A/N: I'm so sorry these updates have been so erratic. I've been dealing with some mental health issues and trying to finish Bestiality (that hasn't helped anything in the mental health department, holy shit). Luckily, Bestiality is nearly finished and I'll have more time to focus on this story.

One person had suggested it might be Asgore that they rescued. Was anyone surprised it was Asriel? Any ideas about where Gaster might take Asriel? Yes, I'm totally asking questions to get you guys to leave your thoughts, lol. I'm guilty. Sorry?

Enjoy!

Oh! And I have a tumblr! Come join me and stuff. sheewolf85 dot tumblr dot com

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Frisk?"

"Are you okay?"

"Hey, punk! What happened?"

"F-Frisk! Wake up!"

Frisk's eyes suddenly opened as she gasped. She wasn't sure what exactly just happened, but she knew it was big. She looked around to see Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne standing around her. She could hear Gaster talking softly in the background.

"What the hell?" she said groggily. She laid on Sans' bed, his hand wrapped around hers.

"You fainted, Frisk," he said worriedly. "Are you okay? Maybe I didn't get all of my magic? I thought I did. I'm so sorry!"

Frisk smiled and brought his hand to her lips. "I'm okay, Sans. And everyone else. I promise I'm okay."

She sat up slowly and squeezed Sans' hand again.

"We were very worried about you," Papyrus all but shouted. "You apparently fell unconscious after realizing our new friend is the prince."

"Paps!" Sans yelled. "So you go and tell her again?"

She laughed. "You told me the first time."

Sans gave her a look. "Yeah, but you deserve to know. I feel bad that my dad still doesn't trust you."

She nodded. "This is really big news. I mean, I could tell anyone and you'd have the entire military here, news crews, humans galore."

"Who would you tell? Honestly, Frisk."

She thought about that for a second. "Knowing the repercussions of me saying anything, I wouldn't tell anyone until you guys told me it was safe to do so."

Sans nodded. "Exactly. I knew that would be your answer. I trust you with my life."

She leaned in and kissed him. "I know."

Alphys clapped. "You two are just too cute together!"

"Yeah!" Undyne shouted. "When are you gettin' married?"

Alphys shot her a look. Undyne just grinned back.

Frisk looked at Sans and swallowed. They hadn't talked about that yet, although that was next on their list.

"I don't think that's a conversation we need to have with everyone in the room," Sans said, looking directly at Undyne when he said 'everyone'.

"Did you already ask her?" Papyrus asked excitedly. "What did she say?"

Sans' cheeks suddenly turned blue. "Dammit, Paps." He hung his head down and tried to keep breathing.

"What? Oh, no! Did she say no?" Papyrus looked at Frisk. "Why don't you want to marry my brother?"

"No, no, Paps…I didn't ask yet."

"Oh." Papyrus shuffled slowly to the door, his face orange with embarrassment. "I think I left something somewhere." He left the room.

"Come on, Undyne. L-let's give the two l-lovebirds some space." Alphys took Undyne's hand and tugged lightly to lead her out of the room.

Once alone together, Frisk cleared her throat. "So you were going to ask me even before you found that box in my pocket?" she asked.

He nodded. "I was actually going to ask you last weekend at dinner with my dad."

She leaned in and kissed his still-blue cheekbone. "I will," she whispered.

"I haven't asked yet."

She snickered. "You better get on it, then."

He got up and got something out of the top drawer of his dresser. He cleared his throat before getting down on one knee before her.

"Frisk, I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone. You've given me so much and ask for so little in return. I would be honored if I could call you my wife." He held out his hands and opened a small black box to reveal a ring with a small diamond nestled on top

Frisk could only nod. She was speechless. She watched as his bony fingers plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

"I love you," she finally whispered.

He pushed her back on the bed and crawled in to lay beside her. He took her hand kissed her knuckles. "The whole world is going to be changing soon. Once word gets out that a Boss Monster still exists, there might even be a new war. I don't know what's going to happen, but I want to get married as soon as possible so it can happen with us together."

Frisk nodded and curled herself against him. "I agree. I'm a little scared, but I'm also really hopeful. Is there any possible way the king and queen are still alive?"

Sans shrugged. "Possible, I guess, but really unlikely. I think they would have shown some kind of sign of life during the last war if they were still around."

Frisk figured that was probably true. "Do you think monsters will allow him to take the throne?"

He wasn't sure what to think about that for a second. Would he want to be ruled? "Not like it was before, no. But maybe having a new king would be a bad thing. I mean, this guy almost killed you simply because you're a human. A good king that does not make." He sighed. "On the other hand, he's a Boss Monster, so we might not have a choice."

"Why not?"

"Do you know why they're called Boss Monsters?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, because they're the bosses."

