A.N: Happy New Year, everyone! Officially 2020 and the setup for Undertale is officially set in the past! Isn't that WILD!? But hey, that means that Chara has found their way into the Underground and it's only a matter of time before the events come to pass. "Many years later" we may see some of the results of that.
Now on to THIS story:
I know it's been a while again, but I can assure you this fic isn't going anywhere! I'm still gonna upload it all!
So for those of you who have been sticking it out with me all this time, I'd like to say THANKS SO MUCH! Thank you SO much for reading and for returning even though the sporadic upload times. I really do love and appreciate every single one of you!
As of right now, we are just over half-way through the story and I promise, I will upload the whole thing. Even though things are tough and life kinda REALLY sucks right now, I will not give up. I will Stay Determined.
Okay, enough of that! Enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 25
Jigsaw
Gingerly, Gaster pulled the thing out of his pocket, making sure all of the pieces stayed as close and relatively unmoving as possible.
Gerson's eyes went wide when he saw the silver chain bent and turned in odd directions. It was kinked and wouldn't straighten out. The case was dented and bent and as Gaster took it out of his pocket, Gerson could hear glass and loose parts moving around.
Gaster laid out the crumpled watch over Gerson's counter where it clattered like loose change.
"My goodness, boy! What have you done to it!?"
Gaster let out a long steadying breath as he pulled himself together.
"Surely you heard about the Ruins collapsing. About the monsters and the young human girl who were caught in it."
"Not the details. Just the story. They say one of the monsters was nearly ground to dust . . ." If possible, Gerson's good eye went even wider in shock and alarm as he looked back to the watch, "Don't tell me that was-"
"Corbel was badly hurt in that incident. He was lucky to make it out alive."
"Oh, Wingdings! I'm so sorry! If I'd known it was Corbel, I would have-"
"Corbel is recovering nicely." Gaster interrupted once again, in a low and steady voice. "He's back on his feet and he's making progress every day. At this rate, it won't be too long before he's ready to go back to work. The issue is this thing. Corbel had it in his pocket at the time and it was completely decimated."
"Your father's watch . . ."
"I've tried everything to fix it so I could give it back to him, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to get it right!"
"You seem frustrated by that."
"Of course I am!" Gaster hissed, a bit of his calm slipping. "I've never had an issue tinkering and building before! I've designed and constructed and maintained several fully functional machines and gadgets that are used daily! I built a machine that provides a consistent sustainable energy source to monsters across the entire Underground! But for some reason this is the one thing that eludes me! Of all things, why would this be beyond my power to repair?"
Gerson held his answer back as he looked between Gaster and the destroyed heirloom on the counter. He had to admit, he had a point. Gaster was the Royal Scientist after all, and he did create and build the CORE. What was it about this watch that had him so out of sorts?
"This isn't just about the watch, it's it, son?" Gerson questioned. That was the only solution that made sense. For years since Gerson passed along that watch to him, Gaster had taken care of it and kept it working smoothly and perfectly. He knew it inside and out and would have no problem fixing it before. If the watch was giving him issue now, there had to be more to it than it just being broken.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?"
Gerson reached out to take a look at the pocket watch and gently pulled it closer to himself as he pried it open. Inside, the glass was shattered and there were screws and cogs piled inside where Gaster had tried to reset them only to give up part way through. The outer metal was nearly punctured and the integrity of the entire timepiece was compromised.
"Despite what you say, and the bitterness you've shown toward your parents and your grandfather, I know how much this treasure means to you. This was all you had left of them. The final legacy of the Gaster family."
"That's just not true!"
"But it is. Think about it. You gave it to Corbel. Trusted him to protect it. The symbolism there is 1:1. When he accepted the watch, he also accepted the Gaster family legacy. At least in your mind, it was like passing the torch to him. From that moment on, this watch came to represent the boy himself."
Gaster glared down at the watch as Gerson spoke.
"That's idiotic." Gaster huffed, shaking his head, "This is a thing! An object!"
"That was crushed along with your son! Tell me. When you saw it? What did you think?"
Gaster went quiet as he thought it over.
"Like you'd lost your son for good, right? Like he was as broken as the watch."
"I couldn't tell you." Gaster answered stiffly, "I was too distracted trying to save my real son."
"And now that you have saved him, you still feel at a loss since you're unable to fix this watch. You're distracted by it and are unable to focus properly as long at it remains in disrepair."
"What do you know?" Gaster growled softly.
"Or perhaps the significance of the watch has shifted. If your son has been saved, but the watch remains broken. Maybe it is no longer tied to his life but to your relationship with him! Tell me, Wingdings. How are things with the two of you?"
Gaster remained silent, but the look on his face told Gerson everything he needed to know. Something must have happened at home and now the two of them are at ends.
"Though his body is recuperating, the bond between you is shattered just like this watch. And as long as it remains broken, there's no hope for your relationship. Is that it?"
Gaster reached out toward the watch.
"I came to ask if you had any spare parts for the watch. This was not meant to be a therapy session."
As soon as Gaster touched the watch, Gerson was right there as well and he grabbed immediately to Gaster's hand.
"Alright, just hold on. Hear me out. I do understand how much this means to you, but just like you said. This watch is only an object. You may have ties to it, but it has no ties to you. In fact, you may even be letting it tie you down."
Gaster hesitated and finally made eye contact again with Gerson.
"What do you mean by that?"
"As much of a man of science as you are, I know you also read deeply into signals and signs. Take this as a sign, Wingdings. It's time to let the past go. This chain is tethering you to your past and the watch is tethering you to the ridiculously high expectations you think you need to live up to. You are not Harrington. Nor are you Kozuka. Just like Corbel is not you. You are Dr. W.D. Gaster, Royal Scientist. Live your life and take care of your family."
Gerson held fast to Gaster's hand as he made a point to drive every word home.
"And I know how difficult it is to admit, but Corbel is not a little boy anymore. He has his own life as well. Yes, he's going to make mistakes! But they're his to make. Just like your choices were always yours. I know you feel the need to protect him, but you can't always be there to hold his hand.
"Believe me. Sometimes I wish I could've been there more for you over the years. You pretty much had to forge your own life from the moment we were sealed underground. But you've always been stubborn and driven. And you've always been strong . . . And as soon as you found Nyala again, I knew I could stop worrying. I knew you would be okay. I had faith in you. Now, you need to do the same for your boy."
Gaster remained silent as Gerson spoke and he did listen to every word. Some of what he was saying really did strike a chord with him . . . A lot of what he said struck a chord. Especially with the way he perceived the parental figures in his life. Even though Harrington and Kozuka did raise him, after what happened . . . After what they said about his wife and about their relationship . . . after Gaster cut ties with them, it was difficult to see them as parental figures . . . that's where Gerson came in. After the monsters were sealed, it was Gerson who would check in with him and make sure everything was well. It was Gerson who helped him get settled in, and Gerson who helped set him up with his first job, an apprentice to a physician.
