Toriel's expected dream that night was particularly odd. Odd and short. She was back in the Ruins again as usual, this time sitting beside Chara's grave and watering the golden flowers there. She could feel the sun on her fur from that single hole in the mountain roof that allowed it in. That single hole that each and every human child fell from. When full awareness set in, the Toriel inside watched in a decidedly detached manner, now quite used to how these things went. All she could do while it lasted was watch and try to understand what she was seeing.

At first, nothing about the memory seemed to jump out at her. She was just watering the flowers that grew on her child's grave, something that had been a part of her daily routine in the Ruins. It gave no clues as to what time this memory took place in, nor as to what reason it had to be returning to her now. Anxiety swirled through her as she waited for something terrible or otherwise distressing to happen. But for a while, all her dream self did was water flowers, all the while humming that ancient lullaby. Chara always did love that song…

Her thoughts drifted into those bittersweet memories for a few moments before something finally caught her, and her dream self's attention.

"Why do you do this?" A familiar voice asked, one that shot a cold feeling of unease through the Toriel observing.

Her dream self turned to spot Flowey looking up at her from amongst the other, notably faceless, golden flowers. His expression was dull and vaguely annoyed as he gestured at her and all the other flora with a leaf.

"It's pointless you know. Even if you water them, they will all still die someday. Some of them will probably die for no reason even if you do water them. It's stupid. Why bother? Why do you care?" His small mouth shifted into a sneer. "This won't bring your dead kid back."

The words hurt, but the pain wasn't as sharp as Toriel was expecting, and not just the one observing. It suggested that this instance of herself was also used to hearing such biting remarks on a regular basis. So there had been other timelines where she and Flowey interacted on at least neutral terms, going by the lack of fear her dream self felt while looking upon the flower monster at least. Toriel was honestly unsure how to feel about that.

"I know that Flowey." She said quietly after a few moments, turning back to water another flower. "I do this because it makes me happy to keep their resting place beautiful, full of the flowers they loved. It brings me comfort, and helps me still feel close to them."

Her paw ghosted forward to gently cradle one of the flowers and rub a soft golden petal between the pads of her fingers.

"They are from the surface, just like my child was. They have little chance of surviving down here in the darkness unless taken in and looked after."

Her eyes softened with a mixture of emotions, and she lightly smoothed out the petal before watering the dirt below it.

"Someone has to take care of these flowers." She said simply, before turning back to Flowey. "It is okay if you do not understand, things like this are... difficult to explain, my child."

Flowey's expression darkened at that, where it had been at least bored and neutral previously. The flower monster's beady eyes narrowed and his sharp teeth flashed in the sunlight from above.

"I told you not to call me that." He all but growled.

The dream Toriel winced slightly and looked down again, smile falling.

"Ah yes, my apologies. I did not… mean to imply anything. It is just an old habit of mine to call children that." She tried to explain, tapping her claws anxiously on the handle of the watering can.

"I know. It's pathetic." Flowey shot back, unwavering in his apparent disgust.

Silence stretched between the two after his icy remark, and while the dream Toriel contemplated how reasonably reprimand him for his behavior, the Toriel inside simply watched the flower monster intently. The anger and odium in his eyes continued to build, until his gaze seemed to sear a hole straight through to her soul. But beyond that, there seemed to be a touch of something akin to sadness there too. It all demanded both Toriel's attention to be firmly placed back on him. He didn't speak for a few moments, just continued glaring fiercely. But then he finally deflated somewhat, sinking down a bit among his fellow flowers.

"You really don't know who I am… do you?" He asked in a dark tone. "After all this time... you still can't figure it out..."

The words hung for a few moments, as both Toriels grappled with the confusion his words brought. The Toriel inside was less shocked to hear that from him though, especially after the night's events in the waking world. Her curiosity and frustration burned inside her as she hoped that perhaps this memory would finally reveal what huge secret about his apparent identity Flowey had been keeping. Her dream self simply worried her lip with her fangs and slowly shook her head.

"I… I am sorry Flowey, I do not know… any more than you have told me at least." She said, before attempting something of a smile and setting the watering can down. "Would you be willing to tell me?"

Flowey let out a bark of humorless laughter, carrying a hint of the insidious cackle that the flower monster was now well known for. Once it stopped, he regarded her with a dull expression, but one that still carried a spark of malice and disgust in his eyes.

"You don't deserve to know if you can't see it for yourself, idiot." He spat, the last word coming out especially venomous. "I should have known coming back here was a waste of time. You really never change, and you never will."

Toriel in the dream flinched slightly at the words, confusion rising anew. The Toriel observing though, she could understand what he was talking about, and it made her soul feel heavy inside her. He had said something similar to her before, albeit to the opposite effect. Now that conversation felt like it had been something of a sequel, even a conclusion to the one she was witnessing now. Still, witnessing this still brought a great pang of mixed emotions to her soul, and even more so for the Toriel in the dream.

"Forget this, have fun rotting away in here. I'm going to go have some fun." Flowey snapped after another painful period of silence from Toriel.

And with that, the flower monster turned away and pulled down into the soil, disappearing before she could even blink. Then Toriel was alone amongst the faceless golden flowers, draped in the Ruins' usual empty silence. She just stared at the spot Flowey had vanished from for a moment, then her trance was broken as pain and realization lanced through her. The Toriel inside sorrowfully watched as her dream self shakily touched the ground there.

"W-wait… wait please… do not… go…" She rasped weakly, paws trembling. "It is not s-safe for a child to…"

She trailed off back into silence and then began weeping softly, as memories and the crushing loneliness of her self imposed prison began bearing down on her once more. It became clearer to the Toriel observing then what had happened here. Even though Flowey had no doubt been a terrible companion, there had been a point in her despairing exile, where she would have happily taken that over nothing. Flowey had taken advantage of that in this timeline, and decided to play as nice as possible in order to toy with her for a while, perhaps to learn what the "crazy lady of the Ruins" was really like. He did say he had experienced everything the Underground had to offer after all, coupled with the memories she'd regained of him killing her so many times and his previous ability to reset the world at will, she could believe it.

But she couldn't get the hurt that had been in his voice out of her mind. He hadn't sounded amused or mildly curious about her words and actions, he'd seemed personally upset by them. Why? Why did he care at all? She didn't understand… But now at least, given what she'd overheard her children vow to do, perhaps she would soon. The dream was already ending, blessedly short and tame in comparison to the others. Still, her soul ached for this instance of herself, even as the sorrow she'd been sharing with her faded.

"You will not be alone forever…" She thought, as though she could hear her. "There is a brighter future for you and all of monsterkind. Keep an ear out for a knock on your door. Trust me on that. And especially be ready to greet a certain determined human child when they fall down. Things will be better someday… just you wait…"

Those thoughts made her feel a little better as wakefulness began to set in again. That was countered however by the expected splitting headache that came as she stirred awake. As usual, it left her curled up and weakly groaning in moments, claws digging into her forehead. By the stars, it somehow felt as though it hurt even worse than the others. She couldn't think or perceive anything for a few moments as images flashed through her mind in tandem with the spikes of pain. If these episodes didn't send her mind into such chaos every time, perhaps what she was seeing would register, would make her realize something. But as it was, they were just too drowned out by the roaring pain for them to have any real meaning. It could have just been her imagination, but she dared to think this headache lasted longer than the others. She felt every individual agonizing second tick by before the pain finally began to ease.

