"So…you all started to remember me after the Barrier was broken by this human?" Gaster asked. He had finally calmed enough that Asgore was able to help sit him up on the bed he was on.

"Yes. It started out like dreams, but then we started getting full memories of you back." Asgore sat in a chair beside the bed, a graven look upon his face, "I am so sorry for what you've gone through, my friend."

"It's alright, my king." Gaster managed a smile, "There's no point in dwelling on the past."

"You can use my name Gaster." Asgore smiled back, "Honorifics and titles were never something I was very fond of."

"I-I know. Old habits and all." Gaster stuttered, his souls fluttering in his ribcage when he heard Asgore give a light chuckle, "So," Gaster quickly tried to save himself embarrassment by changing the subject, "How did you all manage to find me."

"Frisk."

"The human you said broke the barrier?"

"Yes. After we all started to realize we weren't going crazy, and that we had somehow just forgotten you, Frisk took us to a door."

"A door…" Gaster stopped to think, then came to a realization. Falling into the C.O.R.E had fractured him, shattered his very being into pieces, and yes, he did remember a few moments where he seemed to have been in an empty took with a door he could never open. He thought they had just been dreams, especially the ones where a human in a blue and pink jumper had walked into the room, but apparently it hadn't been a dream at all.

"Frisk opened the door for us and there you were, only you didn't look like you do now. You…you were covered in shadows and all we could see of you was your skull and hands. It was a bit scary to see you in such a state." Asgore admitted this with a glance off to the side.

"I can understand why…so what happened next?"

"Sans and Papyrus, despite everyone's warnings, ran in and carried you out. Once you were out of the room, the shadows left and you returned to how you are now."

"My sons- MY SONS!!!" Gaster tried to get up, and immediately cried out in pain and doubled over.

"Gaster, you're still not well!" Asgore was on his feet, leaning Gaster back onto the pillows helping him sit up, "Please just- rest."

"My sons- Asgore, I have to see my sons."

"I understand, but you can't strain yourself. Alphys and Sans examined you, and your body was put through a lot of strain when you were brought back to us. You have to take it easy while you're healing." Asgore had his hands resting on Gaster's shoulders, and apparently didn't realize how his contact and concerned tone had a certain effect on the scientist.

Asgore was worried about him? Someone who was beneath him, a mere subject? Sure, they had known each other a long time, and were what both considered friends, but it still befuddled him. Asgore didn't have to give Gaster the time of day, and yet here he was, lecturing him on taking care of himself while he healed. It made the skeleton flush purple to know the king cared for him enough to worry for him. Asgore, thinking the coloring in his face was due to his current health, removed his hands from his shoulders and backed up.

"I apologize if I overwhelmed you, Gaster." Asgore sighed and sat back down, "I just hate seeing you push yourself when you need to rest, you know that."

"I…I remember." Gaster smiled fondly, "You used to have to pull me away from my desk because it was late, and I was the only one in the lab. Of course I was to absorbed in my work to notice."

Asgore chuckled, "Yes, sometimes you were even passed out from exhaustion."

Gaster laughed, a sound he hadn't made in years, and the sound made Asgore stop and stare. He hadn't heard Gaster's laugh in years, and the sound made something in his chest lurch, as of his soul was trying to jump out of his chest. It was nice to hear him laughing again, despite everything that had happened to him over the years.

"Alphy and Sans didn't think it was a good idea to leave alone, so she, Sans, Papyrus, and myself have been taking shifts sitting in to make sure you were alright. We agreed keeping only one of us in here at a time would help keep you from being overwhelmed." It didn't take a genius to figure out what Asgore was saying. They had been worried Gaster wouldn't make it, and if he had, they had no clue how he was going to act or behave once he woke.

"Papyrus and Sans, where are they now?" Gaster couldn't get his mind off his sons now that they had been brought up. His fatherly instincts had kicked in, even after all this time.

"They're downstairs. Would you like me to go and get them?" Asgore was already getting up. He knew the answer.

"Yes." Gaster smiled appreciatively as Asgore walked out of the room.

Once alone, Gaster took a moment to take in his surroundings. The room was a decent size, with walls the color of a summer sky, the floor was carpeted in purple. The bed he was in was in the corner opposite of the door, turned so his side was facing the window with it's curtains closed. A closet door was on the left side of the room, a dresser with a mirror in the same corner. Gaster carefully raised a hand and pulled on the curtains shielding his view from the outside, and felt his jaw drop from what he saw. It was dark out, but he could see stars, real stars…he hadn't seen them in years. They were just as beautiful as they had been all those years ago when he would sit outside under those same stars.

The bedroom door creaked opened, and Gaster's head turned. There they were…his sons. Papyrus was so much taller than the last time he saw him, and though Sans was still the same in physical traits, Gaster could see his oldest son had definitely grown in other ways. For a brief moment, they stared at each other, almost as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing, and for a moment they couldn't. The disbelief ended quickly when Gaster laughed, tears running down his face as he did so.

"My my…you both certainly aren't children anymore…you're both fine young skeletons now."

That was all it took. Gaster suddenly found himself being hugged, both of his sons sobbing as they held him, trying to speak faster than their mouths could run. Gaster wrapped an arm around each of his children and held them tightly, not giving a damn about anything else. He was holding his children again, and that was all that mattered. He had his boys, and he swore on his very soul that he would never, ever let anything take him away from them again. No matter what, he wouldn't be separated from his children a second time.

"I-I thought you were dead." Sans finally managed to choke out through his tears, "Y-You fell in and-"

"Shhh." Gaster gently rocked back and forth while he held Papyrus and Sans close, refusing to let them go for even a moment, "I'm here now, alright? That's all that matters."

"W-We forgot you." Papyrus cried into his shoulder.

"It's alright, I promise." Gaster placed a gentle kiss on the top of Papyrus's skull, "It doesn't matter. All that matters is I will never leave you again." Gaster grinned, his soul so full it was overflowing with a mix of emotion, "I'm here, and I'll always be here. Not even the end of the world would tear me away from you two again, and that's a promise."

———

Asgore came back upstairs a bit later to check on the skeleton family, having given them a moment to themselves. What he saw made him smile as he got to the doorway of the bedroom. It was truly a sight to melt the stoniest of hearts.

Gaster was laying back down, his sons in his arms, all three of them were in a deep sleep. Sans was nuzzled up into Gaster's side, arms around his middle, face hidden in the sweater Gaster had on, and his father's arm wrapped around him with his hand on his shoulder. Papyrus had his skull resting on Gaster's shoulder, Gaster's arm around his torso. All three were peacefully asleep and dreaming, the world around them temporarily shut out from their peaceful family bubble.

"K-King Asgore." Alphys came up behind Asgore, "How's-" She stopped when she saw what Asgore was looking at, and her face morphed into one of awe.

"As you can see Dr. Alphys, he's fine. Better than fine it would seem." Asgore turned to her and smiled, "Why don't you go ahead and head home, Dr. Alphys? I'll stay for a bit and make sure Gaster feels alright when he wakes, then head home myself and allow the three some much needed privacy."

"A-Are you s-sure, Your M-Ma-Majesty? I d-don't mind, st-st-staying."

"It's alright, besides, you have a lovely partner to get home to." Asgore chuckled. Alphys blushed a bit and shifted on her feet, but nodded. She knew Undyne was probably close to burning down the house by now…again.

"I-If you're s-s-sure."

"I'm sure. I have this under control."

"C-Call me i-if a-a-anything happens."

"I will. Tell Undyne I said hello."

"Of course!"

———

As Gaster stirred, he woke to total darkness, and screamed.