With and Without

by life-sans-sin

I'm no longer going to be posting updates on here since the amount of activity and feedback I get here is significantly less compared to what I get on AO3. You can find this fic on ArchiveOfOurOwn here- (archiveofourown . org/works/6387460/chapters/14627251) And, as usual, you can find it on my Tumblr- (life-sans-sin . tumblr . com)

40. Beginning of Dusk

[[ Okay guys, THIS HAS NOT BEEN BETA'D YET. I have someone reading it over for me, but I don't know when they'll be done, sooo...yeah. I got too eager and decided to post it anyway. I'll replace this chapter with the beta'd one once it's been done. A lot happens this chapter, so strap yourselves in and get ready for a hell of a ride. I also apologize in advance... Enjoy! ]]

---

The amount of hatred he felt toward whoever would dare touch Lena made his soul feel sick. It was something he wasn't made to feel, wasn't supposed to allow to culminate within his soul, but it was. Slowly and steadily, he could feel the cold yet burning sensation eating away at him, gnawing deeper into his bones until he swore it was running freely within his marrow. 'Why her?' He didn't understand, but, then again, he didn't really want to understand. How someone could treat such a Kind soul with such cruelty… it was beyond him. She did nothing to deserve it, couldn't do anything in an entire lifetime that would call for such treatment…

…and, even worse, it seemed as though he had no power to stop it.

Every day she risked being hurt. Every day, she ran the risk of her bright ambivalent soul darkening, growing dim, and the thought alone of her soul breaking made his bones rattle with a shudder. 'No,' he insisted, 'that'll never happen. I won't let it.' He pointedly ignored the voice in his mind that reminded him of just how well he'd managed to do with that thus far. His self-deprecating thoughts could wait. Right now, he had a tired human to look after.

His human.

The stench of ink was still strong, and, though it didn't affect him in the same way it affected her, he still felt the need to have it removed. He peeled her stained and soaked shirt from her skin, the unique sound of something stuck being gently pulled away from a flat surface filling his skull. There was so much black. So much ink. It had missed her face, thankfully, but only by a few gracious inches. The ink had stained the skin on the side of her neck, just beneath her ear. It spread down over her shoulder and onto her arm, ending just above her elbow. It reminded him of pictures he had seen in books, and he wanted to laugh as he wondered if the Universe had delivered this fate to her for him, as some sort of fucked up Rorschach test. 'Wonder what it'd say about my personality. Unable to protect things that are important?' His thoughts were more bitter than the ink that stained her as he removed her bra, as well, tossing both into the trash. He felt a dull ache in his teeth as he told her to get into the bathtub, which he then promptly turned on his heel to fill. Temperature was different for him to sense, compared to human skin, but his magic was good enough. The water was probably a little too warm, but she always seemed to love being warm, and what he wanted most right then was to bring her comfort.

He turned as soon as the water was running at the desired temperature to see her lingering in the doorway, grasping onto the wall for support and balance. Her eyes were already falling half-lidded again, like she'd fall asleep on her feet. He gently guided her into the water, watching her slump comfortably against the tub wall. His hand twitched as he reached for a washcloth, but a soft click of a door caught his attention. She seemed contentedly blissed out, so he got up silently and stepped out into the hallway, nearly bumping into Papyrus' chest plate. He immediately held a finger up to his teeth, the universal sign to be quiet, and his brother nodded.

"I have finished taking care of her vehicle, brother. I didn't… I wasn't sure what to do with it, exactly, so I gathered everything from inside it and drove it to an abandoned lot on the edge of town." Sans nodded along as he spoke, his dim eyelights flitting between the ground and his brother's face.

"Good, good… You get the plates, too?" Papyrus grinned and gave a gloved thumbs up, prompting a small chuckle from the shorter skeleton. "Great. Thanks, Paps. Hate for people to see it in the mornin', y'know?"

"Yes, that would be…unfortunate. People would surely be upset." A small pause, then, in a softer voice, Papyus spoke, glancing toward the bathroom door with sockets lidded with worry. "How is she?" Sans sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"She's not injured, really. They uh…threw ink on her, 's all." The importance of the attack wasn't lost on Papyrus, and the taller skeleton's expression wilted slightly. "Just a stain. It'll go away." When his brother did not brighten any, he continued, his voice forceful but soft. "Nothin' else is gonna happen to her, Paps." Papyrus looked slightly guilty, as if feeling uncertain and worrying were wrong. After a short moment, though, he nodded, not exactly smiling, but he didn't look nearly as mournful.

"Yes, you are right, brother. We will most certainly look out for her and keep any bad from befalling her!"

"Yeah, I'll keep her safe, don't worry," Sans said shortly, turning back to the bathroom door as anxiety fluttered in his soul. "Hey, how's about you go turn on one of your favorite MTT movies? I'm gonna get her all cleaned up and then we'll join you." He didn't get to see the slightly surprised frown on Papyrus' face as he quickly strode back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His eyes immediately sought out Lena, who, just as he left her, was reclined against the back of the tub. In fact, she looked like she was about to fall asleep. Images of her drowning in the tub flooded his mind, and he shoved them off forcibly as he shut off the water that had still been filling the tub. He shrugged off his jacket and grabbed the washcloth on the bathroom counter, dipping it in the water to wet it before beginning the painstakingly gentle and slow process of washing her down. The ink immediately stained the pale blue wash rag and, when he rinsed it, the water began to grow murky and gray. 'This is my fault. I should've been there, I should've—'

A light touch across his ulna startled him from his thoughts, and the comfort was so unexpected, yet so badly needed, that he couldn't help the pleased rumbling sound that escaped him. He chuckled and gave a slight shrug at her curious expression, giving himself only that momentary pause before he continued with the task at hand. It wasn't fading, but the ink that was resting on the surface of her skin was gone. He still waited until the water had gone cool before he pulled the plug, draining the filthy grey water. He wanted that ink as far away from them as possible. The washrag was tossed into the trash as he turned, grabbing the fluffiest towel hanging on the rack and all but swaddling her up in it, drying her off with an amount of gentleness that he wasn't used to showing. He was afraid of hurting her any further, of doing anything to darken her already dimmed soul

He took her to her room and dressed her in her favorite sleep shirt and sweat pants, foregoing a bra (partly because he figured it'd be more comfortable, and mostly because he wasn't sure he could get it on her comfortably). The whole time he made sure to keep a hand on her somehow, always keeping contact with her physically. He needed the reassurance that she was there, that she was fine, probably more than she needed the comfort. It was after a few minutes that he led her out to the living room to join Papyrus on the couch. He couldn't tell what movie Papyrus had chosen, but he wasn't really paying any attention to it at all. His attention was, instead, on Lena, who was already slumping in her spot between the two skeletons on the couch. She fell onto Papyrus' shoulder as she dozed off, the taller skeleton giving her a warm smile, and Sans immediately reached out and pulled her over to rest against his side. His magic sizzled within his bones when his brother reached out to brush the human's hair out of her eyes and, sensing it, Papyrus drew his gloved hand back quickly, a frown curving downward on his skull.

"Sans…?" The elder brother gave a short, noncommittal grunt, pulling Lena even more closely to his side. The human gave a soft moan of discomfort in her sleep, and Papyrus sighed. "Brother, she is safe here," he stated simply, then, when he got no answer, "…Do you not think so?" The slightest bit of offense was obvious in his tone, and despite him not being called out, Sans felt a bit of frustration well up in his chest. He slid his arms around the sleeping human, one around her shoulders, the other under her knees, and lifted her easily from the couch.

"Night, bro," he called back as he headed down the hallway and into her room. The door was closed and locked behind him with magic, and even so, he still turned to check and make sure it was locked securely after he laid her in bed. The covers were pulled up and he curled himself protectively around her, as if that, alone, would be enough to keep her safe. Her chest rose and fell with steady breaths, each one deep and rhythmic, and despite how easily listening to her usually led him to his own sleep, he remained awake. He refused to sleep. What if someone came in to hurt her in her sleep? Sure, it was unlikely, especially since the door was locked, and Papyrus was home, as well. …But what if something were to happen to her while she slept, if she stopped breathing? What if her heart stopped? He leaned down to press the side of his skull against her back between her shoulder blades, hearing that familiar beat and sighing in relief. 'This is ridiculous. She's…she's fine. She's not injured.' Images of black hearts and crimson smiley faces plagued his mind until he decided that no, he most certainly would be staying awake…

---

The first thing that she really becomes aware of is the fact that she's sweating. The fuzzy lining of her sweat pants are sticking to her thighs uncomfortably, and she wondered why on earth she would ever wear her warmest clothes to bed or, at the very least, why she hadn't slept on top of the covers, or turned the fan on. Then, slowly, she noticed an abnormal warmth that was not her own emanating from behind her, and, when she tried to turn over, she found herself held fast by a pair of bony arms around her waist. One was even looped under her hip, causing enough discomfort for her to wince and pull away slightly.

