[[ Alright guys, here it is! This is the end of Act One! NOT THE END OF THE FANFIC! THERE WILL BE MORE! I saw someone commented concerned about this being the end and I assure you that there is much, much more that I have planned.
I'm sorry that this took so long to get out. We've been struggling a lot lately financially and I've been having a harder time with depression and anxiety flaring up because of that, so I didn't spend as much downtime as I should have to write. Plus I've opened up my art commissions on Tumblr, so I've been spending time doing that.
I'm going to be postponing the next chapter by a little bit because I've been requested to write an Underfell AU of this fic- basically just where Sans and Fell Sans get switched somehow, and Fell and Lena's interactions. (It was bro. All him. He drew cute Fellsy and Lena art, too, and how can I not fucking write something for it when it's so perfect?)
Hit me up on tumblr to keep in touch! My messenger is open all the time. Thank you all so much for being patient. I love you guys so much, you're so awesome!
Anyway, hope you enjoy.]]
The woman standing in their apartment doorway was old, the years worn into her skin with every wrinkle the way trees grew rings. Despite her age, though, there was a certain beauty that transcended the years, an elegance that maintained itself within her worn body regardless of how her body trembled slightly. One soft, wrinkled hand was holding carefully onto the doorway, the other already extended out toward his mate in a way that was far too familiar. Sans only took a second to try and decipher why that was before the 'name' finally hit him.
Gran.
In his mind flew little snippets of conversation, mostly between his mate and her human friend, but he remembered hearing things about that name. 'Elder. Matriarch. Grandmother.' Even though human and monster cultures were so different, that was one thing that stood amongst them, equal. Phrases like 'Respect your elders' were common across both cultures, and he'd heard from movies and television series about how important it was to impress your significant other's ruling familial figure.
He stood, completely slack-jawed with his phone held to the side of his skull, momentarily oblivious to the voice of the now irritated human he'd just called.
"Mama Jane's Pizzeria, can I take your order?!" Sans gave his skull a small shake as he pulled himself from his thoughts, his usual go-to lazy grin spreading across his face as he turned from the door to stand out on the balcony, faint blue magic illuminating the door handle as it pulled closed behind him.
"Sorry 'bout that. Give us a large Hawaiian special, extra pineapple." A sign from the other end of the line, and he could hear keys on a cash register being hit, the faint beeps breaking through the busy sounds of movement.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, I'd really relish the gesture if you could put a few packets of ketchup in there, too."
"...Sir, this is a pizzeria. We don't have ketchup-"
"Don't worry about it, Suzy! I've got ketchup in my office." Sans smiled as he heard the familiar human voice. He could imagine the large, portly human woman giving that ear-to-ear grin and sending her husband off to fetch the small condiment packets, raving about how nice it was to be getting such diverse customers. She was a woman that was an open book, honest about how she felt and what she thought and, even though that often wound up with her saying some rude things from time to time, Sans could appreciate that kind of honesty.
"Patella Mama Jane that I said hey," he added casually, listening as the younger employee gave a tired sigh before doing exactly as he'd requested.
"Well if it isn't Mr. Bone Appetite himself! Tell him that he needs to order from me more often! He and his brother were my biggest non-human customers- well, except for those dogs out back!" Her booming laughter was infectious and he found himself chuckling along, even though the person he was actually on the phone with seemed less than pleased.
"Well if that'll be all, sir," they bit out, the polite tone in their voice so false that it was practically painted on, "that'll be $18.27."
"Eh, just run it on the card you got on file. Thanks." The employee sighed, though he could hardly hear that over Mama's noisy wishes for him to 'take care' and 'spend more money on her'. He hung up and ended the call, shoving his phone back into his shorts pocket with a small sigh. It had taken a lot for him to really get to know any of the humans aside from Frisk, but he'd managed to come to the conclusion that not all of them were bad. The portly pizzeria owner, the young couple that showed up at the Nice Cream shop, even a few of the regulars at the hot dog/cat stand all ended up being pretty decent people. 'It's been a while since I've really taken the time to visit. Maybe I'll have to grab a slice on my lunch break…' He could imagine being greeted at the shop as he always was, with Mama Jane saying he needed to eat something, to put a little meat on his bones (ha) and relax. She'd complain about how lucky he was, not having any wrinkles, and she'd start talking to him about trying to marry her good-for-nothing daughter, to 'make an honest woman out of her'. It was nothing he'd ever be interested in, but the fact that she treated him so normally was nice.
"Sans?" Lena's voice came softly from the doorway leading out to the balcony, and he turned to glance her way and give her a smile.