He respected Gerson more than any monster in the Underground aside from the King and Queen. He valued his opinion and his insight.
But to give up the watch . . . the very last thing his father ever gave him and the only thing he had left of him . . .
Gaster's fingers tightened on the watch.
"Just let it go, son." Gerson instructed.
Gaster could feel himself frown.
"I don't think I can." Gaster said in a low mutter.
Gerson hummed to himself as he looked between the watch and the boy.
"You really do miss your father, don't you?"
Gaster remained silent, but didn't loosen his grip in the slightest, nor did he protest the statement.
"I understand . . . and you know, Harrington really did love you. He was always talking about you and your accomplishments, even after you went your separate ways. He was always nearby, keeping an eye on you. And I can see that whatever resentment you had for him is no longer as strong as it once was. You named your son after him for heaven's sake!"
Again, Gerson hummed, closing his eyes. After another moment or so, he released Gaster's hand.
"Fine. Keep it." He nodded, a bit of his smile returning. "After all, he did want you to have it. But if you keep it, keep it as a memento, not as a blueprint. Hold it in your hand at your side, not up on a pedestal. Keep it for you, not as a legacy to hold your son to. If you can fix it, improve on it while you're at it! You're a scientist, Wingdings! Act like one! Don't limit yourself to what is or what was, but look to what could be!"
Gaster gripped at the watch, again, taking in every word.
"It was never meant to be a weight on you or your family. I know for a fact that's not what Harrington would have wanted. He knew just as well as I do that you would break out of whatever mold anyone could ever try to confine you to. That being said, I can see that same tenacity in Corbel. And if you can't be constrained by your family's mold, what makes you think he can be? That boy is meant for great things. As his father, support him and watch as he shines!"
"And if he falls?" Gaster asked, finally finding a hint of his voice.
"Then you catch him. Help him until he can stand again. But above anything, make sure he knows you love him. Nothing is more important than that. After all, you don't want him to turn out like you, do you?"
There was a moment where Gaster stood and looked to Gerson with an almost dumbfounded expression. After a few moments, the expression softened. He even cracked a smile.
"You've never had children, Gerson. How are you so knowledgeable?"
"Wahahaa! Well, I had you, Gaster, my boy! You were more than enough practice."
They snuck through the halls as quietly as they possibly could, granted, it was pretty difficult to accomplish with the other two tagging along. They didn't want to come . . . again, but they'd been able to convince the others that it would be worth it.
What they hadn't been expecting were the locks on each floor preventing them from going past the third floor. From the look of it, they would need a kind of key card in order to use the elevator. And when they tried the stairs, each floor was blocked off by a door. There was a card reader off to the side of each door. So, they really were stuck on the surface level, unable to really explore the way they wanted to.
Man, what a bust . . .
"Oh well," Asriel sighed, maybe there was a bit of relief in his voice, "I guess that means we've done all we can here. We should probably head back home now. After all, didn't we say we were gonna try making dad a surprise pie today? I really wanna do that."
"I agree with Azzy." Alia chimed in. Being back in the lab really didn't sit well with her at all. The lights were lowered and it was darker than she remembered the place being. It didn't seem as if there were any other people around. "It looks like everyone's gone home for the day."
"If that were true, then we wouldn't have been able to get in." Chara needlessly explained. Well they thought the explanation was needless, but apparently some people couldn't put two and two together. "Someone has to be here. I say we find them and . . . Ask them to show us around."
Alia groaned as she thought it over, "I dunno. These guys work really hard and I'm sure they're really tired by the end of the day. They might not want to give us a tour."
"Well, we'll never get a tour with that attitude. We could at least ask. Right Mr. Prince? They might be willing to do it if we have you with us."
Once again, as was usual with his new group of friends, Asriel found himself in the middle, being asked to choose sides.
"I . . . Guess there's no harm in asking . . . ?" He answered, turning the response into a timid question, "The worst they can say is no . . . But if they say yes, then, we'll take the tour and call this mission a success! Sound fair?"
Alia thought it over. He did have a point . . . But for some reason, that uneasy feeling wouldn't go away. Maybe it was because of the vibe she got last time she was here. Everyone was on edge and scared and no one seemed happy to see her. It wasn't a very pleasant experience.
"Fine." She finally conceded, "We'll ask."
"Good." Chara grinned, "Now we just gotta find the person who's still here. They should be close by if they're about to close up too, right?"
As if on cue, there was a shuffling of feet and a long low groan.
"Aaaand, it looks like they ditched me . . . Again. Heh, I guess when you escape the toilet, you don't take the shit with you, huh?" The person stopped dead as they noticed the children there, "Oohhh, I mean . . . um . . . nope can't save that one. Sorry! Anyway . . . Hey there, kiddos. What're you guys doing here? How did you even . . . Oh, hey there Alia! Long time, no see! How've you been?"
"Sans!" Alia cheered, "It's you! I'm so glad it's you!"
"And your royal princly-ness, of course! How are you, Asriel?"
"Howdy, Mr. Sans!" Asriel greeted, a bit relieved that Alia was more at ease. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Likewise, Kid."
Sans hesitated, looking over the third unfamiliar child. Another human!? How did they get here!? When did they get here!? How did he miss news like this!?"
"Oh . . . Kay . . . And who is this?" He asked, trying in vain to downplay his surprise.
"Oh! Sorry!" Asriel sprang into action, remembering more of his manners, "This is Chara. They're our new friend! They're from the surface! Just like Alia! Isn't that cool!?"
"Ugh, that's enough, Asriel." The child butt in, "If he knows Alia already, then of COURSE he knows I'm from the surface. Humans kinda stick out around here."
"O-Oh . . ." Asriel sighed, seeming to have instantly deflated, "I guess you're right."
"Woah woah, there!" Sans stepped in, sensing the shift in the prince's demeanor, "There's nothing wrong with being excited about a new pal!" He extended his hand toward the kid, forcing his smile into something believable. "Put 'er there, kiddo. The name's Sans. Sans the Skeleton."
The child stared back at Sans' skeletal hand with a disinterested look. "Sans, huh?" They said, "Are you a Gaster?"
"I . . . um, no. I'm not. I'm . . . Comic Sans Serif. But seriously, just call me Sans."
"Pfft!" Chara snickered, "Wow. Comic Sans Serif!? Really!? What a joke! What's your real name, Skeleton?"
Sans' expression fell completely as they looked back at the newcomer. His eyes frowned as the child had the nerve to stand there and laugh in his face. Rude.
