After Papyrus finished loading a rusted green 1970's Ford pickup with their gathered cargo, the three of them crammed inside the bench seat, with Papyrus the driver, her in the middle, and Sans in the passenger side. She had allowed Papyrus to toss her backpack into the trucks bed, but she insisted on keeping her shotgun with her, tucked in between her legs, muzzle pointed downward. She was relieved when neither monster argued with her about this, but she was still far from feeling comfortable with no clear way of escape if she needed one. She didn't like feeling trapped and helpless.

"Couldn't I just have sat in the back?" The girl asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the truck since they pulled out of the driveway.

"Absolutely not!" Papyrus snapped, startling her. "It is extremely unsafe and not to mention, illegal for a minor to ride in the bed of a truck! Why hundreds of people died in a year alone from accidents while riding back there, especially with no seat belts."

The girl frowned in confusion. "You know about human laws?"

"Sure. Know thine enemy and all that. . ." Sans smirked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye socket. His chin was propped on his palm, his elbow supported by the doors armrest.

"But what's the point with no humans anymore?"

"Let's just say we monsters might have adopted a few of them that we thought were wise." Papyrus answered.

"You guys have your own law enforcement?" The girl asked, intrigued. She knew very little about monsters but what she did know had only been told by her parents who were told through rumors and those rumors were anything but kind.

"Of course! The Royal Guards are the most respected and brave group of monsters to serve beneath the King." Papyrus announced with a proud flourish of his gloved hand. The truck drifted to the side and Sans casually leaned over and jerked the steering wheel straight again.

Shoulders untensing now that they were safely in the center of the road, the girl asked in surprise, "You have a King?"

Papyrus exchanged a look with his brother before smiling again to the girl. "Yes. His name is King Asgore."

"Asgore. . ." The girl whispered, trying out the name on her tongue. "That sounds familiar."

"It should. Asgore had been the first monster to leave the Underground after breaking the barrier and lead us all into a new life."

"Yes," The girl nodded thoughtfully. "I remember people telling me about it. A lot of them believed it was God's judgement on us. Opening up hell and releasing the demons to punish us."

The vehicle was silent as her words lingered in the air. The girl stared at her lap, her fingers playing with a loose thread hanging from the seam of her shirt, her mind replaying memories. "I remember people panicking. First, the sickness and now monsters. Some people said it was the end of the world. Others said it was the next stage of evolution. That we were just being replaced by our superiors as the dominant species. Then there were those who said it was another terrorist attack. That the monsters were created from nuclear radiation that seeped into the Earth."

The girl looked up at the monsters flanking her and asked, "Is any of that true?"

Sans chuckled quietly but there was no humor behind it. His hand massaging his cervical vertebrae awkwardly as he answered her, "I don't know about any of that, kid. We're just a couple of skeletons trying to get by like anybody else."

"But you shouldn't be afraid of us, human." Papyrus inserted, gently. "We won't let anything happen to you, right Sans?"

Sans nodded. "Sure, we got your backbone, kiddo."

Papyrus grumbled with frustration at the pun and reached over to turn on the radio. Obviously, there were no more broadcasting stations but there was a CD in the player that began cranking out country music and cutting off any possible future conversations and pun making. Which suited the girl just fine as she relaxed more into her seat with the knowledge that her present company had no intentions to kill her in that moment and watched the world go by through the windshield.


Five country songs later, they finally arrived at Ebott city. The glass towers glimmering in the setting sun overtop the trees. The girl sat up straighter, eyes wide with wonder as they drove into the newly restored city. What had once been crumbled buildings, broken glass, dead bodies, and ash was now a monster's utopia. Creatures of every different shape, size, and color walked down the sidewalk, smiling and waving with recognition as they passed. Papyrus beamed at them, rolling down his window to greet them.

The girl drew back from the windshield, automatically clutching her shotgun to her chest, hoping no one saw her. There were so many of them! Would she have any chance of escaping if they decided they didn't like her? She didn't know what was worse; facing an onslaught of sick humans or facing an army of angry monsters.

