"i see him sometimes," Sans admitted quietly one evening. It had been several months since Sans returned from the hospital, well after life had settled back into their own version of normal. Sans had told Grillby the truth, with Papyrus's blessing of course. Everyone else could figure it out on their own or just stay ignorant, it wasn't their business anyway. The questions had slowed down, especially after that traumatic meeting with Papyrus's grandparents, thus it was strange for Sans to bring up him randomly in the middle of a peaceful evening hanging out together.

Papyrus picked up the remote and turned off the TV, but didn't take his eyes off it. He didn't say anything, just waited for Sans to continue.

"mostly it's durin' shortcuts, i think i was seein' him fer a while but didn't notice or couldn't remember until i got those impossible memories back."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DURING SHORTCUTS?"

"ya know how fer a moment it's like yer blind? so a shortcut is like… it's like openin' a door to nothing and then openin' a new door from that nothing to wherever yer headed, only it's so fast ya only spend a second in that nothing. but there's something else there, in that nothing. an' sometimes i think i see him in the shadows, just out the corner of my eye. out here in the real world. you ever seen anything like that?"

Papyrus shook his head.

"'course i'm the only one he's hauntin'." Sans sighed and slumped into the couch.

Papyrus reached over and pulled Sans close so he was leaning against his side. "IS THAT HOW YOU KNEW SO EMPHATICALLY HE'S NOT DEAD?"

"yeah, sorry for not sayin' it earlier. i wasn't sure how you'd take it and uh… it's just… there's nothing we can do 'bout it?"

"I SUPPOSE THERE ISN'T. THAT'S ALL HE DOES, JUST APPEAR BRIEFLY? HE NEVER DOES ANYTHING?"

"he doesn't do anything i can see, no."

"SANS."

"well, sometimes stuff happens, like when i was first figurin' shortcuts out without my memories i uh… i got stuck in the nothing sometimes, but like i said i don't think i could see him back then. but every time i got stuck i managed to get out."

"YOU THINK HE… WHAT? PUSHED YOU OUT OF THE NOTHING?"

Sans shrugged, "maybe. i ain't been brave enough to go back there on purpose an' see."

"GOOD, DON'T."

"an' the phone with the money on it… i still have it. it still works, it still had money on it. i ain't touched that gold since i first got a job, but it it's still there."

Papyrus snorted, "SO HE PAYS CHILD SUPPORT."

"it's just… it feels like i get lucky sometimes an' i can't help wonderin' if he's tryin' to take care of us."

"GOOD FUCKING FOR HIM! I DON'T CARE, IT DOESN'T MAKE WHAT HE DID RIGHT, WE'RE STILL BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM."

"yeah, yer right." Sans sighed heavily and cuddled deeper into Papyrus's side. "it's so much simpler fer ya, he did wrong and ya hate him. don't have all these dumb leftover feelings from knowin' him back then. i'm kinda jealous."

"WELL THEN JUST HATE HIM."

Sans shook his head, "can't, don't really want to either. an' maybe ya shouldn't hate him quite so much, s'bad fer ya. plus he don't deserve all that attention, ya know?"

"I'M CATCHING UP FOR AN ENTIRE CHILDHOOD OF NOT HATING HIM ENOUGH, WHEN THAT'S DONE I'LL LET IT GO." Papyrus nodded like he had the power to make that decision.

"sure, makes sense. just don't let it go on too long, and don't let it br yer motivation for everything neither."

"HE WASN'T MY MOTIVATION FOR JOINING THE ROYAL GUARD OR WATCHING METTATON OR LEARNING TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE, AND HE ISN'T NOW EITHER."

Sans laughed, "good."

A moment of silence fell between them, Papyrus considered turning the TV back on. "HEY SANS, NEXT TIME YOU SEE HIM GIVE HIM A GOOD PUNCH FOR ME."

Sans barked out a surprised laugh, "nah, don't think i will. wouldn't want to tempt fate."

"VERY WELL, I'LL SIMPLY HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF IF I EVER FIND HIM."

"you do that, ya crazy kid." Sans's laughter faded to gentle chuckles, "my crazy kid."

"I WONDER WHERE I GET IT FROM." Papyrus did pick up the remote then and turned the TV back on, just in time for Mettaton to reveal that the killer was in fact himself.

"can't have been me, i ain't got a lick of crazy in me."

"SHUSH, YOU'RE INTERRUPTING THE CHAINSAWS."