AN: Welcome back! Thanks for reading! I don't have a whole lot to say here, so I'll let you read! And I'll see you next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Cracks in the Dam

After a few hours of everyone being stuffed inside of one room, it was decided that the atmosphere was becoming a little claustrophobic. Even to those who were incorporeal, and to whom space was limitless, there was an uncomfortable closeness. Just because ghosts tended to phase through other people, didn't mean that they had no concept of personal space.

Though the music was good, (after a few suggestions from Napstablook) and the party was lively, after those few hours were spent, It was time to get out.

Letting out long sighs, the group of friends made their way out to the front of the school, some fanning themselves, the others stretching out.

"Sit!" Undyne groaned, loosening her tie, "I need to sit! I need a wall or a roof or something!"

Though Corbel had to agree, as he unbuttoned his sleeves to roll them up for the moment, the two ghosts had no reason to sit. Instead, they floated near the others, Metta complaining mainly about the lack of finesse the other monsters showed when they danced. He made it a point to note that once they got back inside, he would show all of the other students just how it was done.

"You can do that, Metta." Corbel chuckled, "I think I'm okay not going back in there tonight. It's getting a bit too crowded for me. It's hard to breathe."

"Not to mention it's hot!" Undyne added.

"And loud." sighed Napstablook.

"But we can't call it a night here!" Metta continued, "Not without the final bow! We'll leave them lamenting our departure! 'Oh! Why did they leave so soon!?' they'll say, 'this party is no more than a shindig without them!' they'll weep!"

"Heh, I don't know about the weeping." Corbel smirked, "From what I saw, it was like no one even realized we were there."

"Well, what do you expect from a wallflower!?" Undyne scoffed, "You gotta leave the side of the dance floor if you hope to meet anyone! Did you talk to a single girl tonight that wasn't me?"

"Did you?" Corbel bit back.

"Well, if you must know, I did! I told her that her dress was cute and we talked about stuff for a while."

"I saw that interaction." Napstablook commented, "She told you to get out of her bubble. And her boyfriend took her to the dancefloor to get away from you."

"T-That's beside the point!" Undyne stammered, "The point here is that you can't just sit in the shadows and wait for people to notice you! You gotta put yourself out there!"

"I don't know about that." Metta grinned, "There was a young gentleman in there who seemed quite taken with you, Corbel dear. And two young ladies who kept looking your way."

Corbel's eyes went wide for a second, his hands instinctively joining in a nervous habit, "Wha- what? Really!?" He nearly squeaked.

"I believe it was that cutie, Shyren talking to her sister. Though, come to think of it, I think the gentleman who kept looking at you was Aaron . . . and they might not have been the same amorous looks that Shyren was sending."

"Tch, figures!" Unydne scoffed, shaking her head, "Everyone knows Aaron has a thing for Shyren! Seriously! Who he's trying to fool is anyone's guess. But hey, look at that, Corbel! It looks like you might have an admirer after all! You should go in and talk to her!"

Corbel laughed with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "I-I dunno if that's such a good idea." He stammered, "What if I make a complete fool of myself? And it's really hot and crowded and loud and stuff in there, remember? I don't want to seem like I'm screaming at her! Besides, wh-what would I even say!?"

"Hey, that's why you've got me!" Undyne grinned, throwing an arm over Corbel's shoulder, "I'll be your fin-man!"

"No offense, Undyne-hon." Metta jumped in, "You might come off as a bit . . . much for her. If Corbel here wants to have the best chance with Shyren, he's got to take her to a quiet place."

"Away from distractions where they won't be disturbed." Napstablook added.

"Where she'll be more receptive to what he's saying. No screaming involved and no one leaves with a headache."

"Y-yeah, but. I don't even know much about her! I don't even know if I like her like that . . . or even if it was really me she was talking about! What am I supposed to say? 'My friend told me you might be into me. Is he right?'"

"Well, it's not the worst starter," Said Metta, "Though not very subtle. Might I suggest just walking in and introducing yourself. Ask her what she thinks of the dance, compliment her outfit. Girls love when you talk about them and ask about their opinion. More than likely, they'll tell you too!"

"How do you know so much about this, Metta?"

"Lots of study, darling! There is always new information in those graphic novels and manga! Such drama! It's spectacular!"

"It's human." Undyne accused,

"It's fiction." Corbel droned.

"That may be, but they make valid points on building relationships! Believe me, just try it! If that doesn't get her talking, then I don't know what will! Now, you just have to get back in there and talk to the girl!"