It was only then that she heard Sans' voice, speaking to her in that same gentle, comforting tone as before. Then she recognized the feeling of his arms around her head, lightly sweeping his phalanges through her fur. It was the sensation of his nearby soul that most helped her through the final waves of pain though. The cool magic seemed to wrap around her soul and will it into calmness again, and once it began to succeed, it started to return to a wonderful warmth. The familiarity of it all was like a anchor for her adrift mind, and it continued to soothe her as the headache finally receded.

"you… you okay now tori?" Sans asked quietly, concern and a touch of guilt to his tone.

Toriel finally pulled her paws away from her face, drawing in a few steadying breaths. Her vision was still fairly blurry and it took a few moments for her to focus again.

"Yes… Yes I am fine." She replied, a little breathlessly. "Thank you…"

In front of her, the sight of Sans laying just beside her became clearer and she saw him sigh in relief. But it was not a relief that banished the seriousness of the moment like they both managed to do during some of the previous nights. He must have noticed that this was one seemed worse than the other ones as well.

"damn... these headaches of yours… they really are getting bad huh?" He said, shifting himself up into a sitting position.

Toriel didn't respond immediately, blinking against the harsh light of morning and trying to take in her surroundings as she followed suit in sitting up. Judging by how bright it was, she must have slept through the rest of the night after her child had come into her room. That idea began to give her some relief until she realized the child in question was not present. She looked around, shifting the blankets up as if expecting to find Frisk under it somehow. Then she turned back to Sans, somewhat forgetting his observation in the process. Luckily for her he seemed to recognize that and had the answer to her unspoken question ready.

"frisk is fine t." He assured her with a small smile that tried to push through his lingering unease. "they woke up a little while ago. didn't even seem to remember having a nightmare at all. they're playing with papyrus and the pup gang out back. greater dog and lesser dog showed up after breakfast. the kiddo didn't wanna wake you up."

She blinked at that, realization setting in quickly. Her eyes were drawn to the window and she was shocked to see how high the sun was.

"Sans what… what time is it?" She asked, quelling the urge to reach over to her phone to see for herself.

Sans' grin turned a bit strained, signaling she was not going to like the answer.

"it's... a quarter to noon." He admitted.

A groan of frustration left her and she put her face in her paws. She'd done it again. She'd slept in absurdly late after another night of stress. At least when she had school to worry about she had an excuse to ensure she woke up at an ideal time, even if it did leave her utterly drained. Once again, she had missed out making breakfast, tidying up the house and all the other duties she imposed on herself as the more or less head of the household. For Sans to do this was one thing, but her? Some mother she was. What must her children and Papyrus think of her?

"hey, don't worry bout it tori." Sans tried again to reassure her, moving over and leaning against her with a stronger grin. "you were out like a light. you probably really needed the sleep. neither of us exactly have had the best track record with that lately, heh..."

His lighter tone withered with that forced chuckle, and she felt him deflate a bit as his guilt set in again.

"i... i don't think we can ignore what's been happening to you anymore." He said, laying his small hand on her paw and moving back to meet her gaze. "it's just getting worse…"

Toriel frowned and instinctively moved her other paw to her forehead, rubbing against likely mere phantom flickers of the pain that had been there previously. Hearing his worried tone hurt as well, especially after he'd been so happy last night. That happiness she'd tried so hard to help him maintain was already fading, but there was little she could do now to stop it. At least she had been able to do as she'd wished, and preserve that joy he'd felt for a short while longer. Remembrances of everything else that had happened the night before began rushing back to her then. Her children's conversation… The letter… She needed to tell him about it all… Before she could mention any of it though, Sans was continuing on with his original thought.

"we should really have you… checked out y'know?" He said, drawing her focus back to him. "alphys has stuff that should be able to see if there's something going on with your soul."

Toriel blinked at that, surprised by his suggestion. He was right of course, she really did need to do something about these episodes before they got any worse. And Alphys probably would be able to help in that regard, but his plan summoned up various concerns inside her. She decided to give voice to the most obvious one as she lowered her paw back to her lap.

"But… that would require sharing your secrets with her, would it not?" She asked, hesitantly. "I do not see how we would explain my situation otherwise…"

Sans smiled a bit wider in response and stretched out for a moment in a way that made his spine pop a few times.

"heh, not exactly." He said before he relaxed again. "i said she had the stuff, i didn't say she'd be the one using them."

It took her a moment to put together what he meant, but then understanding clicked and she shot him a curious look. Sans chuckled with a mix of emotions behind it, scratching idly where his collarbone met his undershirt.

"it's been a while since i really dabbled in all that. but its... worth a shot at least." He said, eyelights wavering slightly for a moment before focusing again. "my bro and the kiddo seemed pretty busy out there, so i don't think they'll notice us pop out for a bit. shouldn't take too long."

Toriel hummed in thought, not all that sure about the idea. Not because of doubts regarding his abilities, she was certain he knew what he was doing based on everything about his history she saw in the old lab. Mostly because going behind Alphys' back felt wrong… Not to mention she'd be leaving Frisk and Flowey without any warning again. But she had to concede there was no way she could tell them the truth about it either. It certainly didn't help with her earlier dire feelings concerning her negligence from before, but forced herself to simply ask another question if only to distract herself.

"Will Alphys not be… upset that we were using her things without her permission? And what if we were caught?" She asked, feeling and doing her best to control the guilt over all the lies and deception that flared up anew within her.

Sans again, seemed far calmer than she did about the proposition. His smile softened and he shot her a wink.

"al is an old friend. she'd understand." He said with a gentle confidence. "and don't worry, she keeps it all stashed in their storage shed. she uh… hasn't been all that eager to go in there much after everything that happened."

Toriel felt her soul pang at that for Alphys' sake. Though she knew that her firing of her for her actions was the right thing to do, something she and the former royal scientist both agreed on, it still brought guilt to her soul. Alphys was still no doubt stricken by her previous actions, something Undyne confirmed with her comments about her girlfriend's mental well being yesterday. Again, hope welled up in Toriel's mind, that hope that Alphys could and would find peace soon.

"I see…" She murmured tone more somber than she intended.

Sans looked up at her with concern, and it was a look that again drew her mind back to the things she needed terribly to share with him. She continued on speaking before she lost her nerve.

"Very well then…" She conceded to his plan. "But… there is much I do need to tell you, my dear."

He blinked at that, eyelights seemingly searching her eyes, and then drew closer. He settled facing her and laid a hand on one of her paws.

"about your dream?" He asked, quietly.

She gulped a bit, actually having forgotten that particular thing amongst the more pressing matters.