Sans snorted. "Nope. Because they have more power in their magic than any other monsters. You know in games when you fight the final big bad enemy, it's called a boss. Humans literally named our royalty after enemies in games."

Her nose scrunched up. She didn't like that. "I vote we don't call him a Boss Monster, then. What if we just call him a Royal Monster?"

Her opinion caught him by surprise. He had expected her to feel something similar, but not to the point where she felt uncomfortable using the term. It made him love her even more. He couldn't help but pull her close and kiss her.

"I like that idea."

~LM~

"So, what happens now?" Asriel asked hesitantly.

Gaster took a step forward and slipped his hands into his pockets. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure. I'm sure you've figured out that you can't stay here. I'll find somewhere safe for you."

Asriel huffed. "There's nowhere safe. Do you…do you know if my parents are really dead? The humans told me they'd killed my parents."

Gaster shook his head sadly. "They haven't shown any signs of life in three centuries. That being said, I can tell you that the humans did not kill them. Had that happened, they would have flaunted it to the rest of the world in a very noticeable manner."

"So, there's a chance?" He didn't want to feel hopeful; hope led to more pain.

"A microscopic one, but yes." He wanted to lie to the prince, but there was no use in doing so. He deserved to know the truth.

Asriel looked down as he contemplated all that he'd learned in such a short amount of time. He had the hardest time wrapping his head around the fact that not all humans deserved to die. Regardless of whether that one had helped save him, he never wanted to see her again. The thought of a human under the same roof as he ever again made him angry.

"How soon can I leave?"

Gaster sucked in a deep breath. "As in on your own, or just this place?"

"Whichever gets me away from the human faster."

"In that case, we'll figure something out tomorrow. It's getting a little too late to do anything tonight. I apologize." Gaster raised a hand to rub his skull.

Asriel's eyes followed the other monster's bony fingers along the cracks in his skull. "What happened to you?"

Gaster let his fingers trail along the crack down to his right eyelid. "I was hurt by humans."

"And yet, you let your son become involved with one?" That made no sense.

Gaster smiled. "Actually, I didn't let my son do anything. He makes his own choices. I can't say I agree with all of them, but Frisk has been…She was essential in the rescue of my son. And you, too, by extension. Had we not gone in to get him, we wouldn't have found you."

"How was she essential? It seems you have enough power to take down the whole place. I can feel it. Are you a Boss Monster?"

"No," he all but snapped. He shook his head and spoke softer. "Not anymore." He didn't want to think about that. "Frisk was essential in that she got us past a few points that neither Papyrus nor I could have gotten us past without further carnage. She helped me to put Sans' soul back in his body. Had she not touched it and absorbed some of his magic, it would have been too strong for me to manipulate it." He knew he could have figured it out, but it would have taken so much longer. "And because she absorbed some of his magic, she was able to put down the rest of the guards in the area, plus a few outside. That made it possible for us to spend the extra minutes it took to get you."

"How did it not kill her?" Asriel asked, stunned.

"She and Sans share a very special connection. That moment made me realize it. Not soulmates, exactly, but they were truly meant to know each other." He shook his head again, slowly. "I can't say I fully understand it, but I do know that only very special humans are able to touch and absorb raw monster magic, much less survive as long as she did with it in their bodies. I've no doubt that as things progress in their relationship, she'll build up a tolerance."

Asriel grimaced. "Are you saying they could have kids? Those would be some fugly kids."

Gaster laughed. "Yes, I imagine children are a part of their future." He'd accepted that fact when Sans talked about the possibility of marriage between the two.

"Dad."

Gaster looked up as Papyrus walked in. He tried to discreetly put himself in between Asriel and his son. "Yes, Papyrus?"

"Sans is still resting, but I'm tired. Will you read to me?"

Gaster smiled. "Of course, my son."

Papyrus realized that Asriel was still in his room. "Where will I sleep tonight?"

Gaster looked over at Asriel. "Do you mind sleeping on the couch tonight?"

Asriel shrugged. "Anywhere's bound to be better than that damn pod."

"You'll have your room, Son."

He gently pushed Papyrus back out of the room and had him help set Asriel up on the couch. Afterward, they said goodbye to Alphys and Undyne.

Frisk and Sans made an appearance just long enough to say goodbye and goodnight, then disappeared back into Sans' room.

Gaster figured that was for the best, so long as his son was actually resting. He didn't figure Frisk would let anything happen that could hurt—

He stopped that thought as he realized she had the ring on her finger. Ha! He found he was happy for the two of them.

Still, he knew that Frisk wouldn't let anything happen that could hurt Sans.

He read to Papyrus and smiled at his youngest son, curled in his racecar sheets. He was too cute. He placed a hand on Papyrus' head for a moment before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.