At that, Corbel turned again to face the entrance to the building, his hands wringing in front of him as he thought it over.

"H-how do we even know she was talking about me?" Corbel began again, the nerves creeping up on him again, "She could've been talking about someone next to me or something."

"Look, do you want Blooky and me to go in and scope out the situation for you? If she's interested, we'll send for you, but if not, then no harm, no foul."

A few more quiet moments passed, during which Undyne became visibly more impatient.

"Just go for it, dude!" She pushed, both verbally and physically.

Corbel stumbled forward with a gasp, catching himself on unstable legs. There was a slight tingling in the back of his throat brought on by the surprise. He coughed, trying to stabilize himself. The coughs continued on from there for quite a bit longer than normal, to the point where it had Corbel reaching into his pocket. Before he needed to pull out the inhaler, however, he was able to find a pocket of air and catch his breath. Immediately, Undyne was at his side, rubbing at his back apologetically.

"Aw geez, man. Are you okay? You got this, yeah?"

"Yeah-yeah. I'm fine." Corbel answered, sweeping Undyne away. He refocused on the entrance to the building, "I think I really am done for tonight though. At least with this place."

"But it's still so early!" Metta protested, " And what about Shyren!?"

"No one said you had to leave, Metta. As for Shyren . . . I think I'll wait. Think about it over the weekend. And maybe I'll ask her on Monday between classes what she thought of the dance. No pressure to do it right away, right?"

"Valid point!" Undyne grinned again, turning her attention to the building as well. "Wha'd'ya say, guys? After party at my place? Like Metta said, it's still early and we've got some time to kill before we call it a night!"

"Sounds good to me!" Corbel nodded.

"i'll go with you . . ." Napstablook said in a low somber tone, "if you want me around that is . . . If not, that's okay too."

Of course, to the others, they knew this was Napstablook speak for "hell yeah!"

"Alas, the party will remain Metta-less henceforth! Adieu, my lovelies! Until we meet again!" The ghost made a grand bow, turning his back on the school to join the rest of his friends. "Now then, homeward bound are we?"

"We are!" Undyne cheered, leading the way.

It really didn't take long for the group the reach the Quiet Place and from there, it was a split to either head left toward where Undyne and her mother called home or right to get to the Blook family snail farm.

When they made it to Undyne's front lawn, the fish monster just seemed to stop. Without another word, she sat, unwilling to take another step.

"Here we are!" She announced triumphantly, "Welcome to the party! Make yourselves at home!"

Napstablook was the first to take Undyne up on her offer, lowering themselves to float just above the ground beside her. They took it a step further and laid backward to look directly upward as if looking for stars.

"Keeping the family tradition alive, I see." Metta hummed, taking a spot opposite his cousin. He laid backward as well to stare up at the rock ceiling, far enough away that they actually couldn't see the rocks.

"Looks like you guys have got the right idea." Corbel chuckled, finding a place and following suit. Soon after, Undyne flopped backward as well, releasing a heavy sigh.

"Well, this is fun."

"It really is though." Corbel hummed, finally untying his tie completely and letting the ends fall loose, "Comfortable, relaxing."

Undyne sighed again. "Yeah, there's that."

"Better than watching the teachers try to dance, am I right?"

The four of them shared in a laugh as they recalled the ridiculous dance moves the teacher chaperones attempted to pull off. They listed those they thought were somewhat successful and could barely even get through all of the teachers and dances that didn't quite hit the mark. By the end of it, they were in such a fit of laughter that it didn't seem as if they would get out of it for the rest of the night.

Before they knew, it was several hours later and none of them had moved from the spot where they first laid down. After so long, the air between them had gone quiet and they mainly just stared upward reflecting on their own or meditating.

"I can't believe it's already so close to summer break." Undyne commented, seemingly more to herself than to anyone else. "This whole year just kinda flew by. About two months from now, I'll officially start boot camp for the Royal Guard. Of course I'm gonna finish school first, but I wanna be ready for the real deal when it comes."

"That sounds amazing, Undyne." Napstablook commented in their low airy voice. "You already know so much about what you want to do with your life."

"Why? What's your summer look like, Blook?"

"My summer's the same every year." They replied slowly, "I work on the farm and find music for my collection in my downtime. It's not terribly exciting, so it's perfect for me."

"What about you, Metta?"

