Core Issues: Season Five

By Nicolle

Episode 8: Waking Up

(Bones is our narrator!)

My favorite test subject paced the lab in a dusty pink dress, while I worked on the teleportation machine, hoping that, once complete, it could bypass whatever was keeping us from stepping into the void. The prototype this machine was based on had pulled multiple people to the colony ship Delta without using the void. If we could get it to run properly, we'd be able to use it to get around. And being able to get around was a huge concern now.

My connection to the void had been completely cut off in the shut down and I wasn't sure why. That space within myself that was connected via the accident in the Core so long ago was closed. It felt like it had been neatly folded up and put away in a pocket somewhere, accidentally forgotten. It'd given Brandon, my brother, D, his brother, and myself a terrible headache for a while. But Star? She'd been unconscious for months. And no one had seen Crow.

Frisk stared at her tablet and the long list of attacks by Dragoon. A list that covered the last two days. Multiple timelines and layered attacks meant to draw Seraph agents on wild goose chases on their own timelines. He was responsible for three kidnappings and multiple stolen items. We had no idea where he was keeping the kidnapped.

This was getting out of hand and Red, Sunshine, White, and I could only work so fast, especially when separated so far from each other. Frisk Provost and her bare foot Sans had been going over the blueprints with us, but so far, we'd been unable to match up the machines and make a secure teleport between timelines. Dragoon was escalating. He knew we were trapped and was exploiting it.

I glanced behind at Frisk. "Any idea who's behind the shut down?"

She shivered at the sound of my voice. It still became just that touch more ethereal here in the Core. "Yes. I've already identified her."

I turned back to the machine. "I meant her kidnapper."

"Whoever kidnapped her has been smart enough to lay low. We'd have no idea if it wasn't for the consistent dreams about her. I asked Techno for a list of Sanses that have issues with void travel and it's a pretty long list. I can't narrow it down." Frisk stopped dead in her pacing. "No. I'm thinking about this the wrong way."

She tapped the tablet, dialing Techno.

"*hey, frisk. figure something out?"

"No. I thought of a different way to look. Compile a list of timelines that have more than one Frisk on them at current with descriptions of the timelines. Include all Seraph operations."

"*leaving no stone unturned, huh? I'll have that to you in an hour."

Frisk nodded. "Thank you." She tapped a button to hang up and sighed. "I hate this feeling. This helplessness." She came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my rib cage and resting her head against my back.

I put down my tools and turned in her arms, holding her close. Running one boney finger along the side of her face, I gently pushed her hair back behind one ear. She sighed and lifted her head as my hand slid into her hair, pulling her parted lips to my mouth. Frisk hummed happily, her tongue moving along mine.

There was a knock at the door and I stiffened, but not at the interruption. You know how you know someone by their knock? I stepped away from Frisk and opened the door to find Crow, looking like your standard Gaster, except even more thin and deflated; weak and tired.

Frisk gasped, rushing over to take his hand. "We haven't seen you since…" She shook her head. "Are you okay? How is Star? Is she awake?"

I gestured for Crow to come in and he sat on the couch, boney hands folded in his lap.

"Frisk is awake, but…" He frowned deeply. "When she understood what was happening to her, she attempted to shield me. Without her connection to the void, doing any sort of magic is more than she can handle. The disconnect has cut off parts of her being. Right now, she's functional, but I fear she will attempt to fill herself with anything and everything to make up for the loss of the void."

"And you?" I asked.

He smiled ruefully. "I've been worse." He looked between us. "Why have all the Charas at Epsilon gathered around her? "

C burst to life on Frisk's shoulder. "We were told to be there. That Star needed us. Don't ask how. None of us are clear on that."

Frisk sighed. "When void travel shut down, most of the Charas in the multiverse were trying to contact her."

C frowned, arms crossed over his chest. "And that includes some serious asshole versions of me."

Frisk raised an eyebrow. "Any notable exceptions?"

C thought about it. "Yeah. Nothing from E.C."

