Author's Note:

Special thanks to Mister. Enigma for prompting the idea for this story. Originally, I had planned for a darker series of events featuring Kris, Frisk and Chara as siblings. However, I decided against it before putting pen to paper. After a long time of struggling, this version of the story popped into my head and I've hit the ground running ever since.

The following is a non-profit, fan-made fiction. Undertale and Deltarune are both owned by Toby Fox, with credit given to their contributing artists and supporters. Please support the official release.

Family is what you make of it, defined not by blood nor circumstance. It is a choice to love, and a privilege to be loved.

Chapter 1: New Message Received

It was 8:34PM when Kris flopped onto his bed and opened the MyShare app on his phone. There wasn't much time to mess around, he mused with a hollow sigh. His mother never let Kris use the wi-fi until he finished his homework for the day, and Ms Alphys had gone overboard again with her latest assignment. Maybe if he was lucky, Kris's wall would be full of junk posts not worth reading and he could squeeze a few games in before bedtime.

Upon logging in, Kris saw the number five next to his inbox. He opened the list of new messages. One was from Susie, asking for help with the assignment. Two others were long streams of memes and bad jokes from MK and Snowy. Kris's father, Asgore, sent a picture of the saplings that had just sprouted in his flower shop. There wasn't anything from his brother, Asriel, though. Kris blew a sullen puff through his nose.

He didn't recognise the name against the last message. 'Frisk.' His mother always warned Kris about opening emails from strangers. However, she said a lot of things that he was getting tired of listening to. Kris opened the message.

"Kris? Is that really u? OMG it's been so long! How r u?"

Kris frowned. Was he supposed to know this person? Aside from Asriel, Kris couldn't think of many people he had not seen for any great length of time. Except for…

He glanced at the profile picture next to the message. He tapped to enlarge it. A human girl smiled at him, surrounded by a ring of daisies from a filter. She had brown hair and golden skin, same as Kris. His heart stopped in his chest. A green icon showed that Frisk was online. Kris's thumbs smashed across the keyboard.

"Francine?!" Three dots danced on the screen for a few moments as the reply was written.

"Its Frisk now. But yeah, its me! :) OMG where r u?"

The phone shook in Kris's hands. It was really Francine… It was his older sister! His actual blood sister! Kris hadn't seen or heard from her since…

Visions flashed. The three of them; Kris, Francine, and Charlotte. They played at the park every day. Their mother called them home for supper, smiling as always. Their father lifted him onto his shoulder. Laughing. Happy.

Two beds beyond a window they could not pass through. White sheets pulled over their parents' faces while they slept. Francine was crying. Charlotte stood as still as a statue. There were men and women in white coats and dark suits. They knelt in front of Kris and his big sisters. He didn't understand what was happening.

They weren't taken home. The men in suits took them to a strange house. Lots of strange kids lived there. Kris was scared. He wanted his mommy and daddy. They stayed at the house for a long time. Lots of adults came to visit, talking with the caretakers and other children. Some of them spoke to Kris. They were nice. The caretakers told Kris he was going home with one of the adults. Charlotte and Francine were held back in the doorway, crying and screaming as Kris was placed into the car.

The new house was big with a green garden. Kris didn't like it. He wanted to see his sisters. He cried to his new mother but all she did was hug him. He then cried to his father. Kris's face suddenly hurt. He learned quickly never to ask his father for anything.

Kris liked his home less and less. His parents screamed at each other all the time. Thing smashed against the walls. Kris hid under the covers, each night begging the bedroom door not to open.

Sirens flashed blue and red through the windows. His father was taken away by men with badges and handcuffs. His mother was nowhere to be seen. The men with badges found Kris in the closet. One of them held out his hand, saying that everything was going to be okay. A nurse rubbed ointment over the bruises on Kris's face. He got to drink hot cocoa that night.

He was taken to another large house. There were more children living there, all waiting for parents. Kris searched for his sisters, but they were not there. No one would tell him where they were. Kris stayed in his room and cried, away from the other children and their teasing. Then a giant goat woman came to visit him. She smiled and said hello. The goat woman knelt to hug Kris. Her white fur was soft and warm. She smelled like cinnamon and flowers. Kris held the woman tightly as he cried into her shoulder.

