return when you were ready," he said before turning to the other seven children and kneeling down, holding his arms open to them. "Welcome, my sons and daughters."

David was first to react and he went up to Asgore, hugging him. Julie followed her brother's lead and the other five followed suit, hugging both each other and Asgore, who looked at them all. "Thank you, little ones," he said. "You have brought our family back together again and restored hope for us all."

"You're welcome...Dad," Carmen said and her siblings echoed both the statement and the title, hugging their new father, who hugged them back, overjoyed to not only have his wife and first children back, but to also be the father of seven more children who were the reason for restoring the first two children and Gaster.

One week later...

It had been a busy week at the Castle as Toriel and the children moved in and everyone was getting ready for two celebrations, one being the King and Queen getting back together again and the other being the two adopting the seven fallen children officially. Gerson, Asgore's oldest friend, had been asked to oversee the reunion and adoptions, which the old turtle had agreed to. He now stood tall with his hammer beside him as the throne room was filling up with guests and the music began.

Asgore walked up the aisle with Toriel on his arm and she smiled at him as they stopped before Gerson, who smiled at them. "Queen Toriel, do you feel the same way you did when you were first married to Asgore?" He asked.

"I do," she said truthfully.

The turtle looked at his old friend. "King Asgore, do you feel the same way you did when you were first married to Toriel?" He asked.

"I do," the male goat said truthfully. "I've never stopped loving her, even when we were apart."

Gerson smiled. "Then, I am pleased to announce the reunion of not only the king and queen, but of husband and wife," he said. "You may both kiss."

The two kissed and the throne room erupted into happy cheers before Gerson gently motioned for quiet and the other monsters respectfully grew silent. "And now, would the royal children please come forward?" He asked.

The monsters smiled as the nine children came forward, looking a little pensive, but happy. Chara and Asriel went and stood by their mother, giving their siblings encouraging smiles. The seven fallen children stopped before Gerson, who smiled at them. "Carmen, Julie, Frisk, David, Nathan, Sarah, and Thomas," he said. "You have done great things beyond what some humans would have dared to do. Restoring not one, but two families torn apart by tragedy, and restoring hope for the entire Underground."

Everyone was quiet as he held up a paper. "Would you seven please sign your names here?" He asked.

One by one, the seven children did so and he nodded before looking at the king and queen. "Asgore? Toriel?" He said.

Smiling, they signed their names to the paper and Gerson's smile grew. "I'm pleased to present the new princes and princess of the Underground," he said. "Presenting Princesses Carmen, Julie, and Sarah and princes David, Nathan, Thomas, and Frisk."

The monsters cheered and clapped happily, bowing to the royal family in respect before the food was brought out and the celebrations began, happiness filling everyone.

Well, it's been quite a journey, yes? :) Next chapter is the epilogue.

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418