"Hey. Got extra pineapple this time." His grin widened at the way her eyes practically lit up, corners of her mouth turning up in a small smile. "Mama Jane said it'll be here in fifteen or it's free." The human rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"No she didn't. She'd rather feed it to a stray dog than give it to someone for free. …even though that makes no sense." He chuckled at the baffled expression on her face, but it was gone almost as soon as it arrived. "I, um, have someone I'd like for you to meet…if that's okay."
"Got the feeling that I didn't really have a choice."
"Eheh… well, you're not wrong. Gran can be pretty determined when she sets her mind to it…"
"Child, don't talk about me like I can't hear ye!" Lena straightened up and walked back into the living room, leaving Sans to follow lazily behind her, slippers dragging across the carpet. He'd only just managed to get the door closed behind him when Lena grasped his hand and pulled him to sit on the couch. On the opposite end sat the older woman, hands folded neatly in her lap and her expression full of patience. "So, Lena-bug, why don't ye introduce yer friend here?" The snow-haired woman's grey-green eyes moved smoothly between her granddaughter and Sans, pleasant but very much discerning. Sans tried to think of a clever joke to open up with, but none came to mind.
"Ah, right. Gran, this is-"
"Sans," he cut in, pulling his hands from his jacket pockets and extending his left one out in front of him. "Sans the skeleton." The old woman took his hand without thought, giving it a firm shake. The pleasant quiet in the room shattered by a loud, wet farting sound, and Lena's face flushed a faint red in embarrassment. There was no reaction at first, and Sans wondered if maybe he'd made the wrong choice here…
…until the old woman broke out into surprisingly loud laughter, eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that showed she'd been smiling most of her life. He relaxed a bit and his grin spread more naturally across his face. "Heh, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's always funny."
"I'll say, child! I've heard of breaking the ice, but never of breaking the wind."
"Oh my goodness, Gran-"
"Yeah, I know, it's a pretty shitty avenue to take."
"Sans!"
"Well ye aren't wrong there! Ahh, laughter makes ye feel young again!" She wiped a tear from the creases and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and settled back against the cushions, her smile wide and eyes surprisingly bright. Sans slid an arm around to drape across the back of the couch, his fingertips brushing against Lena's shoulder.
"So, Gran, how did you manage to get here by yourself…?" Lena asked, her tone so insistent that Sans wasn't sure if she was just that curious for an answer or she was trying to stem off another round of puns. "I thought Violet went with you everywhere." The old woman's eyes were focused on her granddaughter's shoulder, but they moved easily to rest on her face as her barely-there brows furrowed in a slightly put-off expression.
"I've spent all my life goin' 'round by m'self, I don't need a babysitter now that I'm old." She paused, her expression thoughtful, before her thin lips spread into another smile. "Besides, I think Vy has a lad that she's courtin' now! Can't spend all of her time with some old bird like me!" A short, cackling laugh escaped her and she slapped her knee.
"What? Really? I had no idea… I thought Violet was too in love with the moon to-"
"Aye, that she is. But she's still a youngin', and even if she's not really courtin', sometimes a lass needs to put out the fires, if ye know what I'm sayin'." Lena's freckled face flushed and she raised her hands to cover her cheeks, looking slightly mortified.
"Gran, don't talk about things like that!"
"What? It's nothin' t'be ashamed of, child! Why, back when I was her age, I had every laddy in Dublin chasin' my tail. You'd think they were a pack o' hungry dogs and I was runnin' around in a haggis sundress!" Sans was completely lost (what the hell was haggis?) but he just kept smiling, casually sliding his hand down until his arm was resting around Lena's shoulder. Grey eyes snapped over to the movement and he froze, smile becoming slightly strained. "…So, lad. Sans, ye said yer name was, aye?" He nodded. "I only have one question for ye, and I want ye ta answer me honestly."
"I promise to tell the tooth," he responded, reaching up to tap an index finger against the fronts of his teeth, and he could feel Lena cringe and roll her eyes. …Okay, even he had to admit, that one was pretty bad.
"Ye got a sense of humor. I can appreciate that in a man. A good man is a man who can make ye laugh. My husband made me laugh, even on the day he died. He carried all of my troubles and never once made me feel like I was incapable of being happy, even when times were hard. Movin' ta America was prolly one of the worst times of my life, but I boarded with a smile and him by my side." She gained a wistful, distant look to her eyes as she spoke, but shook it off, closing her eyes for a moment as if to recollect herself. When she opened them again, there was a strange sense of something in her eyes, something that made him think of light blue. "Tell me, Sans. What are yer intentions with my lil Lena-bug here?"