"Hey," came the husky voice from behind her, and she shivered slightly despite the sweat, slowly forcing her eyes open against the light filtering in through the windows. Sans looked…well, tired. There were deeper-looking shadows beneath his sockets, and the little pinpricks of light within his eyesockets were dim.

"Hey…" She bit her lip and her brows furrowed, looking over him worriedly. The events of the day before began to return to her, and he must have sensed it somehow, because his already tight hold on her increased. "Yesterday…I was—"

"Nope. You gotta eat somethin' first." She blinked from how suddenly he interrupted, a small frown tugging at her lips as he pulled away from her, sitting up and reaching to the bedside table for…a plate of spaghetti? She raised a brow, which he answered with a chuckle. "Paps has been in a cooking frenzy, wearing himself out putting enough magic into it to heal an army."

"What? But he didn't have to..." Trailing off slightly, the plate was pushed into her hands as soon as she sat up. She sighed, picking up the fork and twirling the noodles around it as Sans pressed close to her side. Even though it was inconvenient because he was against the side of the arm she was trying to use, she said nothing of it. 'He's just worried. He'll calm down in a little bit…' Between bites of (quite honestly, absolutely delicious) pasta, Lena attempted to make conversation, hoping to approach the subject of what had happened so she could get it off her chest. Every single time, Sans interrupted her, finding something else to distract her with.

"We'll talk later, babe. Right now, you oughta finish eatin'. Paps worked real hard to make it."

…After about a dozen times, Lena began to wonder exactly when 'later' would be. Immediately after she finished eating, Sans had carried her out to the couch in the living room, situating them with him leaning back against the armrest, and her laying with her back to his chest. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, oddly enough, but she still wasn't quite…comfortable. Partway into the third movie, Lena started to become unable to ignore the incessant affections he was paying her. No matter what, he was always touching her in some way, always wanting her to be close. He nuzzled his nasal aperture against her jawline for so long that the skin began to feel rubbed raw. The same could be said for her arms, which he continually trailed the tips of his blunt phalanges over, in a motion that was once soothing but was quickly becoming an irritant—and not just a physical one. Despite the onslaught of affectionate gestures, they all felt…empty, like he wasn't really doing them with his 'heart' in it. As soon as she realized that, she began to notice how his hugs felt more like holds, and where she used to feel captivated she just felt…captive. A sense of unease began to fall over her soul, especially when he insisted that she leave the door open when she needed to use the bathroom. Had Papyrus not been out at Undyne's, she would have argued against it more fervently. She relented, though, and opened the bathroom door after having finished her business to see Sans leaning against the opposite side of the hallway, waiting for her.

| Lena: He won't even let me go to the bathroom without him standing outside the door… |

| Lena: I know he's worried, but this all feels a little bit much, don't you think? |

| Papyrus: I AM SORRY HUMAN. HE IS JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOU AND IS HAVING TROUBLE EXPRESSING IT, I THINK. |

| Papyrus: PERHAPS YOU SHOULD TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL? |

"Hey, what're you doin'? You're missin' the movie." A faint blue aura surrounded her phone and, before she could grab it, moved it across the room. It landed on top of the entertainment center with a small thud, and when Lena turned to say something to him, he simply turned her around again so that her back was to him, his arms holding snugly around her waist. The sense of unease grew.

It was after another movie that she decided she'd had enough.

The video was one of her favorites, and despite that fact, she felt like she couldn't enjoy it. She was so intent on focusing on the movie and not on Sans that it left her feeling a little…bittersweet. She wriggled out of his grasp, despite his obvious yet silent protests of tightening his grip around her waist, and broke free from the couch, padding quietly yet quickly across the living room and down the hall to her room. Then, as soon as her door was closed, she deftly turned the thumb lock, only a half second before she heard the knob attempt to turn. She heard the small noise of surprise and confusion from the other side of the door, but she ignored it. She wanted to be alone.

The human stripped down bare, letting her clothes stay wherever they fell, and walked into her private bathroom. The tile was cold against the bottoms of her feet, a gentle noise of her soles' soft impact filling the eerily silent room. A shiver ran over her as she paused to glance at herself in the mirror. Her reflection was startling, her own eyes staring back at her looking so uncharacteristically tired that she felt like, if only for a moment, she was looking at someone else. Then her gaze slid just below her head, staring into the inky darkness that had been stained onto her skin, and she felt her chest tighten. It wasn't all as bad as she'd thought it would be yet, somehow, looking at it made it worse. She could see as well as feel the patches of skin that had become tainted, overly sensitive, and vulnerable. She felt a small shuddering within her chest, just beneath her sternum, and her hand moved to rest over her soul, as if that simple action would be enough to soothe it. 'Everything will be okay,' she assured herself, looking up into the mirror and smiling back at her own reflection.

The smile she got in return was just hollow enough that she tore her eyes away from the mirror, turning and stepping into the shower. The glass doors slid closed with an audible scraping sound, and she reminded herself to do something to fix it later. 'Like Sans would let me go to the store and get WD-40…' She shook her head to dispel the thought and turned on the water, drawing in a sharp breath as the first spurts of cold water hit her skin. It eventually warmed, allowing her to move from her place leaned against the back of the shower and stand underneath the spray of water. The sound of the running water acted like white noise, drowning out nearly every other sound.

However, she still heard the odd popping sound, felt the pressure in the room increase just slightly, as if there was air being forced into the room that wasn't supposed to be there. Her eyes closed tightly, the faint smell of ozone washing over her. All she'd wanted was to be alone for a minute.

…Well, techinically, it had been a minute.

She peeked from the corner of her eye and saw, just as she suspected, that Sans' blurry outline was leaning against the bathroom door. The locked bathroom door. For some reason that fact made her feel all the more insecure, the uneasiness she'd felt before reaching the point of bursting, and it released itself in the form of extra droplets of water trailing down her cheeks. It was ideal, she mused, that she was in the shower. At least that way she could easily explain away her tears. 'When did being around Sans stop feeling good…?' She drew in a soft, shuddering breath as she curled in on herself, the water spraying against her back comfortingly. It was the only true comfort she'd felt all day, and god, she couldn't understand why she felt so lonely even though Sans was right there, literally a few feet away.

By the time she finally felt like washing up, the water had run cold. She hastily scrubbed at her body and hair, taking very little care to make sure she was gentle, leaving her skin pink and raw-feeling. The water was shut off, the doors slid open, and she grabbed the towel to dry herself, only making a half-assed attempt at drying her thick mess of auburn hair before she let the towel drop carelessly to the floor in a wet heap. She stepped across the small room and unlocked the door, purposefully walking around the observing skeleton and falling into her bed. There were a few moments of tense silence, and she started to think that maybe he'd left until finally the mattress dipped, and he crawled in behind her. The same hold around her waist returned, even tighter, and she fell asleep wishing that she was in that bed all alone.

---

Sans just wasn't sure what to do anymore. He'd been doing so well, he thought, making his human happy, making her smile and laugh and open up to him in ways he'd only ever dreamed of. Yet here he was, standing outside her shower and watching as her soul writhed in obvious pain… Pain that he seemed to be causing, but he wasn't sure how. He'd been sure to distract her from the troublesome topic, though really it was only because he himself didn't want to think about it…because thinking about it would mean having to admit, even in his mind, that she was in danger, and that it was his fault. It would open up the opportunity for her to say untrue things, like that it wasn't his fault, or, stars forbid, if she started talking like she accepted her fate.

He's fairly certain that his soul would shatter if she talked to him about doing things together for the last time.

Still, despite his best attempts, she was unhappy. He could tell even without looking at her soul, from the way her normally bright eyes looked so listless and dull, the way her smiles she gave him were tense, ingenuine. He hated it. He hated it, but he wasn't willing to change his mind. He was doing this for her own good, to keep her safe. He would keep her beside him and protect her, and he'd make sure that those awful nightmares he's had would never, ever come true. Chara wouldn't be able to lay a single finger on her. She would be safe. She would still be with him. Maybe she was unhappy right now, but someday she'd realize what he was trying to do, and she'd understand.

"YOU CANNOT JUST DECIDE FOR ME LIKE THAT, BROTHER!"

His eyesockets slid closed against the memory, Papyrus' voice slipping through his thoughts as a reminder. Yes…this wasn't the first time he'd done this, afterall, was it? He'd done this for as long as he could remember, simply because it was the only way he knew. It wasn't right, he knew, but what else was he supposed to do? He wasn't going to stand by and let her go off to her death. To hell with that.