"Well yes, that too, but… It is more than just that." She clarified, her scarlet eyes betraying her anxiety. "Something happened last night… I did not want to share it with you when you were so very tired… and…" She gently took his hand and gave it a small, consoling squeeze. "i fear some of it may trouble you."

A clash of emotions was visible in his eyelights at that, making them appear briefly hazy. But his concern for her seem to win out over the others in the end, even if some nervous tension was now clearly detectable in his body.

"aw tori…" He said quietly, before he slowly stood in order to give her a hug.

She was a touched surprised by the act, but nonetheless reciprocated the embrace with a sad sort of smile as she settled her chin on his shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered as he began to stroke the fur on the back of her neck, finding it wonderfully soothing. It made that instinctual urge to purr rise up in her throat, but she willed it back, embarrassed by the compulsion even existing.

"i thought you seemed a little off last night. i'm sorry…" Sans apologized after a moment, giving her a small squeeze. "how bout we head over there and you can tell me about it while i get the stuff set up. okay? you don't gotta worry too much bout me, i'll be alright..."

Toriel was a bit taken aback by his tone. So gentle… so comforting. It almost sounded like he was trying to emulate how she often spoke to him during his low moments, whether he was aware of it or not. That made something of a warm, more legitimate smile appear on her face, despite it all.

"Alright then… that… sounds good, my dear." She murmured in reply, knowing that if she let him continue on the way he was much longer she'd surely fall right back asleep.

As if sensing that, he chuckled lightly before letting her go and sitting back again. She was about to say something about getting up and getting dressed before they go, but something occurred to Sans it seemed and he perked up again.

"oh wait… you haven't eaten yet. hold on a sec." He said, before promptly vanishing in a brief flash.

Toriel blinked at the spots of light his teleportation had left in her vision, and he was back mere moments later. This time though, she was prepared and shut her eyes preemptively before he appeared. When she reopened them, she saw him holding a cinnamon swirl muffin in his hand, no doubt snatched from the pantry.

"here, just to uh… tide you over at least, heh." He chuckled, handing it over to her.

She found herself momentarily struck by his thoughtfulness, simply staring down at the muffin in her paw and then back at him before she could form words again.

"Thank you Sans." She said simply, gaining a far stronger smile before taking a neat bite of the treat.

She chewed it and swallowed before speaking again, finding amusement and appreciation in how very attentive Sans seemed this morn- afternoon. He was watching carefully, and seemed to relax a bit when she acted pleased with his choice of improvised breakfast. She passed her tongue over her lips and fangs for show, ridding them of crumbs and furthering her approval as well.

"I… take it you slept well again?" She observed, with only a little hesitation. "You seem… well... rather perky. Well… at least in your case that is."

She ended the statement with a soft giggle, a sound he mirrored with a chuckle of his own. His eyelights drifted downwards briefly as he appeared to be thinking out the dream in question. After a moment, he gave a small shrug of his shoulders and grinned at her again.

"yup… dream was kinda weird as usual, but not bad." He confirmed, a continual relief faintly evident in his voice. "i'm pretty sure it wasn't even connected to any sort of memory this time."

The words made her internally flinch a bit, and somehow Sans noticed even that. Or at least realized the unfortunate connection he'd made with his words. His grin fell and guilt clouded his eyelights again.

"sorry t… i really hope i can figure out how to help you with that." He said, picking absently at the blankets beneath him.

Toriel did her best to give a reassuring smile, but given she had just taken another bite of muffin as he spoke, it was a slightly more difficult task. Once she could speak again though, she was quick to reassure him.

"It is alright, my dear." She said, lightly laying her free paw on his shoulder to encourage him to look at her. "I am sure we will find a solution in time. And I must say, I... greatly appreciate all you have done to help me already."

That last part came out more weighty than she had intended, but she didn't mind. Seeing to it that he knew his efforts were recognised and appreciated took the priority here. If that meant being a bit over dramatic, then so be it. Her words had already brought back his smile, a little sheepish this time. Seeing that made it more than worth it. Sans seemed to consider something for a few moments before laying a hand over the paw on his shoulder and giving it as much of a gentle squeeze as he could. A light blush formed on his face, though from the beads of sweat that accompanied it, she was willing to bet it was born mostly from a twinge of embarrassment.

"well come on, it's the least i can do. you're always looking out for everyone… especially me lately, heh." He said after a moment, offering a bit of a mirthless chuckle before continuing. "and, sometimes i think you get so focused on that, you don't look after yourself y'know? if... you are so busy taking care of everyone, then who's taking care of you?"

His nervous smile widened and his blush deepened as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"correct me if i'm wrong but uh, i think that's at least partially my job now, heh."

Toriel blinked at that, taking in the words for a moment. He… did have a point. She most certainly neglected her own needs if she felt she could better spend that time on others instead. Even now, she still struggled with her self-confidence. Especially with these awful nightmares now often mercilessly reminding her of all her sins. To think anyone would want to be so devoted to her… after all her past mistakes and failures… It was hard to imagine what Sans truly saw in her sometimes. But in that moment, she could feel the deep sincerity behind his words, and it seemed to restore and soothe her soul. It… honestly felt good to be so cared for.

Her cheeks heat up a bit beneath her fur and a stronger smile spread across her face before she wrapped him up in another hug. This one she let last longer than the first, lightly nuzzling the side of his skull before speaking again.

"I suppose… you are right, my dear." She said, voice full of warmth. "Thank you… truly… thank you."

Sans chuckled and embraced her back, his soul's magic buzzing as it returned her warmth.

"no prob, t." He said, pressing close as he did so. "like i said, it's the least i can do."

They lingered in the hug a bit longer, giving Toriel some time to sort through her thoughts about what she'd missed that morning, and what was to come next. Anxiety did creep back in, but his soul's stabilizing pulses of magic kept it manageable. She finally moved back a bit, as she drew in and let out a steadying breath.

"Alright, if we are going to do this. We should just go now so we can get back as quickly as possible." She said, resolutely, before her seriousness dwindled and a soft, exasperated chuckle escaped her. "Oh dear, Just how many places are you going to end up whisking me off to in my pajamas, Sans?"

He mirrored her laugh with a stronger one of his own before shrugging and shooting her a wink.

"down every robe less traveled." He quipped, without missing a beat.

She laughed one of her full on belly laughs, having to cover her mouth to keep it from growing too out of hand. She honestly wanted to scoop him up in another hug and kiss for that, but she'd resist for now. They needed to at least try to stay serious about all this. Once she'd recovered from the joke and picked up her purse, Sans gave her a few moments to prepare herself. Then, as before, he reached out and took her paws, counting down from five. On the final number, there was a flash, and then the bedroom was empty and silent. The only life to be found was a pot of blue forget-me-nots, taking in the light of the blessed sun through the window.

When Toriel's vision cleared and the world stopped spinning, she found herself in darkness. For a moment, she feared they had somehow ended up back underground again. She blinked a few times, but the darkness persisted. Instinctively, she summoned a small flame to her paw, casting the area in a faint light. She found herself surrounded on all sides by large machines.

