Morning came far too soon but it came after decent enough dreams so he couldn't really complain. Alex and Papyrus were already up when he arrived laden with a breakfast tray.

"Guess who caught me in the hallway?" he announced as he closed the door.

Papyrus stood up. "It would seem Toriel did. I had asked her to put something together for me if she didn't mind when I had gone down a few hours ago."

Sans had to glance at the clock to make sure his math was right. "Couldn't sleep again, bro?" he asked around the clatter of dishes as he put the tray down.

Papyrus crossed to his side, taking over the dispersal of the meal. "I got enough. That's all that matters."

Sans took what he was handed not surprised to see Alex's portion was being passed to him as well. He crossed to the human and Alex grinned at him. He even looked better as he happily informed Sans, "I slept through the night with some rather strange dreams but I'd happily take those any day."

Sans chuckled as he sat down. "I'm sure."

Their chatter ebbed and flowed from topic to topic until the only one left eating was Alex. Sans knew the human's body had to be starving but whatever appetite Alex had was not lasting through the meal. His brother was currently distracting Alex enough that the human was still eating but it wouldn't last long.

"So," he broached carefully. "You still up to meeting Toriel?"

Alex closed his mouth around his spoon, looking at Sans. There was a pause as Alex finished off the bite before answering, "We going anywhere to meet with her or is she coming here?"

"She'll come here. So far this has been a safe enough space for you and we run less of a risk of triggering you here than we do taking you through the labs."

Alex nodded, putting his bowl aside. It wasn't empty but it was close enough. Papyrus stood and picked it up. "What time?"

"Eh, whenever your ready, honestly. I'm sure the kiddo's up now too so we'll introduce you to Frisk if you don't react negatively to Toriel's presence." His sockets narrowed. "I'm….not sure if Flowey's being brought along or not." He looked to Papyrus. "Did you check?"

"No, though from what we've been told, Flowey should be just fine. He had spent quite some time with Alex so there is very little chance that the little monster will do any harm."

Sans tipped his head. "Fair enough." He looked to Alex. "You tell us when you need to stop. We won't be able to do much if you don't speak up."

A soft smile curled Alex's lips. "Don't worry. I'll let you know."

Papyrus left with the dishes leaving Sans and Alex to talk about work. His initial statement of Alex's knowledge around the work they had been doing was untouched held true as Alex led their conversation, testing the boundaries of both of their shattered memories.

A few knocks against the door announced Papyrus's return and he wasn't alone. Sans smiled at Toriel. He heard Flowey's harsh whispers from somewhere out of sight and he assumed the kid was carrying the potted monster.

Papyrus and her were talking about something, their tone light and full of laughter. Sans was happy to see the joyous expression on his brother's face.

Sans turned to speak to Alex, that joy that had been part of his brother's disposition contagious and leaving him feeling a bit lighter. That bit of joy that had seeped into him was quickly snuffed out by the look on Alex's face.

His hand reached out before he could thing against it and he wrapped his hand around Alex's, trying to get his fingers between Alex's fist and the fabric over his heart. Alex's hand convulsed but Sans managed to get his hand in Alex's. "Hey," he softly called. Alex's wide, fearful gaze snapped to him. "We don't have to do this."

"Toriel is the safest monster to start with, Alex," Papyrus assured over Sans's shoulder, far closer than the last place Sans had seen him. Alex's gaze snapped to the other skeleton. "She will never do you harm."

"Beyond maybe your pride for the sake of your health," Sans tried teasing. Alex's gaze flickered back to him before going beyond the both of them towards the doorway. His smile fell. "Alex." He gained that gaze again and his soul hurt to see the edges of terror on that face. "Do you want me to send her off or do you want to speak with her for a little bit?"

Alex's gaze drifted back towards the door. The grip on his hand had not lessened but Sans could see some of the tension leaving the human's shoulders. "I...I can talk to her." The grip on his hand tightened. "But you guys have to stay."

He reached out with his free hand and caught sight of Papyrus reaching out from the corner of his eye. Both of them touched Alex, Sans's free hand going to Alex's cheek, Papyrus's right going to Alex's hair while his left caught Alex's other hand.

