Co-authored with StormDacana and Omicron the IceQueen

Protective

It was voices that woke Danni up, including Sans' voice vibrating against the girl's head. But as she had been tired at first it wasn't startling, Ich's voice was there off and on, and another male voice that was 'loud whispering' as he complained about the cooking show playing. Slowly she picked her head up from where it had been hiding against Sans, blinking somewhat owlishly around her. Noticing another figure on the sofa-another skeleton no less. Glancing up at Sans and resting her chin on his chest in a pitiful manner to show she was awake.

Sans grinned down at her, wide and content as he ruffled her hair once more, glancing back at the bigger, taller skeleton monster that was waving both hands at the tv, digits wiggling.

"What are they talking about?!" he hissed softly, glaring at the TV.

"The person over cooked the pasta and under cooked the cupcakes." the witch said from her spot on the recliner, munching on what looked like left over pizza.

Smiling at the affection the girl glanced over at the two others again. The dramatic outraged face the taller skeleton had caused a giggle she couldn't suppress as she quickly hid her face against Sans shirt to hide and peek.

"What was that?" the other monster asked, turning.

"A giggle." Sans said, unmoving.

"Oh..."

"Oooh, icecream," Ich said and the other skeleton turned to see.

Peeking at the other skeleton again, at least she wasn't scared of him it seemed just...shy. Plus he was so easily distracted it seemed.

"How do you make ice cream? or nice cream..." The new skeleton was wondering.

"I'll show you some time." Ich said yawning as she settled on a pillow that was given to her.

Danni eyed the TV and the machine the cook was using to make the mentioned ice cream. Ich knew how to use one of those?

"Really?" The taller skeleton gasped, hands on his chest.

"That would be fun." Sans nodded, "We could just chill out."

"Oh my magic Sans!" his brother, it had to be, glared.

"What?" sand lifted a hand over his own chest, the picture of injured innocents, "It'll be a ice day!"

Danni started giggling at the puns catching on to them and smiling, peeking at the other two from where she was nearly hidden against Sans side still. Papyrus' face was amazing.

"Ohhh, don't go corrupting the little human with your bad sense of humor brother!" what was it that Sans called his brother? Papyrus?

"Might to be late," Ich put in.

Giggling more at then Danni braved looking up fully smiling at the other two. Ich waved, and Sans was happily poking puns at his brother in regards to the cooking show. Papyrus kept huffing and sulked, not able to fully focus on Danni right away. Danni hid her face again a moment shy before doing a small finger waggle back at Ich. It was a good easy introduction at least.

"Why does the little human have your jacket Sans?" Papyrus asked.

"She thinks it's cool too." Sans guessed, back to being apparently lazy again.

"Makes me feel safe." Danni murmured, amused by Sans' back and forth.

"Safe?" A puzzled Papyrus echoed with a frown for a moment before the expression eased, "Well, I suppose it has to be pretty warm with that fur."

"Mmhm." It was the first time Papyrus actually directly spoke to her and it was this cute peek over Sans's arm at him.

"You doing okay kid?" Sans asked, lifting the hood of his jacket a bit to look at the girl. Didn't humans need to use the bathroom?

That would also mean she'd have had to drink and eat more then she had. Danni smiled up at him. " 'm fine." Headtilting up at him in confusion. Why wouldn't she be?

"Do you need to go to the rest bathroom?" Ich guessed after a half a minute of Sans wondering how its asked it. "You'd been out of it for a long time."

"Guess wouldn't hurt." Her metabolism was shut down that was basically the only rational reason at this point which explained why Danni hadn't complained of hunger or really ate...much of anything since coming.

"Someone hand me my bag?" Ich asked, smiling as the taller monster hopped up and bringing the bag over for the witch to dig into it, "Give this to Danni, I know you don't stalk it."

A little confused, Papyrus passed over a soft white roll of something... to Sans and the new human. He didn't know what his brother was chuckling about as the toilet paper was passed to the girl..

Danni took it when he offered it, timid but trying. "Thank you." She looked at Ich. "Where do I go?" Since she had no idea.

Ich fumbled with her blanket and got the chair back into a chair position. But it took Papyrus' offering hands to pull her up to her feet, "Ooo.. head rush... come on kiddo, I'll show you, have to go there myself after you."

"Do you need help?" Sans asked, catching that Ich looked a little pale again standing up.

"Nah, getting up is the hard part, and Papyrus was amazing help. I should make it now."

