:):

Thank you so much for your understanding and patience. :)

I took a bit of a break to clear my mind and now I'm feeling a lot better.

Also.. I think fall is here! Hurray!

xxx

Rousing Royalty

xxx

A cold gust of snowy wind seemed to hit Sans especially hard as he exited the two story house. It wasn't like they actually had weather down in the Underground, but after years of living in Snowdin, he'd bet good money that they were about to get a ton of snow either tonight or tomorrow. He'd need to recheck the heating system before that happened. Just to be on the safe side. Right now, though, he had another pressing matter to attend to.

Now that Papyrus was entertaining the kid with party preparations, Sans could finally turn his focus back to Frisk. Pulling off one of his signature disappearing acts, the skeleton had slipped away without a word. He figured that they'd probably be busy for awhile.

Stuffing his boney hands into his pockets, Sans took a leisurely stroll around their house to his hidden laboratory in the back. To his surprise, however, a little white furball was there waiting for him. He'd been wondering where Poff had gone. The little dog had just up and vanished the moment he'd let him out of his room. To find him here, though, it was obvious what the mutt was searching for.

Perking his furry white ears, Poff lifted his head when he heard his friend approaching. Finally! Getting up, the little dog quickly shook the powdery snow from his fur before proceeding to prance in place, impatiently waiting for the door to be opened.

"nothing gets past you, does it, bud?" Sans chuckled as he peered down at the small dog monster.

Panting happily, Poff spun around in an excited circle before pawing at the metal door.

"i'll let you in, but just try not to wake her up if she's still sleeping, alright?" Sans requested as he dug out his key.

Poff gave a quiet bark in understanding as he attempted to calm himself down. Once the door was open, though, he quickly scampered off into the chilly laboratory in search of the other human.

Rolling his eye lights slightly, the tired skeleton followed after the rambunctious canine. It was probably a bad idea letting him in here, but... oh well. What's the worst that could happen?

As if in rhetorical response, the sound of barking suddenly poured out of his lab. Cursing under his nonexistent breath, Sans quickened his pace. Entering into the dimly lit room, he easily spotted the little furball. Fur bristled, Poff looked to be hot on the heels of some sort of shadowy apparition as it wafted across the room like a cloud of dark smoke. Smile going flat, the bewildered skeleton felt his nerves rise as his metaphorical skin began to crawl.

Reaching the far wall, Poff placed his small paws to the dingy surface before releasing one last bark. Sensing the diminishing presence of whatever that was, the little dog gave a satisfied snort. After sniffing the wall one more just to be sure, the tiny victor returned to his friend, tail wagging happily.

"the hell was that..?" Sans asked, slightly stunned by what he had just witnessed. Was that another ghost or something? Like the thing that was after Fearia? Feeling his worries flare, the skeleton's eye lights turned to where he knew he had left the injured human. Was that thing after Frisk?

More than a little concerned, Sans quickly made his way over to the foldaway cot that he had set up near his cluttered work space. The area was still being illuminated in calming shades of green due to the small stained glass lamp he had placed near the edge of his desk. And, a little ways away, sitting on the floor, the nearly inaudible purr of a portable heater could be heard. Everything, it seemed, was just how he had left it.

Feeling his nerves settle a little bit, Sans released a quiet sigh as he stared down at the sleeping human. Now rolled over onto her side, Frisk was curled snuggly around the warm blanket that had been thoughtfully placed over her chilled body. With a serene expression clearly visible on her face, the mute girl looked perfectly relaxed as she slept.

Shoulders sagging slightly, Sans felt a sense of relief come over him. She was still okay. Whatever the hell that thing was, it didn't appear to have caused her any harm. Still... the thought of some unknown entity lurking around down here was freakin' unsettling.

Call him paranoid, but Sans wasn't about to leave Frisk alone again - he couldn't chance it. The sooner she was safely back inside the house, the better in his opinion. However, before he could do that, he needed to somehow get her cleaned up. Even though the star had healed her injuries, for the most part anyway, it hadn't removed the copious amounts of blood that still stained her clothing and skin.

