Chapter 9: Pairs and Bonds

Inside the Ebott precinct sits Harlow, whose bright yellow scan paperwork. The other detectives in the office are secured to their own cubicles, mulling over their own case files. As the moon rises, Harlow shifts his eyes slightly to the left and looks back down at his case file. Dozens of papers are scattered across his desk, with a multitude of faces of Ebott's townsfolk littering the desktop.

Harlow scratches the back of his head as he moves multiple files around on his desk. As he organizes his notes, his ear twitches when he hears strong, heavy footsteps. They trot closer to him, and he nods. "Sergeant, is that you?"

His head spins around while the rest of his body stays forward-facing. He looks up at the fellow officer. This sergeant is one of the monster race just like Harlow himself, but takes the form of a secretary bird instead of an owl like Harlow. Her figure is tall and lean, yet strong and proper and she tends to wear a bright white uniform with a platinum-colored badge on the front. Her beak shines in the moon rays reflecting off of it, and her gaze is firm yet easy on the brain and soul.

She smiles as she takes a look at the papers on Harlow's desk. "Harlow, you were excellent in the interrogation room last night. I look forward to seeing what you can find about the suspect."

Harlow nods and smiles back. "Yes, ma'am, and thank you. We still need more clues to narrow in on the suspect, but we do have a general picture of this case. Have you checked my report yet?"

The sergeant chuckles and holds her chin with her right wing. "I may or may not have been behind that mirror last night." Harlow nods and the Sergeant continues. "Even still, I read your report over. And, everything that you wrote in the report lines up with the details that we have so far."

Harlow faces his paperwork again and places his head on one of his wings. The sergeant tilts her head and slowly walks up to his desk. "Harlow, is something the matter?"

"I'm just bothered that it was the prince of the Underground who was attacked."

"I understand that. However, stay on task. What follow-ups do you have?"

"Sorry, Sterling," Harlow says as he clears his throat and nods slightly. "Here's the description we have so far: masked and thin with a semi-tall build. Was wearing a green and yellow striped shirt. A vegetable knife was their weapon; fled the scene of the crime after attacking just one citizen. Seems like they were targeting a specific individual, rather than attacking at random. Finally, they clearly hate the Dreemurr family. Sources tell me as well that the attacker specifically wanted Frisk Dreemurr dead, but Asriel Dreemurr jumped in the way. This potentially saved the life of Frisk Dreemurr, while also foiling the suspect's plans. Asriel is alive but banged up."

Sterling nods, then strokes her chin a little more. "That's good. However, are you sure our ambassador would have died if he were hit? Human souls are stronger than monster souls, you know."

"That is true, but what if Asriel jumping in the way confused the attacker and thus made their attack less focused?"

"That may hold water, but we have no proof."

"All the more reason to interview the Dreemurrs when we receive the chance."

Harlow reaches over to the corner of his desk, where a bottle of water sits. He takes a sip as crickets from the outside echo their noise into the office space. Sterling nods. "Alright, Harlow. We will thus roll out tomorrow. Keep up the good work."

…

The morning has dawned again. Inside Sans' home, a conversation can be heard over the phone. There's a large smile on his face, but his tone of voice is low, mismatched with his complexion. "Cool if we check on the kiddo and the goat kiddo?…No?...Azzy's still resting… discharged but hasn't completed the mend. 'Aight, cool…yeah, I gotcha. Catch ya on the flipside." Sans hangs up the phone, stretches, and then saunters into the living room. A rustling echoes from the kitchen and he tilts his head. (Heh…I wonder what Papy's up to. Maybe he's about to cook some of his famous spaghetti. It's tasty stuff; I dunno why he never eats it himself.)

Sans walks into the kitchen to see Papyrus, who is wrestling through the food in the cupboards. Cans and jars are strewn all over the countertop. Sans shrugs slightly, picks up a standalone bag of barbeque flavored potato chips from the counter, and walks over to the couch in the lounge. He plops down and begins munching on his snack.

"Yo, Papy. Thanks for letting me mooch your chips," he quips as he smirks and winks at his brother.

"Sure, brother."

Sans look up at Papyrus, who is still going through the cupboards and isn't even looking at him. (I haven't seen Papyrus talk so quietly…ever? Huh, weird.)

Sans takes a big handful of chips and wolfs them down his throat. "Although…I expected my great, strong brother to put up more of a fight over something that's his." Sans then looks sideways, and clamps his jaws together. "I hope you're not…salty…about me mooching off of you a bit."

Sans winks, and prepares to hear a rant from his brother. However, nothing happens as Papyrus continues to analyze the cupboards, and then waves his hand slowly. "The great Papyrus is willing to share those chips with you. They're lightly salted and they have a hint of vinegar. They're up to my standards."

