Just a quick note to explain my hiatus.

I'm sorry this took so long to update, I really did intend to post this sooner. But I had someone revise it and they explained how choppy my writing was, and that I needed to invest more in the environment. It kind of put me in a slump, erasing and rewriting things over and over. If you guys notice mistakes like that as well, please let me know. I am trying to get better.

Thanks, peace guys.

..

.

It was all Toriel could do not to stare. She looked terrible. Her hair was a matted mess, dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were cracking. Not to mention she looked like she was in a very sour mood. She came out of her room about five in the morning, unusually early for her. The nightmares weren't uncommon, and Asgore would normally fix her a cup of tea in the strange gingerbread shaped teacup and send her back to bed. But Toriel always tried to sit and understand what was keeping her child in such an anxious state. Frisk, however, looked more angry than afraid. Her wrinkled sweater dress was hitched at her sides and Toriel decided not to mention the fact she'd obviously slept in it. Frisk walked over to the bookshelf next to her, tracing a finger along the spines until she found what she was searching for. The monster woman raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but still said nothing. Frisk took a pencil from Tori's table and began scrawling something in the book.

"I know it's suppose to be a recipe book," Frisk finally said, never taking her eyes off the paper. "I need to write this before I forget it again."

"Did you sleep poorly again?"

"Mom please," her voice was very shaky. "I'll tell you in a sec."

Nodding, Toriel simply watched as her face scrunched up, pencil almost digging through the pages. She also wondered why she didn't give Frisk a dream journal. Her poor cookbook. Toriel closed the book she had been reading and set it aside, smelling breakfast cooking in the kitchen. She usually left soon, so cooking something up for the two of them had become a ritual. And with Frisk's strange sleeping patterns, she was never sure if she'd want to eat. Still, pancakes were easy to fix and once the batter was ready she'd cook it on a low heat. Made them extra fluffy.

With her mother gone to finish in the kitchen, Frisk reviewed what she was written. It was starting to get fuzzy, she couldn't really remember if she had written everything she'd meant to. The first line just read "He killed me." Sans, but not Sans. The next line was a description of him and their conversations. He was angry, he'd mentioned Toriel, he said she disappeared during the day… And what else? She couldn't remember. Rubbing her temple, she realized she felt very drained. Not just a sleep-deprived feeling either, but like her soul had been ripped from her and reset. But everything was the same here.

Her thigh felt sore. She pulled her dress down, feeling a little embarrassed Tori knew she had slept in it. She didn't have time to change into some night clothes before running into the library in their home. A very thin white line was across her upper thigh, and as she traced it she remembered the feeling of magic cutting into her. Recoiling her hand, she hoped the scar would fade. But if she had a mark from it, then… Frisk looked again at the page she had written. Something she didn't understand was happening.

Toriel came back into the room with two very tall stacks of pancakes. Butter was melting on the top of the stack, and the maple syrup threatened to pour off the plate onto the floor. She set them down immediately, going to her child. Frisk was on the floor, knees hugged tightly to her chest. Sobs escaped her and she tried to keep her tears back, but there was no stopping it. She cried into the grey sweater, staining it with tears as Toriel pet her hair back. She wrapped her arms around the monster, tears pouring from her tired eyes onto Toriel's dress. Toriel shushed her, stroking her hair and back trying to comfort her. Her eyes narrowed on the open page of her cookbook, locking onto the one word written almost desperately over and over again. Save.

After many tissues and bites of cold pancakes, Frisk finally calmed down. She tried explaining to Toriel how it felt, night after night waking up in cold sweat and feeling numb from fear, but there was nothing but pity in her eyes. She meant well, but Frisk just couldn't explain why her dreams were so terrible. The best way to explain it was feeling like you were dying over and over again, but her mother couldn't possibly know that feeling. Only the idea of it. How could she explain it was the same feeling she got while running away from Undyne? Feeling spears rip her apart over and over again as she ran across the damp Waterfall caves. Sliding across the puddles forming on the wooden bridges, catching her balance on stalagmites only to be looking in the eye of the captain of the Royal Guard before her soul shattered in her body. Giving up on the conversation, Frisk started gathering their plates, shooing Toriel out of the room to go get ready. A harder task than usual, looking at all the used tissues.