As much as he had wanted to reunite the two humans, Sans knew that it would have been a bad move on his part. If Fearia had seen her beloved big sister in this state, the poor kid would have been horrified. Frisk probably wouldn't have been happy about it either. To avoid causing either of them any more unnecessary stress, Sans had wisely chosen not to be hasty.

Pulling over his chair, the exhausted skeleton sat his weary bones down on the torn cushion before rolling himself a bit closer to the cot. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure how to go about doing this. Part of him just wanted to let the tired girl rest, the other part of him, however, the logical part, knew that he couldn't exactly put it off either. Appearances aside, Frisk was still wounded. Until he could get her back to a healing star, he needed to at least make sure her injury was properly taken care of. Not doing so would be completely irresponsible of him.

No way around it... It looks like he would have to wake her up.

With more than a bit of reluctance, Sans finally lifted his hand before placing it gently to the mute girl's shoulder. "frisk," he began quietly as he attempted to get her attention. "wake up, darlin'."

Still lost in the fog of sleep, Frisk's brow creased ever so slightly as a subtle frown appeared on her face. In an unconscious attempt to banish whatever was disturbing her, the mute girl rolled her shoulder before burrowing further underneath the blanket. Feeling a bit more secure, she easily drifted back to sleep.

Hand now hovering awkwardly in the air, the skeleton stared down at the mute in mild surprise before a passive aggressive smile slowly crept onto his skull. Did she seriously just brush him off? To be honest, he was more amused by it than anything else. Turns out little miss sunshine here wasn't so sugar sweet when her rest was disturbed. Who knew?

He probably should've taken the hint and let her be, but the fact that he had been dismissed so easily kinda irked him for some strange reason. It might be a bit petty, but now Sans just wanted to get a reaction out of her. Scanning the covered human, his eye lights quickly landed on a bare foot just barely peaking out from under the blanket.

heh. wonder if she's ticklish?

Feeling something glide lightly across the bottom of her foot, Frisk felt a chill run up her spine before her skin broke out in a wave goosebumps. What the heck was that? Drawing her foot underneath the covers as fast as she could, the tired girl finally awoke. Confused, and a tiny bit annoyed, she subconsciously rubbed the offended foot in an attempt to rid herself of the ticklish sensation.

Who did that?

With a small moody pout, the silent human slowly uncurled from her comfortable position and emerged from the warm sanctuary of covers. Still exhausted, and just a little bit achy, she was by no means ready to wake up yet. Not by a long shot.

Before Frisk even had the chance to express her displeasure, however, her grumpiness was replaced in an instant by surprise when a warm tongue slid across her cheek. Startled, the quiet girl froze in shock for a moment before her brain finally registered the small white dog monster. Panting happily, Poff looked absolutely delighted to see her as he squirmed in the boney grasp that held him.

Unable to control herself, a wobbly smile appeared on Frisk's face as she reached out to take the little furball. Try as she might, it was utterly impossible to stay grumpy when faced with this much cuteness. Arms now filled with an overly-affectionate pup, the silent human then turned her gaze to the true culprit. Subtly lifting an eyebrow, she wasn't at all surprised to see the skeleton looking back at her.

Guilty smile in place, Sans released a slight chuckle as his eye lights drifted off all on their own accord. "uh, hey.." he began awkwardly. "how ya feelin', hun?"

Expression softening a little, a small smile appeared on Frisk's face. She didn't really know why, but for some reason she found his awkwardness oddly endearing. Underneath all of that laid back confidence of his, there was a tiny sliver of insecurity that came out every now and then. If she was being honest, it just made him even more likeable in her opinion.

Lifting her hand, Frisk gave the universal hand gesture for "OK" accompanied by a slight nod. In truth, that wasn't actually the case, but she didn't want to make a fuss about how awful she really felt. Aside from the bad headache that was already beginning to make itself known, there was also a stabbing pain in her side. It felt hot and prickly, and super sore.

Already knowing exactly what it was, Frisk unconsciously reached for the magic seal marring her skin. Pressing her hand to the damaged flesh, a pained hiss escaped the injured girl causing her to immediately lift it again. Why did it hurt so bad? Her skin felt like it was on fire!