"Sorry, kid, that's all you're getting outta me today." He said, lowering his hand to shove both in the pockets of his khaki slacks. "I was gonna ask why you were here and where you were supposed to be and all that good stuff, but I just decided, I don't care. It's late and we're closed. You should go home."
"Sans . . ." Alia stepped forward, an apology ready in her expression, in her posture, and in her voice. "Sans, please don't be mad. They were just-"
"Nope. My give-a-crap quotia's been exceeded. It's time to go."
"But we were hoping for a tour of the lab!" Asriel stepped in as well, his tone timid and shy as he stood behind his friends.
"You should ask your mom and dad about that, Kid. For now, lights are off, I'm off the clock and-"
"Oh please don't say you have Mrs. Serif waiting for you!" The third child chided with a grin, "Let me guess! Her name is Lucida, right!? Do you call her Luci!? Wait! No no! Corvisa!"
"Chara! That's not nice!" Asriel reminded, "Stop being so insensitive!"
"Oh yeah! I forgot! There's can't be a Mrs. Serif, huh? I mean since all the Skeletons were wiped out, right? Which actually reminds me . . . If you're not a Gaster, Sans, where did you come from? How come you weren't mentioned in the King's records? There has to be some kind of documentation for you, or else, how can they say the Gasters really are the last Skeletons?"
The look on Sans' face went stolid, "Are you done?"
"I'm just saying," Chara continued, "You don't look anything like the skeletons I've ever seen before. You're all wrong. And what's with that doofy smile? Are you even really a skeleton!?"
"Chara! Stop it!" Alia snapped, yanking the other child back by their green striped shirt, "You're hurting his feelings!" She pulled the other kid aside and muttered quietly to them, "Besides, Monster Skeletons are different than human skeletons since they're made of magic! So stop making fun of him! It's not like he can choose the way he looks any more than you can!"
"Sorry, didn't mean to upset your boyfriend!"
"Ew! No! He's not my boyfriend!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Serif!" Asriel rushed up in the meantime. "They usually aren't that . . . I don't know what got into-"
Sans sighed loudly, "Whatever. Don't worry about it, Kid. And don't waste your breath apologizing for a brat like that. Don't pick up the slack for anything they do. They're not worth it and you're worth too much for that. C'mon, let's get outta here and we can all go home."
Asriel nodded, "Yeah. That's probably for the best. But . . . I really am sorry we bothered you."
"Eh, whatever." Sans repeated, "It's fine, I guess. Just . . . don't come wanderin' in to a place like this. It's pretty dangerous for kids who don't know what they're doing! If you really want that tour. You're gonna have to talk to your parents who will have to talk to Dr. Gaster, who will have to-"
Behind Asriel, Chara's interest was piqued once again and they ignored whatever it was the girl was saying altogether. So, there might still be a way to get a good handle on this Gaster guy after all. And more than that there was this new Skeleton guy too. There was something weird about him. Anyway, they'd gotten more information with this little "mission" than they thought they would considering the lab was closed. So, it wasn't a complete failure. At least they saw a "skeleton" which was kind of the point.
"Alright, alright. Alright, already." They groaned, stepping away from where Alia was still in the middle of giving him a lecture, "Let's just get out of here already before Comic Sans Serif over here tattles on us or something. The big baby."
"You know, now that you mention it," Sans shrugged, a tiny bit of his former "for-looks-only" smile coming back into play, "I did have half the mind to call the guard to escort you home just so you don't go wandering again. I'm sure the King and Queen wouldn't want to hear about their kids sneaking into places like these all uninvited and whatnot."
Chara scoffed, "Kinda defeats the purpose of 'sneaking' if we're invited. God, you're just as bad as these two id . . . anyway. What's stopping you from calling the cops on us?"
"If I see you around here again without a guide, I will. For now, just go home, will ya?"
"Yeah yeah. We're going." Chara answered, rolling their eyes and shoving their hands in their pockets. "C'mon you guys. Let's go bake a pie or something."
The other two looked back to Chara and then to each other and then to Sans.
Asriel gave a tiny bow and a smaller wave. "Bye, Mr. Serif" He said before rushing off to catch up with Chara, who was already walking away.
Alia stayed behind for a moment as her new friends left.
"Sans?" She said a little cautiously.
"Yeah?" He answered, a bit more at ease with just Alia around, "What's up, kiddo?"
Without another word, Alia crashed into Sans, giving him a tight hug around the middle.
"I'm glad I got to see you again." She said softly, "I'm so sorry it was such a . . . poopy visit."
Sans returned the embrace, giving Alia a gentle hug in return. He gave her a condensed version of the "don't apologize for crappy people" speech he'd given Asriel, but added in a little extra, "don't let that jerk little kid tell you what to do" as well. After all, no one died and made them the king or anything, so she and Asriel don't have to listen to them if they don't want to.
Alia smiled a little by the end of the speech before she broke away from Sans and gave him a wave as she turned to go catch up with the others.
Sans waved back to her, his face finding his smile once again.
It faded almost instantly once the kids were gone.
As he headed toward the locker to get his stuff and head home, he added a mental note.
"Don't forget to double and triple check all the locks and alarms before leaving . . ."
It already felt like he'd been walking for hours and he hadn't even noticed he'd been shuffling until he nearly tripped over his own feet. The entire day was like that, dragging minute by minute. Not to mention he'd used up all of his energy at work and with those kids.
He had to admit, as terrible as the encounter had been, it really was nice seeing Alia again. And It was nice to see how well she was adjusting to life in the Underground. He was proud of the progress she'd made and glad that the King and Queen were taking such good care of her. She and Asriel really did get along well, just like he thought they would.
What really shook him up was the other child. When exactly had the other kid fallen!? Did the royal family say anything about their latest addition, yet? Alia and Asriel both seemed familiar enough with them that Sans wasn't too worried about them.
But even so . . . There was something very off about the way that kid acted and spoke to him or to his new friends. They were incredibly and unapologetically rude, but there was more to it than that. There was a certain tone they took when they spoke and a certain look they had as they were looking around the atrium that suggested they were doing much more than just looking. The questions they asked and even when they poked fun at him were all more than just childish banter. They were analyzing, they were planning.
It might be a little out of line, but maybe he should suggest to Dr. Gaster that they beef up the security around the lab so they can't get in again.
He'd write a report about it . . . It was the only way he could hope to communicate with the doc anymore.
Along the rest of the walk home, Sans began to mentality compose his report. It took up most of his concentration to the point that the rest of him was on auto-pilot.
He hadn't even noticed that he was being followed until there was an odd glowing pool of light in front of him.
He halted mid-step, the puddle of light catching him off guard. When he stood completely to take a look around, there was nothing there to suggest anything else was off.
He took a few cautious steps forward and sidestepped the light to avoid it.
As he did, a second glow lit up in his path, blocking his way.