Sans lets out a slight coughing noise from his skull, and then winks again to himself. "Well, if they're only lightly salted then you must be only lightly salty about having to share them with me, right?"

"I suppose."

Sans sits upright on the couch and taps his fingers against his cranium. His mind continues to flow in thinking mode. He gives Papyrus a thumbs-up. "Well hey, you are pretty great, sharing your snack and all."

Papyrus nods, and then begins placing all of the cans and jars back into the cupboards. "Certainly, brother."

Sans shakes his head. (That soft tone isn't going away. I really don't like this.) Papyrus walks over to the couch and lets his tall, skeleton body sink into the cushions of the couch. He lets out a heavy sigh, which floats towards the ceiling. Sans pulls out a potato chip, holding it near his mouth. "Want one, bro?"

"The great Papyrus has no need for sustenance right now."

"But if you're gonna continue being the great Papyrus, shouldn't he get enough energy into his bones?"

"Those things contain a significant enough amount of sodium. They may be delicious, but I must count my calories."

"Ah, right. That would explain why you're so much taller and skinnier than I am."

A silence falls over the room. Many minutes pass, and both skeleton bros stare at a turned off, blank television for the next while. "Personalities can be weird, Papy," Sans says.

"What do you mean, brother?"

"Ya know, sometimes people just feel down after feeling so great the previous day."

"I understand. But, it's no bother, dear Sans. If you're worried about me, there's no need."

"Why's that?"

"If you're thinking about the party and how I reacted, it happens I suppose. Sometimes things don't always go the way we want."

Sans nods, and his brain sparks. (I knew it). "Man, that's pretty depressing Papy. It's like that one rock song that goes like 'ya can't always get what you want,' right?"

"Yes, Sans."

"Heh, yeah. But you'll pull through, right? Besides, everyone survived."

Papyrus waves his hands and gets up from the couch. His gaze darts around in wild directions, from the tv, to out the window, to Sans. "I don't know, brother! I would hope that Ebott would be safer once that person is captured. But, they could've hurt the human! And, they did hurt Asgore Jr." He sits on the floor and pulls his kneecaps up to his spine. He shakes his skull while sighing. "I want to protect my friends and be there for them. But what did I do?" He lets his head sink and he stares at his feet. "I wasn't even there."

Papyrus' eye sockets droop like rain drops in the winter. Sans shakes his head and shrugs. "Hey, I'm gonna level with ya here…it's not your fault. Heck, you were trying to be organized and get everything together. It's not your fault that Azzy was attacked, or that Frisk could've gotten hurt, right?"

"But brother…nyeh…"

"Was out of your hands. Just callin' it like I'm seein' it."

Papyrus stands up again, and folds his arms. He stares out the window towards the sun, and his skull begin to sweat. "The great Papyrus does not feel great. I am grateful for your presence, though."

Sans laughs and rubs his cranium. "Take it from me; I never worry 'cuz I'm a lazy bum." Sans winks. "It might help ya relax a little. As soon as you start thinking like that, all of your worries melt away."

Papyrus looks at Sans again and scratches the top of his skull. "You mean…just lay on the couch and watch Mettaton's television specials all day?"

Sans smirks and chuckles. "More or less."

Papyrus sighs deeply and unfolds his arms. "Alright, brother. You have convinced me; if me being lazy like you for once will get the party business off my mind, then it is something the great Papyrus is willing to try. Let's laze."

Sans nods. "No problem."

He plops his entire body down on the couch. Papyrus nods softly and he gently sits on the other end of the couch. His posture is still very pristine, but he does wiggle the lower half of his body a couple times in order to get used to the seating arrangement. After a few seconds, Papyrus breathes in and out deeply and stares at the television.

"Feelin' better yet," Sans asks.

"Sorry, but I'm not! What do you even do when you 'laze' or whatever you call it?"

"Eh, nothing really. Just lay around, sleep some, or watch some tv."

Papyrus' body sinks very slightly into the couch cushions. His eye sockets look droopy and blue whilst his entire demeanor is covered with tension. After a few moments, Papyrus blinks and looks at Sans. "TV?"

"Sure, if you want. But, could you be the one to grab the remote? I'm too lazy to get it."

Papyrus sighs and walks over to the remote, clicks on the television. Mettaton appears with a bright starry pink background effect shimmering. Papyrus' eyes scan the screen as multiple competitive dancers are aggressively dancing whilst staring at each other from opposite sides of the stage. He slowly backs up into the couch as the booming, grandiose show begins.

Sans closes his eyes and places his hands behind his head. "So, what's playing?"

"It's Mettaton. He's dancing."

Sans nods quickly while his eyes are still closed. "Ah, so it's 'Dancing Stars' that's on today…or is it 'Darling, Can You Dance?' Pft, I dunno. I always fall asleep so I can never remember."

