Dark Corners

Chapter 4.

The process continues.


Toriel rubbed her temple as she tried to make sense of what Frisk was saying.

"Frisk," she questioned, very perplexed, "what do you mean you...left so 'Daddy would not have to be a daddy anymore'?"

Frisk looked on, displaying his famous determination.

"Everything Daddy did was for me," Frisk related, "there was only one bedroom in our home, so, when I was a baby, we shared it, but, when I turned five, Dad let me have the room to myself, while he slept on the couch. We didn't always have a lot of food, but, I never went hungry; every time he made me food, Dad would say that he didn't need any, because he already ate...but, I know he didn't, I know he'd skip meals often just so I could have more to eat..."

"Frisk-" Asgore tried to say.

"I'm not done!" the human boy interjected.

Asgore flinched in response.

"Daddy worked hard," Frisk continued emotionally, "he worked so hard, so often, and he would always come home exhausted and sore, covered in cuts and bruises, sometimes even with a black eye or a bloody lip, he'd try to hide the injuries, but, I saw them!"

All were silent for several seconds.

"One day when he came home from work," the human boy went on, "he went in to take a shower, I heard him hissing, gasping, like he was really hurt, then I found that he forgot to lock the door. I opened the door, just a little, and Daddy was facing the opposite direction, when he pulled his shirt off, I saw...his back...was just...covered in horrible bruises and scars, old and new, gashes that were still bleeding, it looked so painful. I shut the door before he knew I was there."

Frisk stood up on his chair.

"Anytime I asked where he got his injuries," he told them, "he would say that he got them from work, because, he worked so hard."

The human boy shook his head.

"That day I saw his back I decided," he professed, "he works so hard, because of me, well, if I'm not here, then he won't have to work so hard and get hurt all the time, give up food, sleep on that hard old couch, just to take care of me!"

Toriel closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief, while Asgore just looked on, dumbfounded.

"If I went back," Frisk said dismally, "then I'd have climbed Mount Ebott for nothing."

"What...were you gonna do on Mount Ebott?" Asriel asked.

"Live there," Frisk answered, "anytime someone brought the mountain up, Dad would say that it's probably a lot safer than where we lived."

Asriel sighed in relief, having expected a far worse answer.

"Where was your dad when you ran away, Frisk?" Toriel queried.

"...Working," Frisk answered, "he was gone for a long time, so, while I was alone, I wrote a note for him, climbed out onto the fire escape, then walked through the back part of town until I reached the wilderness and kept walking until I reached the mountain."

"What about your mother, Frisk?" Asriel wondered.

"Yes," Asgore chimed in, "you said both your parents were alive, where was your mother all that time?"

Frisk sat back down.

"I don't know," he sighed, "I don't even know her, I've seen her, but, Dad didn't like talking about her and if she ever came over Dad would tell me to lock myself in my room until she left, I don't even know her name, but, Dad surely does."

"So she did not live with you." Toriel figured.

Frisk shook his head.

"Frisk," Asriel quizzed, "what's your daddy's name?"

"Mettle," Frisk answered, "Mettle Thole."

"Oh, that's different," the goat child responded, "but, still nice."

"Everyone had rare, strange, all-around unheard of names where we lived." Frisk said.

"So your last name is Thole?" they heard.

They looked and saw Sans standing in the doorway of the living room.

"How long have you been there?" Toriel questioned.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything," the short skeleton said, "but, I could hear everything from the living room."

"Well," Frisk affirmed, "yeah, my last name is Thole, I just...never felt like bringing it up, since I've been aiming for a new life."

The family was silent for a moment.

"But, I really wanna be Frisk Dreemurr," the human boy professed, "I love you all so much!"

"We know," Asgore assured him, "and we love you too, Frisk."

"But," Toriel inquired, "why are you afraid your daddy will get in trouble, Frisk?"

