Sans finally arrived at the tall purple wall at the edge of the forest at the far west of the Snowdin passage. It's tall structure cast an almighty shadow across the pathway on which he stood. As Sans stepped forward to knock on the door with his bone-hand knuckles, a kindly voice gently emanated from behind the solid door.
"Knock, knock." A feminine voice whispered. Sans lowered his hand and began to smile.
"who's there?" He responded, placing his hands in his jacket pockets.
"Old lady!" The voice continues. Sans bows his head forward with a subtle grin.
"old lady who?" He asks, although certain of what will happen next.
"Oh! I did not know you could yodel!" The woman cried with laughter. Sans snickered at the thought.
"hey, didn't ya use that one last time?" Sans asked, edging closer to the door.
"Oh bother…" She realized, "I'm afraid I did! Oh dear, I'm so sorry…" Sans leaned up against the huge stone door and gently placed the back of his large skull against it, resting himself.
"hey, that's ok" Sans was quick to respond. "its still a good joke." A relieved sigh could be heard from the other side of the door. "anyway, how you doin' tori?"
"I'm holding out, don't worry about me! How was your brother, Papyrus?" Toriel asked, too leaning her back against the door connecting the two landscapes together.
"he found out about me coming over here… i reckon he's gonna follow me sometime"
"Are you okay, Sans? I would love to meet your brother!" Toriel was quick to console him.
"yeah... i just like spending time alone with someone with a good sense of humor for once." At the other side of the door, Toriel blushed uncontrollably.
"Oh, well, thank you Sans." She smiled, "I like your jokes too." Sans almost couldn't stop giggling at that thought. "What is it, Sans?" Toriel became intrigued.
"heh, y'know… my brother thinks that i…" He paused, hesitating with his words.
"Sans..?" Toriel turned to face the door, placing one of her fluffy ears against the stone to listen.
"look, old lady, it's been a long time since i met someone with your caliber of humor… and, i kinda like that in a person." Sans confessed to her, upon hearing this, Toriel blushed again, and her eyes widened.
"Oh my…" She whispered to herself in surprise.
"and i was thinkin'... maybe in another time, when there wasn't this freakin' door in the way- me and you, we could'a been best buds or somethin'." Sans bowed his head to the floor, closing his eyes.
After a moment of silence, Toriel spoke back.
"Truthfully, Sans, I like you too." She spoke, almost stumbling on her words like one certain anxiety ridden dinosaur Sans once knew.
"well, gee..." Sans begins while scratching his head.
"It's alright, my dear. You don't have to say anything."
The passageway sat in silence for a good twenty seconds before Sans broke the silence.
"so what does someone like you get up to in there?" He asked, trying to re-spark a conversation.
"Well, I usually read books, sit by the fire, and tend to the denizens and flora of the ruins." Toriel replied, smiling to herself.
"sounds like you got a lot on your plate." Sans added, although Toriel hesitated with her response.
"I… Haven't told anyone this before but…" At the other side, Toriel began blushing once more. "Sometimes I get a little lonely in here… Just me and all… So I sometimes…" Sans interrupted her.
"wait, tori?" He asked, although Toriel took no notice of his plea.
"Sometimes I play around- Do things to myself… Just to make things seem not so bad..." Sans stood from the door, surprised and shocked. "I had books about it once, I've read them all- ways to make yourself feel good… But for so many of those ways, you need someone to help you."
Sans took a step back away from the door.
"I- uh… what are you saying?" He sounded absolutely speechless.
"Sans, if you don't mind me asking… If I could find a way to open this door, would you perhaps… Help me with those things?"
"Hey," Sans began to reply, a little flustered- "i can't help ya, i'm 'fraid. y'see i ain't got nothin to work with." At the other side of the door, Toriel darted upright.
"What, you mean you don't have a-?"
"nope." Sans interrupted her, cutter her off before she could finish. "just... bone." Toriel sighed,
"I'm terribly sorry, I did not mean to wrap you up in this awful situation." Sans smiled a little.
"heh. s'alright." He responded, standing up from the wall. "Anyway i gotta get back to my watch. see ya."
"Farewell!" Toriel replied, placing her hand against the door as she walked away. "Be good, alright?"
As Sans walked away from the ruins through the narrow forest pathway, he could hear the sounds of excited footsteps clapping away on the stone floors and running back into the ruins. He did not know what was happening, but as for Toriel, she was about to do something absolutely ghastly.