"What the . . ."
Again, he sidestepped the light . . .
To find two more directly in his way.
"Okay, very funny. Whoever is out there, you got me. But this is starting to get annoying. I've got somewhere to be and you're not helping!"
There was no response to his call, but as he tried again to ignore them, he was cut off. A line of glowing pools of light separated him from the rest of his path home.
He almost hadn't stopped himself in time to miss them as long sharp spears began to shoot upward from those glowing pools.
"What the HELL!?" he exclaimed, backpedaling to avoid being absolutely skewered. "Okay, seriously! Who's there!? What's the deal!? You could seriously put an eye out with these things!"
There was no answer, but the pools of light remained. When Sans tried one more time to approach, they glowed even more brightly before shooting off another round.
"SERIOUSLY!" Sans called to the empty area, "I'm really not in the mood for this shit right now! If you're trying to prank me, this is going way too far! And if you want a piece of me, then come out here and get it!"
"You know, it's funny that you act tough now when last time we met, you were so hopeless that you could barely stand to speak to me."
"Undyne!" Sans called out now that he could put a name to the attack, "Since when have you been one to hide in the shadows. You're usually more straightforward than that! I know that if you have something to say to me, you'll say it to my face!"
Undyne laughed at the comment. "You gotta point there. In that case, I hope you're ready for me."
It took a few moments after that for Undyne to show herself. She stepped out from around the corner of a nearby building. She was wearing a dark leather jacket and ripped jeans. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and her combat boots were laced up around her ankles.
But the most intimidating thing about Undyne was her expression. With her tone and her laughter, Sans was expecting to find that condescending smirk or a chiding grin. The glower he found instead, piercing through his being was nearly enough to make him turn tail . . . If not for the line of weaponized light behind him.
Undyne looked him up and down with scrutinizing eyes.
"Let's see if you can tell me why I'm here." She said in a hushed growl.
Sans stared back at Undyne wordlessly, his face was set in a scowl as well. Just about the only times he ever saw or talked to Undyne was when she thought he did something terrible or when she wanted to jab at him for a while.
If she was here now, then it could only mean . . .
"You heard about what happened . . ."
"Not yet." She answered dryly, "But I'm sure you will inform me. If not you, then I'm sure he will."
Sans sighed, "Who told you in the first place? Why would you come now without a reason?"
"Does that really matter right now?" Undyne pressed through her glare, "I just dropped in to see how everything was going. It's been a while since I've had a chance to catch up with Corbel. Tell me. How is Puffball doing these days?"
Sans sucked in a breath, refusing to answer. Nothing about this meetup sat well with him at all. He was already having a shitty day, and he was already apprehensive because of who he was meeting, but beyond that, she was acting strange as well. In every other instance, Undyne was right in his face, grabbing him by the arm or the collar of his shirt or threatening him to his face. This time, however, Undyne was working at a distance. Almost like she didn't know what to expect. Or perhaps she was just trying to throw him off of his game. If that was the case, she was doing one Hell of a job.
"What are you waiting for, Undyne!? If you got an issue with me, let's go. Otherwise, I'm just trying to get home, so if you would please remove these light lances."
"I'll let you leave after you've answered my question. How is Corbel?"
"Why don't you ask him?" Sans pushed back, "After all, you're his best friend, aren't you?"
"I want you to answer for what you did to him with your own mouth. Explain in your own words why you feel the need to continuously fuck with him!"
She finally took a few steps forward, taking her hands out of her pockets to fist at her sides as she approached.
"I thought we had an understanding. You said you wanted Corbel to be happy, didn't you? How is that coming along exactly?"
"Ugh! This is pointless!" Sans argued, "Will you just leave me alone already!? We already know how this is going to end! You come in and try to rattle me or threaten me again! But what for? Are you trying to torment me or something? Are you seeking your own perverse version of justice or something? Are you trying to pretend that you're my karma come back to bite me because of whatever wrong you think I committed? If that's the case, then let's just skip to the end. You already know that whatever you say or whatever you do to me, I'm not going to back down anymore! And like it or not, I'm not going to leave Corbel either!"
"So you admit you're together." Undyne continued in a lowered tone, "Even after my warning last time?"
"Fuck you and fuck your warnings!" Sans fought back, "At least I'm trying to do something! Even if we've hit some rough road at the moment. I'm trying to make him happy! What have you done!?"
Undyne was finally back face-to-face with Sans as he stood up to her.
"Say that again, Asshole!"
"I said." Sans answered with a sneer, refusing to back down, "Fuck you and fuck your warnings! Now, back up out of my face!"
Sans clenched his fist and when he did, there was a spark of blue as Undyne's soul was caught. Sans pushed her back sharply, but not enough to cause any damage.
Undyne rooted her stance, skidding to a stop as she was pushed backward. When she looked back up to Sans' scowl, her smile not only returned, but spread across her face.
"Finally!" She breathed. "You're finally standing up for yourself! You're finally fighting back! Well, bring it, little man! Fight me! Give me everything you've got!"
This was it! This was what Undyne had been waiting for all this time! She wanted to see Sans finally stand up and fight! If he was going to still pursue Corbel after this, then he'd better be willing to fight for him. He had to be strong enough to protect him! She would accept nothing less. And now that he'd finally began to square off with her, she could test that strength!
Sans scoffed, lowering his fists and releasing Undyne's soul.
"Is that what this is!? Look, I don't want to fight you, Undyne! I'm not going to fight you! I just want to go home!"
"Want to or not, you don't have a choice. You're not leaving here until I say so!"
The lights behind Sans began to glow again as the tips of the spears emerged from the ground, but did not fire. They stayed halfway in the ground, creating a barrier that Sans could not cross.
"Why!?" Sans barked back, "Why do all this just to fight me? Why do you want to fight me so badly!?"
"Show me your resolve!" Undyne responded, "Show me you mean it when you say you won't back down anymore! If all it takes is me getting in your way for you to give up on him, then you don't deserve him! If all it takes is a warning or a threat. If all it takes is a few harsh words, then you're not strong enough to protect him! But you've seen that already, haven't you?"
Sans silenced. How the Hell did she know? If no one told her about it . . . How . . . ?
"Show me that you're willing to fight for him! Fight to protect him. Fight to keep him! Show me that he can depend on you! Show me what you're willing to do for him!"
The attack came immediately after. Undyne sent a swarm of spears toward Sans. Sans had no choice but to either defend or evade and since he had no weapon, he prepared for the latter. He watched and calculated the way the spears came at him and he sidestepped and dodged every single attack. The very first thing Undyne was able to pick up about Sans was that his evasive skills were top-notch. He didn't seem as if he was particularly strong, so she supposed he had to be adept at some other aspect.