Some were tall enough to loom even over her, while other small ones were stacked and scattered haphazardly around her feet. All of their screens and lights were dark, seeming to indicate they were without power. Given her less than stellar knowledge on technology though, she couldn't be sure. Many of them were also coated in what she assumed was a year's worth of dust, more of which could be seen floating in the air around her flame. She coughed a few times and waved away some of the dust.

"Sans?" She called his name once she could manage it, not immediately spotting him amongst all the clutter.

"over here tori." He promptly answered back from somewhere behind her. "don't worry, just hitting the light switch."

She turned and squinted in the direction she had heard the voice, trying to find him in the flickering firelight. She only just spotted the top of his skull beyond some sort of scanner device when the lights above came on. The harsh, artificial light was nearly blinding for a moment, and she found herself blinking to adjust her vision all over again. Only this time for the exact opposite reason. Once they did though, she was able to see where they were in more clarity.

Sans had described it as a "shed", but the word didn't seem all that appropriate for what seemed to be a large, windowless steel box of a room. The only point of entry seemed to be a door on the far wall, covered in glowing panels that Toriel could only assume were security measures of some sort. The rest of the walls were bare, at least what wasn't covered by machinery and filing cabinets that stretched up to the ceiling. The whole place reminded Toriel of Sans' old lab, but far more cluttered and chaotic.

The sight of some of the machines unnerved her, especially the ones that had appendages mounted with what looked like all kinds of small lazors and drills. Like some macabre dentist's chair. Complete, of course, with restraints… Just what sort of terrible things had these machines been used for? Who had suffered for their depraved purposes? And those cabinets… just how many dark secrets did they carry? Years and years of research into methods meant to free monsterkind. All kinds of methods… including the most grim and desperate of all…

It was all here, locked away in this great steel box. For a moment, Toriel was consumed with the urge to burn it all down to ashes just as they had with Sans' lab. There was no place for these symbols of monsterkind's greatest sins in their world now. They were little more than reminders of a time they should all be leaving behind. But that urge passed as more rational thought stepped in. No… if Alphys of all monsters kept these things, as haunted by her past as she was, there must be a reason for it. And besides, these weren't like the secrets that were once housed in Sans' old lab. These were things that should not be covered up, lest anyone involved see fit to forget the evil that had once been done by monster hands.

"tori?" Sans voice brought her out of her reverie, and she faced him.

There was understanding and worry in his gaze, a gaze that kept flicking between her face and her still ablaze paw.

"you can uh… put that out now y'know, heh." He said, clearly trying to keep concern for her out of his tone.

Toriel cringed at her own spaciness, she'd let her spiraling thoughts and emotions get a little out of hand there.

"O-oh right." She said, quickly extinguishing the flame and trying to smile convincingly.

Her cheeks warmed with slight embarrassment as Sans gave her another searching look. Stars, he must think her more unstable now than ever. And maybe, with just how frazzled she was displaying herself to be, he was right. Thankfully, Sans spared her by snapping back to his normal self and waving her over to where he was.

"come hop up on here." He said, patting a long, steel table next to another one of the machines. "don't worry, it's not one of the… more extravagant ones."

She nodded and did her best not to eye the thing too warily as she approached. The table was clearly meant for far smaller monsters in mind, meaning she had to lower herself rather far down to sit on it. The cold steel was not the most comfortable thing in the world, and did not help her nerves, but she did relax after sitting for a few moments. His presence at her side also helped with that, especially with all the apparent confidence he was displaying in what he planned to do next. Still, some clarification was needed here.

"What exactly do you plan to do to me?" She asked, with a somewhat teasing smile.

She didn't want to be too lighthearted about it, as she knew being amongst these things must bring up unpleasant memories of all kinds for him as well. The fact he would be the one acting as "doctor" in this case, no doubt only made it more complicated and unsettling for him. She could see as much as he rummaged through a box across from her. His eyelights had dulled even compared to a few seconds ago, and his grin was tight at the edges, nearing the point it became totally false. Clearly, no amount of expertise in what he was going to be doing made it easy for him. He pulled out what looked to be a long system of cords with small black suction cups on the ends before replying.

"nothing too weird, i promise." He said, vainly trying to return her vaguely playful tone. "i'm just gonna stick one of these to your forehead and over your soul. they're gonna send a readout of different levels of magic within your soul, and a bunch of other sciencey mumbo jumbo. then i'll see if i can figure out if anything obvious is causing these headaches and visions of yours. theoretically… just getting your memories back shouldn't be this…this..."

He paused, clearly searching for an appropriate word before apparently giving up. He approached her with the long cords in his arms, doing his best to keep any of them from dragging on the steel floor below.

"anyway, i'll get this ol' thing running and see what it says." He said, visibly trying to force more strength into his grin. "in the meantime you can tell me about your dream, and… whatever happened last night."

Toriel felt cold fear gather in her soul again at the mention of that. All the confused emotions warred within her, distressing but needing to be let out. She nodded, staring hazily at the contraption in his arms. Sans likely understood the truth of why her expression had suddenly shifted, but he still made an effort to redirect the conversation for a moment to offer her what levity he could.

"you scared of the doctor's tori?" He asked with a weak chuckle. "don't worry, i won't give you any shots today. you'll just have to be patient, and let this rust bucket do its things for a while once i get it started. "

Toriel returned his feeble smile and lightly swatted at his face with a paw in a playful manner. He chuckled again, with more genuiness behind it, and stepped forward to begin attaching the odd suction cups like things to her.

"they stick to magic sources, so they'll stay in place on their own." He said, laying the first one over her chest.

As described, the thing seemed to hone in on where her soul was, the greatest source of magic, and stuck there without him even having to press it down. He couldn't quite reach up to place the other on her forehead, so he floated it up with his magic. It too attached without missing a beat. With that one, the faint vibration it began emitting was more noticable, along with a faint tingling sensation it sent through her fur beneath it. She frowned in response, but with how she'd honestly been expecting worse, she conceded that it was nothing too bad. Having not yet needing to visit a hospital since arriving on the surface, nor going to one during her time in exile, she couldn't be sure if this was the new standard equipment for medical evaluations or not.

She hooked the cord that was hanging in her face with a claw and tucked it back behind her left horn, if not out of discomfort for the odd thing, then at least to preserve her full visibility. Sans took the other end of the cord where all the extensions united into one, capped with a connector of some sort. It was that connector that he plugged into a port on the machine, before opening up the bottom panel and reaching inside.

"this uh… might take a bit here." He said, voice accompanied by a metallic ring as he spoke with his skull partially inside. "you can go ahead and start talking if you want. maybe start with what exactly happened in your dream last night?"

Her lips pursed at that and the claws on her fingers and toes curled inwards as indecision gripped her. Honestly, she wanted to get to the important part right away but… it might be a good idea to ease into this as much as possible. For both their sakes.

"Alright…" She said, letting out a deep breath through her nostrils.