Well, she hadn't meant to break down on Toriel like that. It took the rest of the morning trying to convince her she'd be alright by herself. Tori needed to get to the school for work, and taking a random day off to console her wasn't that easy to do. Once she promised up and down that she'd call her if anything happened, and that she'd do her very best to try to relax at home, Toriel finally agreed she needed to go to work. Now, Frisk was stretched out on her bed with a hot cup of cocoa on her bedside table. Also left with her was the page of the cookbook she had written on, an empty journal, and a few brightly colored gel pens. She picked up a purple pen, balancing it on her fingertip for a bit before it fell on the floor. Her phone next to her lit up, so lazily she reached for it. The screen showed a new text message, and she wondered who would be texting her at six thirty in the morning.

Across the way, Sans woke up in a cold sweat. Condensation dripped off his forehead onto the blanket. He felt like he was going to be sick. Darkness swirling around him all night, spinning and weaving, it was like one of those roller coasters his brother loves. He fell back onto his bed, trying to relax his Soul. Deep breaths, it was alright. Maybe he should keep a notepad nearby, these strange dreams Frisk had must be contagious. He was having trouble remembering what the dream was about. All he could see was darkness, and he felt the low rumble of her voice. Then the world kept spinning faster than one of Alphys' anime stories. Sans turned his head, looking out the window. A light flicked on in the house across the street. Huh, she must be having a rough night too. He reached for his cellphone.

You up?

Send. He saw a figure shakily rise from the corner of the room. It was hard to tell, but he was pretty sure he recognized that sweater. Was she sleeping in it? The thought made his face feel warm. His phone lit up.

Kid: Yeah, just woke up. Had another one.

Need to talk?

Kid: What are you still doing awake?

You're infectious. I've caught the 'bad sleeps.'

Kid: Talking would be good. On the phone, or through text?

Sans didn't reply. Instead, he made sure he was wearing a t-shirt and baggy shorts before he snapped his fingers. Blue light engulfed him, and he focused on her. Her hair, her voice, anything about her he could remember. Holding his breath, he felt the air get colder, making his bones chill and his magic spread around the room. His surroundings blurred and meshed together, until his feet touched the soft plush carpet of her room. Teleporting was a big drain on magic, but since refueling magic was as simple as eating he wasn't worried about it. He just needed to fixate on something, anything, to keep his mind from wandering and his magic from doing the same. Locations didn't matter so much, but it did help if he'd been there before. And he had been to her room before, when he helped her and Tori unpack and clean up the place. The room was decently sized, purple everywhere. Frisk was sitting on her bed next to her lamp, curled up with way more pillows and blankets than one human could possibly need. She jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Yo," Sans waved, letting a small yawn slip. Frisk looked both angry and impressed.

"I didn't think 'in person' was an option. You could've just called."

"Nah, I'm no phony. 'Sides, you're still wearing it," He pointed at her sweater dress. She had removed her pants, but kept the sweater on. Her body was just too exhausted to care, and she planned to wash it! It was just very comfortable. Still, Frisk was suddenly aware she wasn't wearing pants or socks in front of her friend. Her legs slipped under the blanket, covering all extra skin. The comforter was a light purple, dark pink designs spiraled across the corners meeting in the middle. It was flowery, girly,

"W-well it feels really nice, I thought it'd keep me… I dunno, safe?" She sighed, knowing how silly that was. Sans just grinned at her, taking a seat on her floor. The knit carpet was really soft under his fingers. He tried to put his hands in his pockets, but suddenly realized he wasn't wearing his hoodie. Oh well. They can't all be weirdos who sleep prepared for a blizzard.