"We're not going anywhere," he reassured Alex, his words heavy with their sincerity.

"Wouldn't even dream of it," Papyrus added.

It took a moment, a breath, before Alex gave a final nod. Papyrus moved first but it seemed Alex didn't understand why the lanky skeleton was moving. Sans suppressed the wince from Alex's suddenly painful grip as the human visibibly seemed to panic. His soul hurt worse than his hand, though, seeing the terror there. Papyrus moved and sat heavily on the bed beside Alex as close to the human as physically possible.

Sans clambered onto the bed as well and squished Alex between him and his brother. Alex leaned into him, small tremors still quaking through the human's body. He intertwined their fingers and gained a squeeze for his efforts.

He looked to the door. Toriel was standing just inside the now closed door. It was hard to tell what she was actually feeling but there was unconditional love in that complex expression of hers. He nodded to her.

"May I come closer, Alex?"

The door clicked shut behind him, the weight of the handle strangely heavy in his hand. He let it go, looking to Toriel. Frisk was beside her, Flowey's pot in one arm while the kid held onto Toriel's skirt with the other. She had a hand on Frisk's head but her attention was on him.

"He's asleep," he offered, unsure if that was even her question.

"He cannot stay here, Sans," she informed him, her voice hard but edged in a strange sadness. "If he had that hard of a time with me, I fear the damage of meeting some of the more careless."

Sans let out a heavy sigh. "We'll move him to our house when he wakes up and eats something. I had hoped he would be able to weather some of it but it seems I've misjudged the amount of damage Gaster did."

He looked up when her hand rested on his shoulder. Despite the size and probably being just as heavy as Asgore's, her touch was solid but carefully light in an unconscious sort of way. It made his soul heavy at the implication. "Stay in contact. Your place is not far from the Lab and I would hate for this to do you and your brother any harm."

Sans smiled gently at her. "Pap and I'll be fine. We won't be under house arrest and we most certainly won't be doing that with Alex. I'm hoping that when he's physically stronger in a few days we'll be able to go on a walk around our little town."

Toriel nodded, stepping back. "Just let us know what you need before you leave."

"Of course, Tori. Thank you."

The ice on the door crunched and fell away when Papyrus put his weight behind forcing the door open. Sans chuckled from where he stood supporting Alex. The human was holding his own weight rather well but that was probably more due to the fact that Papyrus had carried Alex the whole way on his back than anything else.

Alex's voice shared Sans's amusement as he asked, "Does it ice over like that often?"

"No," Papyrus grumbled before Sans could answer. The skeleton glared daggers at the now open door. "It would seem I neglected making sure our home was tended to during my absence."

"Hey, as long as a pipe hasn't burst, a little ice won't hurt us," Sans spoke up, starting for the open door.

"Fair enough." Papyrus kicked off his snow-covered boots leaving them to thaw on the tiled entryway. "Kick off as much snow as you can and settle in. I'll see about getting the heat going."

A strange sensation settled into Sans's bones as he crossed the threshold. The home looked much like how he remembered it, but there were distinct differences that put him on edge. While the stairs were still on the far wall, there was a door on the other side of the TV from the kitchen's doorless door frame. The kitchen held a few differences at first glance but it was the door on the left that was throwing him for a loop. Barely paying any attention to how he was kicking his own snowy boots off, Sans quickly crossed to the door and tried the handle.

It was unlocked.

He stared at the space beyond, not daring to step further in case it suddenly vanished. He heard Alex shuffle up to his side.

"Different from what you remember?" Alex asked softly.

"Completely," he confessed. "The lab had been in the basement only accessed from the back. And it had looked nothing like this."

Alex stepped past him, entering the room and solidifying it for Sans. He still didn't dare enter. Alex wandered the edge of the room, looking at the cluttered surfaces, the things pinned to the walls, glancing in a cabinet here and there, and even looking out both windows.