With that, like so many mornings before, she began recounting the memory that had been returned to her during her sleep. The new setting made the task feel more oppressive somehow, all these machines and wires… like it was all being recorded and studied or something. Knowing what she did about Alphys, it wouldn't surprise her if that was the case. As she spoke, her eyes did travel around the room but found no obvious signs of any camera. She even paused her story briefly to ask the skeleton about it, but he replied with an almost flippant lack of worry, then encouraged her to continue.

For some reason, it seemed to her that Sans did not seem all that perturbed about the idea of Alphys hearing about all this the way he was with the others. She wasn't sure if that was something to do with their past as early friends and colleagues, their shared scientific backgrounds or something else outside her current understanding. Curious as she was, she focused on herself for the moment, feeling more confident about discussing the upcoming, more pressing topic as she finished with the first one.

All the while Sans had been fiddling with the small machine, all manner of quiet beeps and metal clinking emanating from within. He responded only when necessary, clearly prioritizing her speaking over any questions he may or may not have. A few times, he retreated from his work fully to sit and talk to her more personably before returning to the task at hand. With all he was apparently doing in there, it begged the question of just how much work the small machine needed to get up and running again. Had he known it would take so long? It made her wonder if he was honestly stalling in getting the machine working in order to give her a better excuse to talk. In a way, she found that a little touching.

"...And then it ended, just like that." Toriel said, drawing to the conclusion of her tale and absently fiddling with the cord attached to her chest. "I… had forgotten just how far gone I was back then… It was... unsettling to see. For some reason… I felt compelled to tell… myself… that things would get better. And then I woke up with the same splitting headache as always."

There was a pause, and then as if like clockwork, there was a metallic click from inside the machine next to the table and it began to hum to life. She decided her earlier suspicion did indeed hold true. Sans emerged as the buttons and display lit up with a faint gray-green light. She saw it in his eyelights again, that small flash of energy that came with working with this kind of tech. But it was as brief as the majority of his joyful moments, snuffed out no doubt by the other, far darker, far more painful memories that were associated as well.

That dullness to his expression remained as he turned to her, resting a hand on the machine. But the source of the shadows dulling the lights of his eyes seemed to shift as the moment ticked by.

"hmm... well, that certainly… makes a few things a bit clearer." He said with a poor excuse of a mirthless chuckle.

He tapped his phalanges in an uneven rhythm against the metal plating of the humming machine, eye sockets dulling further as he seemed to be lost in thought. For a moment, their gazes met, and she saw that frustratingly familiar look of pity and sympathy for her sake before his eyelights fell again.

"so... he got mad at you for not figuring out who he was…" He muttered, seemingly mostly to himself. "guess that had to be one of the we-, flowey's early runs. early-ish at least."

Toriel nodded, feeling the heat of long building frustration swirl about within her soul. There was enough beating around the bush, while she was grateful to get all that off her chest, if they didn't get to the matter at hand here she was sure her fur was going to start falling out from stress. That last utterance from Sans only furthered that feeling, a harsh reminder of the previous night's events. To his credit, he seemed to realize the effect his words had had on her and came over to brush a reassuring hand over her paw.

"yah… i know." He said, in an understanding but supremely heavy tone. "go on tori, you can tell me. what happened last night? it will actually be good for you to talk about it now. that ol bucket of bolts might detect something and give me a clue as to what's going on with you."

As he spoke, he levitated over a worn down and lightly stained swivel chair from the corner of the room and set it down midway between her and machine. It allowed him to face her this time while she spoke, but also access to the machine should it do… whatever it was meant to do. Toriel didn't care to think about it then. She'd been given the go ahead she needed. Someone else had to know what she'd heard. How Sans had endured so long under the inordinate weight of his own secrets, she didn't know. Like an odd sort of role-reversal, now he was the one holding her paw as she spilled her own terrible burdens. She turned it in order to envelop it properly before she spoke.

Oh stars... where to begin? All she could think of was the literal beginning of it all.

"I was about to put the children to bed… when I heard Papyrus and that dog tearing around the living room, as they often do." She began, trying to keep the emotions of the previous night tightly contained inside her. "I went to help settle things before it got too out of hand. But when I was on my way back to the children's room…"

She paused, reliving the moment vividly through all her senses. Her claws curled inward a bit, almost nicking his hand before she realized and stopped herself.

"Sans I… I heard Frisk speaking to Flowey. It sounded as though Frisk was trying to convince Flowey to tell me something… I can only imagine it has to do with this... big apparent secret surrounding his identity."

She said that last part with a bit of a huff, her frustrations leaking into her tone again. Sans blinked before his sockets widened a bit, and she was surprised to then see something akin to relief appear there, along with uncertainty… and that same strange pity for her that she was getting quite fed up with. Nonetheless, she pushed on with it before he could reply. There was too much to get through, and lingering on any one thing could prove to a spiral of misunderstanding and even panic on his end, given the nature of it all. She had to be careful how she worded it…

"They… they made it seem like Frisk has figured out that I know something." She admitted hesitantly, but made sure to continue and finish the thought before that idea could settle in too deeply. "But the two argued a bit, and I overheard Frisk… I overheard them adamantly refuse to Reset…"

Only then did she pause and nervously wait for Sans' reaction. The word made him wince as expected, and his eyelights shrank considerably. He said nothing for a moment, eyelights flickering a bit as they drifted down towards the floor. He seemed to take it all in for a few seconds before meeting her gaze again with a more unsettled but still resolute look. Drops of sweat began to dot his skull as he silently indicated for her to go on. Toriel nodded, carefully gripping his small hand a little tighter. She swallowed hard before she could find her voice again. This next part was going to be difficult…

"After that…"

She had to pause once more, unsure how to even put the strange incident into words.

"Sans... do you remember what you told me regarding Frisk that day when you told me about the Resets?" She asked, tone full of anxiety. "About… how there is something… inside their head that speaks to them?"

The skeleton's hand closed tighter reflexively around her own, eyelights briefly becoming mere pinpricks before he attempted to steady himself again. He replied with a grim nod.

"yah... i can't say that i really understand what's happening with that… though i do have my theories, heh." He said, before his strained smile fell to more of a grimace.

"you heard it didn't you? the… other voice speaking along with them?" He asked, dropping much of his attempt to stay impassive through this. "whenever whatever that thing is… "takes over", that is how they speak… they have a real different personality from the kiddo… and… you can usually tell most easily by the eyes…"

He raised his free hand to tap a phalange beneath one of his eye sockets.

"when that thing is in control, the kid's eyes get wider than they should… and they turn bright red, sometimes even glow.." He explained, and Toriel could feel a faint tremor travel through him.

It wasn't hard to imagine why. Toriel herself could hardly keep herself from shivering. His words had sparked a realization for her, and it summoned up a cold, dreadful fear within her soul. The machine beside the table beeped twice, but she paid it no mind as she spoke almost subconsciously.

"I… I have seen that." She croaked, eyes wide. "In one of the first of these dreams I had… where Frisk..."

