The second time had been two weeks after the first.
Frisk had been awake.
Awake and not alone.
"...okay okay...alright how bout this? what did the police cow say to the felon?"
Barely able to contain their smile, the small human shrugged their shoulders in anticipation.
"...you're UDDER arrest for MOOder!"
From within the kitchen Frisk could hear Papyrus banging his head against the wall.
Again.
They also could see Toriel covering her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Again.
It seemed Sans pun run was still going strong. 13 down, a lot more to go.
Having noticed Papyrus leaning over the countertop and into the living room, the small human waved happily.
The taller skeleton of course smiled back before narrowed his sockets at his brother.
The relative connivence of having the two rooms open to one another allowed Papyrus and Toriel to keep an eye on them both. However it also made it impossible not to hear every single joke.
"I THE GREAT PAPYRUS HERE BY MARK THAT YOU HAVE EXCEEDED YOUR ALLOWANCE OF PUNS! FOR THIS DAY...POSSIBLY EVEN THIS WEEK!"
"aw Frisk is the one who wants to hear them bro. im just helpin a pal out!"
"THE HUMAN MAY DO AS THEY WISH BUT I HAVE HEARD ALL OF THESE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE!"
Sans shrugged and winked casually.
"classics never die bro."
Huffing out in mock irritation, the taller of the two brothers turned back to return to his culinary works.
Papyrus was no fool. He knew Sans extra punny attitude was always because Toriel was around.
The goat mother never failed to find each and every god awful joke hilarious.
She'd giggle, or snort ungracefully, or literally kneel over onto something and wheeze as tears pricked at her eyes.
Sans practically glowed at her laughter.
And while of course he supported his brother's desire to make the former queen smile, he could only take so many play on words.
"alright I got a new one just for you Paps...why do skeletons get mad so easily?"
From the couch Frisk could see Papyrus slow down with his stirring and glare over at Sans.
Both reluctant and genuinely curious.
"...WHY?"
"...because they've got lotsa BONES to pick with people!"
Toriel tried hard, and failed, not to snort. While Papyrus screeched at his brother to stop.
Sans merely chuckled and shrugged.
14 down, and probably still more to come.
The human always found the routine of theirs funny.
Sans would hang out with them all morning on the weekends. They'd kid around, and eventually either Toriel would tell them to spare Papyrus another headache, or the taller skeleton would give in and begin throwing back a few good natured retorts. Sometimes Mettaton and Naostablook would join in. Other times Undyne and Alphys.
But most of the time it was just the brothers, Frisk, and Toriel.
Sans and the small child use to help out in the kitchen as well. But after one too many close calls with a certain tall skeleton's cooking catastrophes, Toriel opted to have them both wait in the living room.
A safe distance from any possible fires, sharp projectiles, or egg bombs.
Not to say that Papyrus wasn't improving, he certainly tried hard. After all cooking was his side passion when there was no need to guard Asgore or Frisk.
However he was still a long way off from being the Master Chef he believed himself to be.
It was okay though because Toriel was patient, and more than happy to show the eager brother the basics. Steadily and surely easing him up to mediocre before allowing him anywhere near preparing a main dish.
Papyrus also thought it was a fun way of bonding for everyone regardless and that was all that mattered.
That day though, they just so happened to be making pie.
Toriel's famous recipe.
Now most would assume that the scent of cinnamon and butterscotch would be the last thing to trigger such horrific visions.
And yet still Frisk found their mental state helpless to stop the onslaught.
One second passed between Sans latest joke.
Then suddenly an image of the goat mother crying burned itself into human's eyes.
The former queen was choking back tears. There was a slash across her left side that looked as painful as the ungodly smile resting upon her bleeding face.
"To think I was worried you wouldn't fit in out there...You really ARE no different than them."
She fell to her knees. Laughing with no real humor. Toriel looked up at them as though the betrayal had hurt more than her approaching death.
Perhaps it did.
They would never know.
Because her body disappeared into nothingness before Frisk could even think to ask.
Just like before, what felt like a lifetime ended and the human found themselves back upon Toriel's couch.
Safe, knife-less, and with no remains of a twisted smile on their face.
"NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"
"PAPYRUS! Dear, I know you're eager but you can not set the oven for 5000!"
Frisk could hear their goat mother's laughter from the kitchen. Her actual laughter, and not the nightmarish chiming that still rung in their ears.
Happy.
Safe.
Alive.
She was not hurt, she was fine.
Frisk wondered if it was possible to have a nightmare during consciousness.
"...you okay kid? ya look a little pale."
They were momentarily startled.
They'd forgotten they weren't alone.
Frisk peered up just in time to see blue flames dissipating from San's left eye. Weak smoke trails fading upwards as the skeleton's grin remained unchanged.
For a moment Frisk could feel inside's clench. Their throat ran dry as their skin crawled with chills.
It felt like their heart was being gripped from the inside out.
The feeling was unnervingly sinister.
And familiar.
Why would the sight of his friend's socket burning make their stomach churn?
Was it fear?
Why should they have any reason to ever fear Sans?
Was it remorse?
What was there to regret?
The human nodded only once.
The softest of voices being spoken. Which was rare enough considering Frisk's condition.
"M'fine."
Sans knew how hard it was for the human to speak. Even small words made their throats unbearably dry and sore.
The fact alone that they even uttered a word meant they most definitely were not fine.
"ya sure?...you look like you saw something scary...buddy."
For whatever reason, Frisk felt as though Sans wasn't using the term "buddy" in a friendly way.
It sounded more like a warning if anything.
Before they could retort with sign language or attempt speaking again, Papyrus called for them both to come eat.
Whatever tenseness had passed between the two was forgotten by the time the dishes were washed.