Sans glanced at her, sensing her fear skyrocket. He placed a hand on the muzzle of the gun, forcing her to lower it back towards the ground. "Hey, relax, kid. Most of these monsters haven't even seen a human before. More than likely, they'll just mistake you for another weird looking monster."

That did little to calm her nerves, her body trembling and her knuckles turning white from her tight grip, even as she nodded in confirmation. Sans sighed, took a moment to think, before untying the blue hoodie from around his waist and dropping it in her lap.

"Here, put this on. As long as you don't draw attention to yourself, you should be fine."

The girl stared at the bundle for a long moment before she released the gun and grabbed the hoodie. The material was soft and warm, the inside lined with white faux fur.

"Kind of warm for summer weather, don't you think?" She commented, slipping her arms in the sleeves. It smelled of ketchup, strangely enough.

Sans shrugged. "It's mostly sentimental, though its handy for nights when the temp drops."

The girl hesitated, nervously messing with her shirts seam again before she finally muttered, "Thanks."

"No prob. Just try not to get any stains on it. It's important to me."

The girl opened her mouth to point out the coat already had plenty of stains on it and any ones she made would probably just blend in but decided it wasn't worth mentioning. She nodded in agreement and the smaller skeleton smiled, ruffling her hair with his hand. The strands got caught in his joints and he muttered an apology as he reached over with his other hand to untangle them.

The old Ford creaked as Papyrus pulled it into the parking lot of a gas station.

"We're here!" He announced, loudly.

The girl straightened to peek out the windshield again. Spotting a small group of different types of monsters, dressed in body armor and camo patterns. They looked military-esk, yet none of them bore any weapons that she could see.

The girl swallowed as one imposing monster, a woman with flaming red hair tied up in a tight military bun and blue scales for skin, turned to them. Her yellow eyes. . . well, eye, with a vertical slit pupil narrowed angrily, the other eye covered by a patch with a symbol of some sort stitched into it. Her razor-sharp teeth gleamed beneath her snarl. The girl instinctively reached for her shotgun, her heart hammering.

"That's Undyne, the captain of the Royal Guard I was telling you about." Papyrus supplied for her. "She doesn't look very happy, does she Sans."

Sans shook his head. Everyone watching in frozen alarm as Undyne stomped over to them.

"Anybody who doesn't want to talk to Undyne, say 'I'!" Sans quickly announced. Startling the other two occupants.

The girl was the first to recover as she said, "I!"

Papyrus blinked in bewilderment. "What? No fair!"

Sans smiled, pityingly. Saluting his brother. "The 'I's' have it. Sorry, bro. You snooze, you lose."

"You're the one always snoozing!" Papyrus balked.

All three passengers jumped as Undyne pounded on the window like police demanding entry, making the whole truck shudder. "Papyrus, Sans, you two have a lot of explaining to do! Where in the hell have you been?"

"Oh! H-Hi, Undyne! How are you?" Papyrus talked through the windows glass. Smiling, uneasily.

"Come on, kid. I know just the place to hide out for a bit." Sans whispered, grabbing the girl's arm and dragging her out of the truck's passenger door.

"Is that a hum. . ." Undyne barely caught herself from starting a panic. "Papyrus, open this door up now!"

"You cowards!" Was the last thing the girl heard before her feet unexpectedly hit wood instead of tarmac as she slid from the bench seat. The sounds of the city replaced by people chattering and the soft melody of jazz music. The girl raised her head and found herself not in a gas station parking lot, but inside a cozy little restaurant/bar, packed with monsters at every table.

Baffled, the girl spun in a quick 360, expecting to find the building opening up to the parking lot and truck behind her. Instead, the restaurant was like any other with a front door and coat rack beside it.

She spun back to Sans who was watching her with amusement. "What did you do?"

Sans chuckled. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?"

Pulling off his vest, Sans hung it up on the rack alongside the others. Underneath, he wore a novelty grey sweatshirt she would expect to find at a giftshop, with the words, 'I heart Ebott City' printed on it. The sleeve on his left arm patched up with a square piece of mismatching material.