Sweat began to collect itself on the side of his skull and his smile turned strained.
How was he going to tell this woman that he'd technically already married her granddaughter?
From the corner of his eye socket he could see Lena watching him, a nervous yet curious expression on her face, and he could feel from her very soul how curious she was to know his answer. With a sigh he moved his arm from around her, lowering his hand to grasp at one of hers resting on her lap and twining their fingers together.
"I dunno how you humans do things up here, aside from what I've seen in movies, but Lena and I have been…'courting' for a few months now. For monsters, we know right away who it is we wanna be with from lookin' at our Souls. And Lena…" He trailed off slightly, a faint blue flush rising to his cheekbones as he gave her hand a small squeeze. "…Lena's Soul is the only one I want." There was a burst of warmth from between their still very new and recent link, and the smile on her face was well worth the small embarrassment of being so forward.
"I see… So what yer sayin' is that ye want to be bound to her and only her?" The terminology, 'bound', made him flinch slightly in surprise, another wave of azure flooding his face as he chuckled. "…Well?"
"Heh, sorry, I'm feeling a little tongue tied." The elderly woman chuckled gleefully and reached out to rest her hands on both of their heads, ruffling Lena's mussed red hair and smoothing her hand across the top of Sans' skull.
"Yer quite alright, child. …Though I do wish ye had told me before ye went and got hitched!"
"Wh-what? Gran, we're not married!"
'Oh boy…' Sans tapped the tips of his phalanges against his kneecap, eyelights flickering out as he tried to think of how to better explain this. In all accounts, she wasn't wrong. By monster standards, they technically were married…but Lena didn't know that. 'Oh god, what if she wanted to have a ceremony? What if she's upset because I didn't propose to her, and she didn't get to wear a fancy wedding dress, and-' A hand squeezing his own pulled his attention from his thoughts, and he glanced over to see Lena looking at him worriedly.
'Right…right. That can…wait. Until later.' He drew in a silent, cleansing breath and released a slow sigh.
"Well if ye two are bound ta each other, then ye might as well be!"
"B-but we haven't even been dating for that long…"
"Yer grandfather and I knew each other for less than a month before we were hitched. Time matters very little. …Ye never know when yers will be up, my dear." A sudden heaviness settled across the room like a thick coat of dust, the silence more pronounced between them. In the joys of forming their bond, it almost felt like all of the negative, hurtful things had faded into the distance…but, she was right. Sans needed to remember that they were in a time of crisis, and that danger could be around any corner. "Yer friend told me about what had happened." Lena's hands fidgeted for a moment, and she withdrew hers from his grasp so she could pick at the material of her pants.
"Yeah, she told me that she did…" He glanced up to his mate with concern, seeing the way her smile had begun to fade. The old woman's eyes narrowed slightly and Lena flinched, her facade falling as easily as though it had been wiped clean from her face. "I'm alright now. Sans came and saved me." He felt eyes on him then, and he met the other human's gaze, eye lights bright and wide as she seemed to be looking, not at him, but through him. Her grey eyes settled just over his sternum, and his soul squirmed slightly at the uncomfortable feeling of being spied upon. "Gran… I promise, I'm going to be okay. Sans is with me, and we'll-"
"Sans." Something about her voice was strong, despite her physical weakness, and it commanded attention. Even the silence seemed to direct its eyes toward her, and he couldn't help but do the same. Her face was set in a determined expression, the lines of her face more pronounced. "Through all the years I've known my Lena-bug, she's never gotten in any sort o' trouble. And now, suddenly, she's near losin' her damn life? Somethin' 'bout all that just doesn't go o'er well with me…" Sans curled his fingers tightly into fists, the faint grinding of bone on bone filling the empty spaces between spoken words and heavy thoughts. "…Ye aren't a human, and I know that there's many who'd rather ye all go back under that damned mountain where ye came from."
"Gran, I-"
"Hush, child. …Now, I'm not one to fret o'er things like that. So long as my Lena-bug loves ye and ye keep her safe and happy, then that's all I need. And, from what I've seen, ye have done a marvelous job of that so far." A derisive snort escaped the skeleton before he could stop it, and the old woman's gaze softened knowingly. "Life will throw all sorts of hell at ye, child. Ye can't possibly predict every one of em… Her soul's fire is bright and well tended. You've done well." Lena leaned against his arm and Sans felt himself smiling, genuinely. He hadn't expected to need to hear any of those things, but he did. It validated some little part of his soul that had been uncertain, even though he'd thought he didn't need anyone's approval. "Oh, but if ye hurt my granddaughter…" Her eyes slipped closed and her smile spread wide, her tone cheerful, despite the thick accent running it through. "Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha."