"My summer promises to be the best ever! I am determined to make my grand debut in entertainment! I plan to make a name for myself! That way when the doctor finishes his grand invention and graces the Underground with the means to create television entertainment, the name Metta will already be a hot commodity! Actually, Corbel dear? Do you mind if I ask you something about that?"

"Hm." Corbel answered a bit tersely, "Good luck. I'll try."

"As the doctor's son, do you have any inside information as to when the CORE will be completed. He announced it quite a while ago, but news on its progress has been slim."

Corbel scoffed, his hand tightening over his stomach where it had been resting idly before. "Tch, Hell if I know. It's not like he actually tells me anything. I mean, I barely even see the guy."

"Actually," Undyne chimed in, "I've been meaning to ask. Earlier tonight, your mom mentioned your dad and you got pretty upset. And even now, you seem a little put-off. I was wondering what's going on there. Are you two fighting? I mean, it's none of my business, I know, but you're my friend, dude. I wanna make sure you're okay."

Corbel released a heavy breath as he continued to stare upward. He could feel his own face falling into something sour. "No, we're not fighting."

"Then what happened? Why are you so bitter toward him? Aren't you excited about the stuff he's doing?"

Bitter . . . ? Was he acting bitter toward his dad? He guessed that could be the case. He thought it over a bit, trying to put everything into actual words. He'd never had to think about actually saying this stuff out loud before . . . Before he could stop himself or reign himself in, he was ranting.

"That's not it either . . . I mean, yeah. I'm excited to see what he's got, just like everyone else. But . . . I guess it's more of the things that aren't happening. I barely even get to talk to him, much less see him. He's always gone . . . and it's been that way since I was little . . . Honestly, I'm amazed I even remember what the guy looks like . . .

Corbel took a moment, again, sorting through his thoughts. The last time he could remember seeing his dad outside of the occasional, "Good morning/ Good night" routine had been . . . Maybe about half a year ago when he had promised to take his mother out for her birthday . . . He never made good on that promise.

"And my mom . . . she has so much blind faith in him that it's almost sickening. The two of them barely talk anymore either and I-I think it's starting to really hurt her. It sure as hell hurts me. And I can't even do anything about it! But I know I can't just stand around while he does this to us!"

He let out another long breath as he fought to keep himself and his emotion under control. As he continued, however, he found that control harder and harder to keep.

"I mean . . . it's incredible to think of everything he's doing. Everything he's accomplishing. He's on a mission to help everyone! And he's already gotten so far! And he's done so much for me and Mom . . . he's definitely helped us and he provides us with the stuff we need . . . and he's saved my life more times than I can count, so I can't be too mad at the guy . . . and I know he's the Royal Scientist! I know he's busy working directly for the king and queen! I know he's in a place where he can do so much for so many people! I'm actually really really proud of him! I am! But . . . Does him being 'Renowned Royal Scientist, Dr. W.D. Gaster' mean that he can't be my Dad!? We need him too!"

Corbel lost himself for a moment and his voice caught in his throat. His voice pinched and he finally had to raise a hand to his face to cover his eyes.

"I-I mean, I know it's selfish." He continued through, ". . . a-and I know it's childish . . . and I- and I know it might be too much to ask . . . but-but, it's just . . . I just . . ."

"You miss your dad?" Metta asked in a soft tone.

"I want him back!" Corbel finally admitted, "I don't give a damn about the scientist! I want my dad back! And not just for me. My mom misses him so much, it hurts! Does he even know what he's doing to her!?"

"Does he?" Metta hummed, careful not to sound combative, "Have you told him?"

"Wh-What do you think? I just said, I never see him! And if he were around more, if he stuck around long enough to actually see anything, he'd KNOW what he's doing! He could see the aftermath! He could SEE what he's leaving behind every day when he steps out that damn door!" Corbel went quiet after that, drawing in sharp breaths and fighting even harder to prevent them from coming out. The resulting sobs cut through the rest of the quiet like a knife.

Undyne sat up midway through Corbel's tirade, hearing the distress in her friend's voice. She'd turned to look back over to him and to where he was trying so hard to hide his face. She reached out to touch the crown of his skull. Reluctantly, Corbel lowered his arms to glare upward at Undyne.

"You know." She said, "You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. Obviously, this is a really sore subject for you. We can drop it here if you wanna."

"Actually," Came Napstablook's timid reply, "This might be just what he needs. Sometimes, it's best to just let everything out. Have a good cry. Sometimes being able to be true to your own emotions is the best remedy to overcoming them."