Sans waved her over as he walked between the booths. Every patrons' eyes turning to him, lighting up with recognition.

"Hey, Sans is back!" Someone shouted.

"Hey Sans!" A monster like dog called out.

"Hi Sans!" Its companion yelled next.

"Hiya Sansy~!" A drunken someone said sleepily from where it laid across the table. Followed by several similar greetings around the room.

Sans took the attention in stride, visiting each table to chat briefly as he passed before taking a seat on a stool at the bar. The girl nervously followed, throwing the hood up and keeping her head down to avoid getting caught in conversation. Her heart thundering with anxiety in her chest. Her only reassurance, the shot gun she had underneath the coat, pressing against her sternum.

Sans looked at her, patting the empty stool beside him. "Here, get comfy."

The girl climbed up, her face flushing with embarrassment at the sound of farting emanating from under her. Everyone's attention zeroed in on her.

"Heh, whoops, so that's where I left my spare whoopie cushion." Sans grinned.

The girl glared at him beneath the hoods brim.

"Well lookey what we got here. Sans found himself another friend." A monster resembling a horse spoke from the other side of the bar. His arms were propped on the countertop, a drink cradled in between them. The girl glanced at him wearily.

"So, what do they call you?" The horse monster asked, staring curiously at her.

"Crap," Sans muttered. "I knew I forgot something."

The girl frowned, "Sans usually calls me 'kid' or 'buddy'."

The horse monster laughed. "Yeah, Sans calls everyone that. I mean what do other people call you?"

The girl opened her mouth to answer when another monster walked out from a room behind the bar that could only be the kitchen, carrying a tray of burgers and fries. While her stomach was growling from the steamy scents that came from the plates he carried, her attention was mostly fixed on him. The man was entirely engulfed in fire save for the bartender's uniform and glasses he wore that inexplicably didn't singe to ash.

After handing off the meals to his costumers and refilling their glasses, he turned his sights to her. Or she assumed so considering he didn't have any discernible features passed the heat of the flames, but she swore he was smiling at her.

From beside her, a bird monster nursing a glass of something liquid amber said, "Grillbz said that he'd offer you a glass of water, but he doesn't touch the stuff."

The girl blinked at this, confused, before she asked a little bashfully, "Well, what can you offer me?"

The fire monster whom she could only guess was Grillby, the owner of the joint, set down the glass he was cleaning and stalked back into the kitchen, wordlessly.

The girl looked to the bird monster. "So, can Grillby not talk?"

"Most of the time, no. I usually am his translator." The bird monster smiled and tossed back the rest of his drink, slamming the glass onto the bar. The girl jumped but resisted the urge to grab her shotgun. She really didn't want to pick a fight if she could help it. The odds weren't exactly in her favor.

"What happened?" She asked, clearing her throat from any trembling.

The bird monster shrugged, idly swirling the ice around in his empty glass. "Who knows? Maybe the war. Maybe a bad drink."

"Naw, he probably just burned them out from too much talking." Sans interjected.

The bird monster hooted with laughter. The girl chuckled a little, quickly stopping as Grillby reemerged from the kitchen, carrying a tall glass. He set it down before her and she stared at it with a look of wonder. It was cold as she grabbed onto it and it smelled sweet, decorated with whipped cream and a cherry.

Cautiously, she took a sip from it and her eyes widened as the rich flavor of chocolate hit her tongue. It had been so long since the last time she had chocolate, she forgotten what it tasted like. She gave a pleased moan. Her lips never parting from the straw as she sucked down the rest of her milkshake. Only when her brain crystallized and she was making embarrassingly loud slurping sounds at the bottom of the glass, did she notice that everyone at the bar was gaping at her.

Blushing, she released the mutilated straw and pushed the empty glass away with a shy smile. "Thank you. It was good."

"Damn, kid, you sucked that thing down faster then pinto here can throw back shots." Sans threw a thumb at the horse monster.

"Clearly, I'm in need of more practice." The monster in question replied, raising his empty glass in the air. "Grillbz! Nother round, please!"