Now it was his turn. She'd finally be able to go head to head and see what he was really made of!
Sans took his turn, still insisting that he didn't want to fight. That it wouldn't prove anything and that there's no way physical strength had any correlation to how well a relationship does.
"You're absolutely right!" Undyne grinned, "Good thing this has nothing to do with your physical strength! I'm testing you! I'm testing your nerve! Your willpower! Your perseverance! Now HIT ME! Show me your best bone attack!"
Another round of spears headed his way from every angle and just as he'd been able to dodge one, another came at him from another direction, nearly tripping him up. But Sans' evasive skills were great. Undyne knew this now. She had no doubt he'd be just fine when his turn came again. It was at the last spear that there was a change. A grip she hadn't been expecting gripped at her soul and weighed her down. She had to bring her hands to her knees to keep herself upright.
"Blue magic again, huh?" She chided, "C'mon! Show me something new!"
"Stop this, Undyne! This is stupid!" Sans called, his hand tight on her soul as he pushed her downward toward the ground to inhibit her movements. "Admit it! This has nothing to do with Corbel! You just want an excuse to fuck with me, don't you!?"
"Of course this has to do with Corbel!" I need to know if you're even capable of protecting him!"
"He doesn't need protecting! Corbel doesn't need to be smothered and babied! He's perfectly capable of taking care of himself! And he doesn't need us hovering over him watching his every move. I'm not his protector, Undyne! I'm his partner! I stand at his side and we fight together!"
"Fine, Mr. Partner. Show me then, you've got what it takes to keep up with him!"
Sans gave a frustrated groan and pushed back on the hold he had on Undyne's soul. As a result, Undyne was sent tumbling backward.
"So blue magic really is all you've got, isn't it!? Talk about pathetic! At least summon up a bone to protect yourself or something! Block my attacks! Dodging eats up at your stamina!"
Another wave of spears came and once again, Sans dodged. But just as she said, he was slowing down. A few spears clipped him this time and shaved off a bit of his HP.
"You see!?" Undyne pushed from her lowered position, "You've gotta have more up your sleeve than agility! Stop holding back! Fight!"
"I don't know how many times I need to tell you! I'm NOT going to fight you, Undyne! Just give it up!"
"Not a chance, pipsqueak! Don't you know, I never give up!? Now, c'mon! Fight me like you mean it! Or did you forget already what you were fighting for!?"
Once again, Sans gave up his turn, and with every new attack Undyne would throw at him, he would dodge. She couldn't quite place just why he did that. It's true his HP was incredibly low, sitting only at about 15. That's as much as a toddler! How the Hell did this guy even function every day with HP that low!? Wouldn't that give him even more incentive to try to protect the little bit he had? But still, he was holding his stance, opting not to fight.
For some reason, that struck Undyne as a bit strange. Whenever she fought against Corbel, there was an evade-block-counter pattern he would employ. He would use his magic to send bones flying her way. He would summon larger bones to use as shields and only resort to color magic if there was no other choice . . . this guy almost exclusively used color magic and he would dodge first and never go for the counter.
Well, of course, no two people ever fought exactly the same. Being in the Guard taught her that much. The Guard was also teaching her how to read her enemy through their moves so she could better know how to counter them. He was avoiding her and refraining from attacking, but she got the feeling it was more than that. The more they fought, the more she was convinced that there was something wrong about him. And he was trying to hide it in his fighting. She knew enough about combat to recognize overcompensation when she saw it.
But what exactly was it that he was overcompensating for?
"Hit me!" She screamed, opening herself to give him an easier target, "Give me the best you've got! I've gone toe to toe with Puffball since we were kids! I'm a friggin Royal Guard! I can take it!"
Even when baited, it seemed as if the Skeleton refused to fight back.
"Unless you can't do it! Unless, for some reason, you can't make bone attacks!"
Sans panted, fighting to catch his breath. The battle was definitely wearing him down and he was quickly losing his nerve. He stared Undyne down, still refusing her.
After several long moments of silence, Undyne growled, raising her spear up to point directly at Sans.
"If you're not gonna attack, then you'd better defend like your . . . no. Like his life depends on it!"
With a huff, Undyne chucked her spear toward Sans, not as an attack, but as a means to defend himself against her.
"Prepare yourself, Serif! I'm your opponent. Corbel is standing behind you. He's injured and he can't help you, and you're the only thing between him and my spears! You can't dodge or else Corbel will be the one who pays for it! Now, show me what you've got!"
From then on, Undyne was relentless, sending wave after wave of spear attacks heading in his direction. Through all of it, Sans continued to fight. He stayed rooted to his spot even as the spears came at him from all sides. As it turned out, he was skilled at defending as well. The more he defended, however, the harder it was to hide the fact that he was starting to get tired.
This continued until a particularly difficult pattern caught him off his guard. As he spun, trying to deflect one of Undyne's direction-changing yellow spears, his feet tripped over themselves and the spear made a direct hit, shaving off a good portion of his HP. From then, another spear came and made contact followed by several more. Sans was caught in one of Undyne's barrages with no handle on how to pick back up to minimize the damage.
Sans fell to his knees as the attack lifted, panting and coughing.
Undyne stood tall, catching her breath as well. Slowly, she made her way to where Sans was hunched over, his breath short and slightly raspy.
"So, how about it?" She grit, "Give up?"
Sans looked up at her, his frustration evident in his expression. There was no way he was going to let her get the better of him. He'd been standing down for too long. If he couldn't fight back now when Corbel was on the line, then he couldn't call himself fit to be his boyfriend.
"Of course not!"
"Then get up!"
Sans pulled himself to his feet, stumbling to catch his footing. He was definitely running low on power and HP. Again, he let his magic fill him and he clenched his fists.
Undyne scoffed, "More blue magic? Geez. Talk about a one-trick pony."
Another barrage. But instead of dodging or even deflecting, Sans seemed to welcome the attack. At the last second, right before they made contact, the spears were encased in blue.
Sans extended his arm, spinning the spears on end and sending them right back toward Undyne. With every new attack, Sans would catch the spear, change its direction and shoot it back to the caster. It would become a volley between them, until one slipped.
Undyne smirked and even gave a short nod. "Finally." she murmured, sending yet another volley. She added more spears at an off timing to make the motions more difficult to predict.
Sans managed to keep up for a good while after that. Even with the new spears and the faster pace, he managed to keep up, spinning to catch the ones that came from behind and waving them over to use in his frontal assault. True to the "rules" he did not dodge. If the premise was to protect Corbel when he couldn't do it himself, then Sans would be his protection. He would fight to keep him safe.
Somehow, in the middle of the sparring match, Sans had gotten completely swept away. He'd gone from flat-out refusing to fight to fighting with all of his ability. That smile on Undyne's face spread. Good. With the right motivation, she'd been able to break him from that pathetic excuse of a cowardice shell he'd been inhabiting and out to being someone she might even be able to acknowledge!