For better or worse, the searing pain seemed to be just the thing to jog the mute girl's mind as memories of the struggle she had had fending off the vines came rushing back to her. Most of it was still an agonizing blur of pain and desperation, but there was one thing that she could remember with pristine clarity.

Sans.

And, he had been holding Fearia's Soul!

Turning back to the concerned skeleton, Frisk couldn't seem to hide the hope that she felt as she silently worded her question. *Is... Is my little sister okay?*

Despite the initial worry that he felt after seeing Frisk's pain, Sans' expression still managed to brighten a little as he easily interpreted her words. "yeah," he nodded in confirmation. "she's okay. the kid woke right up once she got her soul back. and, aside from being a little weak right now, i don't think she's gonna have any lasting damage. your little sister's going to be just fine."

Releasing a slow breath, Frisk's shoulders seemed to sag a tiny bit as her friend's words sunk in. Fearia was alright. She was safe now.

Thank goodness...

With a warm heartfelt smile, the mute girl lifted her hand before lightly tapping her chin. Arching it outwards in the familiar gesture of gratitude, she added a few more silent words in an attempt to fully express how much this truly meant to her.

*Thank you, Sans. Thank you so, so much. I am forever in your debt.*

"nah." Sans replied, rejecting the sentiment with a shake of his skull. "if anything, i'm in you're debt, sweetheart. without your help, i might never have gotten her soul back in time. so really, it's me who should be thanking you. not only that," he continued with a smile. "but you also went above and beyond keeping my bones safe when i was takin' an impromptu dirt nap. heh, i owe you big time, frisk. i'd be dust without ya."

Flushing, Frisk ducked her head in slight embarrassment as a small smile appeared on her lips. She wasn't really sure if she deserved it, but his words of praise definitely made her feel happy for some reason. Happy and appreciated. In silent reply, Frisk lifted her hand before extending both her thumb and pinky finger out. She then made a small gesture as she nodded in subtle agreeance.

The sign, of course, went right over the skeleton's skull, but he didn't seem too bothered by it. Smile widening, Sans was content just seeing the odd action. It was kind of cute if he was being honest. Still, he had to admit, he was becoming much more motivated to learn her mysterious language. Hell, if the kid was gonna learn how to read and write, then he could at least put in some effort to learn a bit too.

Speaking of the kid...

"hey, uh, if you're feelin' up to it, there's gonna be a little celebration tonight." Sans began. "my bro got it into his skull that he wanted to throw a party later, so now he and your little sister are upstairs in the kitchen setting up decorations. eh, i doubt it's gonna be too big of a deal, but knowin' paps, there's probably gonna be a ton of pasta. a skele-ton if you know what i'm saying." he grinned in humor, unable to help himself. "if you wanted to join in, i bet fearia would be over the moon to see ya."

*Yes!* Frisk silently replied, unable to hide her enthusiasm. *I'd be delighted to attend this celebration.* In truth, a party sounded utterly exhausting to her at the moment, but she'd do anything to be reunited with her baby sister. Putting her weariness aside for now, she'd gladly join in.

"that's great." Sans smiled, secretly happy that she had agreed so easily. "there's just one catch though..." he began in slight hesitance as his eye lights drifted off to the side. "paps is kind of a stickler for cleanliness. so, i doubt he'll let either of us in if we look like we just crawled out of a storm drain full of briars." he chuckled lightly as he gave a small shrug, showing off his dirty and torn jacket for emphasis.

Arching an eyebrow in slight confusion, Frisk studied the skeleton for a short moment before turning her attention to herself. Lowering her gaze, the mute girl was somewhat shocked by her own appearance. Black smudges and dried blood now stained her silky clothing, and rips and tears could be seen everywhere. How did this happen? Honestly, she couldn't quite remember, but it was blaringly apparent that her friend's words were true. She was filthy!

Feeling entirely grossed out now, Frisk turned her gaze back to her friend. With an imploring look, she unconsciously lifted her hand for a brief moment before remembering how pointless it was. Lowering it again, she silently beseeched him. *Do you have some fresh water and a basin I could use?* She hoped this wouldn't be asking too much, but she really needed his help right now.