"That's concerning." Frisk sighed. "Have the Charas on premises finished arguing over who gets to fill in for Star's partner?"

C snorted. "No. They're still at it, but it's down to Tarsus and Steam's kiddo. Now that Star's up, I'm sure that her partner will have an opinion. Speaking of which, I promised I would call him and her fiance as soon as she was awake." He disappeared in a red flash.

Frisk turned to me. "You've been at this for hours. Take a break. You can use it to fill Crow in on what's been happening."

I nodded. "That's a very good idea."

Crow bowed slightly to Frisk and I, one hand over his chest. "I will see you at Epsilon then." He disappeared.

I put an arm around Frisk's waist. "At least we can still take short cuts, huh?"

She smiled and leaned into me for the teleport back home. I put us down in her office and she gave me a quick kiss before heading into the hallway, walking past a list of room assignments for everyone who was stuck at Epsilon for the time being.

The Brothers Tarsus had the apartment next to Star's. Steam's kiddo and his second, Stephen, had the apartment after that. Our surfing, swapfell Sans had suite number one. Chara Lyall, Frisk Lyall's youngest brother, and Undyne Cichlid shared suite number two. Frisk and Chara Luna were in suite twelve and soon to be waking up with autumn evenings coming earlier and earlier. Prince Chara and Prince Asriel were in suite fourteen, Frisk Boneweaver having bunked in Star's guest room. Straight Man Sans and Damali were in suite seventeen. Even though we had room for more, this was a pretty full house for us.

I followed Frisk into the lab. Frisk Lyall had left his bed in the first med bay, and was walking carefully to the second bay, where Star had been deep in a coma. As per the Goat King's wishes, only two people at a time were allowed to be with her, Princess and Dead Sass being the only exceptions to the rule, so everyone else had been taking turns, switching out so that Sans or Mrs. Ossein could be with her. Now that she was awake, the room was stuffed full, specifically of Charas. Even Mrs. Ossein's eyes were glowing the blood red of possession.

Star was propped up in the bed, a phone to her ear, listening intently while watching Steam's kiddo face off with Tarsus next to the bed, everyone else standing back.

Steam Chara eyed them all with a kind of authority I'd only seen him develop over the last year of his life. He'd finally become comfortable as an heir to empire and all that entailed. "We can go on debating this forever. I'm the one here without my Frisk and I've known Star longer than all of you. I'm standing in for Fell."

Tarsus snorted. "You are, by far, the second youngest Chara here."

Steam cocked his head to the side. "Only because time on my world moves much more slowly than others. And I saw the way you looked at Miss Tamanna this morning. You're already gunning to be two Frisks deep."

"Oh, is that the way we're putting it?" Prince Chara chuckled. He lifted his head a bit to look down his nose in that arrogant way that every single one of them did. "A bit lewd considering your Frisk is a sibling."

Tarsus rolled his eyes. "Can the cheek, Brass."

Star squeaked as she tried not to laugh.

Stephen turned to the side, covering his mouth as he chuckled. "Brass? Oh God. That works on so many levels."

Oh yes it did.

Brass sighed, shrugging as he adjusted the goggles on his head. "Fine. I'll take it. I'm still filling in for Fell."

"He has a very good point." Frisk Boneweaver gestured to Brass. "His Frisk isn't here. And the rest of you are at Epsilon for reasons that can keep you from being at Star's disposal."

Smiling, Star changed her phone to speaker and held it out for all to hear.

Fell Chara's voice flowed easily from the speaker. "As amusing as it was, the discussion is over. Brass is standing in for me and the only person who gets to say otherwise is Star."

Brass started herding his doubles out of the room. "Go on. I've got this covered."

Star gave him a wry smile. "Are you sure? I'm a handful." She caught sight of Frisk as we moved around everyone leaving the room, and her smile fell. She looked away and out the window. Brass caught the look and frowned.

Frisk sat on the edge of the bed, taking Star's hand in hers. "How are you feeling?"

Star shrugged and looked at her lap. "I don't know. I guess I'm off missions for a while, huh?"

