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"Is he gonna be okay?"

Sans sighed for the umpteenth time, frown etched onto his face.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he reassured Chara once again. "Just give him some time to sober up."

"Stupid Sans," Chara rubbed their nose, plopping onto Alphys's bright blue couch. Void Sans lay in one of Alphys's living room recliners with his feet up, softly snoring away as if he had never even left the spot at all. "Stupid, stupid Sans."

"Some Sanses have pretty thick skulls," Sans gently sat down beside them. Alphys's living room was cluttered with 'figurines' and memorabilia from many, many different anime, and there were glittery stickers all around the quite large wall-hanging television set. "Some, more than others."

"What about Undyne?" Chara asked quietly as Sans flipped the television switch on the remote, watching it buzz and crackle to life.

"Undyne and Alphys are gonna be fine, too," he said without much conviction. "Just got a few scrapes is all. Come on, kid. Undyne is, like, the toughest person ever."

"I know, I know..." Chara wrapped their arms around themselves, staring down at the floor. "I just... I hate it when he does this."

Sans's frown deepened and he glanced down to the child, trying not to let his worry show.

"What'cha mean by that, kid?"

"He does this stupid stuff all the time," Chara scowled. "He's been doing it ever since I took over. He leaves for a stupid amount of time, gets stupid drunk, and does something stupid."

"I get the feeling you're trying to tell me something here."

"I'm telling you that he's stupid," Chara sniffed again. "I don't know how you're supposed to be another version of him."

"I like to think that I'm super mature," Sans belched.

"... Yeah, go ahead and think that."

"Don't get salty with me, kid," Sans cocked an eyebrow, handing them the remote. "Just keep an eye on lumpy here for me. I'm gonna go help Alphys and Undyne with damage control."

"Why can't I come?" Chara frowned as he stood to leave to the basement.

"I just told you why," he responded flatly. "Somebody's gotta keep watch on Void Sans over there. You know, in case he tries something stupid."

Chara crossed their arms haughtily but eventually nodded and reclaimed their seat on the sofa. Sans slowly shook his head and descended to the laboratory, kicking away a small scrap of metal as he did so.

"God," he muttered to himself as he treaded down the stairs. "He really did a number down here."

"You're telling me," Undyne sat in a wheeled chair with one of the wheels missing. Alphys was preoccupied with attempting to slowly heal her cuts with green magic, and Sans cringed. Undyne had definitely received the brunt of the miniature tornado, and he empathized with her. It wasn't the first time that he'd been in an out of control magical whirlwind, and getting hit by debris definitely wasn't fun. Sans nodded to Alphys as he approached, and she spared a second to glance up at him with a small nod of her own before returning to her task.

"Come on, Al," Undyne tried to sit up again, only to be forced back down by Alphys. "I'm fine, I swear."

"Fine my yellow ass," Alphys pushed her down by the shoulders back into the chair, resuming the slightly sickly green glow from the tips of her fingers to trail over Undyne's wounds. "You are hurt, you are hurt in multiple places, and you are going to sit still until I'm finished making sure that you're okay. If you don't let me heal you properly it could result in permanent scarring, so you don't move until I tell you to move."

"Alright, alright..." Undyne sheepishly sat back down, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're kinda scary when you're forceful, Al. Sexy, even."

Alphys stumbled on nothing and the green light beneath her hands went out for a moment. Undyne just laughed and held her hand for a few seconds, grinning up at her. Alphys couldn't help but softly smile back, her other hand still on Undyne's bare shoulder.

"... You two gonna be alright?" Sans asked after a moment to themselves.

"Yeah, we're... we're good," Undyne stood, dusting herself. "Thanks, Al."

"Don't mention it," she pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Man," Sans ran a hand over his head, staring at the clumps of debris. "And I thought the lab looked bad before."

"Nothing we can't handle if we put our minds to it," Alphys nodded determinedly.

"Huh," Sans glanced over at her. "You are just full of spunk today. Something spur that on?"

"Well," Alphys tapped her claws together, awkward beneath his scrutinizing gaze. "Almost dying tends to have that effect on monsters. Really puts things in perspective."

"So we've got a task then," Sans stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and clenched his fists, closing his eyes and letting the newfound determination flow through him. "We're getting back on track, and one way or another, no matter what it takes... and so help me god, we're finding Gaster."

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