'It's for her own good..' he told himself as she brushed past him, her eyes obviously avoiding him, and the flare of pain within his soul at the action made his hand twitch up to rest against his sternum. He hated it…but he loved her. In order to protect her, he would do anything. He stood just outside her bathroom door, dim eyelights trailing over her blanket covered form, the dip and curve of her hips. Her spine was arched outward more as she tried to curl in on herself, looking so much smaller than she usually did. 'It's for her own good.' After a few moments of simply watching her try and disappear between her sheets he stepped out, feeling the mattress dip beneath his added weight as he moved in to lay close behind her. He repeated that thought to himself, over and over again, even as his arms locked tightly around her waist. He felt her soul's aura wilt even further and, with it, his squeezed painfully within his chest.

'It's for her own good.'

'It's for her own good.'

'She'll be safe.'

'She'll be safe…'

'I'll keep her safe… …"

He could tell you exactly at what time she fell asleep, what her expression looked like, the way her hair was blown from out of her face with a small huff of breath just as she closed her eyes against the darkness. Once again, he didn't sleep, and despite the fatigue nipping away at his soul, he fervently shoved it away. His mantra of thoughts were what kept him awake, despite his desire to give in. He wanted nothing more than to let her in, to apologize and ask for her help, to tell her how afraid he was, and to sleep by her side…but he couldn't. In order to truly protect her, he had to distance himself from her, just a little bit. Physically, he remained closer than ever, but still…

'I need a drink.' Carefully, so as not to wake Lena, he pulled back and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the pang of hurt his soul felt as she seemed to sleep more easily without him holding her. He breathed a hiss of a sigh from between his teeth and pushed himself up, padding across the room and cutting a doorway straight to the kitchen. He reached for the familiar bottle of amber liquid and pulled it down, mouth drawing up into a wry smile as he grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Foregoing ice, he unscrewed the lid from the bottle quickly and poured until the glass was full, setting the thick glass bottle on the counter with a faint 'clink' and raising the glass to his mouth. It was all poured in, his magic flaring warmly within his bones as he processed the alcohol. He was quick to pour himself another glass, and another, and another…until he started to finally relax a bit, his eyes falling half-lidded.

"Brother…" Sans whirled around, a bit of the liquid sloshing out over his phalanges, and he muttered a soft curse. Papyrus stood just outside the entryway to the kitchen, still clad in his pajamas. The expression on his face was one of concern, and a mild disappointment that made Sans want to crawl into a hole and hide.

"Hey," he said, voice thick and rough from the alcohol, and he cleared his 'throat' to try again. "Hey, bro. What're you doin' up?" The younger skeleton glanced warily at the glass in his hand, giving a small, tense smile.

"I could ask you the same." Sans flinched slightly. He knew full and well how his brother felt about him drinking. He had done a lot of that in the Underground, back when he had all but lost hope and spent his time awaiting and yet avoiding every reset. Hazy memories of stumbling home or, even worse, having Grillby call Papyrus to carry him home surfaced in his mind, which he quickly shook away.

He shrugged, "Couldn't sleep." How many times had he used that excuse? Enough that Papyrus gave a small, irritable sigh, and Sans braced himself for the talk that was sure to come.

"Sans…" Papyrus huffed out a tired sigh, raising an oddly gloveless hand to rub across his face. "Perhaps you should sleep in your own room tonight…?" The smaller skeleton tensed. "It would appear that you are not sleeping well in her room. A night of rest would do you both some good, I think." Frowning slightly, Sans raised his glass to sip from it quietly, giving no response. "Look… I apologize if it is not my place to say, but...you are worrying far too much. She is here, in our home. She is safe, brother. You do not need to be so concerned." Giving a small hum, Sans set the glass down on the counter, tapping his fingertips against it softly.

"Hn… Yeah, you're right, Paps," he muttered, and Papyrus' relieved expression lasted only a few short seconds before Sans spoke again, his voice far too level. "It's not your place to say." The look of hurt that passed over his brother's expression was far more painful than anything else he could have said.

"Sans, please. You have surely noticed that she has been unhappy, yes? If, perhaps, you were to relax a little bit and loosen your grip-" A sharp cracking noise broke through his words and his eyesockets widened slightly to see that his brother had tightened his grip on the glass so much that it had broken. A jagged crack now ran down its side, the small remainder of whiskey leaking through it to form a puddle on the counter. Sans was staring- no, glaring at the wall, his eyesockets dark, and, after a moment of stifling silence, Papyrus gave a heavy sigh.

"I worry for you very much, brother...but I am also worried about my friend. We all want to protect her. But if you keep things as they are…" He trailed off, gently gesturing toward the broken glass. "She will be like the glass in your hand. ...That is all I wished to say." The soft sound of feet padding away on the carpet told Sans that the other had left, but it was only once the door down the hallway clicked shut that he allowed himself to slump against the counter.

What has gotten into him?! Did he really just speak that way towards Papyrus, of all people?! A soft groan rumbled up from his chest as he slowly released his grip on the glass, watching as it fell apart into his hand, broken. 'Stars, what the fuck am I supposed to do…?' He spent a good while longer in the kitchen, standing and staring at the sharp edges of broken glass, thoughts buzzing madly within his skull. When he did finally return to her room, he sat up against the headboard, watching Lena's chest rise and fall with breath as he tried to come to grips with the 'right' and 'wrong' inside his own head.

'What do I do…?'

---

It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise when she started getting ready for work that the questions started. She'd managed to sneak into her bathroom and run a brush through her hair as Sans stumbled out of bed, still awake, grumbling something about 'coffee'. Once she'd gotten her locks otherwise under control, she immediately headed back to her closet, pulling on the first acceptable things she grabbed. It only took her a moment's pause to realize that she'd have to dress in something more…concealing. With this thought, she returned the short-sleeved blouse to its hanger in her closet and, instead, pulled out a well-worn mint green turtleneck. She'd just managed to pull it down over her stomach and smoothed it out when Sans returned, two steaming mugs in hand. He froze mid-step for a moment when he saw her dressed, but he was quick to return to 'normal'.

"Hey, babe. Whatcha getting' all dressed up for?" There it was. She bit the inside of her cheek and sent him a small, tense smile.

"It's Monday, Sans. And my class isn't going to teach itself!" Her words were full of a cheerfulness that she didn't really feel, and despite seeing his eyesockets narrow slightly, she moved closer. She took one of the mugs from his hand and raised it to take a long sip. It was too hot, and she scalded her tongue a bit, but, somehow, it felt better. She walked around him and into the kitchen, where Papyrus was already packing up the last of the bagged lunches. His smile brightened considerably when he saw her and she returned it, feeling genuinely happy to see him. "Good morning, Papyrus."

"GOOD MORNING! I HOPE THAT YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THE DAY OF TEACHING YOU HAVE AHEAD OF YOU!" he greeted energetically, snatching up the brown bag with her name written across the front and dangling it between his thumb and index finger. "I MADE SURE TO PACK YOU A LUNCH WITH PLENTY OF CARBOHYDRATES SO YOU HAVE AMPLE ENERGY! ALSO, THERE IS A SNACK, SHOULD YOU GET HUNGRY BEFORE LUNCHTIME!" Lena nodded and took the lunch from him, her smile widening.

"Thank you so much, Pappy. It's perfect." A clearing throat pulled their attention back to Sans, leaned against the kitchen doorway and swirling the coffee within his ceramic mug. His smile was just a little too tight across his face, and Lena had already known that he wouldn't be happy about it, but she'd prayed that he wouldn't fight it.

"What's this about you goin' to work…? You still need more rest, babe. You oughta just stay home today," he said easily enough, but the way his phalanges tightened around the mug when she sighed didn't bode well.

"It's too short notice, and I don't feel right just staying home when I'm fine—"

"You were, uh, kinda put through a lot pretty recently. Tori would understand." He interrupted, his voice firm, and the way his already dim eyelights became even less visible told her that he wasn't going to back down without a fight. Papyrus glanced between the two of them, wringing his gloved hands as Lena's smile fell slightly.

"Sans… I want to go to work," she said evenly, trying so hard to keep her smile, but it was fading fast, along with her patience. Heaving a small sigh, Sans took a quick swig from his mug of coffee, not as bothered by the too hot temperature.

"…Alright." Lena looked up, smile returning as she felt hopeful, but it was quickly dashed when she saw Sans heading into his own bedroom. "Lemme get dressed and we can go." Her heart fell a bit, her stomach twisting slightly as she contemplated the situation at hand. How was she supposed to say this..?

"But… You have work today, don't you?" she asked, and all she got in response was a flippant wave, dismissing her question entirely. He pulled on a clean shirt and shrugged into his favorite fur-lined coat. His phone was withdrawn from his pocket and he started flipping through his contacts, not looking up from it as he started heading for the front door, gesturing for her to follow.

"I'll just call in, no big deal. C'mon, let's get goin'." She didn't move. It took him a few moments to realize it and, when he did, he glanced up with a quirked browbone. "What's up?" She bit her lip and curled her fingers into the hem of her sweater, tugging on it soothingly.