The television then blares the words 'DARLING, CAN YOU DANCE' for the entire audience. Sans chuckles. "Guess it was my second guess."

Papyrus folds his arms again, and leans his head to the right. "I've never seen it before, either. Maybe because I was always ready to go on an adventure around town! And, that's what happened. I don't like sitting at home."

"It does feel nice to relax once in a while though, huh?"

Papyrus smiles slightly, staring at the television. His head sways slightly, and his body slouches slightly more. "I begin to see why."

"See why…what, Papyrus?"

"How you are able to relax. It's pleasing, perhaps. But, how do you nap?"

The television continues to bellow as Sans tilts his mouth a little more towards Papyrus, while still in a laying position. "Just let your mind wander. Close your eyes and go off into your own world…that's what I do."

Papyrus nods affirmatively and closes his eyes. As his spine and skull sway slightly and drift, his nose cavity twitches. His eyes spring open, and he looks at the television. He notices a sock on top of the tv, covered with debris. Papyrus shoots up and slowly peels the sock from off the tv. He tilts his head and pinches his nasal cavities while holding away the sock with his other hand. "Sans, how long has this dirty sock been on the tv?"

Sans opens up his right eye to peer at the sock. He chuckles to himself. "That thing? No clue."

Papyrus sighs and walks over to the edge of the lounge to place the sock into the laundry chute. "Laundry truly is a chore."

Sans winks and shrugs. "You know it."

Papyrus nods. "I admit I haven't been keeping up with my own laundry lately, either. I've been showering in my favorite outfit."

Sans turns his head, widens his eyes, and chuckles. "C'mon Papy, don't you always shower in your favorite outfits, though?"

Papyrus shakes his head. "I used to do it because of my great, proud work as a member of Undyne's royal guild! Honorary position, but still a member. Now it's just for convenience."

"How many days in a row has this been happening?"

"Lost count, brother."

"Tell me…you sound kinda depressed. That bums me out, too. How long has it been like this?"

Papyrus turns his head. The air in the lounge dampens with heaviness. "Since the party got pooped."

"Just keep relaxing and you'll go back to being your ol' self," Sans encourages.

Sans winks at his brother and smiles. Papyrus shakes his head, tosses the dirty sock on the ground, and shrugs his shoulders. "But will my old self ever return? This new Papyrus is enjoyable enough."

Sans' eye sockets twitch. "Heh, what a bad joke. Quit tickling my funny bone like that."

"How do you know for sure?"

"You're like a cat…you always land on your feet."

Papyrus lets out a confused "nyeh" sound, and Sans' pupils return. He shrugs quickly and shakes his head.

"Don't you understand cat biology?"

"All I know is that cats are lazy."

"Eh, sure. Some are probably lazier than others, but who knows?"

"Especially that one cat that sells trash can items in the back alley."

"Oh yeah, Catty. She's cool."

Sans smirks slightly and sits upright, letting his arms rest on his shorts. "But the one who's even greater is my brother, the great Papyrus."

Sans smiles up at Papyrus, but Papyrus doesn't smile back. He sighs, and lets his shoulders droop. Papyrus' red cape slightly flaps and droops in return. "How am I so great?"

"C'mon, you know. You're fun, upbeat, and everyone likes ya."

"But the new Papyrus is not capable of being fun and upbeat. I can't do it."

The television blares as Mettaton points at the screen from the other side. A wide smile is plastered across his face, and he shouts "YES YOU CAN" for the audience. The audience claps and cheers. Papyrus slowly turns his head towards the screen and his eyes move back and forth between both sides of the screen. He lowers his arms slowly and Sans shrugs while shaking his head. "Heh, you could try listening to the television. It has a point."

"I don't see how this relates to me, Sans."

Papyrus bows his head deeply, then looks at Sans. He scratches his head quickly and his cranium begins to sweat. Sans shakes his head and shrugs. "I just don't understand why you feel so glum, bud."

"But Sans, I…"

Sans gets up from the couch, and holds his arms in his pockets. He slightly bows his head and clicks his tongue, as his femurs stand firm and burrow into the carpet. Sans' eyes go blank, with the dark pits of his sockets burrowing into Papyrus' skull. He's still smiling, ironically. "You're turning me into a broken record player."

"But, brother…"

"Don't the Dreemurrs need you in tip-top shape? You're a beacon of light in this little town. Sure, Frisk's our ambassador, and Asriel's a miracle in himself, but you've got a special optimism that is unmatched. You're loved, Papyrus." Sans laughs and shakes his head, while shrugging again. "Heck, I could learn a lot from you."

The heavy, blackened tension begins to grow as the sun fades behind the clouds outside. The bright, yellow room turns a deep shade of blue and gray. "But the new Papyrus doesn't feel that optimism."