"Everyone is off missions unless it's on their own timeline. No one can get anywhere."

Star sighed and pushed the covers off of herself. "I need to get up and change over the room before the Boss Man yells at me for napping in a med bay."

Frisk and Mrs. Ossein both reached out, pushing Star back to the bed. "No! You've been unconscious for eight months!"

"What?" Star looked at both of them before her eyes went to Brass.

He nodded. "You let out a banshee wail that shattered all of the glass in the lab and gave most of us temporary hearing issues."

Star blinked a few times before covering her face with her hands. "I'm behind eight months?! What about my research? The therapy schedules? Who fed Umbra?"

Mrs. Ossein, eyes brown again, ran a hand over her daughter's head. "It's all right. There are plenty of people on hand to fill in."

Frisk frowned. "Larry has your research in order, Alphys handled the therapy schedules, and Frisk Boneweaver has been taking care of Umbra."

She looked over at me. "Were you out?"

I shook my skull. "I had three days of the most intense migraine in existence."

"Great. Then all I did was make a huge mess of things and wasn't kind enough to be awake for the clean up."

Brass leaned over and flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" She rubbed at the spot and glared at him.

He raised an eyebrow, unphased by the look. "They are connected to the void. You are literally made from it. As far as anyone here is concerned, you're lucky to be alive, let alone awake and able to complain." He gave her a small smile. "As soon as Az says you're okay to be up and about, I'll get you back to normal."

Star frowned at that. "How soon until I can go back to work?"

Frisk raised an eyebrow. "As soon as Asriel clears you, I want you to see me for assignment change."

Star sighed deeply and nodded, eyes on her lap. I wasn't sure how, but she looked a hundred times more deflated now than she had when she was trying to hide the change in Crow's true nature.

Mrs. Ossein reached over, touching Star's shoulder. "Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

Star shook her head, long black hair swinging softly around her face. "No. I shouldn't eat until Asriel says I can."

Frisk looked to me, and for the first in a long time, she looked lost. Star was deeply upset and Frisk didn't have an answer for it.

Star's phone rang and a smile tugged at her lips. "Hey, Love," she answered.

01's voice came through loud and clear. "Oh thank God!"

Sighing, Frisk nodded for Brass and Stephen to follow us out of the room. "Let's give Star some time with her mother and fiance."

Brass frowned but ultimately shrugged and followed us out, Stephen on his heels.

Frisk smiled. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you haven't run into her already. She's a swap Chara from a steampunk world. I also wanted to talk to you about the Planar Pearl. The last time I visited, Dr. Gaster mentioned that he'd built a second one named Phantasm. If we can get both launched into the void, they'd be instrumental in getting agents around."

Brass smiled, eyeing her in a knowing way. "So you just want my skills as a pilot." He sniffed, pretending to be sad. "It's all I'm good for!"

Frisk reached over and poked him in the side, garnering a chuckle before he slid an arm around her waist.

"You're plotting."

Frisk's smile widened. "Am I?"

"I've seen that look on your face enough to know. You're up to something and it has nothing to do with travel being shut down." Brass stopped and turned to her. "You've been up to something since you announced that you were having Marigold. And Star acts like it's normal, but even she thinks it's weird that you've been taking her off missions and having her do 'housekeeping' duties with non-agents."

Frisk shrugged. "If I let her, she'll overwork herself."

"Just like you, right?" Chara snorted. "She's long past the point of being overworked. You know how to take a day off. Star doesn't. It's one of the things that has her partner so worried about her." He turned to walk down the hall.

Stephen looked at me, confused, and gesturing vaguely toward his prince.

I shrugged. "He's not as good as his brother, but he does pick up on things."

Stephen frowned. "What's going on?"

Frisk looked after Chara, smiling. "I want him to figure it out." She put a hand on Stephen's shoulder. "He's right. I am up to something and, I promise you, when he figures it out, he'll be very happy about it."

Stephen frowned deeply, before sighing and following Chara.

I put an arm around Frisk, walking her out of the lab. "Stephen's really protective of his prince. He's going to pester you about it."

