'The Recovery' has been updated, so I thought I'd update this too. Should answer some questions, but I hope it sounds good to you guys!

/xXLoveThatAccentXx

Sans wasn't at his station.

Frisk frowned, glancing down at Flowey. Flowey sighed roughly.

"If you're going to find him, you need to find him quickly." Flowey growled tersely. "Papyrus could find us at any time. You do remember that he wants to rip your soul out, right?"

Frisk bit her lip. She turned from the post and made her way back to Snowdin. Maybe he went into town for something. He was probably the only person who could help her now.

"I just wish…" Frisk began thoughtfully, then she stopped, and shut her mouth. Flowey didn't say anything about it for a good bit of time before curiosity took over and he asked, "What?"

"It's nothing… I just wish there was some way to make friends." She admitted.

The flower sighed deeply. "Welcome to the underground."

They couldn't progress to Waterfall since Papyrus kept it under guard, so they returned to Snowdin in hopes of finding Sans. The town was less excited now, as most Night Crawlers had run off, and a lot of people were walking from place to place. Frisk was heading back to the Inn when she saw him.

A small figure draped in a dark jacket leaned in the alleyway between the shop and the Inn, as though he were trying not to be seen. But Frisk saw him and she knew who he was.

"Flowey, look!" She pointed, and Flowey perked up.

"Sans," He breathed. "Go, maybe we can catch him!"

Frisk started toward him. He didn't seem to notice her coming toward him, he just continued to lean on the wall and check his wrist every so often. It occurred to Frisk he was waiting for someone.

Did he know I'd come back? She thought in confusion.

As she drew near, he looked over his shoulder. "you're late."

Frisk was about to answer when she realised he wasn't taking to her. She quickly ducked behind the wall as a new figure showed up. This one was about as tall as Sans, with a long snout and yellow skin. There was a hood over their face, so she couldn't get a good look at them, but from the shape, they had to be much better fed than Sans.

"I arrived the same time I always do." The figure hissed - quite literally. From the voice, it had to be female. "You're just eager."

"you wouldn't understand." Sans growled.

The figure scoffed. She dug around in her pockets and pulled something out; a little case of something.

"Drugs?" Flowey flinched quietly.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Frisk muttered reluctantly. Sans didn't seem to be one of standards. Luckily, Frisk's standards for friends was low already.

As Sans reached for it, the figure yanked it away. "Ah, Ah! Aren't you forgetting something?"

The skeleton sighed and pulled out some coins, counting them. He handed the figure a couple of them, and she in turn gave him the case.

"You're freakin' welcome." She growled. "But I'm running out. Hopefully this thing finally clears up by next month."

"i wouldn't count on it, alphys." Sans shook his head somewhat sadly.

"Well, that's your problem, not mine. Best of wishes, blah blah blah." Alphys turned and stalked away. Then she turned again.

"Oh, by the way," She called. "Next time you bring a friend, make sure they know how to properly eavesdrop."

Sans looked taken aback, and Frisk froze. Sans whirled around and, upon seeing them, immediately began to run. Frisk was startled but quickly lurched to follow him.

Sans was fast. Not as fast as some others Frisk knew but he was certainly faster than her. She struggled to keep up as he weaved through the walking Snowdin residents, calling out to him.

"Wait!" She shouted, and Flowey latched tightly onto her as she pushed herself harder. "Please, come back!"

Sans did not stop. However, he did slow. Not by much, but he was coughing again and couldn't run as fast. By now they'd left Snowdin and were flying across the open snow-covered plains. His jacket whipped behind him as he gained more ground.

"Sans, get back here!" Flowey screamed.

Frisk didn't expect that to work, but she was surprised as the skeleton skid across the ice, slowing to a stop. Then she began to sweat as he started running again - straight at her.

She squealed and took off in the other direction. "I take it back! I take it back!"

It was too late; Snowdin was far behind her so she wouldn't be able to lose him there. His newfound rage seemed to give him wings and he jumped her as soon as he was close enough. Both of them tumbled violently into the snow.

Sans pinned her, glowering into her face with his unsettling red eye. "why were you following me?!"

Frisk flinched and clenched her teeth. "I just needed help!"

"so you spy on me!"

"I didn't mean to, I… you shouldn't have been there anyway!" Frisk gained some confidence as she found it in her to confront him on the activities she caught him in. "Dealing in alleyways like that. What's your addiction? Some underground mushroom?"

Frisk trailed off when his expression fell from anger to confusion.

"what are you talking about?" He looked offended. "are you saying… you think these…?"

Sans sat back on his shoes, yanking Frisk into a sitting position. He pulled the case from his pocket and shoved it in her face. "prescription, human, prescription!"