He had forgotten that strange sensation of duality he had only ever experienced outside of reality. To have it now was disconcerting. But the room was right despite his lack of memory. The left and right walls were lined with counters, cabinets above and below them. There was a sizable table in the middle of the room on wheels ladent with a lot of things and the mess under it suggested it hadn't moved in quite some time. The far wall holding one of two windows - the second was center on the left wall between the counter and hanging cabinets - was covered with notes and articles pinned and taped to it leaving the window clear to be open and let in the light from outside.

It was nothing like the sublevel lab he remembered from his dream and couldn't even remember this one but it was right. There was a part of his soul that just knew this was as he had left it.

Alex picked up a random piece of paper. "When was the last time you worked in here?"

Sans shrugged, finally stepping into the room. "Your guess is as good as mine." He picked up a random piece of paper. "We'll have to ask Pap when he's done with the heater."

A low rumble filled the house quickly followed by the sound of rushing air. Both of their gazes snapped to the air vent.

"Seems like he's got it mostly working," Alex commented as Sans crossed to it and put his hand in the stream of air. It was cold.

"Eh, not quite. May take the system a bit more warming up before it starts actually heating anything."

Alex gave a hum in a sort of agreement but Sans didn't push for a stronger response. Instead, he looked down at the page still in his hand.

He frowned.

"Alex, what do you have in your hand?" he asked, quickly skimming through his page a few times.

"Something about thermal dynamics, I think?" There was a rustle of paper. "Thermo...thermo-something. It's smudged but a rough bit of it sounds rather fake. Why?"

Sans crossed to his side, his page tight in hand. He grabbed at the free edge of Alex's page and looked it over.

His eyelights vanished.

"This is Gaster's work."

When he got no response, he looked up at Alex to find the human staring blankly at the page looking dazed. He pushed at the other's arm, asking tentatively, "Alex?"

The human blinked, eyes focusing almost immediately before snapping back to him. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

Sans's soul dropped to his nonexistent gut. "I asked what you had in your hand."

Alex blinked at him again before looking down. "Had I picked something up?" Confusion distorted the other's expression. "Strange. I could have sworn I wasn't going to touch anything. What is this about?"

With every alarm bell going off in his head, he softly tugged the sheet from Alex's hand. "Something that I hadn't realized would be a problem." The silent, confused question sent his way was very clear. He offered a tight smile. "You're easily triggered right now, Alex, and I don't think consistent short term memory loss is a good thing."

"Oh."

Sans didn't blame him for the lack of words. He tucked the page face to face with the one he was reading and kept the pages out of sight. "Let me comb through this stuff before you start arbitrarily picking things up."

"Ok." A glance at him told him nothing. "Do you know where Papyrus went, then?"

He opened his mouth only to come up short. "I...no, actually. I saw him go upstairs but that was about it." He put the sheets down. "Come on. Let's go see if we can't find him real quick."

Alex closed the door as Sans stopped on the bottom step. He led the way up the stairs and found himself looking at an odd sight. Between the doors he knew that led into his and his brother's was a third door that sat wide open. He peaked in to find a bathroom. The tub he could comprehend. The toilet, not so much, though he was suddenly grateful for it. How had he forgotten about such a significant amenity Alex needed? Even Alex commented on it.

"Glad to know you guys have all the normal workings," Alex half joked. "Does the toilet actually work?"

"Don't know. Let me check." He stepped around Alex back into the hallway. "Hey Papyrus!"

"What!"

It was muffled, like it was coming through several rooms, but it was clear enough that he stepped up to his brother's partially closed door and pulled it open. There was a door on the right wall that seemed like it should lead into the bathroom. It took a minute for his brain to figure out there was actually space left for a small room behind the rather small bathroom. Papyrus's desk was pulled away from the door that was sitting wide open, a tapestry or banner of some kind draped over it as if it had been covering the door.

"Does the toilet actually work?"

There was a clunk and then a clatter before he got his brother's response. It was still a little muffled but he heard it clear enough. "It should. Try flushing it. I ran the water in the sink and tub so we have water. Now I just need to get the furnace to work."

Sans stepped back to let Alex know but before he could get the words out, there was the distinct sound of a toilet being flushed.

"The handle works," Alex announced. There was a gurgle sound. "And it flushes fully." Alex stepped out enough to look at him. "Sounds like the tank's filling, too, so we should be good."