"I know."

I gave her a smile. "Are you going to let me in on it?"

She chuckled softly. "What's the one thing I constantly ask Sans Boneweaver and Steam? And they constantly say no too?"

I stopped dead. "You're looking to recruit the kids."

Frisk looked up at him. "Star is going to need them." Her hand ran down my arm, before her fingers entwined with mine.

I scoffed. "You are nowhere near retirement."

"That's true." She smiled at me brightly. "And based on typical life expectancy for my world, I will still be here for a very long time." The smile softened. "But Star will be here longer. Much, much longer. I'd rather prepare her now. Give her a team that doesn't see her as the little girl Error led us too so long ago."

I sighed. It was difficult to see Star as the grown woman she obviously was. I still looked at Sophia and Brandon, and tried to remember when they'd gotten so big. Lots of older Seraph agents teased Star and treated her as a junior, a rookie; long after she'd surpassed them in rank and skill. When you remembered the little girl who was always ready to smile or scrap in an instant, it was hard to separate that from the woman who'd seen more than her fair share of blood.

That she knew what so many of her loved ones looked like on the inside.

No. It was simply easier to think of her as a child.

Frisk sighed. "And right now, being cut off from the void, her partner, and her fiance, she's going to need that team a whole lot sooner."

We stepped into the hall to find Brass and Stephen waiting for us.

Brass put his hands on his hips. "So who is this Chara that's like me, that you are very obviously distracting me with?"

Frisk raised an eyebrow. "Charlotte Featherstone."

His jaw dropped. "Charlotte Featherstone? THE Charlotte Featherstone?"

Frisk nodded, smiling.

A look of pure horror caught his face. "Why is she here?"

"She is recovering from a run in with her arch nemesis, the villainous Madam Glass."

He grabbed Frisk's right hand with both of his. "Introduce me to Miss Featherstone."

Stephen raised an eyebrow at his prince. "What's gotten into you? You've never been interested in any woman who wasn't Az." He paused. "No. Wait. You did floor the idiot who insulted Miss Elizabeth. And the idiot who put his hands on Dame Cooper."

Chara turned to him. "Remember when Frisk and I were pouring over a set of papers on perpetual aether engines and debating the hypotheses behind them? Charlotte Featherstone wrote those papers. Sans picked them up from another timeline similar to ours."

"Oh. So Miss Featherstone is a female version of you?"

He thought about that for a moment. "No. The subtext of the paper wasn't sarcastic enough. And Frisk already said she was a swap version of me." Brass smiled widely, eyes as happy as they were earnest. "Introduce me. Please."

Frisk chuckled. "Come along."

We got to the library door and Frisk led them around to the left, and over to the round table Charlotte typically took over. Instead of a pile of crochet pattern books, Miss Featherstone was buried deep in a manual of some sort. A notebook sat next to her, filled with her very lovely handwriting. Rather than her usual work attire, she wore a pale orange and gold lace dress with embroidered chrysanthemums in fall colors. Guess she felt like dressing up today.

Frisk tapped her shoulder. "Charlotte? I have a visitor for you."

She lifted her head and looked up at Frisk. "Oh? How? Void travel is locked down and I'm pretty sure I've met everyone on the campus."

Frisk motioned to Brass. "This is His Imperial Highness, Chara Dreemurr, and Lord Stephen Keenan Plant. Stephen, Chara, this is Miss Charlotte Featherstone."

Charlotte gave Brass a warm smile. "You'll have to excuse me for not standing…" Her smile fell, a look of slow dawning excitement on her face. "Wait. Are you the Chara who perfected the cyclone chamber?"

"Yes!" He immediately took the chair next to her. "I've read every one of your papers on aetheric engines. They're absolutely brilliant! How did you bypass the need for balloons or sails on the Dalion?"

She leaned toward Chara, suddenly exuberant. "I routed the perpetual motion of the aether coils so the excess heat exhausted from the bottom of the ship at key points, creating lift and thrust. How did you do it with the aether device?"