Everyone had a reason. A reason to fight. A reason to protect. A reason to put everything on the line. And it seemed for him, it wasn't his own life that he cared about. Serif didn't spring into action like this until she mentioned that it was Corbel that he'd be protecting.
She nodded again. Fine. One final show and she just might call it a day.
The volley returned and Undyne expertly evaded most of the spears while sending yet more new ones toward the Skeleton followed by a second wave. And a third. And a set of yellows.
"Let's see how he handles this." She muttered, trying to catch her own breath now. Her own stamina was running low now. So the fact that Sans was able to still keep up to this point was commendable.
At first, he was able to keep pace just fine, deflecting a good majority of the spears so they flew off in odd directions and fractured into flecks of light, dissipating from existence, but as this final wave continued with no break, it was obvious that he'd reached his limit. A spear got through and cut into his shoulder. Another hit him in the side and yet another grazed his cheek.
Still, he didn't dodge. Though that's where his strengths lie, he kept his resolve and refused to dodge the attack, still keeping to the premise that Corbel would be endangered if he were to dodge.
When the last round of yellows came, he breathed deeply, using the loaner spear to protect the frontal attacks and his blue magic to protect from the back. But even as he warded off the attack, his blue magic began to flicker and his control over the confiscated spears waned.
He lost the rhythm completely as he missed more and more spears. He was being assaulted from all sides and when he tried to put up a field of blue around himself to catch any incoming spears, it flickered and died before it could be completely summoned.
As more spears made contact, Sans balance suffered until he fell completely to the ground. His body curled in on itself in protection. He had very little HP left. Only two. With just one more hit, he would . . .
"Damn it!" Undyne hissed, rushing forward. It was too late to call off the attack, and if he couldn't fight anymore, if he'd gone past his limit, then he'd be killed if another shot got through.
Undyne stood over Sans, with her own spear drawn. She fell into the timing of the attack with ease, swatting away and deflecting the spears left and right to keep them away from Sans. He'd done enough. He'd proven himself and stood up for himself enough.
But even with her expert training, even though it was her own attack, she wasn't able to block every single spear. From her lesser protected left side, one yellow spear managed to slip through her defences. She quickly fought to right it and send it overhead, but she only managed to tilt it slightly. The spear struck her face. She shrieked as it made contact.
Undyne fell to her knees, her hand pressing hard against her eye in pain.
"Undyne!" Sans called, trying to pull himself up. His strength was almost completely gone, but he had to at least try to reach her. "Undyne, are you okay!?"
"Aaaaah ssshiiit . . ." She hissed, "That's . . . that's not good."
"Wh-what can I do!? How can I . . . I- I can't heal . . .The only . . . The only thing around is the doc . . . I can take you back to the lab! Will that . . . Will that help!? Will you be okay until we get back to the lab!?"
"Yeah, yeah . . ." Undyne grumbled, keeping pressure on the area, "I'm good. There's a medic back at the Guard. I'll talk to them. But what about you? You were hit pretty bad." Undyne turned to regard Sans and check on him. "Are you sure you're . . . HOLY SHIT!"
Undyne scrambled backward, rushing to distance herself. She pulled herself up and back into a standing position, "What is . . . Is that blood!?"
Sans pulled himself slowly to his knees and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe at the stinging part of his face where the spear grazed his cheek. When he pulled it back, he noticed the blood.
"What the . . ." Undyne accused, "What the Hell!? Why are you . . . Skeletons don't . . . Monsters don't bleed!"
Sans looked up once again to Undyne who had taken up a defensive stance as she inched closer to him once again with spear in hand as she pointed it directly at his face. She kept her hand pressed firmly over her injured eye.
"Okay, game's up. You definitely are not a Skeleton! That lie ends here. You're not even a monster, are you!? And if you're not a monster, then, what the Hell are you . . . !?"
Corbel spent almost every afternoon with his mother. After school, and after his mother got back from teaching (now that she had a commute to worry about) he would stop by her hotel room and they would chat for hours. Sometimes, they would take a walk around Hotland. Sometimes they would go out for dinner. It was relaxing for the both of them to be able to hang out together. They had always been each other's constants for as long as Corbel had been alive. They had a bond that could never be severed.
Still, when this particular afternoon came around, Nyala was still a bit nervous. Even the setup was similar to that night. She and her son sat around the small table of her hotel room. They'd gone out to get a bottle of sparkling Moscato and were drinking the wine while they discussed work and school. Corbel was nearly finished with his thesis in order to earn his Master's Degree in Physics and he would be presenting it in just over two months.
"Getting those extra college credits at the lab really helped you out, didn't it?" Nyala beamed in extreme pride, "You are still so young and you're already on the last stretch! My baby's gonna get. his. Maaaster's!" She sang the last bit, doing a little dance in her seat to go with it.
Corbel laughed a little at the show, "Mom, it's not that big of a deal."
"Um, yes it is! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to pursue an upper level degree!? And to intern in something relevant to your field!? And I know you were having your doubts about continuing with Physics as your major, so I just wanted to let you know how proud I am that you stuck with it to this point! I know It couldn't have been easy. Especially after the accident."
Corbel fought to keep a flattered blush down, "Yeah . . . Well, I had some awesome support. Thanks, Mom."
"You're more than welcome, sweetie! And I know your father's proud of you too!"
Corbel hummed to himself, his smile falling just a bit.
"So, have you given any thought to what your next move will be?"
Corbel shrugged, "No, not really . . . I mean, I suppose I kinda always thought that Dad would want me to work with him in the lab full time and, I dunno, take over for him when he's ready to give it up."
"But that isn't what you want to do, is it? Don't think I've forgotten that."
Corbel shrugged, filling his glass again. He topped of his mother's glass as well.
"That's what's expected, though, right?"
Nyala sighed, nodding her thanks. "Maybe so, but you've never followed anyone's expectations. You're always surprising us. Surely you've thought about what you've wanted to do outside of working at the lab."
Corbel hummed, "Well, there was this thing . . ."
"Yes? A thing?"
"But it wasn't very lucrative, so I didn't really follow through with it. So, I was thinking about another thing?"
"Okay . . . Another thing?"
"What if . . . I used my college degree and my training at the lab . . . and my songwriting . . . And I came to work at the school? As a science teacher? Or maybe as an after school thing for any kids who are interested. We could go on field trips and explore and I could use music to help keep things interesting and maybe help the lessons stick . . . And of course, we're gonna need chaperones and parental consent, as well. But doesn't that sound like fun? I know when I was a kid, I always looked forward to those kinds of trips. It would be so cool to be that person for these kids now."