"W-well I'm just glad you like it," Sans copied her stutter, earning a mean face from the girl. Her hands fumbled around, trying to straighten out her bed. She wasn't expecting company. He closed one eye, relaxing himself in her room. It even smelled like her, cinnamon and vanilla. Like a holiday cookie. "So, you had another bad one? Wanna tell me about it?"

"Oh, right! Right, so, there was this thing around my neck," she gestured, and Sans didn't mention she'd said this the day before. "But I actually got it off this time. Tore it in half. And you weren't really that happy about it, and then we started FIGHTing and… Wait, yeah, I think you were in there." Sans mocked surprise.

"I assure you, I have not been intentionally inserting myself in your dreams. But this is good right? All these years, and now you're remembering details. Progress," two bony thumbs went up. He tried to ignore the feeling of guilt; her dreaming about him was causing nightmares? Ouch. "How about location? Do you remember anything about where you were being kept?"

"You're right, and I think so. It reminded me a lot of the shed Papyrus kept me in when I first met you guys. There were thick bars, and a gate. And a dog bed in the corner, but the thing around my neck was attached to the wall like a leash. I think I really do remember more this time. Maybe it's because I fought back?" She must've noticed his flinch because she quickly added, "Instead of attacking, I got to dance with you."

"I see, so you put the moves on me and now you're recalling everything."

"Sans please, I know it sounds crazy but you know how many of these I get. It must have been different this time. I spun around you, grabbing your hands, distracting you with my stunning personality. Actually here is that paper I mentioned before," Sans noticed she was absentmindedly rubbing her thigh, as if it were injured or sore. But he didn't dare interrupt. He just sat with his hand on his knees, leaning forward to understand the words she mumbled as she thought. She reached over and snatched a piece of paper from her nightstand. Looking over it for a moment, she handed it down to Sans. His eye sockets widened, the tiny white pupils almost vanishing. Written in hasty writing, letters slightly falling below the lines, there was a play by play of a terrifying nightmare.

He killed me again.

That's why I can't move on, it's endless.

'That' Sans says he knows.

It isn't just a dream.

We had a FIGHT in Papyrus' shed.

I danced with him, he opened up more than usual.

He told me he'd been killing me.

He isn't that bad though, I know I can reach him.

I need to SAVE.

"Huh," Sans flipped the paper over, looking at the grooves from the pen. It wasn't very detailed, but this was progress. She was retaining an idea of what was haunting her, he just wished it wasn't him. "That doesn't sound like a normal sleep cycle, for monsters or humans."

"Can you do anything, you know, magical?" Frisk wiggled her fingers at him. She was half joking, but if he could actually do something about this other worldly thing going on with her. She was completely certain that this wasn't just a bad nightmare anymore. It never was. But proving it to her skeletal friend might be a bit more difficult. However, to her surprise, he merely shrugged.

"Probably. I can getcha to Alphys' lab and we can broadcast your dream up on the big screen."

"Does Alphys still have a lab?" Frisk honestly wasn't sure. After moving above ground, there wasn't really a need for a Royal Scientist either. She and Undyne had taken up a place together closer to the city, but still outside its limits. Undyne was with their peacekeepers, but Alphys… Frisk wasn't really sure what the lizard monster was doing lately. She really should check up on her.

"Not here," Sans pointed to the floor, watching Frisk's grin match his. She knew he didn't mean her plush carpet. Underground. The former prison had become a sort of Sacred Place to the monsters. They were free to move in and out as they pleased, even giving curious humans tours of the monster history. But very few monsters actually went near the lab or ruins. There was just the shroud of sadness cloaking places like that, ruining somes nostalgia for home. The former palace had been set up as a memorial to the human souls used in destroying the barrier, each room enshrining the attributes of each fallen child. It was impossible for most to enter the underground without seeing it, and that was Toriel's point in creating it. Frisk loved passing through, but it had been a long time since she went below the surface.

