Your days had become busy.

"There's another riot on main street." The Mayor grumbles over the phone. You sigh and nod even though she can't see you.

"I know. I heard the news this morning." You say into the cellphone tucked between your cheek and shoulder. You were hurrying around your old apartment, trying to get the last of anything important.

"I heard that there's a few extremist groups that were invited by the leaders of the riot. You and Frisk need to stay out of sight today." You only hesitate for a moment at the news before you're grabbing your bags.

"Okay. We will. We were going to help out our friends today anyway. Keep me updated though. Frisk wants to hold a speech once everything cools down."

"Of course. Just let them know I don't know when that'll be possible." You both sigh.

"Thanks Ms. Bellissimo. Stay safe."

"You too." The moment she hangs up you drop your phone in your pocket.

Your apartment was nearly barren now. All that was left was the furniture. Not only did you not really need it at your new place, but you didn't want to bring too much unwanted attention. Just like the Mayor had said, it was best to lay low.

"You ready?" You look over to Sans, who'd made himself comfortable against the doorway. He doesn't try to smile at you, both of you having been over niceties months ago. With the pressure the two of you were under it was nice not having to keep up a front.

"Yeah, that should be it." You shoulder your bag and then make your way over to the skeleton. He heaves himself off the wall and holds his arm out towards you. Taking it, and feeling the familiar surge of magic, he shortcuts the two of you away.

You set your bags down in your new room. It was filled with other things you had brought from your old place but most of it was empty walls and half-hazardly piled clutter. You hadn't had the heart to clean it or put anything away just yet.

It had been months since the move.

Maybe you should do something.

...

You can't bring yourself to do anything.

You look at the piles around the room and then to the window looking out of the rest of the monster neighborhood. Not a single soul was out. Usually from this window you could hear children playing or go lucky laughing monsters. The streets were empty, quiet, daunting.

It was scary.

The place you were in was no better. Just as quiet. At least it was far from empty.

Leaving the room and shutting the door quietly behind you, you start your way downstairs. Getting through the absurdly large building you had to go past multiple hallways of closed rooms and slumbering monsters before you could reach the ground floor.

The last thing you wanted to do was startle any of the already terrified and cowering monster families hiding in their rooms.

The lobby of the building was as beautiful and elegant as it'd been the day Metaton had moved in. It was always clean, always polished, and always bolstering with excited fans and customers. Well, of course beside right now. For the past couple weeks the hotel was dormant. It was like a witch had cursed the building to sleep, laying it and whoever boarded inside to rest.

You prayed it was a peaceful slumber.

As much as you knew Mettaton loved this building, you also knew that it barely held a flame to the one he once owned in the Underground. As beautiful as this one was, it was nowhere near the original 5-star business. You remembered Mettaton's promise that he'd make this sleepy town a staple on everyone's map as he shook the Mayor's hand and took the keys.

Now here it was being used as a shelter.

You pass the check-in table, giving a small wave to the hand-woman who sat behind it. She looked up as you passed and waved her pointer finger your way as you left. Neither of you said a word.

The streets may have been quiet in the gated monster neighborhood during your walk, but they were loud on the human run side. Protesters lined the sidewalks outside the gate. Luckily the ones closest to the monster neighborhood were the more peaceful ones. Even though the groups were split evenly between for or against monsters, you knew that even the ones meaning well weren't helping. They looked more like they wanted to scream the differing opinion rather than actually help or do anything about it. They wanted a fight.

Humans always wanted a fight.

You're sure if no one had a problem with the monsters moving in, the current group protesting for them would be against them.

You and Frisk had called on the town members multiple times to raise above the heckling rioters and to work with you two in restoring peace. The so called group who were on the monsters side refused to cooperate. If anything they alerted the anti-monster groups to you trying to help and save monsters more than anyone else. They had become a raging thorn in your side. They raged the rioters to new extremes while at the same time blocking your group from being able to fully help anyone.

This town was annoying you more and more in the passing weeks. You wondered how the monsters could still see humans in such a sweet light after all they've done to hurt them in this town. Not only were they a horrible example of humankind, they were most likely a scarier show of truth about how the rest of the world would react.

Before either group can see you, you duck in between the large hedges and the walls of the neighborhood. You've been using the opening to sneak in and out of the neighborhood when Sans wasn't around to shortcut you anywhere. It was an easy enough passage to get out from the sight of the noisy protesters and it led right to the back roads left unfinished behind the community.