"Gran!" Lena gasped, verdant eyes widened in shock, but the old woman simply laughed. "Oh goodness, I can't believe you…" Sans felt as if he was missing out on something very important but, since he didn't know what language she'd spoken in, was left without a clue. 'I'll ask Lena later.'
"Aye, child, I know. I'm glad ye'r well. But maybe call an old woman every now and again!" As if it was predicted, a knock at the door sounded, firm yet gentle, and Gran gave a heavy sigh. "Ahh, Damnú aír [shit]! I went and pissed away the time I had! …Ah well. Come in!" Sans didn't even get the chance to ask why she was inviting someone else into a home that wasn't hers, because the door was open, and he was only mildly surprised to find he recognized the face. Dark skin and even darker hair, with amber-colored eyes hidden behind a few errant curls that fell in front of her face. In her hands was clutched a familiar branded pizza box, the sweet scent of pineapple already permeating the air. "Vy, my love! I'm so glad ye found me!"
"Perhaps it would be best for you to not go taking off? I could get arrested for neglect, you know," the dark-skinned woman scolded, though her tone were as gentle as if she were soothing a small child, relaxation and peace exuded from her body language. "Anyway, I ran into a young woman who wanted to know where your granddaughter lived. She entrusted this to me for you." She set the box on the coffee table and the lid immediately lifted, wrapped in a light coat of blue magic.
"Heh, thanks. It was real slice of you to bring it to us like that," Sans said jokingly, curling his fingers as one of the pizza slices rose out of the box and floated just in front of his face.
"Oh, it was no trouble. I figured that I would find Lady Maria if I delivered this, so I should really be thanking you."
"Vy, my dear, why don't ye have a seat? We were just about to discuss what happened as of late. Perhaps ye could fill in a few blanks for us, hm?" The elder woman patted the space on the couch beside her, giving a broad smile to Violet who simply sighed and gave a small smile.
"I suppose I don't have much choice now, do I, Lady Maria?"
"Ahaha, now yer learnin', dear!" She joined the others on the sofa, her posture relaxed yet straight as she glanced around the apartment. Confused, Lena reached up to tug her hair over her shoulder, combing her fingers through it with a small frown.
"I'm…sorry, not to sound rude, but what would Violet know about what happened?" she asked, reaching to absentmindedly snag a few pieces of pineapple off of the piece of pizza Sans was trying to eat.
"I was there, actually. I know, queer coincidences seem to be commonplace today. I actually saw your lover's brother wandering about…Papyrus, I believe his name was. At least, I assume he was your brother. You two are the only skeletons I've seen walking around, but I apologize if that was racist of me." Sans actually snorted back a laugh at that, his grin spreading wider. From the corner of his eye he saw Lena trying to pick another piece of fruit off of their pizza and casually moved it just out of her reach, unable to ignore how her cheeks puffed out in annoyance.
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. That's my bro." The dark-haired woman nodded, watching the little display between the monster and human couple with a faint smile on her lips.
"Very well then. But yes, I was there. They had taken me captive as well, though I was not treated near as badly as some of the others… The worst they did was move me to a place with no view of the outside." At this her expression seemed to darken slightly, golden-brown eyes bearing a slight shadow as she glanced toward the glass sliding doors leading out to the balcony. The sun was still on its rise above, just barely breaking noon, and Sans could feel without really words that she was missing something. That was the same look Grillby got whenever Sans would ask about the stars. (He understood now that he'd actually seen them for himself why they were something to be missed.)
"Oh, Vy, I'm so sorry…" Lena moved to wipe her hand on her pants before reaching out and resting a hand on Violet's clasped ones, brows furrowed in a look of concern. The darker-skinned woman shook her head as if to brush it off, though, giving a small chuckle.
"It's alright. Even though I couldn't see Her, I knew that She was looking out for me. So it's no problem."
"She?" Sans asked, brow bone quirked slightly, and Violet's face flushed a faint burgundy as her smile widened. "I, uh, take it you're talkin' about your significant other?" Lena and her grandmother both laughed, and it only served to further him in his confusion. "What?" Lena took the chance to reach out and snag one of the pieces of pizza from the box, holding it on the flat of her palm in one hand while she used the other to pick off pineapple and pop it into her mouth.