"Y-yeah, but . . . maybe not in front of everyone." Corbel sighed, finally finding some sort of grasp. "I'm sorry, guys . . . I- didn't mean to have it all just come out like that . . . you guys didn't ask for that."

"Corbel, dear." Metta comforted, "We might be some of the best people for you to confide in. Of course, the best idea is to bring this up with your parents. From the sound of it, you all need some time to talk through this and, of course, it will be tough, but until you can get to that point. I hope you know you can always come to us. We're your friends. We will be here for you no matter what!"

"Yeah," Undyne tagged in with a smile on her face, "That's kinda why we're here, right?"

Corbel closed his eyes tightly as a faint smile came to the corners of his mouth. He wiped at the lingering dampness, trying to get rid of the visual evidence before he turned over on his stomach to get a better view of his friends. His best friends.

"Thanks guys." He said in a voice even more subdued and withdrawn than Napstablook's most reserved whispers.

The other three responded in "Of course" and "Well, yeah, duh." As Corbel had to take a figurative step backward. He really was a lucky monster with some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for.

He'd have to make sure he never took that for granted.

After some time of recomposing himself and politely declining Undyne's offers of drinks and "maybe sleeping on the couch to calm down before heading home" Corbel decided to say his goodbyes and head back down the walkways of Waterfall toward the grey door. He kept replaying the conversations he had with his friends and reminding himself that no matter what, he would be okay. That his friends had his back . . . and his family would get through this one way or another.

The closer to home he got, however, the more uncertain and apprehensive he felt. He had no idea what he was coming home to . . . Were his parents still awake? Were they both even home . . . if they were . . . should he stay out for a bit longer and let them do . . . whatever? If they were still awake, would they have "the talk" tonight . . . ? Corbel didn't think he had the strength or the composure to do it tonight . . . After what just happened at Undyne's, there was no way he could get through that again. Not tonight.

So when he got to the door, Corbel stood unmoving for a while, almost reaching for the door. It was in that time of stalling that he noticed that his prosthetics weren't responding well anymore . . . time to charge the cuffs.

Finally, he drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, pushing off his lasting anxiety as he opened the door.

He didn't know what he was expecting when he turned the doorknob, but what he found was a quiet room. They must have already gone to bed then.

Quietly and carefully, he removed his shoes and set them by the door. And it wasn't too far into the room when all of the events of the night seemed to hit him all at once and he wanted nothing more than to just shuffle to bed and pass out. Anything and everything else could wait until morning, right?

"Corbel?" Said a voice from further in the room, "Honey, is that you?"

From the couch, Nyala turned around and stood to greet her son. She looked tired and maybe a little dazed as if she'd just woken up from a nap. But beyond the fatigue, Corbel noticed his mom's outfit. It definitely was not the outfit she'd been wearing when he left.

"Yeah, Mom. It's me." Corbel answered with a slight wave, "You look great." He noted, "That outfit looks good on you."

"Aw, thank you, Sweetie." Nyala hummed with what could only be described as a mixed expression. It read as something between flattered and saddened. It lasted for less than five seconds as she approached where he stood by the door. It was then that she noticed.

"Oh my goodness! Corbel? Are you okay!? What happened!?"

Thrown off by his mother's questions and sudden concern, he took a look downward at himself and his disheveled appearance. His shirt was unbuttoned and untucked, his tie was untied and his vest was draped over one shoulder. He's sure he looked a complete mess.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It kinda got hot at the dance, so . . ."

"No, not your clothes." Nyala pushed, reaching out to touch Corbel's face. He thought he'd been careful to wipe any traces of his . . . breakdown away from his face and his expression, but somehow, Nyala knew exactly where to look and what mechanisms to decipher.

"Was it a girl? A boy? Is there someone's prim-prissy little ass I need to kick tonight?"

Corbel cracked a smile. It wasn't often he heard his mother use language like that and she only ever let things like that slip if she'd had one or two drinks.

Closer inspection of the small coffee table where she'd been seated before revealed a tall glass bottle and a single wine glass. Well, that did explain a lot.

"No. Nothing like that. I'm fine, I promise. It's just . . . I've got some pretty awesome friends."

Nyala took in Corbel's face and his lack of an actual answer and studied them.

"Will you tell me if something's wrong?" She asked plainly, subtly but not-so-subtly telling him that she knew something was bothering him, that he wasn't talking about it and that she was not going to pry tonight, but she wasn't going to let this go either.

Corbel nodded, raising his hands to lay them over his mother's, "I promise." He answered solidly.