"Sans…you can't just call in like that for no reason."

"'s not for no reason—"

"I'll see you when I get home, okay?" she asked, but it sounded far less like a question and more like a statement. The faintest grinding sound came from Sans as his jaw clenched, teeth grating together the slightest bit, and Papyrus flinched from the sound. The room felt like it was filled with charged air, like the air before a thunderstorm. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she implored without words, hoping and praying that he wouldn't make a fuss over it. "Please, Sans… I'll see you when I get home…" His sockets were completely dark, and Papyrus jumped in between them quickly, holding a hand up.

"HA! HAHA! VERY CLEVER, BROTHER OF MINE, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF YOUR WORK SO EASILY! A VERY IMPRESSIVE ATTEMPT, YOUR EFFORTS WERE VALIANT! I WILL TAKE THE HUMAN LENA TO WORK! FOR YOU! SO THAT YOU MAY GO TO WORK!" He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door, just barely brushing past Sans as they made their way out. "MAKE SURE YOU PUT A LITTLE MORE BACKBONE INTO YOUR WORK! NYEH HEH HEH!" He tugged on Lena's arm until they were down the stairs, standing on the sidewalk leading to the Queen's apartment building. A quick glance over her shoulder showed that Sans hadn't followed him, and she felt awful for the sigh of relief she felt escape her. "HOO BOY! THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE, NYEH HEH!" She glanced up to see Papyrus sending her a wide grin, and despite the relief, she didn't feel quite as comforted by it as she would have liked. Still, she smiled back up at him, nodding. "AH, THAT'S RIGHT. YOUR CAR IS…NO LONGER HERE. HER MAJESTY SAID THAT SHE WOULD TAKE YOU." As if her mention had summoned her, they walked around the corner just in time to see Frisk and Toriel emerging from their apartment.

"Oh, Lena! Good morning, my dear!" The regal monster stepped forward, but was intercepted by the child as they ran forward, throwing their arms around Lena's waist. The woman staggered backward slightly, eyes widened until she was able to process what had just happened. Giving a small chuckle, she pat Frisk on the head, ruffling their brown bob slightly as they all but nuzzled into her stomach. When they looked up at her finally, their cocoa-colored eyes were wide with obvious concern, signing with one hand a bunch of half-questions that she couldn't understand. Giving her brightest smile she could muster, she gently pulled them off of her, resting her hand atop their head.

"I'm fine, Frisk, don't worry." They didn't look convinced in the slightest, but something made them drop the subject, for which she was grateful. A heavy paw landed on her shoulder and she glanced up to see Toriel giving her a smile that, she supposed, was probably meant to be reassuring. "Ready to go?" She nodded and, turning to Papyrus, Lena gave him a small smile and wave. "See you later, Pappy. Thanks again for making my lunch."

"NYEH, IT WAS NOTHING THE GREAT PAPYRUS COULDN'T HANDLE! MAY IT NOURISH YOU WELL AND CARRY YOU THROUGH YOUR DAY!" He leaned down and clanked his teeth against her forehead, releasing a loud "MWAH" just as he pulled away, and Frisk was giggling breathlessly at the display. They made grabby hands toward the towering skeleton and, when they got his attention, pointed to their own head. "AH, YOU WISH FOR A PLATONIC GOODBYE KISS AS WELL? VERY WELL, THEN! MWAH!" Toriel chuckled at the little exchange and, after a few more proper goodbyes (and Frisk demanded a few more Papyrus-brand Farewell Kisses), they were climbing into Toriel's little white Sedan and headed toward the school.

"Ah, my child, were you still wanting to stop by Mrs. Bun-Bun's store for breakfast?" The child nodded eagerly, hair flying in the energeticness of the motion, and their mother giggled. "Very well, then. I figured you would!" She pulled into the parking lot of the familiar small store and unclipped her belt, opening the door to pause just outside. "Lena, my dear, what would you like?"

"Um, I actually already ate…so don't worry about getting me anything," Lena lied, feeling a small bit of guilt from the slightly disappointed look that flashed across the ex-Queen's expression. She asked if Lena was certain and, when she nodded, she was left with Frisk in the car with the engine running. The child immediately launched themselves forward and turned on the radio to a station that was playing some catchy pop-music. Turning around slightly in her seat, Lena glanced at the child who, of course, had a mischievous expression on their face. "I don't think your mom listens to this station normally." They shrugged as if they didn't know, but their smile pulled even wider. Chuckling, she turned back around in her seat, just in time for Toriel to emerge from the store with a bag in hand. She stopped short just outside the car, giving the occupant of the back seat a look. Frisk's breathless giggles filled the cabin, though they quickly fell silent once the door actually opened. The bag was passed back to Frisk, who immediately tore into it, cinnamon bunny devoured in seconds. Toriel changed the radio station then, to one playing some gentle, classical music.

Frisk, in the back seat, pouted, cheeks stuffed full of cinnamon bunny, and Lena could just tell that the mother was trying so hard not to laugh. After swallowing the ridiculously large mouthful of food, Frisk leaned back up between the front seats again, pressing a button and changing the station again. Toriel, without missing a beat, immediately changed it back. This went on, back and forth, for the majority of the ride to the school. About a block from the building Toriel sighed, head tilting slightly to one side as she gave a small smile to the rearview mirror. "Very well, my child, you win this round." Frisk's arms shot up in the victory formation, fistpumping as they settled back and drank the rest of their small bottle of milk.

Lena watched the mother and child with a small smile on her face. It really was difficult to be in a bad mood around these two, it seemed. Something about them was so loving, so genuine, and watching someone as regal as Toriel deal with someone as sassy as Frisk was…well, comical. Almost as comical as dealing with Sans and Papyrus.

The thought of the shorter skeleton brought her mood plummeting, the smile slowly becoming less genuine as she focused her attention out the window. Something about watching the scenery pass by always made her problems feel so much smaller but, this time, it didn't seem to help much. 'What am I going to do about him…? Things can't keep going like this. They can't…' Giving a small, silent sigh, she leaned against the cool glass, feeling her eyes slip closed. She was tired. So, so tired. Despite sleeping with Sans, which was normally so comforting, she didn't feel like she got a very restful sleep. The thought of returning home was already daunting, and she hadn't even made it to work yet. …But what was she supposed to do? Was this just how things were going to be, now that she'd been marked?

She could still feel the faint sting of her sensitive skin, could remember the harsh stench of the ink as it was splashed on her. It was a sign, and one that wouldn't be washed away so easily. Her only hope was to keep it hidden while she was out, and…and what? Just stay hidden forever? Stay with Sans locked up in the apartment forever? That wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be with Sans…

…but not if it meant being imprisoned.

When Toriel dropped them off she'd reached out and grabbed Lena's hand, giving it a small squeeze and an encouraging smile, and she…didn't know how to take it. "Have a good day, my child! And you, as well, my dear friend!" She stood with Frisk and waved the white sedan off until it was out of sight, letting her hand lower slightly as she continued to stare off into space where she'd disappeared. A sharp tug to her other hand brought her attention back and she glanced down at Frisk, giving a small questioning hum.

"Can I walk you to class?" they asked, holding a hand out, and Lena couldn't help but give a little smile as she took it, relenting with a nod. It was worth it if she got to see the child's face light up with that bright of a smile. They led her bravely through the halls, their chest puffed out and face determined, and it was such a silly thing, but she felt protected. She particularly appreciated the way they didn't grip her hand tightly like...no, she wasn't going to think about that here. A smalls hake of her head to clear her thoughts, and Lena gave Frisk's hand a small squeeze, pausing just outside the teacher's workroom. They looked up through their bangs with a curious frown.

"Sorry, kiddo, but I've gotta print off some papers before class. I forgot to do it Friday…" Chuckling, she pulled her hand from Frisk's, gesturing down the hall where her classroom resided. "You go ahead and I'll catch up, okay?" They seemed to ponder this but, after only a second, nodded, taking off down the hallway. "No running!" she called out, smiling as they seemed to slam on the breaks, shoes squeaking as they skid across the tile so they could walk more slowly. 'Thanks, Frisk.' Sighing slightly, she pushed the door open to the workroom, startled as a rather large bear was suddenly right in front of her.

"Lordy, I'm awful sorry 'bout that, Miss Lena!" he drawled out apologetically, paws immediately reaching out to rest on her shoulders, and she would have wondered why on earth he was so sorry if it weren't for the look he gave her. His muzzle was curved into a piteous smile that left her feeling a little chilled. "Gotta be careful, y'know. Don't want nothin' bad happ'nin' to our favorite human teacher!" Lena gave an uneasy smile and nodded, side-stepping the bear and heading toward the copy machine.