"Anywho, she was there. Did ya hear anythin' of interest while ye were there?" Maria questioned, and Violet closed her eyes and touched the side of her curled index finger to her bottom lip in a way that made it look as if she were thinking deeply.
"Mmm… There was a lot that I heard. Conversation between people. There was…something…there. A darkness. It tried to touch me, but my protection spell kept me safe." Sans, who had just been mid-bite started coughing, gulping past the bite in his mouth and dropping the pizza slice onto the carpet, the lights in his eye sockets narrowed and sharp.
"Protection spell…?" He glanced over to Lena who gave a small shrug of her shoulders.
"Yes, protection spell. 'White Light Protection' to be more exact. The moon's light shines down upon me and She protects me from harm," Violet's smooth voice grew a bit softer, lips curving up into the slightest hints of a smile. She looked up to gauge Sans' reaction and, judging from the confusion he bore across his skull, he didn't believe her. She chuckled softly and gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "Magic comes in many forms. Not all of us have manifestations that are so simple."
"Violet is a practicing Wiccan," Lena offered helpfully, though the skeletal monster still had no idea what they were talking about. "Did you hear anything about why you were there?" The darker-skinned woman frowned in thought for a moment, giving a small nod.
"Yes. I'll tell you everything to the best of my ability."
Laying with his spine and ribs pressing into the plush pillow-top of Lena's- well, maybe it'd be more accurate to say their mattress, Sans stared unblinking at the ceiling. There were the faintest little bits of dust sticking between the textured ridges and bumps that covered its naturally flat surface, and he felt his faded-out eye-lights flicker between each one, as if the answers he sought would be spelled there. They weren't, though, and the dust only served to make him feel uncomfortable. Dust was a naturally occurring thing, especially Aboveground. It wasn't…it didn't mean the same thing it did to monsters.
Still, it was difficult to separate the two things in his mind. His sockets shut against the mental images bombarding him, the passing thought that maybe, just maybe, the dust that accumulated was left over from the war. That, when Papyrus cleaned house, it was the remains of fallen comrades long forgotten that they were breathing in. The thought made him sick to his non-existent stomach.
"Sans?" The soft voice he loved so dearly called to him from the other side of the bed, followed only seconds later by warm hands gently reaching out for his. She gave a small tug, and he wasted no time in turning over to look at her, sockets narrowing slightly as she held her arms out. He scooted closer and buried himself in her inviting warmth, nuzzling into her chest just above her breasts. His hands lowered to grasp at her stomach and hips, squeezing and squishing the flesh there, the tactile sensation bringing him some small comfort. He felt her arms slide around him easily, one of her hands raising to rest on the back of his skull. Her fingernails scraped gently against the smooth surface and he groaned softly, eye sockets slipping closed
It had been a day of a lot of information. First with him and Frisk coming clean with the resets, and Chara, and, hell, even Flowey. He'd expected that to be it, that there wouldn't be much more that would have to be said…but he was wrong. Between Violet and Lena both, Sans had gained a very clear picture of what was going on, and it was all sitting on his plate, waiting to be dealt with, and he couldn't even begin to think about how to take care of it all, much less how to actually start. He'd already had enough to worry about with Chara possessing people, but now…? Humans with magic capabilities? What good could possibly come from something like that? What if they wanted to seal them all back Underground again? What if-
A pair of soft, warm lips pressed to the furrows between his brow bones and he felt an ease in his soul, something gentle reaching in and soothing him.
He wasn't alone in this.
He didn't have to deal with all of this alone.
His phalanges dug into the soft flesh as he pulled himself even closer to her, breathing out a soft sigh through his nasal cavity. 'With or without the answers, we'll figure this shit out together…' They laid together in a comfortable silence, and he could feel the human whose arms he laid in beginning to drift off into sleep again. He was very nearly joining her when an odd thought popped into his skull.
"Say…what was it your Gran said before? I couldn't understand the language." The arms around him tensed slightly, but only for a second, and Lena gave a soft yawn before nuzzling against the top of his skull, pressing a short kiss to it.
"It's a wishing of ill-will… It roughly translates to 'breaking or crushing of your bones'."
Oh.
Well then.
'Haha, fuck.'
[[ And there we have it. The end of Act One of With and Without. There's still a lot of questions, I know, and not enough answers. Those answers will come in the next upcoming Act, so stay tuned to find out what the fuck is going on with all this mess! Thanks so much for reading. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think, find us on Tumblr, maybe commission me to support the writer, do your thing. Love you guys! ]]