Brass held up both hands, gesturing to demonstrate. "Aether engines on my timeline aren't built to be as large as they are on your timeline and they certainly don't perpetuate continuous energy cycling. They are small and suck in aether from the surrounding air, pushing it through the engine. The device attaches to the pre-existing aether engine and traps the aether as it's exhausted, cycling it to specific exhaust ports to give lift as well as direction and speed."

"And the cyclone chamber? I've been attempting to replicate your work and so far I've only managed several explosions."

He held out his hands for pencil and paper. Charlotte handed him the materials and moved her books and notes aside to give him room while he started sketching and explaining. Stephen sighed, hands on his hips, even as he smiled.

Frisk smiled, until some thought caught her. "Where is Miss Tamanna?"

Charlotte looked up with a smile. "At her painting lesson with Cross. We'll meet for dinner."

Brass sighed. "And here I was hoping to keep you on for a while."

Charlotte reached over. "I insist you and Stephen come to dinner with us." She smiled, a little sadly. "Frisk needs to spend more time with more people. And you can meet Frisk Boneweaver, her fiance, Prince Chara, and his brother Prince Asriel. They've been supping with us too."

Brass hummed thoughtfully. "Boneweaver? I met her and her Chara a few nights ago when I was telling the little ones ghost stories. I didn't get a chance to ask her. How did she ever manage to leave her timeline? Her Sans is very protective."

Charlotte shrugged. "Her version of Undyne ordered it as Captain of the Guard when Asriel was attacked by Dragoon. It has ulterior motive written all over it."

She looked up at Frisk. "A lot of things have ulterior motive written all over it."

Brass followed her look and smiled. "See? Not the only one to notice." He gave Charlotte a devious smile. "So how good are you at deduction?"

Charlotte turned back to him. "From what I've heard about your brother, nowhere near as good as he is. But, my brother, Papyrus? I'm pretty sure his middle name is 'ulterior motive.' Learning to decode him is its own life skill."

Brass waved at Frisk. "Hey, C? Let me know when Star needs me."

Charlotte turned. "She's awake?!"

He nodded. "She's on the phone with her fiance right now. If Asriel lets her out in time for dinner, I'll drag her to the cafeteria to eat with everyone."

Stephen sighed. "It's almost dinner time now."

I put an arm around my wife and walked her out of the library and into the hall. The door to the Ossein apartment opened and Sans came out with Marigold in his arms.

He spotted Frisk and smiled. "*perfect timing! marigold is ready for dinner."

Frisk took our youngest in her arms. "Me too. Thank you for looking after her for a little bit."

"*always." He frowned. "*i'll be down in the lab if you need me." Sans leaned over and nuzzled Marigold on the cheek.

Bones patted his shoulder. "Star will be all right."

Sans sighed. "*i hope so. kiddo takes on too much as it is. it's not everyday my sister in law feels the need to steal my wife's body. any idea why?"

C burst to life on Frisk's shoulder. "Just about every Chara heard a call to go to Star and we all responded to it. Even me." He shook his head. "I don't know why."

Sans thought about that, the red, pinprick eyes sliding to one side before coming back to rest on us. "*you ever get the feeling that my little girl might be more than just a copy of some other frisk?"

I huffed, "You mean other than every time I look at her?"

Frisk nodded. "I've met the Frisk she's copied from and besides sharing a set of specific memories from the ages of three to eight, they are nothing alike. We've got a couple Frisks who can do void manipulation like her, but none of them are of the void itself."

C looked between us. "Wouldn't that make her an original variation and not just another Exemplar Frisk?"

Frisk looked at him. "I think that's the case. Remember what she said when the other half of Crow was triggering the no mercy dreams? She said she was facing Error in a hall of stained glass. On an off chance, I showed her a photo of a very specific one, and she confirmed it."

I looked at her. "The Hall of Judgement in the Anti-Void."

Frisk nodded.

Sans frowned. "*and that asshole blue just keeps saying that error isn't her sans."