"It's no problem, really." She immediately set to work printing off the copies of the worksheets she was needing, all the while trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on her back. It had started out as only one pair, but then, the closer it came to class time, more teachers filed in to grab some last-minute things, and she could feel all of them staring at her. 'Maybe I'm just being paranoid…' she insisted to herself, but, when she turned her head slightly, she could see them staring at her from the corner of her eye. All of them, every single one, had that same, pitying expression. A few of them approached to talk to her, asking her how she was doing, or what she planned on doing that evening, all simple things.

But she couldn't get it out of her head that they were talking like she had a terminal sickness, that she was already as good as dead.

That thought sent a cold chill down her spine, and she was grateful when all the other teachers filed out of the room to head to their respective classrooms. She was grateful because there was a single moment where she understood the exact gravity of the situation she found herself in and, for that moment, she felt like she was going to cry. But, just as she had all morning, she pushed that aside, gathering up the stack of papers, still warm from the copy machine, and strode out of the room and down the hall to her own classroom. In the pocket of her black dress pants she felt her phone vibrate, the soft buzzing sound breaking her stride for only a second as she paused to pull it from its confines.

| Sans: you make it to work okay? |

Breathing out a small sigh, she allowed her thumb to tap lightly across the on-screen keyboard just before shoving the device back into her pocket.

| Lena: Yes. Class is about to start, so I'll talk to you later. Love you. |

Because, even if he was starting to make her feel less like a person to be loved and more like an object to be defended, she did still love him, with all of her heart and soul. Even if she wasn't exactly happy with the way things were right now, she still wanted to make sure that he knew that. Even if she didn't want to reply at all, she still wanted to make sure that the last thing she said to him was that she loved him.

Startled, she pulled herself violently from her thoughts, finding herself standing right outside her classroom door. Her hand hovered over the doorknob as her mind began to wade back into the dark waters she'd just run from, brows furrowing as she chewed restlessly on her bottom lip. Why had she been so worried about that being the last thing she said to him? It wasn't like she was going to die…she wasn't. A little ink didn't mean that she was as good as dead. So what if everyone they'd seen on the news as having been attacked the same way she was ended up dead? That didn't mean that she was going to die. …Unless, she was. Why else would Sans be so worried about her leaving the apartment? Why else would he be so adamant about making sure that she was within his sights, where she was safe? He wanted her to stay home because he didn't want her to die. She left against his better judgement, and now she was—

The first bell gave out its shrill cry through the empty halls and Lena flinched, whipping her head around to check her surroundings. She was standing in the hallway outside of her classroom, alone. She wasn't going to die. She wasn't. Taking a slow, deep breath in, she allowed her hand to fully rest on the doorknob, her lips curving up into a smile before twisting it open and stepping inside. Her students were already sitting at their desks, and she saw Frisk only now settling into theirs. In the back of the room, Ven was scowling at her, and despite the damper it put on things, she only smiled harder.

"Good morning, class!" she called out, voice light with a cheerfulness she didn't quite feel. She pulled at her ponytail situated oddly on the side of her head, making sure that it was covering her neck. "Today's going to be a pretty easy day." She set the stack of papers on her desk and stood at the front of the room, hands clasped in front of her. "Your instructions are to read over Chapter 12 in your text books until lunch." There was a murmur of noise from the group of children and she felt her brows furrow, feeling the slightest bit selfish for making an easy day for herself. "I know, I know. I promise, I'll make up for such a boring day today. But for now, I'm afraid I'll need you all to be patient." Pausing for a moment, she smiled a bit wider, "If you can finish reading the chapter before lunch then I'll see about us getting a special something as a treat on Friday!" It was bribery, pure and simple, but it had the desired result. Most of the class began to eagerly pull out their text books to begin, and she felt a small bit of relief that there weren't any arguments. She moved to turn to her desk but caught Frisk staring at her, and something looked so much older in the way that their eyes narrowed knowingly, and she felt her expression slip, just a little, before she waved them on and went to sit at her desk.

The sound of pages turning in text books and the soft murmur of conversation was almost soothing, something like white noise, and Lena found herself flipping idly through her planner as she just zoned out. She tried not to think about things too much, but, alas, it was inevitable. She was thankful for the little interruptions from her thoughts in the form of questions from her students. One or two would pad up to her desk, textbook in hand, and her smile felt a bit more genuine when they reached an understanding, smiling at her and thanking her. The buzzing in her pocket had continued and, after a few minutes of it, she pulled her phone from her pocket to check it.

| Sans: cool. hope you have an easy day. |
| Sans: lemme know if ven gives you any trouble. |

| Sans: send that brat to the office and they'll call kupa. |

| Sans: or you can just text him and have him stop by. do you have his number? |

With a small glance up at her class to check and make sure they were occupied, she allowed herself to reply, though she made sure to keep her phone underneath her desk. She felt guilty for it, like she were back in class herself, afraid of getting caught with it.

| Lena: I don't, but Ven is being very well behaved today, so I don't think it'll be necessary… I'll be sure to keep that in mind, though. |

Her phone immediately vibrated in her palm with a response.

| Sans: still, don't trust him. he's always been troublesome. |
| Sans: keep your eyes open, okay? and make sure you're not alone for too long. |

| Sans: asked the kid to keep an eye on you for me. |

| Lena: I don't need to be watched, Sans. I'm fine. |

| Sans: i know that. just wanna make sure. |

| Lena: I am. You don't need to worry.|

| Lena: It's during class hours, so I'm putting my phone up. I'll talk to you later, okay? Love you. |

She shut off her phone's screen and stowed it away in her purse, moving the bag to set it on the floor behind her desk. The faint buzzing sound was already coming from it again, and she sighed, trying to resist the small amount of irritation that welled up within her.

It was going to be a long day…

---

"Um, excuse me…" Sans looked up from his phone, his smile wilting a bit as he saw the human he'd just served, already coming back up to him for something. "I, um… Well, I seem to have gotten the wrong flavor ice cream…" He blinked his eyesockets tiredly at the human customer, who fidgeted nervously and brushed a corkscrew of black hair behind her ear. "It's, um… I-I'm allergic to nuts…"

"Again?" A blue-furred rabbit monster stepped in from the back, immediately taking the small cup of ice cream and tossing it in the trash. Sans sent the human a sheepish smile. The human insisted it was no big deal, but Nice insisted that she take the refund he offered her, as well as getting her a larger size of the ice cream she'd actually ordered. She was extremely apologetic, ducking her head and giving a little bow. As soon as she left and the shop was empty, the rabbit turned on Sans, his arms crossed over his chest. "Sans, honestly. That ice cream could have made her sick!" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "…I don't know what your deal is today, but please, be a bit more careful." Sans shrugged his shoulders, hands shoving deeply into his pockets.

"Hey, at least she was pretty chill about it, right?" The look the rabbit gave him told him loud and clear that he wasn't in the mood for joking around and, with a huff, Sans forced a wide grin onto his face. "Yeah, boss, I'll be more careful. Sorry." Nice left to the back again to continue the inventory he'd started, leaving Sans alone again. The instant the other was gone, he pulled his phone from his pocket. When the screen proclaimed no messages, he frowned. Why hadn't Lena replied yet…? Glancing up at the clock, he saw that it was just past noon. 'She should be on her lunch break right now. There's no reason why she shouldn't have answered…' A small part of his mind tried to tell himself that he was being unreasonable, but he silenced it as he dialed her phone number, holding his phone up to his skull where his ear would've been if he had one. The droning ring seemed to carry on forever until, finally, there was a small click as the line opened up. There was a small shuffling sound and he could hear Lena speaking to someone, and though he swore he knew the voice, he couldn't quite place who it was.

"Hello?" Her voice was tired, and he felt guilty for a moment as he realized she was probably having lunch with her coworkers and he'd just interrupted.

"Hey, babe. You didn't answer my texts. What's up?" The sound of shuffling papers and a rhythmic tapping sound, like a pen being drummed against her desk.

"Oh, sorry," she said distractedly. "I was talking to one of the other teachers. They came in and said that there's a faculty meeting tonight." He frowned slightly, already sensing where the conversation would be headed.

"Ah, that's cool. …So are you up for a TV night? I've been meanin' to start watching this show called Star Trek. Thought you might wanna watch it with me." There was a small hum from the other end and, after a few seconds, she sighed.

"No, Sans, I can't tonight." Figures.

"Why not? I was kinda lookin' forward to doin' this," he said simply, pressing, and he heard her give another sigh.

"…I know that, but I have to stay late tonight."

"You know I don't like the thought of you bein' away from home that long right now… Do you not remember what happened Saturday?" He heard her give a huff of irritation and he clenched his phone more tightly in his hand.

"Look, I know that—"

"Do you? Because it doesn't seem like you do."

"…No, really, I do," she insisted, her voice strained as more shuffling sounds came from the receiver. "But I need to get all these papers graded, and there's an after-school faculty meeting."

His frown deepened and he swiveled on his stool until he was facing away from the front of shop. The last thing he needed was to get nagged for scaring off customers, too. "What, is it mandatory or somethin'?"