He nodded. Looking back to where Papyrus was hiding, he offered, "Toilet works."

"Good," came back rather sharply. Another clang, this one louder than the last. "Now this thing just needs to work."

"So why forced, heated air rather than radiators?" Alex asked, coming to stand at Sans's side.

"Requires water in pipes we don't trust." Sans shrugged. "We don't mind the drier air and it's an easy system to troubleshoot. All it really requires is a pilot light and, thanks to magic, it shouldn't go out unless an outside force blows it out."

Alex grinned at him.

Sans didn't trust it. "What?"

"You remember quite a lot for not remembering much."

Sans punched him in the arm, though there wasn't any strength behind the gesture. "It comes and goes. And if I don't think too hard before I speak, I can generally recall a lot without realizing it."

"Does it stick around afterwards, though?"

Sans gained a thoughtful look as they heard Papyrus give a cheer of success. "We'll just have to wait and see."

It was no use. Despite how much old information seeped into his every day, only a scattering bit of it seemed to remain around long enough for him to realize he had remembered it. He sighed dramatically as he slumped into the couch cushions. The house was quiet beyond the hum of the heater going and the occasional page turn from Alex at the coffee table.

"You ok over there?" Alex asked without looking up from the page he was reading.

"Yeah," he sighed, grunting as he sat up. "Just trying not to get depressed from my lack of cognitive retainment of memories."

"Gesundheit."

Sans snorted. "Anyway, it's been about a month-"

"Two weeks-"

"-since we left the Lab. You still ok with seeing Grillby later?"

"Yep."

"And then Toriel and Frisk if that goes well?"

"Yep."

Sans sent the other a suspicious look and he caught the hints of a smile at the corners of Alex's lips. "Are you certain?"

Alex chuckled and put the page down. Those bespeckled eyes were full of love and adoration that it made his soul skip a beat painfully. "Sans, I haven't been triggered for over a week, I've been handling our morning walks as we send Papyrus off, and sleeping with Papyrus has kept the nightmares from returning." A pen was pointed at him in a threatening manner as he opened his mouth to make a rude joke. The grin on Alex's face was nearly savage. "And don't even think about articulating that joke, Sans. I will make your life a living hell."

A solid set of knocks landed on the door. Sans snapped his mouth shut as he glanced at the front door. He found a resolved look on Alex's face when he looked back, the edges colored by apprehension and worry but no terror, no fear. Standing, he walked over the door and opened it.

The fire elemental standing on the doorstep looked uneasy but presentable like always. A scarf was loose around the neck and tucked into the partially zipped jacket. Despite being made of nothing but flames and magic, a pair of glasses rested on a noseless face of which eyes were hard to discern there aren't glasses acting as markers.

"Hey Grillby," Sans greeted warmly, stepping back with a gesture into the house. "Come on in. Did you see Toriel on your way here?"

Sans caught movement out of the corner of his vision and focused on it enough to know that Alex was standing. There was still none of the terror they were waiting for there.

Grillby shook his head, the door shutting softly behind him. "I had not kept an eye out for them," he spoke in a blend of gestures and soulspeak.

"That's quite alright. It's best if this part is without them anyways." He looked to Alex and saw a rather familiar frown. There was no fear, no worry, and it eased a lot more weight than he had expected. "Grillby, this is Alex. Don't mind his expression. He's picking apart some puzzle."

Alex scoffed and that frown gave way to a smile. "Rude," the human muttered in his direction before focusing on Grillby with a soft smile. "Pleasure to meet you. Sans and Papyrus have talked highly of you.

Grillby glanced his way but he said nothing, letting the fire elemental take control of the conversation.

"He truly does not remember," Grillby pointed out as if he was still trying to come to terms with it half an hour later.

Sans shrugged. "Not sure what he was supposed to remember myself, honestly. Pap didn't say anything about Alex knowing of our little town or you. But, then again, I never did ask outright."

He felt Grillby's gaze on him. He pretended to be far too fascinated with watching Alex smoke on the front step through the large living room window. Papyrus was out there with him and the pair were laughing their heads off about something.

"Do you have what he has, then?"