"Okay," Frisk clapped her hands together. "When? Not now, I am not teleporting this early. And we should probably ask Alphys."

Sans nodded, and together they hashed out their plan. Sans would pop over and invite the scaley woman along while Frisk prepared a note for Toriel, in case they spent the night investigating. Toriel was usually pretty understanding. Sans could come pick her up after the plans with Alphys were made, and they could take a 'shortcut' over to her lab. Chances were, they could finish this up in a night and Frisk could finally figure this stuff out.

Winking, Sans made a peace sign with his fingers. Frisk nodded, waving farewell as the air around her friend seemed to be sucked away. It happened so quickly, one minute she was looking at his silly grin and the next she was just staring at the open space in her room. The spot on the floor he had been seemed to also notice his absence, bits of carpet slowly reformed from their Sans-shaped spot before. Well, since she now had plans for her day, she'd better get ready.

3

Alphys could hardly contain herself. Pacing around the lab, she tucked away empty noodle cups under her table and pulled a blanket over the mess of dirty laundry still covering her floor. The lab will always be her home away from home, and she often retreated there to try and give Undyne some alone time. They were great, but she understood sometimes Undyne didn't want to binge watch anime. She probably had time to get this all cleaned up, but what if they were expecting snacks or something to drink or maybe they'd want to watch a movie first and she hadn't really 'hung out' with Frisk in a while so what if she didn't have anything to talk about? Alphys started pacing. Her lab coat just barely touched the ground and as made her way back to the heavy metal doors. With an exception of the hidden noodle remains, the place was actually pretty clean. The big monitor was used mostly for anime, and the floors were kept very sterile. A waxy surface covered most of it, but otherwise it was unnoticable. The walls had been repainted a nice soft blue, and the hole in the wall caused by Mettaton had twinkling light streamers around it. Since she couldn't patch the hole, Mettaton had told her to embrace it.

Undyne had gone into the city this morning, leaving Alphys with an open schedule. Receiving a text from Sans couldn't have been better timed. She'd known about Frisk having rough nights, but she just figured it was a result of all the uh… 'resets', as Sans would call them. It didn't make much sense to her, but she couldn't argue with the charts. Something had happened to their timeline, even if she couldn't physically feel the shifts. But this hadn't happened at all since they moved above ground, and she wrote it off as one of the many mysteries of Determination.

Oh gosh what was she doing? She needed to prepare! Alphys grabbed her clipboard off her cluttered desk dusting off a few crumbs. Once she was satisfied, she felt the air shift in the room. Sans blinked in, holding Frisk's hand. Frisk looked adorable, flushed face not looking at the skeleton and her freed hands pulling at the hem of her t-shirt. The shirt was a light grey, with the words "I'M A STAR" across Mettaton's logo. Sans tucked his hands into his hoodie and walked toward Alphys. Worry was etched onto his face.

"Heya, we're here." Sans winked his usual way, waiting for Alphys to take them down to the lab. "Glad you're willing to co-lab-orate with us." Frisk covered her mouth to hide her snort, making Sans smile with pride. Alphys just rolled her eyes.

"Right, right, um," she glanced at Frisk, noting the bags under her eyes. The color of her auburn hair also looked faded, almost paling. Months of stress were making their mark on her, but her smile still held that same charm. "This way, mind the um, stairs."

The former escalators, now stairs, led them down into her secret lab. The elevators had stopped running, so the descent was pretty long. Sure, Sans could blink them in, but consuming magical energy for something so simple just seemed wasteful. And Sans was pleased to do the bare minimum. Alphys decided the best way to fill the incredibly awkward air with the jist of what they were planning to do down here.