"Yes, it's mandatory."

"What's so important that you've gotta put yourself at extra risk? Can't a coworker take notes for you?"

"…Look, I have to go. Lunch hour is just about up, and—"

"No big deal. I'll talk to you after my shift. I'll come and keep you company during the meeting." There was another, longer sigh, and she sounded so, so tired, so unlike herself that his soul tugged within his chest.

"Sans, please… I'll call you when it's done, okay?" He fell silent, feeling frustration building up within his bones as he stubbornly tried to think of what to say to make her change her mind. Giving a heavy sigh that sounded the slightest bits like a growl, he closed his eyesockets.

"…Fine." He knew that he shouldn't have. He knew that it was childish…but he hung up the phone right there, shoving it deeply into his pocket. Why the hell couldn't she just do what he wanted? Why was she fighting so hard against him trying to protect her? 'She doesn't understand,' he thought, swiveling back around to find a room full of customers, some looking very impatient. Nice came out from the back and, seeing the group of unserved customers, sighed.

"Sans, how about you go ahead and take the rest of the day off?" the bunny asked, but it was less a question than a demand. Sans was being dismissed from work. Feeling even more frustrated, he gave his biggest, best grin to his boss and shrugged.

"Sure thing. I love havin' nothin' to do." With that, he stepped off of his stool and strode into the back, leaving through the back door. He found himself just outside the alleyway he'd had so much trouble in before, and a cold shudder wracked its way down his spine as he looked at the stained concrete. They'd tried to get all of the human's blood off, but a reminder still remained. He walked past it quickly, eyes focused pointedly on the sidewalk. He released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding once his slippers touched it, and a small part of himself felt allowed to relax. 'What am I supposed to do now…?' Frowning slightly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. There was still plenty of time before she'd be off work…and he'd said that he would wait for her at home.

…But he hadn't promised that he would.

Shoving his phone and his hands deep within his coat pockets, he started his trek toward the school, slippers scuffing across the sidewalk with purpose. He felt bad for going against her wishes so clearly, especially going against his own word…but it was like he'd always said. He didn't make promises, simply because he knew that he'd eventually have to break them, and this situation was exactly why he didn't promise. She just didn't understand the severity of the situation…that's why she was being difficult. She didn't understand that he knew what was best. 'It's for her own good…' With a sigh, he glanced up at the sky, watching as clouds began to congregate around the sun, attempting to block out its rays. He could feel the increase in pressure within his skull, a sure sign that it was going to rain. Maybe he could use the impending rain as an excuse for why he went to pick her up.

"I see that great minds think alike!" The familiar voice startled him from his musings and he leveled his gaze back to ground-level, seeing Toriel sitting on the bench just outside the school's gated entrance. He sent her a grin, rolling his shoulders as he pulled one hand from his pockets to gesture vaguely toward the building.

"Yeah, thought I'd pick Lena up." The matronly monster raised a brow at this, turning to glance down at her watch.

"…A full four hours early?" He shrugged his shoulders, glancing at the bench when she reached out to pat the spot just next to her and, with another shrug, he moved to sit next to her. "This is fortunate timing, because I was wanting to discuss something with you, anyway…" She trailed off slightly, raising a paw to tap against her chin thoughtfully. "How to put this… Well, your brother has spoken to me." Sans' smile fell slightly, and she was quick to continue. "Sans, you are my best friend. You know this, yes? You know that, as a friend, it is my purpose to support you…" She reached her paw out to rest against his hand, squeezing it slightly. "But it is also my purpose to show you when you have gone astray, and when you are not being true to yourself."

"Whaddaya talkin' about, Tor? I'm afraid I'm a bit of a bonehead. You gotta be a little less cryptic." She didn't laugh at his obvious pun, instead letting out a soft sigh, her hand squeezing his just a bit tighter.

"Sans… Have you honestly learned nothing?" The skeleton tensed, his eyesockets narrowing slightly. "I am disappointed, my friend… I thought that you would have learned better by now." He pulled his hand away from hers, raising it to scratch at the back of his skull.

"I'm doin' what I have to in order to keep her safe." There was a small pause, and he considered getting up, walking off, but the way she shifted in her seat until she was facing him made him stay put.

"…Do you wish to own her, Sans?" Startled, he turned to look at her, browbones furrowed.

"Wha..? No, of course not."

"Do you see her as a possession, a trinket, or some sort of prize to be held?" Her tone was level, but her eyes were burning with a fire he wasn't used to seeing.

"No, of course I don't!"

"Well, then, why are you treating her like one?" He grit his teeth, ignoring the dull ache it sent through his skull as he struggled to find the words. "You are not alone responsible for her safety and wellbeing. She is an adult, and she is her own person, and the way you've been treating her has been less of a lover and more as an owner."

"Back off, Tor. Y' don't know what you're talkin' about…" His soul ached within his chest, but his anger was enough to make him ignore it, jerking himself away from his friend as she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. She withdrew her hand with a heavy sigh.

"You may not like what I am saying, but I am only saying it because you are acting a fool. Your intentions are good, Sans, but your actions are having the opposite effect…" Her paws clasped together in her lap and, though he was refusing to look at her, he could tell from the corner of his sockets that she was watching him. "Ask yourself this: are the things you're doing acts of love?" He'd had enough. His slippers scuffed loudly across the concrete as he turned on his heel, cutting open a doorway. "If you care for her, Sans, then you will listen to what her soul wants. Being selfish is only going to hurt the both of you—" The doorway closed with a snapping finality behind him as he stepped into the living room of their apartment, releasing a hiss of air from between his teeth.

He was at a loss, his mind split in two, both sides arguing against the other over which was right and wh ich was wrong. On one side, it demanded control. He couldn't be sure what would happen if he weren't there. He hated feeling out of control, which is what he'd been feeling a lot of over the past few days, and…it was driving him a little crazy, he had to admit to himself. Having no power over a situation was something he feared simply because of the element of unknown. The other side, however, was just as disappointed in his behavior as Toriel was. He remembered telling Lena how he would talk to her, not keep things to himself, and yet here he was, doing exactly that. Keeping her in the dark under the ruse of it being 'for her own good.' Was having her come to hate him worth her safety? 'Yes,' his mind supplied readily, but the answer also made a small part of his soul ache in response. Everything in his skull was spinning around at a sickeningly fast pace and he just…wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. What was the 'right' thing to do?

As time slowly dragged on, he began to feel restlessness buzzing within his bones, and he bounced his leg in an attempt to burn some of the nervous energy. It didn't help. Groaning, he got to his feet with a small huff and made his way for the kitchen, immediately pulling down mixing bowls and bags of flour, sugar, bottles of vanilla, and a mass of other ingredients. It wasn't what he'd consider a 'hobby' per se, but working with his hands always made him think better, so, for lack of a workshop or anything scientific to work on, he took to the kitchen. He mixed up batches upon batches of chocolate chip cookies, a full pan of brownies, and enough pans of quiche to feed a small army. He wiped the flour from his hands onto his already messy t-shirt and glanced at the clock on the oven, sighing heavily when he noted that there was still at least forty-five minutes until Lena was supposed to be home. 'And she's staying late, too…dammit.' He threw the bowls a little too roughly into the sink, filling it with soapy water and scrubbing at the sticky, doughy mess until it was clean. 'If anyone came in and saw me doing dishes, they'd think that hell was freezing over…heh.' He allowed himself a tired chuckle as he put the now clean dishes onto a bath towel folded up on the counter to dry, wiping his hands dry on his pants. He felt the edge of his phone through his pocket and felt the overwhelming urge to pull it out and send her a text, to ask how she was doing…but he pushed past it.

He collapsed onto the couch in a heap of bones and gave a weary sigh, picking up the remote and idly flipping through channels to keep himself busy. He'd glance up every few minutes to see what time it was, only to feel disappointed when time seemed to be flowing at its usual pace. After about a half an hour of this he settled on an old comedy skit program, tossing the remote onto the coffee table and laying his skull back on the couch. She was gone anyway. Maybe a nap would be in order.

---

It was just one of those days.

It was only after the faculty meeting that Lena realized that, with Frisk having already been picked up, she had no way home. The more rational side of her brain told her loud and clear that she should just call Sans. He could pop over through one of his 'shortcuts' and take her home the very same way, taking literally a number of seconds. That side of her brain, however, was quickly drowned out by the other side, which was emotional, irritated, and tired…so, so tired. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she felt this exhausted. It was an exhaustion that reached deep into her very core, that spread out through her entire body, leaving her feeling numb and empty.