Suddenly her cheek and lower stomach began to burn, just enough to be noticed, just enough to invoke the pain of that memory. Her sweet hearted Frisk, looking down at her as she lay dying before them. Red, overstretched eyes aglow and ablaze with dark intent. The machine beeped once more as her soul seized up inside her.

"Stars above… y-you mean to say that my child is… possessed or something?!" She burst out, the words strained as they left her mouth. "D-does… that have something to do with… when they killed us?"

Sans flinched a bit at her exclamation, and more drops of sweat rolled down the curve of his skull as he took in the weight of her question. He glanced at the machine behind him, as if intending on investigating the meaning behind the earlier beeping, but halfway through seemed to decide against it and turned back to her. He closed his eye sockets for a moment with a barely audible sigh. When he reopened them, it was only a crack, and showed nothing but darkness within.

"from what the kid told me, and what i witnessed myself… it's complicated." He said, absently rolling the heel of one foot over the wheels of his chair. "but whatever it is, it was definitely involved on some level. i wouldn't say it caused it or anything... the kiddo made it clear that they were the one who… did the majority of it, who chose to walk that dark path."

A dreadful silence stretched between them after that, as Toriel tried to digest this information. The claws on her free paw curled tightly against the cold, hard table beneath her, until they ached at the bases. How…? How could she not have known? How could she have been so blind to her child's affliction all this time? Her agonized thoughts wanted to speed onwards, in sync with yet another beep from the machine, but Sans giving her paw another purposeful squeeze directed her attention back to him. It could only distract her for a moment, but that was all he needed.

"but hey, it sounds like they are gonna tell you some important stuff soon." He said, smile straining a bit at the edges as it tried to form into something reassuring. "maybe they'll explain about that too. i can at least tell you that i'm pretty sure this thing isn't a threat to them from what i've seen. so let's... just try and play it cool a while longer and see what they have to say. alright?"

Toriel stared at him, not sure how to feel or how to react to that. After a moment of thinking it over with a less panicked mindset, she did begin to reason with herself. This was another great blow, another terrible secret she'd have to keep, have to not act on. Just how many more were there to uncover? How many more could she take before she fractures under the stress? She'd made a promise, and she wouldn't break it if she could at all help it. And if this terrible revelation was all it was, she could make herself keep it locked deep down like everything else he had told her. But this time… It was just...

"Sans, I… I do not know if I can stand to wait for that." She admitted, covering her face with her free paw as much as she could manage with the device attached to her.

She couldn't see his expression, but she didn't need to to know the guilt that her words no doubt brought to him. His grip on her went stiff from it and other emotions, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft, almost fearful.

"whaddya mean, tori?" He asked.

Beside them, the machine began to beep again. She ignored it, focusing on trying to put the chaotic feelings of everything into words that made sense before he worried too deeply. But it was struggle, one that her frustration and heartache certainly didn't help.

"Th-there is something here that I'm missing." She croaked out at last. "About this thing, the voice… it was familiar! And about Flowey… I just… I know I am missing something! And I know it is something important. It is tearing at my mind but I cannot figure it out and… Sans it, it hurts."

The admission broke something within her, along with her resolve. She met his gaze again, emotions of all kinds spilling over. Her eyes were bright with pain and filling with tears against her will.

"Sans… why will you not tell me?" She asked, in an imploring tone.

He blinked, and then his expression fell and eyelights dulled nearly enough to fade them into the darkness there completely. It was a foolish question, she knew the answer, and so did he. But it had escaped her before she could even think about it.

"i…" He began to try to reply, but her continually flaring temper and desperation led her to interrupt him with another outburst.

All the while, the machine kept beeping beside them. A steady, aggravating rhythm.

"Fine, then, why will Flowey not tell me?" She asked, in a far more accusatory tone. "Why will Frisk not tell me? What is it they are keeping from me? Why are they keeping it from me?!"

Her voice rose on every question, up until the last where she finally snapped out of her angry haze somewhat and realized what she was doing. She covered her face again with both paws this time, mind and soul still in a whirl.

"I do not understand…" She croaked, voice breaking a bit.

A single weak sob shook through her, a culmination of all the stress that had been building from the previous night. Her claws wouldn't retract and dug their points into her face and that damn machine wouldn't stop beeping. It was only Sans' gentle touch that brought any peace back to her in that moment. She hadn't even noticed him climb up on the table beside her, and was now trying to coax her paws down with nothing more than just a light touch. He knew to be cautious with her, and that just made her feel all the more guilty.

After drawing in a steadying breath, she let him guide her paws away from her face. He held on to one of them with both of his hands, once more as an effort to keep her attention. She gave it to him, already feeling the anger drain out of her. Her vision of him was bleary from tears, but she met his gaze to the best of her ability.

"tori... i…" He began then paused, reaching out with one hand to help dry her eyes before continuing. "i want to tell you more than anything right now. trust me, if i could, i would. but they just… they aren't my secrets to share. anything i say even like… hint wise is going to make it so much worse for you."

"I know… I know…" She replied, hanging her head, miserable at herself for her unbecoming behavior. "I am so sorry Sans…"

No longer worried it seemed, he sat down beside her and gave her a breif little side hug.

"it's okay t…" He assured her, sympathy coating his tone. "don't worry about it, i understand. none of this is fair to you..."

He trailed off briefly, glancing at the machine as it beeping slowed. It didn't stop, but the sounds came at a slower pace, almost like the heart monitors Toriel had witnessed in hospitals and on TV. The comparison was unnerving, but not enough to distract her from her turbulent thoughts. Sans sighed, seemingly mirroring her own internal frustration and rubbing his forehead. Then he looked back up to her, grin weak and eyelights even more so. But those little lights were also entreating as they locked with her gaze.

"just please tori. let them come to you. let them tell you themselves." He implored, gripping her paw again. "they made a vow to do it, right? you heard them. it will be so much better for you, them, and everyone if they tell you about everything on their own terms."

His strained grin tightened at the edges, and his gaze drifted downwards again.

and look, i'm not just saying that because i'm afraid of another reset... i'm saying that because i know it's true. confronting them over this would just make things worse and encourage them to feed you lies. this might be the only way besides…"

He paused, narrowing his socket briefly before going on. She got the sense he had settled on something.

"if they don't tell you soon. i'll talk to them. alright?" He said in a quieter, more uneasy tone. "i think they owe it to me to at least... hear me out..."

The weight of hearing such a vow from him was not lost on her, and she felt her initial flare of up of emotion settle down as that weight settled on her soul. The idea he'd be willing to do one of the things he feared most for her sake, confront her child regarding the myriad of secrets regarding the resets and everything else… It calmed her, if only for how very touched she felt. He turned his gaze back up to her before she could say anything in reply.

"just please tori, hang in there." He said, attempting something of a reassuring smile. " it… it will be okay. we will figure this out..."

She blinked, slowly. Then took a deep, steadying breath. The machine kept on beeping at a sluggish pace beside them. She gripped his hand tighter once more, her scarlet eyes now displaying their usual softness.

"Alright… I… I will do my best to wait for them to talk to me." She conceded, before leaning over to hug him more properly in return. "Thank you, my dear… I do not know what I do without you at this point."