Sans sagged into the couch. "Not exactly." He looked to Grillby and for the first time in a long time, he wondered at what his life had been before his coma, who he had been and what impressions he had left behind. But Grillby didn't seem all that different from his dream, if not a bit more present in his and his brother's life. "I have a more complete version of amnesia compared to him. I don't - voluntarily, mind you - remember anything prior to waking up from my coma and some of the things that do return don't like to stick around." He looked back out the window, watching as Alex spoke very passionately about something to Papyrus. He had the skeleton's full attention and yet all Sans could see was how pink the human's nose and cheeks had become in the cold and how bright those green eyes were. How long had it been since he had seen them so vibrant? Maybe it was the pink of the man's cheeks clashing horribly with his red hair and scruffy face that made them pop more. "In the wake of those lost memories, all I have are the memories that remained from a twisted dream." He looked back at Grillby. "If you want, Alex's got a recording of what I shared with him upon waking. It's a doozy, though, so I wouldn't suggest listening to it before bed."

The fire at the top of Grillby's head crackled and Sans got the distinct impression that the other was frowning. "That seems oddly generous for who you have become."

Sans chuckled. "As much as it may seem that I've changed, there's a part of me that hasn't." He looked back out the window just as a squeal came from outside. Alex was trying to get away from Papyrus who had a handful of snow and the back of Alex's coat and presumably shirt. "That part can't help but want to share with you what I had shared with Alex, for whatever reason." He glanced at Grillby. "Despite how much I don't remember, though, quite a bit is coming back."

Silence fell between them as they both looked out the window. Papyrus had moved away from the front step waving up the path. Alex was at the door kicking his shoes free of snow.

Sans hummed. "Toriel must be here."

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He wasn't sure how long it had been buzzing before he realized it was. Digging it out, he stared at the caller I.D. without reading it for a good few seconds before simply answering it. "Papyrus speaking."

"How is he?"

He sucked in a breath, held it, and let it go, offering at the tail end of its escape, "Not good." He stood up from his chair and stepped out of the room. A glance back assured him even his brother - head rested on folded arms on the mattress - slept through the start of his conversation. The door clicked shut behind him. "He finally woke up but he's certain it's the day before yesterday."

"Is it permanent?"

He heard so much in that question that he paused at the top of the stairs, closing his sockets against all of it. "Toriel, this isn't your fault and this certainly isn't Frisk's either."

"But-"

"Please, Toriel," he all but begged, starting down the stairs. "None of us knew he would react that way to them and there certainly was no telling how severe his reaction would have been even if we had guessed." Movement from the kitchen drew his attention. Grillby stepped just inside the living room, dress shirt sleeves rolled up and apron protecting the front. He met the fire elemental's curious and slightly concerned gaze even as he took in the fact that Grillby was untying the apron. "All we can do now is move forward."

Grillby pulled the apron up over his head when Papyrus reached the last step.

"How is Sans?"

Papyrus sighed. "Probably taking this far worse than you are - than any of us, really. He had brought Alex here in hopes of protecting him and now he's done who knows how much damage trying to help." He sat heavily on the couch, leaning forward till his elbows were on his knees and his forehead pressed against the heel of his spare hand. "At least, that's my speculation. He hasn't talked to me since I got back from work yesterday."

"Is Undyne giving you the time off you need? Do I need to talk to her for you?"

He cut in before she really got going. "Undyne's offered me more time than is probably wise." There was a soft plopping sound and he looked up to find the apron, neatly folded, had been deposited onto the coffee table. He sat up a bit straighter to watch Grillby walk around the piece of furniture to sit at the other end of the couch. "Heck, even Grillby's still here helping out and I can't even get him to leave without fear of being burned alive."

The look he got from the fire elemental was a death threat should he ever think of trying and repercussions of accusing him of such things. Despite how horrible he felt, it made him smile. He let his gaze drift away, focusing back on the conversation. "I'm a little shaken up about what happened but, out of everyone, I'm probably the least affected second only to Grillby. I'm taking the rest of today off just so that Sans can get some much needed rest. Tomorrow, I'll go in for a partial day. Undyne refused to have me do full days till we know if Alex will be ok or not and since Grillby has to go open his restaurant tomorrow, I didn't fight her on it."