"So, Frisk saw the machine that Flowey used during the whole, um, 'episode.' Basically, we're going to set you up nice and comfy on the bed and hook that up to your brain. The pulses during your REM sleep are going to be sent to my monitor, and we can try to understand what it is you see that haunts you." She may have dumbed it down, but it was pretty complicated. If they could see her dreams, maybe they could work on a solution, but that was actually more difficult. It wasn't like she could drug her up to not dream. But one problem at a time!

"I'm always up for a nap," Frisk grinned in the dark space, following behind Dr. Alphys. Only about half of the lights clicked on, and a few were flickering. It wasn't the best place to nap, but she felt dead on her feet anyway. The excitement for what this could mean kept the pep in her step as they neared the last doorway. Sans chuckled behind her, sending goosebumps down her arms. Having him with her made this seem really easy.

A room full of beds welcomed them, and Alphys took a neatly made one along with them. She pushed the side of bed down the hallways, filling the air with the rhythmic clanging of metal. Frisk grabbed the other side to help steer it. She tried not to think about the monsters she had met down here. The hallways were devoid of any cobwebs, making the eerie feeling of a hospital even creepier. Sans simply followed behind. Watching the two girls push an empty bed down a barely lit hallway may be unsettling, but he wasn't worried. They were the only souls in this place. And nothing was stronger than Frisk. Looking at her small shoulders, he felt a stab of helplessness. She was so good, so pure. And he couldn't help her. Man, he never felt so useless in his life. He just wanted to protect her. The glint of metal caught his eye, as they approached 'the room.' He noticed Frisk flinch at the sight of it, and he ignored the impulse to wrap an arm around her. She shook it out and smiled at Alphys, who began explaining the different functions of this creation.

Alphys hooked the bed up to the center of the giant monstrosity. Frisk and Sans held it in place, locking the wheels. Alphys patted the mattress for Frisk. Once the girl got herself comfortable, Alphys hooked up a blood pressure machine around her arm. "Just to make sure if we need to pull you out, I don't want to put you under intense stress." A few sticky cables attached to Frisk's temples would allow the pulses to be measured. Sans took the one meant for her forehead and licked it before plopping it on her head. He winked at her as she shuddered in mock disgust. "Just think of these as cameras, recording your thoughts."

"So you'll know what I'm thinking?" Frisk poked at the wet sticker on her forehead, amazed that the skeleton could create spit.

"No, no, um… Sans, what's a good way to explain it?" Alphys asked him as she wheeled over an IV stand. A yellowish green liquid sloshed around in the bag, a clear tube wrapped around it. Frisk eyed it with disgust.

"It's like you'll be wearing a camera. We'll see what you see, hear what you hear." Sans shrugged as he took her other arm gently. A cotton ball dotted with alcohol pressed against the nook of her arm. She winced at the cold sensation, ignoring it to look at his face. His eyes seemed apologetic. "Needles to say, we can't actually influence anything. You'll be on your own, but we'll still be there."

Frisk didn't bother thinking about the contradiction. She touched her locket, hoping it would be her anchor. Sans held her hand as Alphys poked her arm with the IV needle. She squeezed his hand a bit harder than needed. She was a little nervous. But she didn't get much time to think about it, as they all watched the liquid goop drip down the tube. Her eyes felt heavy. Either Sans or Alphys, she wasn't sure, pulled the thick white blanket up to her chin. The pillow felt like a hole, sending her mind reeling back as her consciousness faded. Someone was talking to her, petting her hair back away from her face. Sans' smile was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

Darkness filled her vision. She breathed in a big gulp of air, but nothing filled her lungs. Cold seeped around her, a white mist encasing her in a tomb. She started to panic. Flailing her arms around, she struggled to latch onto something, anything to ground her. Her fingertips brushed against something hard. It felt like wood, ice cold to the touch and splintering. Suddenly, she felt the ground materialize under her feet and she let out a sigh of relief. Air filled her lungs.

It's okay, just breath.