Danni watched the whole thing then realized she had to leave the safety of Sans' side. Biting her lip in nervousness she carefully extracted herself of him and the sofa, padding up to Ich on silent feet. Glancing up meekly as she passed Papyrus...he was tall.

Ich shifted and offered her right arm out for the girl, not unlike Sans had. In fact she was mimicking Sans, as Danni was comfortable with the monster, and the other monster was seven or so feet tall. Taking the arm nut just for her comfort but in case Ich got woozy, at least she wasn't panicking over the large monster just unsure.

Ich patted Danni's hand and lead her to the back of the house from where they were. She pointed into the bathroom, "You go first," the woman said, leaning against the wall outside, "We'll get you something nice to drink on the way back."

Nodding the girl went in to do her thing, one finished and washed her hands she came out looking stunned. Touching her once split lip then looking at Ich teary. She'd not seen herself since healing, and the girl went used to seeing some form of bruise.

"What's wrong kiddo?" Ich asked opening her eyes and saw the look she was getting.

"I've never seen my face like this before that I can remember..." scars remained of course but being bruise, cut, and burn free was...abnormal to her.

"You're pretty cleaned up," Ich offered with a tired smile, "Did I miss something?"

"I don't see anything..." the girl went to lean on the wall to wait for Ich who needed the bathroom too. "I'll wait out here"

"Do me a favor?" the older woman asked, chuckling, "If it's been more than ten minutes wake me up."

"Okay." Danni nodded in understanding, she would to she'd be counting in her head the time. Almost ten minutes later the door opened and the woman washed her hands, using a clean washcloth to clean her face and get some of the fever sweat off her face and neck. It was dropped into a bin that was in the bathroom. Head tilting at the woman it was obvious Danni hadn't moved an inch from her spot watching the door.

Ich smiled at Danni again, coming out and pausing to lean on the door frame. "Okay, let's raid the kitchen."

"Okay." Though she wasn't sure what to expect by doing so, Sans made her the hot chocolate and oatmeal. Did they eat being skeletons? Once in the kitchen and examining the fridge, as well as a few cabinets, there were, oddly, several boxes of pasta were neatly stacked over the counters. Danni headtilted somewhat baffled, that was... a lot of pasta. She didn't really rifle through anything leaving that to Ich.

"Yeah, it's a lot." The woman said softly with a grin, "Just be careful with what Papyrus tries to feed you. He's not the best cook yet." Ich added in a whisper, putting a finger to her lips, leaning on the counter for a moment. "Don't tell him I said that."

Giving a slow blink Danni nodded in understanding. She'd keep that in mind as she found crackers and looked at Ich like 'this ok?' It was something Danni was used to nibbling on.

Ich nodded from what drink she was mixing, pulling down orange box of cheese crackers. She pushed it over, "have these too, Pap and Sans keep it around for me, you can have some." the witch mixed a little chocolate after tasting it. The cup was offered to Danni, "This is for you, it might be a little odd tasting but its good for you. Just sip it."

Crackers! The girl beamed a bit, happy with the nibbles, blinking. Taking it and sniffing her brows furrowed carefully sipping it.

It was a little thicker then the chocolate milk, though it had a taste like it.

"You didn't seem like you have a big stomach, so that will help." Ich explained, starting to the living room again.

Her face was pretty cute to look at, now she was healed what freckles she had showed, and her nose scrunched just a little bit at the oddness. But no complaint was voice as she sipped at it. Danni had her crackers she'd wash the thick thing down with after all.

"Sans still has the water bottle horde, maybe I might have some juice in my bag... I'm always half loosing things in there." Ich said, loud enough to be heard as she walked Danni back into the living room, where Papyrus was sitting on the floor watching the TV.

Danni had her cup of meal drink, and her little snack crackers. Not quite close enough to trip on but enough to be like a little duckling the girl was on Ich's heels. Papyrus wasn't so scary when he was sitting at least, especially on the floor .

"Do you need me to cook a meal?" He asked seeing the crackers, waiting until Danni climbed up onto the couch before scooting closer to Ich, holding an arm out and up for her to brace on the thick bones before making the last steps to the chair.

"Thank you Papyrus, but I can't keep anything down right now that's not water." Ich explained, sinking into the too big chair. It looked more like it would fit someone bigger than Sans but not as big as Papyrus. Something sized in between the brothers maybe, for both of them.

Danni settled down into the cushions watching the two adults quietly as she finished the small shake thing Ich made her. Her tummy was somewhat full but she could get some crackers down.