The moment you're out of the shrubbery you're making your way to the outskirts of town.

You bunch your sweater tighter to your body as you walk, a chill wracking through you. Though summer had just ended it always was so cold at the base of Mt. Ebott. It was usually nice, the cold breeze something you'd bask in if you decided to take a walk. You were too stressed out to enjoy it now. If anything the chill in the air felt ominous as you headed out towards the woods.

Or maybe you were just on edge. Overthinking it all.

You wish your mind would be quieter.

Your childhood home was gone.

In reality you know the memories in the building had been washed away ages ago. The house had become less nostalgic of happier times and more triggering of newer nightmares. Between the few years your father had been around and the many after plagued by your drunk and disheveled mother, your "childhood home" had become a war zone. A recurring terror that you had tried to wake from; that you had tried to ignore. At the time the only thing that kept your sanity was focusing on saving Frisk. You could ignore your own troubles and pain if you were determined to keep Frisk safe and afloat. You were needed, so you could keep going.

Your childhood home has been gone for a long time.

Maybe it was lost when you dad first hit you. Maybe it started to slip away when you noticed the cans of beer that your mom tried to hide under her bed. Maybe it when she stopped hiding them.

You think it probably was when Frisk was born. The cracks that had started to show in your family finally splintered, becoming irreversible. Whatever front your parents had held to keep face broke. It was unfair to Frisk, being born into a broken family. Any hate or brooding anger was sourly directed towards them. It hadn't helped that Frisk was different. It would've been fine if they didn't share your parents. Your parents wanted to find fault in anyone but themselves. Frisk was a perfect target. It's why you took up arms to protect them. Protect them from your parents, from people who didn't understand them. You tried to protect them from the world… from reality.

Look where it got the two of you.

Your childhood home was gone. In reality it had been torched months ago. It had been burned down along with multiple other homes of any monsters, or people working with monsters, living outside of the gated neighborhood. Now it was just a square of ash and rubble, the only things remaining were the bones of whatever had once existed. The rest was blown away by wind. It had been a massive fire.

The night you stumbled upon the bonfire, straight from the gas station, you felt a wash of relief. When the Major had said "your home", the first thing that popped into your mind was your family of monsters. You hadn't even thought of your physical home.

In some sense, at least for you, it had been a Viking burial. The flames burned away your home that had chained you down for years. Years of babysitting your abusive mother, working night and day to keep the house stable. Even when you weren't in it you still felt like the house was waiting for you to return. An ominous figure in the back of your mind, waiting for you to screw up or ruin something and then you'd have to turn around and come back to it.

But it was gone.

The relief you had felt was nearly tangible.

The same feeling couldn't be said about the homes of your friends. Along with you, there were five homes in total that had been burned to the ground.

One of the homes had been the Mayor's. She had just rushed over to your place and called you when it was reported hers had been lit. Moments after you showed up, she'd gotten another call. A fire martial reported that there was a fire blazing out in the woods, just past yours.

By the time you all had ventured out there, Sans and Papyrus's house was already destroyed. You had scooped a soot covered Frisk into your arms the moment you saw them standing outside, bathed in the orange light of the fire.

You sat in the back of the ambulance, holding a bundled Frisk in your arms, watching a piece of the Underground, a piece of home, burn and crumble to the ground.

Now it looked identical to your burned square of land.

You roll over a charred log with the toe of your boot, a wave of wind stirring up the ash and leaves that had settled.

Suddenly there's a hand settling in yours.

Frisk stands next to you, looking over the remains of your home. They meet your gaze when they notice it on them, then they smile. It's sweet and soft and full of whatever you're missing. Their smile, though silent, feels like it's an answer.

"Good morning." You whisper, squeezing their hand gently.

"Good morning." They sign, just as softly. They then pull gently at your connection, ready to go. They don't cast the remains of their home a second glance. As you follow, you wonder if they ever thought of that building as their home.

"I was going to meet you all there." You finally say, following just on Frisk's heels.

"I know. You were slow though." They snicker, grinning at you. Even after what happened, they seem happier than you've seen them in a while. You can't help but wonder how.

It's not much farther that you start hearing the sound of construction. Saws and drills, planks of wood clacking against each other. It's not until the minor clearing is revealed that you hear the voices. What greets you is something that you didn't think was possible.