Grillby wagged a finger at him as he took out a bottle from behind the bar and refilled the glass.

"Grillby said that's your last drink for tonight. Wouldn't want your wife to get mad." The bird monster translated.

"Well, in that case, I should make this one last." The horse monster sighed and took a tentative sip of his drink.

"Hey, Grillbz, any love for the guy that actually worked for once?" Sans remarked, waving a hand to grab the fire monster's attention. It wasn't needed though as Grillby immediately stooped down behind the bar and came back holding a bottle of something red.

The girl's brows furrowed with confusion as she spotted a ketchup label on the side of it. She opened her mouth to mention it, wondering if Grillby had grabbed the wrong bottle by mistake when Sans popped the cap open with his thumb and threw his head back. Miraculously not spilling a single drop even without the ability of opening his mouth. Sans chugged the condiment until it was halfway gone before finally coming up for air.

"Yeah, that hit the spot." Sans sighed contentedly, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand. Sans noticed the way the girl was looking at him and said, "What?"'

The girl didn't know any other way to respond other than the undying truth. "Ew!"

Sans smirked. "Hey, don't knock it till you try it, bud."

She shook her head with a disgusted look. "I'm good."

Sans shrugged and took another swig. "More for me."

Grillby had disappeared into the kitchen again, taking her empty glass with him and when he reappeared, he was holding another plate piled high with freshly cooked fries. Her stomach howled like a starving caged lion as he set the plate in front of her and she ate like one too. Shoveling handfuls into her mouth. She could feel the eyes of the other patrons on her but this time, she didn't care. She doubted she could've stopped herself even if she wanted to.

"Easy, kiddo. Slow down or you're going to choke yourself." The girl vaguely heard Sans speak beside her, but only when the hunger pains subsided, did she follow his direction.

Grillby handed her a napkin and she thanked him, cleaning the grease and salt from her cheeks.

"When was the last time you ate, kid?" Sans asked softly so only she could hear. She met his eyes which were staring at her in true concern.

She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes dropping to her lap and gave a half-hearted shrug. "Yesterday, I think. I ate half a PB and J sandwich."

"There was a lot of food in that pantry. Why didn't you eat any of it?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wasn't hungry."

Sans took note of the girl's malnourished physique. It was harder to tell underneath his coat, but it was obvious from her face. Her cheeks were hollow, and her eyes were sunken and bruised. She looked like she hadn't slept for days either and he couldn't blame her. He doubted hotdogs and sleep would be nearly as pleasant without Papyrus there to complain about them.

Shrugging, Sans decided to drop the subject for now and reached across the bar to steal a fry. "Hey," The girl glared, protectively guarding her plate with her arms. "Get your own."

Sans chuckled, dipping the fry into his bottle of ketchup before eating it. His magic absorbing the fry before it even met his teeth. A talent only he was known to use.

The girl stared at him in fascination, unnerving him slightly. While, he was used to the spotlight being on him. Literally, in some cases since he had a side show comedy act on Wednesday's and Friday's between eight and nine in the PM. He wasn't particularly fond of being stared at like an animal in a zoo. He didn't say anything, however, knowing how strange and scary everything must be for this kid now.

The moment didn't last long though, which was both a blessing and a curse, as the front door to the restaurant burst open, slamming against the wall and knocking over the coat rack. The room fell silent as everyone's eyes turned to Undyne who stomped through the doorway, her furious gaze gliding over the patron's faces until finally landing on the little girl, perched on a bar stool, dressed in Sans' coat.

Papyrus stumbled through the doorway next, panting as if he had just ran a mile. Which he might of, considering she had no idea how far away the gas station was.

"U-Undyne, w-w-wait! You . . . you might scare her." Papyrus gasped, trying to hold her back by the belt but the monster walked forward as if he wasn't even there, dragging him along behind her.

The girl trembled with fear, her hands clutching the shotgun, prepared to fire it when she got close enough but both of them paused as Sans slid off his stool and stepped between them, hands in his short pockets, still smiling nonchalantly, impervious to the tsunami of rage she wrought.