Sans reached up and half patted, half petting Danni's head, "Feeling better kiddo?"

Nodding she settled against him not as clingy as before but just relaxed companionship type snuggle. "Yeah...I didn't recognize myself in the mirror." Murmured still surprised at how different she looked all healed up.

"You did get cleaned up." Sans pointed out, there was an ever so faint twitch. "You're going to need new cloths though," he poked at the barrowed shirt the girl had been put in with the jammie bottems from Ich's bag.

"...Yeah..." Danni glanced at her attire, buried in the larger clothes because of how tiny she was.

"What do you think Ich? Wanna go shopping later?" Sans asked, looking over as he lounged.

"Only if you get Papyrus and me something," Ich said, turned in the reclined char that her head was resting beside the other Skeleton, unable not to feel touched as he insisted now to stay close to her now that he had found out she wasn't feeling good. The monster had barely made it to his bed last night and hadn't seen either human.

The girl watched the other two curiously, at least her watching Papyrus seemed to help her relax that he was around.

"We should go for a walk later to get nice cream." Sans decided, watching Danni.

"The park's not far!" Papyrus nodded, reaching out to touch Ich's hair in a fascination of his own.

The girl didn't notice he was watching as she looked confused and mouthed to herself 'nice cream?' she really hadn't gotten anything like that before which wasn't surprising since she'd never even had chocolate. resting her cheek on what acted like Sans sternum she was like a little cat just chilling and relaxing.

"Will you bring me back some?" Ich asked, shifting to look at the monsters.

"Of course!" Papyrus sat up, putting a hand over his chest, "The Great Papyrus would never leave a friend out, or in need of nice cream! I will personally make sure some is brought back to you!" He frowned for a moment, "But you have used so much magic quickly! You must stay here until you have regained your strength and magic! Right Sans?" He turned.

Sans gave a thumbs up, "You're right bro."

"Of course I am!"

Danni giggled softly at how the other skeleton preened. Though she was admittedly unsure how to even clothes shop without help.

"We can go shopping in a few days." Ich promised, as she was starting to nod of despite herself. It had Papyrus pausing to blink and then lower his arms to peer at the woman as she fell asleep.

After a few minutes he turned to his brother, "Sans, is she alright?"

Looking at the sleeping Ich, Danni had to wonder the same thing though her color was doing better.

"She's getting better," Sans assured, and pointed to the witch, "Remember Papyrus, humans aren't made of magic like we are. Ich used soul magic and that other human magic. Take a closer look, her soul is getting stronger from earlier. Humans don't recover as fast as Monster's do normally."

Watching the woman sleep the girl still felt somewhat guilty even if it really wasn't her fault. She also realized she hadn't even said Hi to Papyrus yet but was to shy/scared too.

Papyrus propped his chin on a closed fist, back to watching the TV. After a long pause, the monster looked back at Sans, frowning, "Did you feed your pet rock this week."

Sans gave a thumbs up. "Yep."

The girl blinked looking at Sans. "You have a pet rock?"

"Yeah, brought it up from the underground." Sans nodded, "Its up in my room... hmm, we should get you settled in a room too."

Danni looked at his face eyes searching his face puzzled. "You really meant it, me staying here with you?"

"why wouldn't I?" Sans asked, and grinned as his brother gasped.

"Does this mean she can be our little sister?" Papyrus sat up and pressed his knuckles to his teeth.

"No one's actually meant it before." quietly, blinking in surprise as Papyrus he just looked so utterly...excited?

"We do!" Papyrus said instantly, nodding then looking at his brother, "We're keeping her! And no one will ever take the little human away! I, the great Papyrus, shall be the bestest best big brother!"

"Oh really?" Sans asked with a wide grin.

"Oh..." The taller skeleton paused, considering, "Sans! You will still and always will be my older brother! Do not doubt that!"

Danni was giggling just really caught off guard but smiling at Papyrus, which is the first she had yet since they'd seen each other.

That seemed to fuel him, and the monster was inching closer to turn around, "Do you like action figures? I have many! And puzzles! ...we don't really need to make puzzles to capture people but there's all these smaller but challenging puzzles on boards or cards! They are very fun!"

A confused brow as lifted slightly as she blinked at him. "...Action figures?" She literally was locked in a house/closet for majority of her life poor thing. "I don't think I've ever done a puzzle, I've heard of those though."

Papyrus gasped so hard he wheezed.