A thought occurred to me. "I don't think he is. Error isn't the only Sans from the Anti-Void." I held up both hands. "The Anti-Void isn't a singular place. It's made up of multiple, unfinished timelines that have fused together. Error was born out of that fusion, hence his ability to exist within it without issue. But Inky is from one of the fused pieces, which is why he can run around in there. There are other Sanses in there, as well as Papyruses, Charas, Toriels, Asgores, etc."

"*but there isn't a frisk. even core frisk is originally from a complete timeline that was destroyed unintentionally."

I pointed at Sans. "Bingo. Star may literally be the Frisk of the Anti-Void."

"It explains why she can easily step into a missing Frisk's place. Others treat her like she's their Frisk if their's isn't present. Seriously, I once tried to layer Star's vision like I do for Frisk during a mission." C shivered for a moment. "Asriel says Star is clear to leave the lab."

He paused looking at something that wasn't there. "Are you sure, Az? We all know something's wrong. Crow's got her stable? Okay." C looked at Frisk. "I'll let Brass know Star is cleared."

Frisk took my hand. "Let's have dinner in the cafeteria tonight."

Sans eyed her. "*are you spying on my little girl?"

Frisk looked offended. "Of course I am!" She shook her head. "Star's been stuck on something for a while now. Some thought is bugging her. Since grad school, she's spent a lot of time sitting with me in the quiet way that she does and she's obviously lost. But she avoids giving voice to the thoughts in her head. And no one can help her if she won't talk."

The door to the library opened and Charlotte came out on Brass' arm, her cane in the other hand. "You head on down to the Lab. I'll take the door down the hall into the cafeteria."

Brass lifted her hand, kissing her knuckles. "I'll see you then." He looked at Stephen. "Would you mind seeing Miss Featherstone to the cafeteria?"

Stephen stepped in, offering his arm. "Not at all." He gave her a smile as she took his arm. "I'm interested in hearing about your version of him."

I leaned down, giving Frisk a quick nuzzle. "I'll get the rugrats."

She nodded, giving me a quick peck on the mandible. Heading across the hall to Cross' apartment, I knocked.

"COME IN!"

I opened the door to find Papyrus and Michelle setting the table. Sophia and Brandon sat with Cross in the living room, the kids working on something while Cross supervised. D snoozed away in the chair near the window.

"Your mother and I are eating in the cafeteria tonight."

Papyrus sniffed, faking a huff. "OVER MY COOKING?"

I raised a brow bone at him. "I am not getting between you and Chiko over that one. Star's awake and cleared to leave the lab. Brass is dragging her over to eat with everyone."

"BRASS?"

D opened one eye socket, watching his brother lazily. "*Steam's Chara. Obviously."

"OBVIOUS, HOW?"

Cross snorted. "Oh that works on so many levels."

"*He's here without his Frisk and Star's lacking her Chara. They'll do fine filling in for each other."

Sophia looked up. "This is as finished as it's going to be."

"Yeah…" Brandon frowned. "But it's for Star so it should have way more glitter on it."

So-So put her hands on her hips. "And we don't have a literal ton of the stuff so this will do." She looked up at me with a big smile. "Help us put it in Star's kitchen? On the table?"

"Sure." I snapped my fingers and the huge, 'get well soon' poster disappeared from the coffee table.

The kids cleaned up while Cross came over to me. "How is she?"

D opened both eye sockets. Papyrus paused in the middle of putting a plate down.

"Crow said the shutdown really hurt her, but wasn't specific about how. Frisk says something else is up as well, but you know how tight lipped Star can be. I'll be talking to Crow later, filling him in on what's happening. Star will want to know too."

D sat up. "*And the dimensional travel machine?"

"Still not working yet. We've got them running, but nothing is syncing up. Going through a portal isn't landing you where you're supposed to be. It is a step in the right direction though."

Cross frowned. "Has Church mentioned what she's going to do with Star when travel is back online?"

I shook my skull.

"UNTIL WE KNOW HOW STAR IS DOING, IT IS BEST IF SHE RESTS."