The room materialized around her, wooden floors sprung up under her feet. She could feel the dirt under her fingers as she ran them along the grain of the wood. The thick wooden bars encaged her still, but there was nothing around her neck any more. She rubbed it as if it was sore. She didn't save before she was killed, so the collar shouldn't have been removed yet. The dirty blanket was in the corner on the same dead hay. Everything was as it had been every night, but more light seemed to peek through the tiny window near the ceiling. Frisk stood slowly, trying to gain her balance. Her locket hung heavy around her neck and she touched it for comfort. Thats right, she wasn't alone. But they couldn't hear her thoughts. She slowly took in her tiny cell, letting her friends get a good look.

"It's the same. The same as every night."

"Well I didn't feel like redecorating, kitten."

Turning on her heel, she almost fell backwards. In a shadow across the room, where he always sat, was Sans. His golden canine glinted off the light in his eye. She backed up, earning her a sudden bark of laughter. He stood up slowly, letting her get a good eye full of him. His filthy jacket and dirty red sneakers looked the same as ever, spotted with bits of red Frisk prayed was only her blood. Her instinct kicked in, and she folded herself on the knees politely, resting her palms on her knees. She couldn't make him angry, she needed information for her friends.

"So you remember me?" She asked carefully. The detached collar on the floor had not been torn off like before, so he had to have done it.

"Heh, after our enlightening chat earlier I knew you'd come back soon. Thought I'd show you some good faith." He gestured to the chain leash. She swallowed, trying to ignore the gleeful look on his face. Any moment he'd ask her something she couldn't answer and beat her for it. Sans unlocked the gate and let himself in, clicking it shut behind him. He put his hand on her head, caressing her hair. She looked up at him, confusion stretching across her face. There was no mercy in his eyes though. "So, keep being good and maybe it'll be easier on ya, kid."

She didn't dare respond. The more he spoke, the more information Alphys and Sans could gather. Frisk really hoped they were there.

He sighed, the malicious grin dropping from his face. "You're really fragile. I could snap your neck so easily, in fact I have." A tinge of pride. "But you keep coming back. Why not give up? Or actually fight me?"

"I don't choose to come here. Something keeps dragging me back." Frisk hadn't caught the glint in his eyes. He sat down in front of her, so close she could touch him. He looked really… relaxed.

"Uh huh. Sounds like we're going in a circle." Tracing a circle in the air, Sans jerked his head to the left. A popping sound came from his neck. A sigh escaped his mouth as he looked over her again. "I guess now I just need to decide what to do with you."

"Let me out, I know how this is suppose to go. I can help." It was her turn to sigh. This conversation again. To her surprise, he seemed to roll the idea around in his head for a moment. His smile drooped as his eyes closed. The heavy black coat looked as if it planned to swallow him whole. She'd never seen him look so small before. She reached her hand out, resting it on his knee. The sudden touch caused his eyes to snap open. He took her wrist and twisted it back as a sharp cry escaped her lips.

"Oh, now that was a nice sound." He pulled her wrist harder, enjoying the tears welling up in her eyes. Despite the pain, she smiled at him. Surprised, he released her. He scratched the back of his head. "Man, kid, you don't give me much to work with."

Frisk cradled her injured wrist. Ok, so touching the evil Sans was a bad idea, but him letting her off so easy was unusual. The lights from the window flickered, and she imagined the little inn and shops in Snowdin. The library with the misspelled name, Grillby's, even the dog throwing ice down the river to buy pants. The crunchy snow under her boots and that sweet smell of pine in the air. She really missed that. Sans just eyed her wistful face, tears no longer threatening to spill. Something about her smile threw him off. It was so sincere, so pure. It kind of pissed him off how easily she'd give that kind of smile.

"Sorry, I just want to help. And if I can, maybe I'll stop coming back down here. I know you're sick of me. But I need to get to Asgore so I can break the barrier. But," she tried something new. "I could use your help."