'I'm going to bed as soon as I get home…right after a shower.' She breathed out a small sigh as she glanced up at the sky which, right around lunchtime, had quickly become overcome with dark clouds. The once blue sky was now a haggard grey, the sun hidden behind the thick blanket without a trace. She could already feel a few stray drops of water falling from above, and she'd wished she had thought to check the forcast so she could've at least brought an umbrella. A distant roll of thunder made her shiver, and she managed to duck under the small cover of a bus stop just in time for the torrential rain to begin. It pounded the pavement without mercy, the sound of each drop splattering upon impact drowning out all other sounds. It was here, in a very public place, out in the open, that she felt the most alone and at peace that she had in a while.

Leaning her head back until it rested against the wall of the small shelter, she allowed her eyes to slip closed, allowing a small, soundless sigh to slip past her chapped and bitten lips. On the opposite side of the road she saw a few monsters walking on the sidewalk, and, occasionally, a car would drive past, but her little corner of the world was totally isolated otherwise. It felt…nice. 'I almost don't want to go home…' An immediate sense of guilt washed over her at the thought. She pulled her phone from her purse and checked it to find that, again, she had no messages waiting for her. While part of her wanted to feel relieved, she couldn't help but wonder what would be waiting for her when she got home. 'Maybe he's gotten the message…yeah. He'll back off a little bit, stop being so worried, and he'll come back the way he was…' She thought it a little ridiculous to think about missing someone who has literally been attached at the hip to her for the past forty-eight hours…but she did. She missed Sans. She missed feeling the comfortable affection that he gave or, even more rarely, the flustered attention. She missed a lot of things.

Feeling safe in her own apartment was one of them.

Not that he would ever hurt her. She knew better than to think that. (The memory of when he'd had that really bad nightmare came to mind, but she stubbornly shoved it away. That didn't count.) However, something about having someone act like danger was around every corner had a way of making someone feel less comfortable.

She stood under that bus stop hangover, waiting for the rain to lessen; but, after fifteen minutes and the downpour only proving to worsen, she realized that she had two options: she could call Sans and get home the quickest way, or she could walk home, spending twenty minutes getting soaked. She wasn't sure whether it was her stubbornness, or something else deep within her soul that resounded so soundly with her decision.

She stepped out from under the overhang and walked through the rain, holding her purse protectively against her chest in a vain attempt of keeping her phone from getting wet.

Her footsteps sounded heavier than usual as she tromped up the stairs to her apartment door. She reached into her purse and pulled out her keys, fumbling for a moment as she tried to find the right one. She was so distracted that she had to go through them three times before she finally found the right one, only to realize it wasn't necessary because the door was unlocked. A breath of a curse hissed past her lips and she shoved the door open, stepping inside with a shiver. Her clothes were soaked completely through, the feel of her turtleneck constricting around her neck causing a level of discomfort that didn't fit her.

"Geez, what the hell happened to you?" Sans voice came from the couch, obviously concerned, and she glanced over to find him frowning. "Thought you were gonna call me when you got out…" She hadn't forgotten about saying that, though now she felt guilty for not doing what she said she would. Gnawing on her bottom lip, she sent him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"S-sorry, I forgot." Her voice trembled as she shivered, and she really just wanted to go take a shower and change into something warm. Dropping her purse on the kitchen table, she slid off her shoes and started a brisk walk towards her bedroom.

"What's up?" She felt her body tense and she faltered mid-step, turning to glance over his shoulder. Sans was already getting up, hands shoved into his pockets and browbones raised.

"Ah…I was just gonna take a quick shower. Try to warm up…" she trailed off slightly, turning into her bedroom and pulling her soaking wet turtleneck up over her head, giving a small sigh of relief as it finally came off. The slight choking sensation was gone now, and she felt herself relax a bit. Behind her Sans gave a small, thoughtful hum.

"Cool, sounds good. I could go for a shower, too."

Her heart fell slightly, the irritation she'd felt building all day trying to show itself, but she stamped it back down firmly. "Actually…I wanted to take a shower alone." The skeleton made a small, questioning noise, and she kept her back to him, not wanting to acknowledge it. She hoped with all of her might that he would just let her have this…but, of course, that would be too easy.

"What's the deal? You've never had a problem with us showering together before." It was true. There were several occasions where, after they had been…'intimate'… Sans carried her to a shower or a bath. 'What if it would be like that again?' Reminders of tense holds and controlling behavior brought that thought to an end, though, and she released a slow breath.

"I know, but…I just would like to spend some time alone, that's all." She glanced over her shoulder and saw a look on his face that could only be described as 'hurt', though it quickly morphed into annoyance.

"Why? What, are you mad at me or somethin'?"

"…No, I'm not..mad," she fumbled slightly, not wanting to lie but not exactly looking forward to telling the truth, either. That would surely lead to a fight which, honestly, was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. He frowned, browbones furrowing.

"So, what? Spit it out. What'd I do?" When she remained silent he huffed a bitter laugh, walking around her with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "Well? C'mon, tell me how I'm fucking up this time!" She flinched back slightly, eyes widening at the suddenness of his change in attitude. Where the hell was this coming from? She hadn't said anything!

"Look, I just wanted to take a shower by myself. What's so wrong with that?"

"And I just wanna stay with you so I can make sure you're okay. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm able to shower safely by myself, Sans. I'm an adult, I can take care of myself—"

"No, you can't," he bit out, thrusting a bony index finger out to point at her ink-stained shoulder. She flinched back again, not liking the heavy feeling welling up within her chest. "That wouldn't've happened if you were able to take care of yourself." She frowned, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

"That was outside of my control and you know it. …Why are you being like this?"

"I'm tired of being told how to do my job!"

"Your 'job?' What job? Taking care of me isn't your job."

"Yes, it is! I—"

"Your 'job' is to love and support me, Sans, and you… y-you haven't been doing a very good job of that these past couple days!"

"Oh, bullshit!" He reached out and grabbed her wrist, keeping her from turning around and leaving. She pulled weakly against his hold, but he refused to let go, growling low in the throat he didn't have. "I'm only doing this because I love you! I don't want you to end up dead, but you and everyone else seems to think that I should just let out go wander out into danger!"

"You can't prevent every little thing! You're not keeping me safe, you're—" She paused, tugging again on her wrist, her brows furrowed in a disconcertingly worried expression. "You're hurting me!"

"I can't watch the people I love get killed again, okay?! I can't! I've watched it for too fucking long, and I'm not doing it anymore!"

"Sans—"

"I'm gonna do what I have to in order to keep you safe, even if it makes you fucking hate me!"

"Sans!" Lena cried, the grip on her arm so hard that she felt like it was going to bruise. Sans' sockets widened and he drew his hand back as if he'd been burned, his face surprised as he looked up to meet teary green eyes. She felt…afraid. This forcefulness, this possessiveness…it wasn't Sans, and she didn't like it. They stood there silent for a few long moments, simply staring at one another. They could hear the thumping footsteps of Papyrus approaching, and it was that that seemed to break Sans from his trance. He scowled and stormed out of the bedroom, grabbing his coat off of the sofa in the living room before stepping through a doorway and disappearing. Lena stared at the spot he'd just disappeared from, chest aching and head throbbing. She barely recognized the sound of the front door opening.

"HUMAN, BROTHER, I AM HOME! I HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR—" Papyrus' voice cut off suddenly and, when she finally tore her eyes away from the spot of carpet Sans had been standing on, she was met with softly glowing orange sockets. "Lena…?" She flinched when he grabbed the wrist Sans had been holding—the one that she was now holding protectively with her other hand—and brought it close to his face to inspect it. Something passed over his expression, but it was gone too quickly for her to recognize. "What has happened? Are you alright? Where is Sans—" His name brought a fresh wave of tears, her shoulders trembling as she tried to withhold her crying and failed. Papyrus immediately pulled her in for a bony hug, gloved hands rubbing circles on her back, and she wanted to just relax and lean into it, but she couldn't. She pushed away from the towering skeleton and tore the front door open, ignoring his cries of her name as she ran, barefoot and in nothing but a tank top and her work pants, out into the rain. "LENA! PLEASE, WAIT!" Choking back a quiet sob, she pulled her phone from her pocket and opened a new text message.

| Lena: Can you come get me? |

Her phone buzzed only seconds after, and it brought a teary smile to her face.

| Brit: What'd the bonehead do this time? |

| Brit: I'm omw now. Gimme ten. |

| Lena: Thank you. |

She returned the device to her pocket and finally stopped, looking around her to see a set of apartment buildings that she didn't recognize right away. She'd been so upset that she'd just kept walking. A quick glance around told her that Papyrus hadn't followed her, which she was grateful for. 'I don't want him to have to deal with me like this…' She started looking around for a dry place to wait for her friend, but as soon as she turned around, everything went dark.

The last thing she saw was a flash of something too red and, then, nothingness.