"You said that Alex thought it was the day before yesterday; does he remember Grillby?"

"I don't think so. Out of one of the questions Sans drilled him with, Alex had asked if Grillby and yourself were still coming over. We're going to wait to reintroduce Grillby until after we know if the short term memory loss is permanent or not but for now Grillby's presence has been immensely helpful." He glanced at the lounging monster beside him. "He just can't stay full time. Yesterday and today were only because he was able to get a few employees to fill in for him. Now he has to fill in for them."

Grillby nodded in time with Toriel's hesiated, "Alright." There was a breath before she continued on. "You will call us if you three need anything, alright, dear?"

"Of course, Lady Toriel."

"And call me when you have more information and I will make sure the rest of those seeking after Alex's health know."

"I will." He let his head fall against the back of the couch. Grillby's reassuring touch on his arm was warm and he blindly reached sideways. His fingers found Grillby's forearm and he gave it a squeeze, the heat of Grillby's body seeping into his cold fingers. "And thank you."

"But what about-" The knock on the door drew both of their gazes from the paperwork strewn all over the living room. Alex clambered to his feet as Sans leaned backwards over the couch to peak out the curtains but the whole thing barely caused a pause in Alex's words. "-all the data that supports it? Certainly it would be worth trying out?"

Sans frowned at the gathering on his porch, a good amount of which was laughing. Papyrus was cutting through it looking for keys - if Sans wasn't mistaking the hand digging through pockets - with Grillby on his heels. "We can run the numbers but I don't want to test it till the numbers support it." He let the curtain close, settling back onto the couch. "It's Papyrus and a few others." He frowned. "Were we expecting company?"

Alex unlocked the door with a shrug. "Not that I remember."

Sans reached out and started gathering pages. A blast of cold air made him shiver.

"Good timing," Papyrus praised Alex, stomping in. There was the sound of other boots kicking off snow. "Undyne's place is out of the question for the next couple of game nights so I offered our place for tonight." A pause. Sans didn't stop in his paper gathering task. "I take it neither of you got my text."

"Nope," Alex confirmed in an amused voice. "Give us a sec and you'll have the living room all to yourself."

Papyrus scoffed. He glanced up in time to see Papyrus, two others, and Grillby enter the kitchen. "I am not about to let you two disappear into that lab of yours," Papyrus called back. "You two are staying out here and playing with us."

Sans looked to Alex. The human chuckled, rolling his eyes in feigned exasperation. Sans snickered as well.

With the last of the pages topping the tower on his arm - he shot Alphys a soft 'thank you' for her help - he started for the lab, taking one last glance at Alex in time to see Undyne clasp his shoulder.

Alex smiled at her as she asked, "So, how're you and the other nerd handling your exile from the Lab?"

"Good," made its way into the lab a bit muffled but clear enough. "Though I wouldn't really call it an exile. You'd be surprised how many people drop by."

He quickly deposited the stack poorly on the nearest flat surface and just as quickly returned to the living room making sure the door was shut and locked behind him. There were three in the living room that Sans didn't recognize beyond being Papyrus's co-workers that had begun to - carefully - rearrange the furniture. Alex still looked relaxed and amused and that eased the bit of worry that had started to gnaw at Sans. This was the first time they had so many people at once in the house.

"Th-the three months haven't hindered a-any of your work?" Alphys asked, joining the conversation that was still near the front door.

The other two Sans didn't recognize that had followed Papyrus into the kitchen were carefully carrying a partially ladened kitchen table out to be tucked into a corner.

Alex shook his head, glancing at Sans as he made to join them. He gained a nod, though it was hard to tell whether it was something other than a gesture towards him. "Sans's lab is pretty well equipped but it's not like we're doing anything more than crunching numbers and speculating. We still have months of data to go back through before we try for a final time."

"Alright!" Papyrus announced, exiting the kitchen even as the clatter of dishes continued. Grillby didn't join him so it was easy to assume that Grillby was still prepping food. "Enough chatter about work! It's time to play some games."