He weakly returned the hug as best he could, but given their awkward angle could only really wrap his arms up and around her own. After a few moments where his soul gave off clear feelings of relief towards her agreement, she felt something shift, dulling the warmth of his magic. He gave an empty sort of chuckle, deflating a little in her embrace.

"heh, you wouldn't be in this situation at all if it weren't for me..." He said, just above a whisper.

She made a soft sort of disapproving sound in her throat at that, something of a warning not to slip into those thoughts. He let out a wheezy laugh again, and it was a bit less mirthless this time.

"alright…i know… i know." He replied, in a tone of surrender. "sorry... yah, you're welcome tori."

They lingered like that for a bit, both truly needing the hug at that moment. But eventually a new sort of drawn out beep came from the machine, then it went silent. As it did, a small green light lit up on the control panel.

"hmm... looks like the ol rust bucket's finally done crunching the numbers for me." Sans said, gently slipping out of her embrace and hopping down to the floor. "lemme take a look at what it's saying bout you. just hang tight okay?"

Toriel watched him before casting a displeased glance down at the cord attached to her chest.

"So can I take these ridiculous things off now?" She asked, lightly picking at it with a claw.

He chuckled at that, though the stress of their earlier conversation kept it from feeling fully genuine.

"yah, you're good. just set em' down on the table there." He said, as he tapped at the machine's small touchscreen.

She wasted no time in popping each off with a careful tug. Thankfully, no fur came off with them. She set the cords aside and rubbed at the spots they'd been, smoothing out her fur and nightgown. A noise from beside her drew her attention back to Sans again, and she watched as the machine began producing a long sheet of paper through a slot near the top. It was covered in numbers and text, notably and thankfully not the wingdings text though. Once out in full, Sans picked it up and began looking it over, sinking into the dilapidated chair once more.

A silence stretched between them for a short time then, leaving Toriel again to stew in her unsettled thoughts. Sans all the while just stared at the paper, eyelights running over all the data with a rare sort of focus and seriousness. She couldn't help but feel drawn in by seeing him like that. It seemed that despite all the pain and trauma associated with his scientific background, he still had the capacity to slip back into what she could only assume was his old mindset. She wished it didn't have to be such a conflicting thing for him, since it was plain to see he still enjoyed it on some level.

Eventually though, she realized she had been rather openly staring and looked away again, feeling her cheeks warm a bit despite herself. Her gaze searched for something to distract herself from plunging back into stressed, unwelcome thoughts regarding her children. Eventually it passed over all the machines and scientific equipment and rested on her purse beside her. Only then did she notice the letter, the very one she'd neglected to open yesterday, poking out from inside. She blinked, all her nearly equally uneasy feelings regarding it coming back to her. But… surely it couldn't be as bad as everything else, and she'd honestly take just about any distraction at this point.

She picked it up, looking over the wording on the front again. As she did, she heard a flutter of paper as Sans set the printed document in his lap and rubbed his forehead with a hand in apparent exasperation. She saw it as her chance to get his opinion on the matter.

"Oh Sans… there… there is one more thing I wished to speak to you about if that is alright…" She said, turning towards him on the table. "Or at least, I think I will probably want to talk to you about it. I am not actually sure yet…"

He dropped his hand and looked up at her, quickly eyeing the item in her paws.

"a letter?" He questioned, rolling his chair a little closer.

"Yes, from the Ebott Historical Preservation Society, apparently." She replied, handing it to him to look at. "Asgore gave it to me by the campfire last night. He said I should have it. I meant to open it before, but with everything that happened it just… slipped my mind."

Sans turned it over a few times in his hands, furrowing his brow ridges a bit in thought.

"hmm... looks real fancy." He noted before handing it back to her. "historical society… maybe they wanna talk about monster history with you or something?"

She hummed thoughtfully in her throat, considering that. Honestly, hearing his casual reasoning quieted a good deal of the anxiety within her. He was always good at that, and silently letting her know when she was worrying too much.

"Perhaps… I suppose we will just have to find out." She said, lifting one finger dramatically and fully extending a claw.

He grinned and chuckled lightly at that, seemingly just as grateful for a brief distraction from the mass of data he'd been looking over. As he watched, she carefully used the claw to tear open a thin line at the top of the letter. She then tilted it and shook the contents out of the envelope into her open, waiting paw. As she had expected from the feel and weight of it, what fell into her paw was more than just a note. A couple photos spilled out along with the expected crisp and neatly folded letter. Unable to resist, she picked up the pictures first.

What she saw made her freeze up briefly, as her mind tried to wrap around what she was seeing. All the photos depicted the ruins of an ancient, crumbling castle. Some showed tall, dilapidated spires, towers and walls while others depicted the crumbling, neglected interior. The most impactful for her was the one depicting a throne room, with two dusty, decrepit old thrones still standing side by side in the face of the passing centuries. A cracked and near bleached stained glass window could be seen just behind it, its image long lost to time. But her ancient eyes knew it once depicted three figures, three boss monsters in glittering, pristine detail.

"tori?" Sans voice broke her out of her trance, soft with concern.

She blinked and looked at him, trying to calm the onslaught of thoughts and memories that had suddenly beset her. It took her a moment to find her voice again.

"This… is my parents' old castle…" She said in a quiet, stunned tone. "It… is still standing?"

That last part was said more quietly, more too herself. The idea was just… so unexpected. She never even thought to consider the idea it might have survived the war. The humans tore down and burned so many monster settlements and structures during those days of bloodshed, it would have been pure foolishness to expect they'd leave one of the grand castles of their enemy untouched. And yet… here it was. Battered and worn down by time, but still standing.

"you mean… where you used to live?" Sans asked, clearly wanting to look at them himself but hesitating, unsure if she wished to share them.

She handed them over after a beat, realizing only then how protectively she'd been holding them. She cleared her throat as Sans took them, trying to get her voice and mind to regain clarity again.

"Yes… when I was young… Before me and Asgore were married." She replied, worrying her lip with her fangs. "I… just cannot believe it was not destroyed once we were all sealed…"

As Sans looked at the photos, she turned her attention to the letter at last. Her interest could not be any more piqued at this point. She unfurled it in her paws and was faced with note penned in incredibly ornate penmanship, rather akin to how her parents and others wrote during the time she lived in that very castle, ironically. Her eyes travelled over the words, taking it all in.

She rolled her eyes at the top where someone had clearly at the last moment tried to use white out to remove the Dreemurr from her name. The rest though, was all quite well written and researched. Still, the academic and detached manner they used when speaking of her old home didn't sit quite right with her. It was signed by someone named Doctor Lilith Burgundy, the apparent head of the Ebott Historical Preservation Society, along with her contact information. Once content with her reading of it, she handed it over to Sans, conveniently at the same moment he was ready to return the photos to her.

"They seem to want me to visit... and help them better understand it." She said, as she delicately took the pictures back. "Apparently they wish to set forth plans to attempt to restore it, and turn parts of it into a museum... And they want my approval on those plans before they start anything."