Nyala gasped now, covering her mouth with her free hand.
"Corbel, honey! That's a great idea!" She cheered, "That's an incredible idea! And one that I'm sure the school board will love to be part of! We should make a proposition and present it! That would be amazing to be coworkers, Professor Gaster!"
"Oh . . . Well, thanks." Corbel grinned, "Eh, I dunno, though. Dad seems overwhelmed already at the lab now that I'm not there. I . . . never thought that I had that much influence around that place. I was the intern part timer who could only come during the summer and whenever I didn't have class."
"Well, let me tell you a little something." Nyala said, with a soft smile, "The reason I've been okay with your father coming home late . . . and why it seems he's been spending more and more time at the lab isn't because the workload is too much. He's been finishing the lab work as scheduled with no issues. But he's been spending extra time there ever since the accident trying to make up for it. He's been a mess since then, trying to make sure your Physical Therapy goes well and he's been trying to repair some of the things that were destroyed in the cave-in."
Corbel lowered his glass again after taking a long sip of his bubbling wine. His eyes followed the glass.
"So, he has been staying late because of me." He looked away for a moment, "I'm so sorry, Mom."
"No, don't apologize! I only mean that you shouldn't worry about the progress at the lab and you shouldn't let it hold you back. I'm sure that if you explain the situation to your father, he would understand. And if progress does die around there, then he could put out feelers for new assistants. You should definitely bring the idea up with him."
Corbel kept his eyes lowered as he thought it over. After a moment or two his small smile spread once again.
"I suppose I could . . . But who knows if he's even willing to talk to me again after what happened back at home."
"Sweetie, he's your father. Of course he wants to talk to you. The question is, are you ready to talk to him?"
Corbel shrugged again. "I dunno . . . That last 'talk' kiiinda left a sour taste in my mouth. If I talk to him, will he listen? I think that's the real real question."
Nyala nodded, "Yeah, that is the real real question. And he was in a kind of stubborn mood when I left. But who knows, maybe he's come to his senses."
Nyala took another drink, "Actually, that reminds me." She continued, riding the segue like a wave, "Have you heard anything from Sans? I know you said the two of you had a bit of a falling out that night, but have you had the opportunity to talk it through?"
Corbel hummed, "No . . . I asked him not to contact me. But still, the fact that he hasn't . . . That's gotta mean something, right? He's respecting my boundaries at least."
"Corbel . . . Baby. That's . . . Yeah, it's good that when you drew a line, he didn't cross it. But, I have to say, I'm a bit worried about you two. You should really talk to him too. If you're having problems, it won't do any good to avoid them. You should face them together . . . And I'm also concerned about Sans. He doesn't handle things like these very well."
"What do you mean by that?" Corbel asked, taking his glass in hand again. He was running low. Time for another refill. He reached for the bottle.
"Corbel, have you actually been around Sans when he's gone through a particularly difficult time?"
"Well, I can't really say I have." He answered pouring another glass. He was beginning to feel a bit warm, actually. Maybe after this glass, he'd call it a night. "He normally shuts himself off when he's feeling upset. I've tried to get him to talk to me before, but he says he doesn't want to burden me."
"Well, that does fit." She commented, holding out her glass as well. Corbel filled it once again. They were nearly finished with the bottle. Good timing.
"Sans has a very . . . Self-deprecating view and he has a tendency to inherently attack himself when things go wrong, even if he was, in no way, responsible for whatever that was. After the cave-in, Sans took it especially hard. He shut himself off from everyone and he screamed at himself for, and I'm quoting him here, 'being such a fuck up.' He was convinced that he was solely responsible for what happened to you . . . And really, he didn't get much support from anyone else. Your father didn't exactly help matters."
"And apparently, he had a run-in with Undyne as well." Corbel added, "He didn't go into details, but he seemed pretty upset about that too."
"Well, that does explain things a bit more. When I found him after that, he was curled up in an empty room, literally screaming endlessly. He was scratching at himself and I'm sure that if he could, he would've physically torn himself apart. He said he was sorry he ever came into your life. He said he was sorry for existing. And honestly . . . That really scared me. I thought he might try to . . . If you didn't make it . . . I thought he might try to end things. I talked to him as much as I could, but considering everything that was going on, I couldn't do much. I'm glad it didn't come to that, but it still worries me. That's why I want to check in with him every once in a while. Just to see how he's holding up . . . Especially when something like this happens."
"So, when he said you two were like BFFs now . . . I thought he was just being funny. But that's what he was talking about wasn't it? You two bonded in that moment, didn't you? You listened to him when no one else would."
"I don't know if that's true," Nyala smiled again, tilting her head at a gentle angle, "You actually did a good amount of listening when he came to see you. And I know that you would have been able to talk him down if you'd been able to."
Corbel shook his head giving a deep sigh, "Then, maybe . . . But now, I've gone and pushed him away too . . . Damn it."
"It's not too late, you know." Nyala comforted, "This is the next step in maintaining a relationship. Talking things through. You HAVE to be willing to communicate. Not just vent out your frustrations. Listen to each other and be open with each other."
"You know. It's been almost two weeks and I haven't even spoken to him. But I have to admit . . . it's starting to eat at me a bit. I do miss him. I shouldn't have stayed away so long, especially if he's been hurting this whole time."
Nyala nodded once again. "That's good and I'm sure that's exactly what the two of you need at this point. But before that, there's something serious that the two of us need to discuss. And I don't really know where to begin."
Corbel hesitated, picking up on the more cautious and serious tone her speech had taken on. "Mom, what's wrong? Just tell it to me straight. I can handle it."
"I wonder about that, actually . . . Well, may as well test that theory . . . The thing is, I know you're not going to want to hear this, but please just listen for a minute."
"I'm listening. You don't have to tiptoe around me."
Nyala released a bit of her apprehension and took another long sip of her drink before she continued.
"Your father . . . as tactless as he was about it, had a good point that night. When you look at it from a third party, it's easy to think that you and Sans might be rushing into this a little prematurely. Especially when something like this happens and you fall apart so easily. You have to really think to yourself what the big issue really is. I want you to answer something for me, baby. And try not to think badly of me, please."
Corbel fought off the urge to scoff at the instruction, but when his mother's expression didn't shift in the slightest, he knew she wasn't joking around with him and he instantly sobered down.
"Why would I ever think badly of you, Mom?"
"It's just . . . I know what it feels like to be where you are. And I know how passionate you can get. Promise you'll hear me out?"
Corbel nodded slowly, even going so far as to put his glass down just in case. Across from him, Nyala sighed deeply, setting her own glass down as well. When she looked back to her son, her eyes were set.
"Corbel, honey . . . is this what you really want?"
"What?"