"And if there's no funny bone in the body, what is the point of having a body…or bones, at all," Sans asks. Papyrus sinks his head and taps his foot while his brother folds his arms. "Don't sell yourself short. The great Papyrus I know would climb out of that hole."

"But can I, brother? When I couldn't become part of the royal guard, even though I wanted to, Undyne taught me how to cook. I can't do that as consistently as I'd like, either. My only signature dish is spaghetti. Did you watch me at the cupboards?"

"Yeah, and?"

Papyrus sighs. "I was trying to think of a meal to cook for Asgore Jr. and bring to him as he rests in the hospital. But, I'm worried that I'll screw it up!"

"Since when do you doubt yourself," Sans asks. "That'll only makes things worse."

"But I've already failed too much. Remember the party? I wasn't there to help Frisk or Asriel. Maybe I'm not so great after all."

The blue and gray shifts into grayish-black as rain begins to pour outside. It slams against the window pane, and the blank, black canyons of Sans' eyes swell. Papyrus takes one step back. Then another. His femurs and arms shake in swirling madness. "Um…brother? Are you ok?"

Sans sinks his shoulders, and sighs. "So, you're a failure? What a weird way to describe yourself, bud. Heh…such a bad joke." Sans chuckles, and frosty air escapes from his lungs. "You still arrived, right? Better late than never, right?"

"Sure, why?"

Sans leans in towards Papyrus, and burrows his blank eye sockets into Papyrus' own eyes. "Was it your responsibility to go over the list of guests? Or to check on the crowd?"

"Um…no?"

"Exactly. So, why are you worried about that? It's not your problem, bud. The way I see it, your life is honestly pretty good."

The room shakes now, wind blowing up against the house mightily. Sans clicks his tongue again and winks, both of his eyes still invisible. Papyrus takes a third step back and holds his hands together. Sans is smiling extremely widely to the point where it looks like a grimace. "I've always envied how much energy you have, Papy." He shrugs. "You're my sunshine. Everyone's sunshine. So, why would you throw that away like garbage?" He closes his eyes. "Maybe if I was sunnier like you, maybe I'd get something accomplished for once and not be so useless, y'know?"

Papyrus takes a step back and chatters his teeth together slightly. Sans' eyes return completely, and he nods his head. The tension surrounding him leaves the room. "Welp, I suppose I've lectured you enough. Just food for thought, little bro." Sans winks at his brother and begins to head for the living room, through the kitchen.

Papyrus shambles behind Sans. "Wait…where are you going?"

"To Grillby's, where else? That lecture made me tired and hungry. Why not grab something to eat?"

The storm begins to dissipate outside. Papyrus tilts his cranium. "Since when do…" He cuts himself short. (I know he's my brother, but he's never asked about my emotions this much before. So strange. But, I know that he cares for me! But…new Papyrus…old Papyrus…spaghetti… invitation… royal guard… I.)

Papyrus' emotions and thoughts flow around in his brain like a maelstrom. The flurry grows in strength and swirls and tears up his cerebral cortex like a hurricane. He starts pacing across the floor in a tiny circle, and his legs move faster and faster. His eyes light up and all of a sudden, he throws his hand into the air and screams out in jubilance. Sans slowly turns around and smiles at Papyrus. Papyrus nods.

"NYEH", Papyrus exclaims.

"So, your old self is back," Sans asks.

"THE NEW PAPYRUS, TOO, DOES NOT ENJOY DOING NOTHING!"

"Heh, welcome back little bro. Whatta ya think changed your mind?"

"THE MIND ITSELF! MEANING I, THE NEW BUT ALSO GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST KEEP BAD THINGS OFF OF HIS MIND! THAT WAY, HIM AND HIS LOVELY BROTHER SANS CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER!"

"Heh, happy to hear it."

Papyrus smiles. "AND AS A RESULT, I WILL SPEAK IN UPPERCASE AGAIN!" Sans chuckles and shrugs while Papyrus places his hand on the doorknob. "SHALL WE GO TO GRILLBY'S TOGETHER NOW?"

"Yeah. As long as you pay for my meal, too. You see…I lost my wallet yesterday. How klutzy of me."

Sans sheepishly yet cheekily looks to the side of the room, and Papyrus' skull lights up red, but then he shrugs.

"SANS!" Papyrus gives Sans a tight hug. After that, he picks Sans up with one arm and charges out the front door.

Papyrus races down the street with Sans in his arms as the neighbors stare at the two brothers. Sans slowly looks up at the sky. The sun appears and the clouds are clearing, with the blueness of the sky becoming stronger and stronger.

(Glad to have Papyrus back. Still though…the party. Looks like we'll have our work cut out for us. And, I hate work…especially when I realize that they snuck in under my watch. How much time do we have to fix this?)