Cross looked over his shoulder. "No. Star's been on housekeeping and it doesn't help that Church isn't telling her why."

"AND YOU KNOW."

Cross snorted. "It's me."

Michelle shook her head, giving him a chiding smile of mock disapproval. "So pompous."

His shoulders dropped. "I meant that in a 'we're the same variation of Frisk' way." He gestured to the air. "I could call Frisk Provost right now, give her the rundown of events, and she'd say the same thing."

D nodded. "*Probably. Still leaves us in the dark."

Cross blinked. "Really? Huh. Guess I am assuming too much." He turned to Sophia and Brandon. "Head on out. You don't need to be part of the conversation."

Sophia's jaw dropped. "Oh come on!"

Cross pointed to the door while I motioned for the kids to follow me. After giving up a groan, they followed me out the door and down the hall to the cafeteria. The crowd of youngins Frisk was set on recruiting had pushed several tables together, near the fireplace, eating with Star. Frisk had set up at a table nearby, positioned so that she could hear the conversation while nursing Marigold.

As the kids and I headed down the stairs from the mezzanine, Chara Luna walked in the glass doors, hands in the pockets of his green hoodie. With the hoodie and the overly relaxed attitude, you could have easily taken him for a Shift Chara like Tarsus. His morning training regime said otherwise. It was the same kind of intense that Prince Chara put himself through and they'd taken to training together, pushing each other's limits. The kids ran past Luna for the food and he shifted easily so they wouldn't bump into him, not looking the least bit perturbed.

Charlotte waved to him. "Hello, Mr. Luna!"

He paused and gave her a slight bow. "Hello, Miss Charlotte."

"How is Frisk?"

He shrugged. "Still pregnant and she's craving cheese tonight. I've got orders to bring her as much as I can carry." He looked to Star. "It's good to see you up. You had us all worried. How do you feel?"

Star shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Hungry."

So-So and Brandon came out of the buffet area carrying trays of food that appeared to be healthy, meaning that Chiko must have supervised them. Princess waved them over to sit at the conglomeration of tables around Star. Everyone was talking, filling Star in on what had happened since the shutdown, which, for them, consisted of goings on at Epsilon since no one at the table was an agent and privy to Dragoon's ability to get around it.

After getting dinner for Frisk and I, I took the chair next to her for dinner. Star smiled the whole time, listening while pushing the food on her plate around, pretending to eat. There was no way that she wasn't hungry, but she wasn't eating either. She said very little, mostly asking a question or two to keep everyone else talking, a tightness building around her eyes.

After dinner, Frisk stood to head back to the apartment and Star excused herself from the table to follow us. The others at the table moved to follow when Brass waved for them to remain seated. He stood, walking along behind Star.

Star waited until we were in the hall outside the apartments to ask her question. "What's my assignment change?"

Umbra, who had waited patiently for her trainer at the door of her apartment, rushed Star, jumping into her arms. She held the Umbreon while following Frisk.

Frisk opened the door to our apartment. "With void travel out of the question, you're on your regular duties with Asriel and your regular training schedule, but I'm also handing over management of a few of our guests to you. Specifically, the Luna family, Brass and Stephen, the Princes, and Frisk Boneweaver."

Star nodded. "Is your office open?"

"Yes."

"I'll go grab the paperwork now."

Frisk turned and grabbed Star's arm. "In the morning. There's no need to rush." After toeing off her shoes, Frisk sat down on the couch and waited, watching Star.

Star put Umbra at her feet and sat next to Frisk before leaning over, resting her head on Frisk's lap. Frisk's right hand dropped from holding Marigold, who snoozed away in her sling, reaching down to gently pet Star's hair, fingers tangling in the long, black strands.

"It's not okay right now, Star. But I promise you, it will be."

Star sniffed, pulling up her feet so that she laid on the couch. She stared straight ahead. "Okay doesn't apply to me."

"Why not?"

"I'd be relieved that everything went on fine without me if it didn't leave me with the nagging thought that I wasn't really necessary to the equation to begin with."