"You have to understand. I will always be here to support you no matter what you choose. But, as your mother, I can't bear to watch you suffer like this. I can't stand to see you in pain . . . I've seen it enough in your life and I . . . I can't take it anymore . . . So, before you go back, I want you to really think about what you're going back to and I want you to be absolutely sure it's what you want to do."
"Mom, what are you saying? Yeah, we hit a rough patch . . . it might be early on, but all relationships hit snags every once in a while. I mean. Look at you and Dad. You can't tell me you two are okay right now. Have you even spoken to him since you've been here? Has he even noticed you're gone?"
"Corbel. I pray that you're not using my relationship with your father as a guideline! There's a lot we need to work out, but I have faith we can because we have a strong bond, stronger than whatever it is we're dealing with. Can you really say the same about your relationship with Sans?"
"Mom . . . ?"
"Do you love him, sweetie?"
Corbel went quiet as he was struck with the question. He had to think for a second. If He and Sans had to go through the stuff his mother and father had been for most of his life, could he confidently say he would stay by his side through all of it, could he honestly say that he'd be willing to, not only put up with it, but to help him through it too. All without losing himself in that scenario.
"I know you've had a crush on him for a long long time, but how do you know if it's more than that? Maybe that's all it was ever meant to be."
"No! Of course not!" Corbel snapped, the heat in his body rising to the surface in a way he hadn't meant. He had to take a long pause in order to compose himself. He promised his mother he'd hear her out without getting upset with her. She was absolutely right. This wasn't anything he wanted to hear . . . especially from her . . .
But it was worth listening to . . . It was something he needed to hear. He needed to think about this from all angles.
After his long pause, he came back to the present to answer his mother.
"I-I mean . . . yes. I do love him. I know when we visited before, things didn't go well at all . . . And I know we . . . We didn't really handle it well either, but there's no doubt in my mind that we can move past it! If Sans really is hurting right now, then I'll have to be there to help him. If he needs someone to listen, then I'll be there. If he falls, then I'll be there to support him."
"That's all good, but what about you? What happens when you're the one who needs the help? Can you say you have that same support? When you call for him, can you say with confidence that he'll be there to answer? Or will he leave you calling endlessly?"
Again, Corbel went silent as he listened to his mother speak. She was describing that night all over again. When he was left behind, calling for Sans. Sans walked away without a word and Corbel called and cried after him with no hope of a response. Sans abandoned him.
He lowered his head as his breath caught. He closed his eyes tightly.
"Sans . . ."
Nyala breathed deeply, reaching out to take her son's hand, stroking his fingers softly.
"Oh, baby . . . I'm sorry. But you know, this is what I mean. You've put so much of yourself into this . . . Is it worth it? Do you think it's worth it? You are the only person who can answer that."
"I . . . I don't . . ."
"Don't answer right now, sweetie. Take your time. Really think about it."
Corbel looked at his hand within his mother's. When he looked up to her, she was wearing a comforting smile as she gripped firmly. He knew she wasn't asking this to be mean or to hurt him, but for some reason, there was a stinging jab that ran straight through him when she asked that. She was worried. She didn't say that straight out, but the fact that she was having this conversation with him and asking about all of the different perspectives on it proved that she wasn't so sure about this decision of his either. She wanted to make absolutely sure that he knew what he was doing and that he was okay with it.
"You're going to be okay, sweetie." She smiled softly, "I know you will. You're my son and you're strong. I've seen you fight and I've seen you triumph! I know you can do this. Just don't forget that no matter what, I'm here too, okay? I'll be cheering for you."
Corbel's grip tightened as well as an almost invisible smile crossed his features.
In the very next second, something shocked him out of the moment. From his pocket, his phone rang and tore his attention away from his mother.
When he looked at the caller ID this time, something inside of him froze and his chest went tight. His eyes widened and his mouth might have fallen open slightly as his nerves took over.
Nyala watched along, reading her son's expressions like a book.
"It's him, isn't it?"
Corbel nodded, but didn't speak, his grip on his phone was trembling.
"Do you . . . want to take that? I can give you the room for a second."
"I-I'm gonna . . . yeah. I'll take it . . . but you stay here. I'll be right back."
Corbel stood slowly, a little nervous about what he was about to do. He let out a long breath, holding the phone in both hands, as he raised the device to the side of his head and answered the call cautiously.
"H-hey . . ." He answered in a near whisper.
"Oh!" The voice on the other end of the line answered, sounding genuinely surprised, "Y-You actually picked up . . . um . . . H-hey, Daydr . . . I-I mean, Corbel."
There was something off about his voice. Corbel couldn't quite place it right away, but it was different than anything he'd heard from him before. This went beyond nervous and beyond apprehension. He sounded . . . scared.
"Sans . . . ? What happened? Are you okay?"
Corbel began to pace, his attention drawn completely into the conversation to the point that he'd completely forgotten to actually leave the room.
From her spot at the table, Nyala listened to the one side of the conversation. At the concern in Corbel's voice, her interest was piqued as well.
"Sans! Sans, slow down. What happened? Yeah . . . No, I'm not . . . Actually, I'm with my mom right now. No! No, Sans. It's okay! No, you're not! Really, it's fine! O-oh . . . Oh, well I . . ."
Corbel seemed to remember where he was and he turned his attention back to his mother. She waved dismissively at him, silently telling him not only to continue without worrying about her, but also to do whatever it was that he needed to do.
"We were actually in the . . . No. Sans, I said it was fine. Look, why don't you come ove . . . oh, really? Well, I guess I could. Y-yeah . . . wait, Sans? What's that supposed to mean!? C'mon Sans, I just . . . Yeah, I'll be there. Sans, wait! Answer me truthfully. Are you okay? Yeah . . . That's what I thought. I'll be right there."
With that, Corbel closed his phone and lowered it from his ear. He didn't put it away, however, but held it tightly in both of his hands instead.
"It must be bad." Nyala commented.
"I've never heard him sound like that before . . ." Corbel answered, his voice soft and distant, "Something is definitely wrong."
"Go on, Baby. It sounds like he really needs you right now."
Corbel stowed his phone away in his pocket and crossed the room once again to give his mother a long stabilizing hug.
"Thanks, Mom." He said softly to her, "Thanks for everything. And maybe when I figure out what's going on with him, I can convince him to come here so you two can talk too."
"Thanks, baby. But I think I'm gonna head home today. I have some things I need to discuss with your father. And really, I think you should talk to him soon too. But right this moment, you've got your own stuff you need to deal with . . . and hey, if I can add something? My two Gs to the situation?"
"Hm? What's that?"
"Sans asked for you. He called you when he needed someone. And when he normally doesn't call anyone, you're the one he wants to see. Take that as you will, but I think that's a pretty good sign."
Corbel hummed as he held his mother. A smile spread across his face.
"I think you're right."