Humans in their everyday clothes were swarming the beginning bones of a new home. They were just normal people, people you used to see around town. They were armed with hammers, nails, and smiles as they worked. Monsters were with them, working right alongside them.

"What is this?" You ask, confused.

"The townspeople got here right after the monsters finished setting up. They wanted to help." Frisk sends you an impish smile. "Isn't that nice?" You have to nod. It was nice.

Frisk's hand finally slips from your and they run over to throw themselves into Toriel's waiting side. The woman smiles fondly down at them before she returns to handing glasses of water to a few dirty and roughed up men and women. You spot Undyne off with Papyrus, leading the a team of amused humans in mixing concrete. On the other side of the field you see Alphys excited explaining blueprints to an equally excited woman. You had a feeling they were talking less about the blueprints but it was a nice sight either way.

Finally you see Sans.

He's by the tree line, looking as gobsmacked as you were. You slowly edge your way over to him. When he doesn't notice you, you press into his side. He jumps a bit at your presence but he sinks into you.

"Crazy, huh?" You say, looking over the group in front of you. You loop your sleeved arm with Sans's, feeling the warmth of his fluffy coat immediately. He hums lazily, tilting his head so it can rest on your arm.

"Yeah. Something like that." His arm tightens around yours. "Mayor said she didn' put 'em up to it. You believe her?" You shrug loosely. Almost immediately you spot the Mayor among the crowd. She happens to glance your way and when she meets your eyes she beams.

"Only 'cause its her." You relent. "It's nice their help you and Paps build your place."

"Mine." Your gaze is stolen from the walking Mayor at Sans's words. You give him a confused look.

"Yours? What about Paps?"

"He doesn't wanna move back in." You open your mouth to pry more but the Mayor's sudden loud hello stops you.

"Ms. Mayor." You greet kindly, meeting her enthusiastic and high energy smile with the biggest one you can muster. It barely holds a flame in comparison but it seems to make her happy.

"Ms. Ambassador!" She reaches for your hands, shaking them before lending a small nod Sans's way. He returns it, taking his head off your arm with a quiet throat clear.

"I thought you, Frisk, and I were going to be the only humans here. Can't say I'm a little surprised." You gesture towards the workers behind her. The Mayor nods and somehow her smile grows even happier.

"I thought the same! However when I arrived it seems that a few of the townsfolk thought it was a downright shame what happened to y'all. They volunteered to help all the monsters that had their homes burned down rebuild." She turned to also look out towards the people. "I knew this town held good people like you."

It had never crossed your mind that there could be good people in your town. After growing up in it you had tasted how "nice" the lot was. Emerging from the Underground only cemented how cruel they could be. But… This was different. This was a new side to them. This was…

"Incredible." You breathe quietly.

"I was thinking about something Frisk said recently. Maybe they are right." The Mayor turns back to you and Sans. "I think we should have an Anniversary for the day the monsters were freed." You feel Sans perk up next to you. "Maybe it could help bring the community together. It'll be a year in just a month, won't it?"

"It will be. Plus, I think you're right, their freedom should be celebrated." You reply, glancing down to the skeleton who was knowingly ignoring your look. "And I think it would be a nice holiday once we get everything smoothed over, Mayor."

You can just call me Bell." She says suddenly, blind siding you. "All my friends do." She says, giving you a wink and a big smile before she turns and walks off. You take note that she's heading towards Frisk, but your eyes end up going over the construction site.

You look around at the working humans and smiling monsters and for a moment you can breathe. For a moment it looks like this all could work. The town, you mean, the coexistence of humans and monsters. As scary as humans were you knew some of them were kind. You knew some of their souls bled just like yours.

For a moment, you finally smile.

Everything might just be alright.

"I'm happy." You don't know why you say it aloud. You feel you have to or it might slip through your fingers, just like it had this morning.

Sans looks up at your serene smile and then back around at the mess of people ahead of him. Something clicks for him and you see a bit of his stress weighing on his shoulders evaporate.

"Diddo." He mumbles and then lays his head back against you.

There were still rioters and protesters in the city. There were still humans that weren't understanding and were dead fast on keeping their closeted ways.

But there were also open minded people. People who were kind, just like you.

And maybe, just maybe, with a bit of determination and kindness, you all could really make it work.

For a moment, the surface feels like home.