Kris struggled for breath as he returned to his body. He clutched at his heart. His soul hammered in his chest. He hated these episodes. He hated remembering. Kris found his phone, fallen on the quilt in front of him. He hated remembering, but this was…

He checked the screen. Frisk had sent more messages, asking if everything was okay. Swallowing through his dry throat, Kris tapped a quick reply. He just had to use the bathroom. A white lie. That's all it was.

"I'm living with a family in Hometown, up north," he texted. "God, I never thought I'd see you again."

"Chara and I were so upset when they took u away." Frisk replied. "We ended up adopted by different families. Chara's new parents didn't want a yellow kid. I found her around town a month ago 2."

Kris furrowed his brow. "Chara? You mean Charlotte?"

"Yeah. That's what she's calling herself now."

"OK. Sorry we got split up."

"Its not ur fault." Frisk texted back quickly. "I'm just glad I finally found u again."

"How did you find me?"

"Searched every guy on MyShare named Kris within 100 miles. Most of them were white, so it wasn't hard. Still took me a few weeks."

"Where are you now?"

"Ebott City College. Studying politics."

Ebott City College? That was where Asriel went to study. Frisk kept on texting.

"Chara's living somewhere downtown. Would you like to catch up?"

Kris read the last message three times. Catch up… For years, he never wanted to give himself hope. But if he could see his family; his human family; again…

A knock at the door startled him. "Kris?" his mother called. "Fifteen minutes before bed, dear."

Kris vaulted off the bed. "Mom!" He threw the door open.

His mother, Toriel, turned in the hall. Surprise lit her snowy, furred face. "What is it?"

Kris held the phone up to her. "Come look at this!"

Toriel walked back to him and peered at the chatroom. Her brow wrinkled, not understanding. "What is this?"

Taking the phone back, Kris enlarged Frisk's profile picture. "Look at this girl! It's my sister, Francine! She just started texting me!"

"Kris, you know how I feel about you talking to…" Toriel blinked. "Did you just say your sister?"

"My human sister!" Kris exclaimed, his eyes wide and wild. "She's in Ebott City! Where Asriel is! And Francine said that she's found Charlotte, too!"

Toriel gently took the phone and read through the messages. Kris shrunk as she frowned, hoping that she was merely criticising Frisk's spelling. Her face softened as she reached the end. "She wants to see you…"

Kris looked to the floor to his mother's bare, monstrous feet. "Kris?" she asked. Toriel knelt on one knee. No matter how tall Kris grew, she could always crouch to look him level in the eye. Toriel cupped his cheek. "Do you want to see her?"

Kris trembled. He made up his mind but was also terribly unsure. "I… I… Uh…" His mother waited patiently. "I want to see her," he stated. "I want to see them both."

Toriel smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Kris. This is all so exciting! When does she want to meet?"

Kris sent the question. "I have a test Monday I need to study for," Frisk answered. "What about the 23rd?"

The 23rd of the month was a Saturday in the next week. Toriel bit her lip at the date. Frisk wanted them to meet at the college. "I suppose we might be able to make it work. I'll see if… your father… will be able to go with you." Kris's nerves and excitement hit rock bottom under the disdain which crept into his mother's tone.

"So, I can go?" Kris asked.

"So long as you're careful. I want to believe that this is genuine, Kris; but I read too often about people who do cruel things online and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Kris nodded quietly. Now the doubts crawled further around inside him. 'What if this is just a big trick?' he wondered. 'What if it's not really Francine at all? What if she doesn't really know I'm here?'

At least he could always see Asriel instead.

His mother clapped her hands together. "Well, this is all so wonderful! However, it's almost time for bed. Finish speaking with your sister and brush your teeth. I'll make a couple of phone calls and organise your travel plans for you."

Toriel kissed him goodnight. She then made her way downstairs. Kris stared down at his phone and the girl smiling back at him. "Sure," he texted. "23rd sounds good. See you there."

"Gr8! See u soon! I'll call Chara 2. Miss u, bb brother. 3"

Baby brother… Those words hung in Kris's head long after he switched off the lights and slipped into his blankets. A deep, ancient ache opened within his heart as he dreamed of his sisters' faces. Hot tears soaked his pillow as a harsh sob tore through Kris's throat.

He missed them, too. He missed them so much that it hurt. It hurt so horribly every single day for the last eleven years.

End Note:

I apologise if any of my text speak looks weird. I don't typically use acronyms or the like. I text like Kris does.