"Because of the home evaluation...and then those questions," Frisk expressed, "at first, I was worried that the social worker would find something wrong here, even if it was one little thing, and deny the adoption. But, as soon as she mention 'biological parents', I immediately thought about my old home...it was...almost the opposite of here, if it had an evaluation it surely wouldn't have passed, my Dad probably wouldn't have passed, I was scared that if anyone found out, it would get to the authorities and my Dad would get in trouble...even though it wasn't his fault at all."

"Kid," Sans asked, "I hate to make you repeat yourself, but, just tell me, did your dad ever hurt you?"

"No," Frisk asserted, "he never even yelled at me."

"Did he ever neglect you at all?" the short skeleton added.

"No," the human boy answered, "like I said, I never went hungry, Dad always made sure I showered and brushed my teeth before I went to bed, whenever he wasn't sleeping he spent all his time with me, we didn't go outside often, Dad was nervous about taking me around our neighborhood, but, we spent plenty of time together at home. When I was too little to be left alone, when he went to work, he had close friends of his keep an eye on me until he could come home."

"Well then," Sans said, "if your dad didn't abuse you in any way and made a legitimate effort to take care of you, then I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Frisk," Toriel quizzed, "do you remember where your old home is, your address, that is?"

"Y-Yeah," Frisk replied, "I couldn't forget it if I tried."

Toriel then got up from her chair, walked over to the fridge, and tore a note from the notepad stuck to the fridge, then she grabbed a pen off of one of the counters and returned to the table, setting the note and pen down in front of Frisk.

"Write it down." she advised.

"Huh?" the human child responded meekly.

"Frisk," Toriel told him, "we want this to be official, but, in order for us to be your adoptive parents we need the consent of your birth parents."

Frisk looked on tensely, but, soon relented and wrote the address down on the note paper.

"Hopefully he still lives there." the human boy stated, handing the note to Toriel.

After getting the note, Toriel went to the door leading to the backyard, where Alice Stein was waiting.

"Miss Stein," Toriel called, "we are ready to move forward with the process."

Alice approached the door.

"Frisk has provided us with his old address," the goat woman revealed, "so we can discuss with his birth father."

"Excellent," the social worker replied, "now, should the adoption be greenlit, this will be the form both of you with need to sign."

She pulled a document out of her folder and handed it to Toriel.

"With signing this form," Alice explained, "the biological parents would be legally giving up their parental rights and you would be taking up your rights as Frisk's legal parents."

"All right," Toriel voiced, "Asgore, get in the car, we are going to Frisk's old hone right now."

"Can I come along?" Sans asked.

"Why?" Asgore replied curiously.

"Eh," Sans said, "I'm curious."

"Is that allowed?" Toriel asked Alice.

"It is," the social worker affirmed, "honestly, it does help to have a witness present to make sure the form was filled out lawfully."

"Do...I have to go?" Frisk inquired warily.

"No, hon," Alice answered, "you don't have to be present."

"Good," Frisk sighed, "because, that would probably make it too awkward."

"It's okay," Asriel said, "I'll be here."

"Okay," Toriel said to Asgore and Sans, "let's go."

"Wait," Frisk called, "you might wanna wear some shoes, you never know if you'll step on something down there."


Finally, after getting what they needed, Toriel, Asgore, and Sans got into Toriel's SUV and began their drive to Frisk's old home. Though it was not long before Asgore noticed Toriel looking on edge.

"Are you okay?" Asgore asked her.

"Oh, just a little nervous," Toriel replied, "to be honest."

She kept her eyes on the road, though, she her anxiety was plain as day.

"I have been thinking about this for a while now," the goat woman expressed, "but...what if Frisk's parents do not want to give Frisk up? What if his father wants him back?"

"Toriel," Sans voiced, "everyone knows who we are, everyone knows Frisk, we are pretty easy to find, if Frisk's dad wanted him back so badly, he could've come for him a long time ago. Besides, if what Frisk said was true, child services probably wouldn't let him go back even if he wanted to."

"We will see." Toriel sighed anxiously.


Heads up, next chapter, we will veer into the dark territory.

Also, next chapter I will explain Frisk's dad's name and their surname.