"basin...?" Sans repeated aloud, not quite sure if he caught what she was saying correctly. The hell was a basin?

*Or.. a well?* Frisk pressed. *I need to wash up.*

Finally realizing what she was getting at, a humored smile appeared on Sans' skull. "heh, i can do you one better, darlin'. ever heard of a shower...?"

...

Appearing inside the small bathroom, Sans was quick to lock the door as he kept a supportive arm held around the unsteady human. Flicking on the dimmer lights, he gave her time to readjust to her new surroundings. Her eyes were probably sensitive to the light just as his had been, so he didn't want to accidentally shock her.

Looking around the small room, Frisk felt her curiosity grow a little as she took note of how strangely modern this lavatory was. Actually, 'modern' wasn't quite the right word. Different, maybe? With all of the shiny metals and polished porcelain, it almost felt a little futuristic. Subtly leaning her weight against her friend's boney frame, she tilted her head to look up at the dimly lit orb glowing overhead.

"i can make it brighter in here if you want." Sans offered quietly as his eye lights were drawn to the mute girl's face.

*This is fine.* Frisk silently replied with a small shake of her head. Locking eyes with the skeleton, she gave him a look of uncertainty. *Where is the... shower?*

"right over here, hun." Sans said as he led her over to where the shower was. Pulling back the pale yellow curtain, he revealed the bathtub and all of its mediocre glory. "it's really simple," he began as he reached for one of the metal knobs attached to the wall. "the water comes from up there." he explained as he nodded up to the small shower head. "turn this knob here if you wanna make the water warmer, and this one over here if you wanna make it colder. oh and, uh... try to watch your step, it gets kinda slippery in there... paps learned that the hard way a few years ago."

With a subtle nod of understanding, Frisk unconsciously slid her fingers over the cool surface of the shower wall. What a curious little room she thought privately to herself as she scanned the small area. She'd never seen anything like it before. Vaguely, she wondered how it all worked.

"also," Sans added as he opened a narrow door off to the side. "this is where the towels are." he said, revealing a closet filled with an assortment of neatly folded articles of fluffy looking cloth. "just pick whichever one you like, it's fine. i'll be back in about fifteen minutes to check up on you, alright?"

Wait. He was leaving?

A tinge of nervousness crept up on Frisk as a faint frown appeared on her face. Somehow, the thought of being alone again didn't sit well with her. It was like an odd hollow feeling that she couldn't quite place. After spending so much time with Sans, she kinda hoped he'd stay here with her. Didn't he have to wash himself too?

Quickly realizing just how irrational her thought process had become, Frisk shook her head slightly as she attempted to clear her mind. Of course he had to go. What was she thinking? It wasn't like he was going to be gone forever; he'd be back. He said he would. Lifting her gaze, Frisk gave her friend a small nod as she unconsciously brought her hands up and clasped them together in front of her chest.

Recognizing the familiar gesture right away, Sans felt his smile lessen slightly. Was she nervous about something? Maybe she just didn't want to be all by herself. With everything that they had just gone through, it was completely understandable that she might be a little scared to be alone right now.

"don't worry." Sans started, his expression becoming a bit softer. "if you want, i can stay here with you. really. i don't mind."

Cheeks tinting in embarrassment, Frisk quickly shook her head as she rejected his kind offer. *No, you don't have to do that.* she said silently. *I'll be fine. Just... don't take too long, okay?*

"alright, i'll be back in ten." Sans said, his smile returning. "how's that sound?"

Pleased by his answer, Frisk lowered her hands a little as her expression brightened. *Thank you.*

"heh, anytime, sweetheart." Sans replied, giving the mute girl a lazy grin as he stuffed his hands back into his pockets. "see ya in ten."

Then, just like that, he was gone.

xxx

Frisk has a touch of "monophobia" the fear of being alone.

I know I never actually specified how long she was down in the Ruins, but it's safe to say it was probably an uncomfortable amount of time to be all alone.

...

In the next chapter, Frisk receives a gift!

xxx

Thanks for reading!

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Sheii Bae~