"P-Prescription…?" Frisk took the case and looked inside, sifting through all the tablets. "For what?"

"i thought it'd be obvious." He replied flatly. As if to highlight his point, he began to cough again, covering his mouth with his sleeve.

Frisk was quiet for a bit. She asked, "What is it?"

"you'd think i would know by now, but…" Sans shrugged stiffly, taking the case back. "...how about we go to grillby's. you probably expect me to explain a few things."

Turns out, Grillby's was the bar near the Inn. It was small in comparison to the other buildings around town, but certainly not small enough to keep the crowds away. Lounging in booths along the walls or leaning on tables and focused intently on card games were the sentries; shaggy dogs in black cloaks, armor, and in a few cases, karate gear. Every one of them had a spiked cuff clipped tightly around their necks, broken chains dangling from them, swinging back and forth when they moved, like sharp braids on pioneer girls. Luckily, they didn't seem to notice Frisk as she passed by them with Sans; apparently, the skeleton's presence turned all their focus away.

It wasn't a very classy place, and definitely not that clean, but it was warm, and Frisk and Flowey welcomed it as though the place was paradise.

The bartender- Grillby, as addressed by Sans- had a ball of flame for a head, rectangular glasses resting on what could only be his nose miraculously without burning away. He wiped the inside of a cup dry with a rag as they approached, and Sans hopped onto a barstool with practised ease for his height, requesting something from the menu that Frisk could only assume was a regular for him. The other patrons gave him irritable looks but Grillby seemed respectful enough and that was all Sans needed to be contented, it appeared. Perhaps he was just as much of an outcast as Frisk.

"you comin' up, honey?" Sans snorted, acknowledging Frisk's awkward standing behind him. He kicked the seat next to him with his boot; his feet didn't even touch the floor. "come on, i don't bite." Then he winked. "hard."

Frisk chuckled a bit despite herself, and Flowey curled his lip distastefully.

When she finally managed to haul herself onto the barstool next to him, he hummed and rested his arms on the table. "she's with me, grillbz. bring her some fries or somethin."

Grillby shrugged stiffly and turned around to go into the back room. Frisk called after him, "Thank you!", albeit quietly. Nevertheless, it made him falter a bit, puzzled, before shrugging again and pushing through the door.

As soon as they were mostly out of earshot, Sans spoke.

"you know… nobody knows about my… problem. no one 'cept grillbz, i mean… not even papyrus." He pulled a mustard container from its perch across from him and slid it over the countertop between his two hands, apathetically. "you're actually the only one who's ever caught me tradin'. tell me… why were you spyin' in the first place? no one 'round here cares about what happens with me, so why did you?"

Frisk set her jaw and stared at the countertop. "I was looking for you, hoping you'd give me some advice about Papyrus. When I saw you, I got worried. For your health."

He snorted. "my health? that's a laugh. and you say papyrus is lookin' for you? yeah... have fun with that."

Frisk was taken aback at his words. "You won't… help me?"

"i'm afraid there ain't nothin i can do to stop papyrus from stabbing you in the face, sweetheart. you're on your own there. however," He added. "i can give you a hint to surviving this whole mess, guaranteed."

Frisk sat at attention.

Sans held a hand to the side of his mouth, as if to tell a secret. Frisk leaned a little closer- but not too close.

"give up, kid."

Flowey's petals poofed in anger. "What?" He hissed. "No! Not now! We've come so far!"

Sans shrugged and leaned back. "it's what i did. i'm still alive, aren't i? tell you what; give up your journey, stay in snowdin, live a few more years, kay?"

"But we have to get to the Surface!" Flowey argued quietly, making sure not to draw any other monster's attention. "Frisk can't stay here anyway. We're running too low on gold to stay at the inn, and it's too cold here to stay in the streets…"

Sans shrugged again, smirking. "if you're hinting me to offer shelter at my house, i would tell you that it would be much to inconvenient for me, not to mention i have a sneaky suspicion paps wouldn't like that very much. so… yeah, guess you are screwed, huh?"

Grillby returned with the orders. As soon as her tray of fries was slid in front of her, Frisk's eyes widened. The smell was amazing, like a greasy heaven. Needless to say, she dug right in, holding a few out for Flowey to nibble on as well.

"call it a last meal." Sans chuckled, but Frisk ignored him. What a pessimist. He was almost as bad as Flowey.

The tray was small, and Frisk finished quickly. She licked her fingers to get the last of the salt, and turned once more to Sans. "Are you sure you can't… talk to him?"

He rested his chin in his palm, fingers curling into one of his eye sockets; the empty one that bore no light. Frisk would've called it disturbing if the real meaning wasn't so terribly sad.

"that wouldn't end well for me, honey."