"Heya, sushi. What can I do for you on this fine night?"

Undyne sneered down at him as if he were nothing but a piece of gum on her boot. "You can start by getting out of my way, pipsqueak."

Sans chuckled. "Well, I would but the darndest thing just happened. In the last two seconds I was afflicted with this freak condition where I can't move my own feet."

Undyne raised an unimpressed brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, doc said it was called, 'sudden leg paralysis'. It's like the opposite of restless leg syndrome expect it's uncomfortable to move, you know? Very serious stuff."

Undyne crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you're going to be more uncomfortable if you don't get out of my way."

Sans sniffed dramatically, wiping an invisible tear from his eye socket with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Do you know how hard it is living with this? Knowing that your legs can just give up on you randomly and there's nothing you can do about it?"

Undyne's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward till they were practically nose to nasal bone. "I would say you have a lot of guts; first, from your underhandedness and now from acting cheeky to your captain but that would be a contradiction, wouldn't it?"

Sans straightened, his hand returning to his pocket. "Wow, it's like you can see right through me."

"I change my mind, Undyne." Papyrus interjected with a snort of disgust. "You can have Sans if you want."

Sans looked at Papyrus in betrayal. "I thought you were supposed to have my backbone, bro."

"Not when you're making jokes like that, brother."

"God, I've had enough of you two to last me a lifetime!" Undyne growled with impatience, snatching Sans by his shirt and tossing him behind her, at his brother and out of her way. The human girl and the aquatic woman locked eyes for a moment. Acknowledging one another. Reading each other. A lot felt said for that brief minute, but none of it was understood. The anger returned, if it even left in the first place, as Undyne pointed a clawed finger to the girl.

"You!" She snarled, her voice raucous and gravelly. "As captain of the royal guard, you are under arrest for illegal entry into this city without proper inspection and authorization from the administration."

The girl gave a furious screech as Undyne grabbed her by the arm and violently yanked her off her stool. Her gun falling loose from Sans' coat and clattering on the ground. No one seemed to notice it though as Undyne dragged the girl towards the restaurants exit, barely fazed as she kicked at Undyne's legs and clawed at her arm trying to free herself.

"Let go of the girl." An unfamiliar but low voice spoke followed by a more familiar 'chuck-chak' of a gun being cocked.

Undyne froze, the girl smacking into her back. Slowly, the woman turned to find Grillby standing on the other side of the bar, pointing a bolt-action rifle at her. Monsters scrambled to the sides of the building, trying to put as much distance between them and the possible fire fight. However, no one tried leaving either, watching as if mesmerized by this dramatic scene unfolding before them.

"You are interfering in royal government business, Grillby. If you don't stand down, I'll be forced to place you under arrest and charge you for threating to assault law enforcement and we all know you can't afford that kind of time."

Grillby's stance didn't falter and neither did his aim. "Let. Go. Of the girl." He repeated.

Undyne held his stare for a good two minutes, debating her options and possible collateral damages before finally detaching her fingers from around the girl's arm where bruises would no doubt take their places later. Grillby gestured with the muzzle of the rifle towards his office and, with what looked like a great amount of effort, Undyne stomped over to the room adjacent to the kitchen like a tantruming child. Her ire now locked solely on the flaming man as she passed.

Once she disappeared, Grillby made the same motion towards the skeleton brothers. Both glanced at her, their eye sockets conveying a mixture of guilt and sympathy as they followed orders. Grillby looked at her next, his stare drilling holes into her head despite the fact he had no visible eyes. He lowered his rifle and held out a hand to her. A sign of peace.

The girl slowly walked over to her fallen gun, quickly picking it up and stuffing it under the coat again, hoping the tables and chairs blocked any spectators view. She popped back up, ignoring Grillby's hand as she hurried into the overcrowded office.


Its been a long time since the last update, I know, but I just recently saw something on Youtube about Undertale and remembered this story. I ended up getting back into the groove of things and have plans to post a few more chapters very soon. Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated! :)