---

She was disgusting, They thought to themselves. Too big, too heavy. They wished she were smaller so it wouldn't be so difficult to move her. They worked quickly, grabbing hold of her already bruised wrist and jerking on it hard, listening to a loud pop come from what must've been her shoulder, and They smirked cruelly. It was her own fault for being so heavy, They surmised. The faint scratching sound of the pavement against her clothes was the only sound that managed to persist through the rain. They dragged her until they found a large black van, knocking on the back door. Another human opened it, glancing down to see who was joining them and grinning.

"Nice tits on this one. Can I play with her a bit before you have your fun, boss?" They narrowed their eyes at him, and the man immediately ducked his head back into the van, mumbling an apology. They hefted her up onto their shoulder and tossed her in, immediately following and slamming the door closed behind them.

"Drive." The human behind the wheel gave a single nod, and soon they were pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. "So you're Lena…" They reached a gloved hand out and brushed aside a few stray strands of hair that had gotten stuck to her rain-slicked forehead. There was a rather angry-looking bump just above her right temple where they'd been sure to strike her, hard enough for her to lose consciousness. 'Maybe she'll bleed in her brain~' they thought excitedly, a sharp grin pulling up at the corners of their mouth. "No, no, I need you alive. After all, someone has to kill that smiley trashbag…" There was very little response from the other conscious people in the van, as few as there were. Five women were tied up, breathable bags secured over their heads. Three men shared the same fate, all of them with their hands bound in front of them. A few of the ropes may have been tied too tight, but They didn't care.

No, They didn't care about any of these pathetic creatures. They were just wearing the mask that was fit for the situation, the one that benefitted Them best.

Drawing out Their own soul, They used it to pull on the unconscious human's soul until it revealed itself. The shades of green were sickening, so pure and bright, even with all of the turmoil going on within their soul. Their lips pulled back into a disgusted sneer. 'Such a disgusting amount of Kindness… I can change that.' Slowly, They reached a hand out, the black heart floating out toward the green one. Little tendrils of darkness reached out for it, just barely brushing its surface…

…only for it to be rejected. A faint, transparent green shell formed around the verdant soul, blocking the tendrils of inky darkness and sending it sputtering backwards. They hissed, eyes narrowing as they pulled Their soul back into their body. Watching as Lena's also faded back into her chest, Their eyes gained a murderous glint. A soft buzzing sound came from her pocket, and they weren't bothered in the least to reach in and pull out her phone. "Well, well… what have we here~?" Smile widening into something inhuman, they tapped around, digging through her apps and pages until, finally, reading through her text messages. They hummed delightedly, fingers tapping roughly across the glass touchscreen and hitting send. A gleeful giggle pulled from Their lips, eyes closing in absolute mirth. "This should be a rather fun game, I think!" The phone was stashed into their jacket pocket, holding it protectively against their chest, and their hand lowered to finger the hilt of the knife held at their belt.

A boom of thunder rattled out, a flash of lightning illuminating the sky, and Chara's smile grew to the sharpness of their knife. 'I'll have fun tearing this one apart.'

---

The familiar neon sign proclaiming that he was standing in front of "Grillby's" came into view and Sans felt himself slacken, relieved. He'd be able to get a drink, and talking to Grillby was always comforting, somehow, despite how little the flame elemental actually spoke. He strode through the doors and was surprised by how few people were there. Aside from the table of dogs in the center of the bar, the place was empty. Well, them, and the fireman, of course. As he approached the bar he saw a tiny spider monster scurrying out of sight, and Grillby turned his back to him.

"Heya Grillbz, gimme a whiskey, no ice," Sans said, trying to make his tone light as he hopped up onto his usual stool. The elemental glanced over his shoulder at him but said nothing, continuing to polish the glasses he'd been in the middle of drying. Sans frowned slightly, quirking a brow in confusion. "Uh, Grillbz? Hey. What's up?" Still no answer and Sans chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "What, you givin' me the cold shoulder or somethin'?" Grillby set down the glass he'd just finished drying and turned around…only to grab another one from the rack. Sans sighed heavily. "Look, I dunno what singed your ass today, but can you at least give me that drink?" The elemental looked down over the rims of his glasses at him, white spots of his eyes narrowing, but still said nothing. It was the insult to injury, and Sans wasn't in the mood for it. Growling, he got up and stormed over to the dog's table, snatching their bottle of ketchup and shuffling back to the bar with it. "Fine, be that way."

He sat at the bar, sipping on the ketchup angrily in silence, and even though he was being ignored, it felt like he was being put on trial. Then, after Grillby slammed a few too many glasses into the rack once he'd finished with them, Sans felt the frustration that had been building all afternoon bubble over.

"Y'know, it's like I can't fuckin' do anything right! Gotta be pissin' somebody off, gotta be fuckin' up somehow, right? Don't matter what the fuck my intentions are. I oughta just let everybody do whatever they want, let them get killed, yeah? Is that what the universe wants?!" He took a long swig of ketchup and slammed the bottle back onto the bar, ignoring it completely when it broke under his force. Ketchup oozed out between his fingers, and he was just reminded even more of what Papyrus and Toriel had said. "Fucking—I mean, what, I'm not allowed to try and protect people?! No, I gotta make everyone happy! Well guess what, can't make the whole world happy! Can't even fucking make the person I love most happy!"

Slowly, he ran out of steam, and his ranting lost direction and purpose, and he found himself sitting and staring at the broken ketchup bottle, glaring. A flicker of light from in front of him drew his attention, and he found Grillby holding a glass of whiskey out to him. Sans drew in a slow breath and gave a weak grin, reaching out for the glass…only to have the alcohol dumped out, the liquid spilling between his fingers. He flinched back, shaking the whiskey off of his hand, sending the elemental a scowl.

"Grillby, what the fuck—"

"I was told that you would be coming here tonight, Sans. I'm sure that you were hoping to drink away your problem and, as your bartender, it's my job to assist with that." The whites of his eyes narrowed and the flames atop his head flickered wildly, angrily. "As your friend, though, it's my job to tell you that you're being a coward." Sans growled and moved to get up from his stool, but Grillby slammed his hand down on the bar, lighting the alcohol and sending a small flare of light directly between them. The skeleton flinched back, nearly falling off of his stool, his sockets widened in shock. "You can't just hide every time something bad happens. You can't handle the world by yourself, Sans, however much you may wish to. Until you can learn to ask for help instead of being a goddamned coward, you are no longer welcome to drink at my bar."

"Wh—What is it with all you people trying to tell me how to handle things?! You guys don't have any idea what I go through—"

"No, we don't! Because you won't trust anyone other than yourself!" The entire bar fell deathly silent. The soft spoken bartender very rarely spoke aloud at all, much less raised his voice. It was rough, cracked from lack of use, but it was still strong enough to send Sans into silence. "How do you expect your mate to be happy with you if you won't share who you are with her? How do you expect to maintain any sort of relationship at all if you refuse to let anyone in?" The fire elemental quieted for a moment, a small hissing sound coming from him as he sighed. "You and your mate are supposed to be a team. It isn't you against the world. It's you and her, together." Something in his voice seemed almost desperate, and Sans clenched his hand into a fist on top of the bar, eyesockets narrowing.

"…It's hard, Grillbz."

"I never said it was easy."

"I'm…I'm fuckin' scared. I'm terrified. The shit I'm tryin' to keep her safe from…it's not little stuff. It's big stuff. Bad stuff. The worst stuff—"

"—And it would certainly be easier to keep her safe if she at least knew what she was being protected from, wouldn't it?" Sans sagged in his stool, sighing heavily.

"…It's not easy to change something after doin' it for so long." A crackling chuckle came from the flame monster and Sans looked up, catching the faintest hints of a smile on his friend's face.

"Yes, I am aware. Having friends to remind you when you 'fuck up' helps." Giving a small, tired huff of laughter, Sans wiped his ketchup-covered hand on his pants.

"Yeah… Man, I don't know how you guys put up with me." Grillby shrugged his shoulders the slightest bit, grabbing a rag to start cleaning the bartop.

"It has been made easier since Lena has come along, I will admit." Snorting back a laugh, Sans gave him a wry grin, mumbling a 'gee, thanks' as the fire elemental chuckled good-naturedly. A buzzing from his pocket caught his attention, though, and Sans was quick to pull his phone from his pocket. "1 Text Message From: Lena" He felt his soul flutter in his chest, smiling as he eagerly opened up the message. He had so many things he wanted to say, and, this time, he had other people on his ass enough for it that he'd definitely be doing it. No brushing things aside, no putting it off. He was going to get all the people he loved together and tell them about—

| Lena: =) |

"…Chara."

---

[[ Ahhhhhh I already apologized but I'll do it again. I'm sorry/not sorry. ;w; Hope you all enjoyed it. PLEASE, leave me a review telling me what you think! What will happen to Lena? What on earth is going on? Will Sans EVER learn his lesson? WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE? All those questions, and more, will most likely be answered with the next chapter. Thank you all so much for leaving! Feel free to go leave me an ask or chat with me on Tumblr! Love you guys! 333 ]]