Sans gave the letter his own look, nodding before he even finished reading it.

"makes sense." He commented, peering over the paper at her. "what do you think?"

Toriel's eyes drifted down at the photos in response to the question, conflicted thoughts and feelings flowing through her. She set the pictures down in her lap and wrung her paws together in a anxious little motion.

"I… I am not sure." She admitted.

She wanted to elaborate but found it hard to put the feelings into words. Minutes before, she would not have passed a second thought to the castle she had every reason to believe was long gone. Now, she was suddenly faced with the fact it was not only still standing, but that its future was now being at least partially left in her hands. It was all so sudden… and the memories she had of that place were so...

"well i mean, this is just me but… i think at least visiting and talking with them wouldn't hurt." Sans said, pulling her attention back to him again. "it would be really neat to see where you came from. and it sounds like they don't wanna do anything that would like… tarnish the place's history or whatever."

He gave a casual shrug before beginning to fiddle absently with one of his hoodie's drawstrings. It reflected a bit of self consciousness on his part, making him hesitate over what he wished to say next.

"plus... you kinda started telling me about your folks and your childhood and all a while back, but with all my issues coming to a head, you never really got a chance to go into depth. If you still want to talk about all that… hard to think of a better place than where it all happened, right?"

Toriel thought about that. She had honestly forgotten the bits and pieces of her own history she'd shared with him in the wake of learning about the Resets. He had seemed interested then, and she had vowed to speak on the subject more, had she not? She'd be happy to tell him about it of course, even the… more difficult parts. But in the context of this sudden revelation…

When she didn't reply quickly, Sans' expression softened and he dropped his casual tone for something a little more earnest.

"up to you of course though. i get if it would be uh… kinda rough. to see your old home like that and all." He said, eyelights dimming a bit. "or even to see a bunch of strangers coming in and wanting to change everything."

He gestured vaguely with a hand as he went on, as though hoping the motions would help get his point across.

"and hey, if that castle's lasted this long, it'll still be there later on if you decide you wanna see it some other time. don't let these humans boss you around or anything about making a decision, k?"

Once again, his ability to be so casually reasonable helped set her mind at ease. His tendency to make light of things rarely was a good thing, but when she herself was inclined towards the other extreme, it was sometimes the exact balance she needed. She offered a thankful little smile, then quirked a brow.

"Was that a boss monster pun?" She asked, playfully.

He blinked, surprised by that response, then laughed heartily, wonderful little wheeze and all.

"uh no, but i'll totally add it to the list." He said through the chuckles.

She returned his laugh with a soft giggle of her own. She was feeling a bit too drained for anything stronger, but it felt good to laugh for any reason. Her smile did fade a bit though as she looked back to the photos. After a moment, she heaved a sigh and began to put them back into the envelope.

"I suppose… if there is nothing for me to do about everything regarding my children but wait… I could use a good distraction for today." She reasoned, settling on the idea. "I think I will give them a call… and go see it today if I can."

Her soul stirred with varied emotions at the idea, making her red eyes seem somewhat hazy as they stared down at the re-packed envelope.

"I think now that I know that it is still there, I need to see it." She admitted in a weighty tone, before making an attempt to lighten it. "And it will be nice to do something positive towards bettering relations between humans and monsters as well."

Sans grinned, seeming happy that she had made the decision for herself rather than any sort of obligation. Though the look he gave after that initial smile showed he'd caught onto the heavier emotions driving all this.

"sounds like a plan to me." He agreed, handing her back the letter to put away with the photos. "how's about we head back and tell the others bout this idea. see if they're cool with going on a lil adventure"

He gave the paper that the machine had produced earlier a meaningful wave in front of him before beginning to fold it up.

"i'll hang onto this report in the meantime and see if i can't figure out more from it. i'm kinda stumped at the moment, but i gotta feeling i'm on the brink of cracking this puzzle, just not in the right headspace to see the missing piece. might even get al to take a look at it."

She gave him an incredulous look at that, but he quite literally waved off her concern with another lazy motion of his hand.

"heh, don't worry, if it comes to that, i'll make sure she doesn't know who the report's about… or why i had it made." He assured her.

It was enough to get her to relax again, and a small smile began to return to her face as she put the envelope back in her purse.

"Very well. I wish you luck then." She said, smile growing warmer as the moments passed. "And thank you Sans… again. For listening… and for everything."

Her heartfelt words made him pause as he was starting to slip the folded report into his hoodie pocket. His eyelights drifted away as his smile became a touch sheepish and a hint of a blush rose up on his face. It was a sight that made her soul happily flutter inside her.

"ah come on tori, keep talking like that and you're gonna get me all misty eyed again." He said, indeed with a bit of a strain to his voice. "if this report gets wet i'll have to print a whole new one."

With the quip stated, he stashed the report in his pocket and slipped his hands inside along with it. His expression then sobered up after a moment, before he offered her a lazy wink.

"like i said… it's the least i can do."

With all that settled, and both their souls feeling as warm and content as they could given the circumstances, Toriel made the first move to get up, more than eager to get off the cold, hard table. Really more than eager to leave the unsettling place in general. She brushed herself off and slipped on her purse before looking at him again.

"Shall we go home then? I fear we have been here far too long already." She noted, her usual worrisome tone edging back into her voice.

Thankfully, Sans seemed more than happy to accommodate her and gave a nod before sluggishly getting up to his feet.

"yup, sure thing." He replied, taking her paw in his small hand in a motion that was becoming more and more natural for them.

She was relieved to hear him agree so quickly, but a glance around at all the things they'd disturbed during their time there summoned up yet another concern in her.

"Should we not… clean up first?" She asked, a hint of guilt to her voice.

Sans gave a half-hearted glance at it all then shook his head with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

"nah, al could nearly rival me when it comes to being a slob. she won't even notice. and i doubt she'll be wanting to come down here any time soon." He said, tone once again trailing into something less flippant at the end.

Toriel decided to take his word for it, too anxious to get back home to question it further. She gave him a nod, and after using his magic to turn off the lights, he gave her paw a squeeze as a warning for her to prepare for the shortcut. As usual, the moments before she experienced one always seemed to move in slow motion, where her mind tried to sort through as many thoughts as possible, as though her life were flashing before her eyes.

Everything regarding these secrets from her children, the revelation of the truth behind there being something all but possessing Frisk, and now this business regarding her family's castle. All of it was present and prominent among these rapid fire thoughts. It seemed that things in her life had no desire to slow down or take it easy on her ever since that day she first made the decision to do more to help her dear skeleton. She'd take it over the alternative of course, every single time. But stars above... if it wasn't exhausting. If it was what she had to endure for the sake of all this though, she'd just have to find the strength to get through it. She'd never allow herself to flee from such important responsibilities ever again, especially for the sake of those she loved.

Before they set off, she spared one last glance down at the vague shape of the letter in her purse in the dark. As she did, she tried to sort through all the old, conflicted feelings rising up within her. For the first time in centuries, she'd be returning to the very first place she ever called home.