"My help?" Sans laughed a deep, scary laugh. He held his sides to keep him from falling backwards. "Why-the stars-would I help you?"

She shrugged, feeling hopeful. He didn't outright say no. "Something new?"

Sans continued his laughter. Help the defenceless human girl travel the underground? That's a riot. Although, it's true he would be the best person to ask for this. Monsters feared him and his brother almost as much as Asgore. And she did have a point, they weren't getting anywhere with the daily interrogations. But why should he be her protector? The idea was hilarious. How many times has he killed her? And she thinks she can bat her pretty eyes at him and wrap him around her finger?

But she was so breakable, so easily taken in by a monster. It was a wonder she got past the ruins like she did. He'd gone back to the door to see if the woman had been killed, but before he could knock he was greeted by the disgusting smell of burnt pie. A sickly sweet voice sang along the ruins, muffled by the thick door thankfully. That lady creeped him out. But it was impossible to get past her in the ruins, no one could go in or out without her say-so. Which means, the kid had convinced her to not only let her live, but release her as well. And she was singing about it. It wasn't an accident, and if he hadn't caught her on the bridge into Snowdin some other monster, maybe even his brother, would have torn her to bits. There had been something about that meeting too, the way she easily took his hand, smile on her face. Like she had been waiting for him.

It wasn't natural, a human being friendly with a monster.

After he killed her the first time, he felt the world shift. He had been back on the bridge with her, and she looked disappointed but still hopeful. He had no idea how many times it took for him to catch on. She was resetting. Alphys had found something like 'Determination' in her lab before, but he knew better than to ask that witch for anything. Instead, he took the girl home with him for questioning.

And now here they were, sitting in his shed talking about the possibility of working together. He had to laugh. So this is how she got past Toriel. Well, he wasn't some goon she could drag along with her. But it would be interesting to see what her plan is, and he can always bring her back here or give her to Papyrus. So alright, why not try it out? He extended his hand to her, grinning as she glanced down searching for a hidden tack.

"Alright kid, something new, yeah. But I got conditions."

She took his hand, nodding her head. All smiles gone from her face as she looked seriously into his glowing red eye and crooked grin. He squeezed it, hard. A small gasp escaped her mouth, stunning Sans for an instant before he applied more pressure. Frisk yanked on her hand, trying to free herself from his grip, but he would have none of it. Sans pulled her closer to him, slowly and menacingly. Fear lit up her eyes as he dragged his red gooey tongue across his canines, his gold tooth reflecting her face.

"You do what I say, when I say it. Go on, nod your head. If you want to stay alive out there, you're gonna need to do everything I say. Good girl." He released her hand as she nodded her head, pleased she was going along without question. He stood up, dusting the filth from his shorts. She stood as well, stretching her arm above her head and flexing her sore hand. Her clothing was a little different today, he noted, but what caught his attention was a small silver heart around her neck.

It looked really bright. Too bright to be a reflection from the room or window. The longer he looked at it, the less of Frisk he could see. Frisk also noticed the change, as she looked at her hand and saw she was becoming transparent. Her skin was fading into a pasty white before dissolving, almost to dust, in the air. Sans looked at her face in a panic, genuine concern in his eyes. She was dying, and it wasn't from him. He decides to help her and she dissolves before his eyes? Fuck, he tried to grab her shoulders. He couldn't feel any warmth from her, she may as well not exist under his grip. This wasn't a normal death. She tried to wave it off, but only the stubs of her wrists were there to greet him. It didn't feel painful, in fact, it felt almost numb. Little pin pricks rose up her arms, to her shoulders. She wasn't afraid, she could guess what this was.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll um… I'll be back!" She grinned, hoping she wasn't going to freak him out, before her vision went out.

Sans was left, alone in the shed, staring in horror at the girl became nothing around him, with no pull of a reset starting. Huh, so she had surprises. Well, as he clicked the lock of the gate shut, so did he. And now they were making progress.