"Thank you, Baby. That's all I ask. It's good that your friends can help you out though. Anyway! How was the dance!? Did you have fun?"

Corbel looked away for a moment, feeling a bit guilty. No, he hadn't lied to his mother, but the way she reacted just now to him. How worried she'd been when she saw he'd been crying, only to push it off, sweep it away and pretend it didn't happen . . . he had to wonder if this was how she dealt with everything . . . With everything going on with her and his dad, with him? Push it all down and pretend everything is okay while she inwardly stewed and fretted over it all?

Was he part of the issue here? Was he causing his mother pain just like his father?

Maybe this was something to address when they finally had their talk.

For now . . .

"Yeah. We had a lot of fun. I mean, we spent most of the time together and ended up leaving kinda early to hang out at Undyne's."

"Well that sounds like fun either way. Anyway, come-come! Sit down! Tell me all about it!"

Corbel did, grabbing a couple glasses of water for the two of them before joining his mother on the couch. He told her about the teachers' dances and about his and his friends' adventures. But he decided to leave the thing with Shyren inside . . . he didn't even know what to call that and until he did, he figured he may as well avoid any interrogations.

Soon the subject of conversation turned to Nyala's evening. Corbel brought up her outfit again and how she didn't wear it often.

"So, it looks like you had a good night at least!" Corbel grinned, "I know I said it already, but you look great! All dressed up! And you even opened up some wine?"

Nyala chuckled, taking a longer sip of her water. "Yes, well. Your father came home early."

Corbel's eyes opened a little wider at that. "Really?" He asked, gaining some actual interest, "When's the last time he did that?"

"It really doesn't happen very often, does it?" Nyala hummed, her attention dropping to the glass and the slight folds of her skirt, "He said he had something for you actually. He wanted to give it to you before you left, but he'd just missed you."

"So you guys finally went out instead since you had the extra time!? Good! He finally took you!"

Nyala's grin grew, but it wasn't the happy kind of growth Corbel wanted or expected to see. It grew more pained and a bit of disappointment started to show itself there as well.

"That was the idea, yes." She answered, "But it seems your father has been . . . overworked lately."

"He fell asleep on you!?" Corbel demanded, his eyes narrowing and his fury growing again. "What the Hell!?" Corbel caught himself realizing he'd cursed right in front of his mother, "Oh man! I'm sorry . . ."

He thought it over again, "I mean . . . you know what? No! I'm not! What the actual Hell!? So you got all dressed up and ready to go! He knew you were going out! And he still couldn't find some way to stay awake for you!?"

"Well, your father is a very busy monster." Nyala answered, "It's only natural that he would feel tired after all the work he's been putting into his project."

"And you're defending him!? He stood you up!"

"Corbel? Calm down." Nyala sighed, setting her glass back down on the table and turning to take her son's angrily trembling hands in hers. She noticed that not all of his fingers were able to make it into fists, which meant that his cuffs were out of juice. "It's okay, honey. It was my fault, really. I suggested we go, and I insisted on changing. I took too long and he fell asleep waiting for me. But it's okay. We'll go out another time when he's not tired and it'll be more fun then, don't you think?"

Corbel scoffed, tearing his eyes away. "Good luck finding that magical pocket of time! At this rate, you'll never get to go out!"

"Corbel. Shh. You'll wake him up. I just got him to go to bed."

"Good! I hope I do wake him up! Someone has to! He needs to see what he puts you through! Building up your hopes only to crush you time and time again! And now you're blaming yourself!? This was not your fault! He's the one who needs to be held accountable! He's your husband! Not your child! And you can't keep letting him get away with it! You're enabling him! And at this rate, it will never end!"

There was a sharp sound of bone striking bone and all other sound was cut short.

Moments later, Corbel raised his hand to touch his cheek which, surprisingly enough actually stung from the contact.

"Corbel!" Nyala gasped, the gravity of what she'd done hitting back at her just as hard, "Corbel, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have . . . I didn't mean to . . ."

"No." Corbel said quietly, "I probably deserved that. But . . . I meant every word. And when 'my father' is awake enough to listen, I'll tell him too. He needs to hear it and I need to tell him."

"Corbel . . ."

"I-it's been a long night." Corbel groaned in a near whisper as he pushed himself up to his feet. "I should . . . probably go to bed. Good night, Mom."

Nyala could barely do much else but watch as her son shuffled away down the hall. When she heard the click of his bedroom door, she lost herself and her composure, raising her hands to her mouth. She curled over herself, sobbing silently into her hands.