Brass stiffened, and I rested a hand on his shoulder, putting a boney finger to my mouth for silence.

Frisk's hand paused for a moment before continuing to pet her head. "We'd all miss you if you weren't here."

"No, you wouldn't. If I didn't exist, nothing would be different. No one would notice a difference. Everyone's lives would have gone on just fine and would have been a damn shot easier for not having me around."

"Star-"

"Don't try. I know better. I'm not supposed to exist. I literally have to steal from other Frisks to have anything of my own. My fiance would not have been pacing around, worried about me when he should have been concentrating on the shutdown. Sunshine wouldn't be concerned about her partner worrying over some other Frisk. Mom and Dad would not have wasted-"

"FRISK!"

Star fell silent and turned her head, looking up at my wife.

My Sunflower sighed, eyes closing. "What did Frisk Provost say to you when you questioned your existence?"

"That the circumstances of my conception did not determine my worth."

Frisk's eyes opened, looking down at Star. "Add to that: 'There is no one in the multiverse who is unnecessary to its function.'"

Frisk pushed Star into a sitting position. "It is the reason Seraph exists. It is the reason we look to stop our enemies and not destroy them. Everyone is important. Just because others can step in and handle things for you doesn't mean that you aren't indispensable. And as much pride as you can take in your work, you should never let it define who you are." Frisk frowned. "Moving you off missions has meant a lot more stress for Epsilon. It takes multiple people to balance out your skill set."

Star sat up. "Then why do you keep taking me off missions? Did I do something wrong, because no one's yelled at me for anything."

Frisk shook her head. "I'm not taking you off missions to punish you. I'm taking you off missions because I need you to learn a new set of skills. I won't be here forever and I need someone who can take my place as Asriel's side."

Star leaned away. "I am, in no way, capable of doing your job. And you are nowhere near retirement."

Frisk smiled. "I didn't know what I was doing when I started. What you see now is the benefit of experience, which is something I can pass on. Teach to another. And you're the one I've chosen for that role."

Star shook her head, long hair swinging around her face. "If that's the case, why put me on housekeeping?"

I leaned over the couch, arms resting on the back. "Because the only time you aren't working is when you're skating. You need to build your team and the only way to put you in a position to build those relationships is if we schedule you to do it."

Star stared at her lap. "I'm not that bad…"

Brass reached over and tapped Star's temple with one finger. "Your friends beg you to visit and you tell us that it won't be happening unless it's a mission on their timeline. You don't take time off. That's not good for you."

Star looked at me for confirmation.

I shrugged. "You have half a year in saved up vacation. As of today, you've officially used only half of the sick days you've accumulated. You haven't even requested vacation time for your honeymoon yet."

Star frowned. "I figured that with work we'd be too busy…"

"Wow." Brass shook his head as he sighed. "I don't even have a response for that one."

Frisk jumped when her phone gave off a very special ringtone. She frowned. "Oh you know I just had a baby…" She picked up in the middle of the second ring. "Church here."

General Jonathan Cowen coughed lightly before his voice carried louder than Frisk intended, if her flinch was any indication. "We have another report of the Thule Society looking to move in on an artifact. I know you are on leave, so I'm not asking you to handle it personally. I'm asking you to assemble a team capable of handling it."

Frisk took a deep breath. Her eyebrow went up and she looked at Star. "Send the electronic file to C and the papers via the courier. I'll have a team for you. What's the compensation?"

"The same as every previous mission. Unless you have something you'd like to add."

Her eyes remained on Star. "I do. The team lead will be my protege. I want her to receive training to have my clearances in addition to pay."

Star mouthed, 'what?'

I nodded toward Frisk.

Cowen chuckled. "Looking to retire already?"

"Just playing the long game, General."

"Granted. I'm very interested in meeting the woman you've deemed worthy of taking your place at Asriel's side." He hung up.

"Oh, wow." Star looked between us. "Okay… So who's the team? Besides me."

Frisk leaned back. "It's your team. You tell me."