There is a very important announcement at the end of this chapter. Please be advised

Toby Fox owns Undertale and all associated characters.

Chara sat in her chair, her head bowed, one hand absently grasping at the guard rail by Kid's bed. Other than the sound of the machines quietly humming to themselves, there was no noise, allowing her to focus on her internal task of shutting down her emotions one by one.

A task that had been made difficult as Papyrus had come in earlier. He'd spent several hours trying to cheer her up. She'd had to resort to false enthusiasm to get him to leave her be. The skeleton was relentless with his assault of cheer and assurances, and she didn't have time for that. Not now, when even to her limited senses, Kid's magical signature was growing weaker by the day.

Some part in the back of her mind told her she should feel guilty over her family. She'd seen the hurt in Toriel's eyes when she ignored her, the fear in her father's when she spoke of war. The disbelief in her brother's when she had attacked him. She couldn't bring herself to care. Right now, only one thing mattered.

Unbidden, memories of Asriel rose in her mind. Her brother. Her best friend, and the first real friend she had. He had saved her life, in more ways than one. She had never experienced love before, and he'd introduced her to a family that had so much of it to give… and they'd chosen to give it to her.

And he had been taken from her, by the Humans. And now, Kid, who she loved in a way she'd never loved anyone else before, was dying. Because of Humans. She tightened her fists. Well, if they were so desperate to keep her from love… she knew of another kind she would happily share with them.

She let out a small groan and rubbed at her eyes. It was the waiting. That was what was killing her. She needed to know if Kid was going to make it or not. Then… then she would know what to do next.

She was so focused on her struggle to shut herself down emotionally, that she almost didn't hear the soft voice saying her name in a questioning tone. She frowned and looked up, stopping short when she realized no-one else was there. Had Napstablook come in, fully transparent? But even if he had, she should have sensed his-

"Chara?" the weak voice asked again, and the girl turned her attention to the bed, her eyes widening and a quiet gasp escaping her lips. Kid's eyes were half open, and Chara trembled slightly under his soft brown gaze.

"Kid?" She managed.

"Sorry I'm late…"

It took all of Chara's willpower not to throw herself onto the bed and wrap her arms around the teen and never let go. Instead, she stood up, quickly undoing the clasps that held the guardrail in place the putting it to the side so she could easily reach over and put a trembling hand on Kid's chest. The boy looked up at her in concern, his head spikes pressing into his pillow as he angled his head.

"Chara? Are you okay?"

That broke the dam. All the emotions she had been holding back suddenly burst through in a tidal wave that nearly had physical force. Her hand drew back and she sank to her knees, then allowed her chest and head to fall onto the bed, quickly beginning to stain it with her tears. Between great, wracking sobs, she managed to choke out;

"Kid, I… I thought I lost you!"

There was a shuffling sound, and Chara felt the blanket she was partially lying on shift back and forth repeatedly. She sniffed, looking up through a haze of tears to see Kid wiggling himself towards her, rustling the blankets in his efforts.

"Kid, you shouldn't-"

"Yo, Chara," he interrupted, not stopping in his motions until he'd brought himself close enough that their faces were right across from each other. "Don't worry, I'm fine! Just kinda tired."

Chara let out a strangled sob and reached out, pulling him close and burying her face in his shoulder. In response, Kid pressed himself as close to her as he was able given their slightly awkward positioning.

They stayed like that for a while, before Chara reluctantly pulled back, wiping tears from her face.

"You feeling better now?" Kid asked gently.

Chara shook her head.

"You almost died… and you're worried about me?"

"You're my girlfriend… it's kinda my job." He hesitated for a moment. "Um… what happened?"

Chara bit her lip, suddenly remembering killing all those men in front of him.

"What do you remember?"

Kid frowned in concentration while he shifted through the memories.

"Uhh.. I was with Papyrus and Asgore… and-" Before he could continue, he began coughing violently. Chara jerked in concern, quickly grabbing him and holding him close until he settled down.

Kid gave her a weak smile, seeming even more drained from his fit of coughing as Chara released him, adjusting the blankets over him and moving the pillow down so that it was supporting his head again.

"Sorry about that…"

"Don't be… just… just rest, okay?"

"I'm fine... " he insisted, though his voice was still weak and he seemed to be having to fight to keep his eyes open. Chara smiled tenderly at him.

"I know, but you should get some real sleep, okay? We can talk about things later, when you're feeling better. I'm just… I'm so glad you're back."

"Okay," Kid mumbled, his eyes sliding closed. "Love you…"

"I love you too," Chara whispered, attempting to wipe her eyes dry. She waited for a few moments, trying to get her breathing under control before closing her eyes and dialing Alphys's number. She would know for certain if Kid was going to be alright. But the hope that had been all but destroyed had rekindled within her soul. Maybe… maybe he would be okay after all.

Alphys put down her scanner and breathed out a relieved sigh, turning towards where Chara sat expectantly.

"He's going to be okay."

"You're sure?" Chara asked hesitantly.

Alphys nodded.

"His body is generating magic again," she explained. "He's going to be weak for a while, he lost a lot of energy but… he's going to be fine."

Chara sank back in her chair, closing her eyes as tears threatened to leak from them.

"He's going to be fine," she repeated, her voice quivering. Her body began to tremble, causing Alphys to look at her in concern.

"Chara? Are you... okay?"

She wasn't, not really. Now that Kid was safe, her mind was free to think over the past week, and she was able to see how close she had come to falling again. How she had treated Toriel… Asgore… She shuddered. Frisk…

"I'm okay," she said aloud, not trusting herself to open her eyes. "I'm just… so glad this is over."

"What's over?"

Chara opened her eyes and looked to the bed where Kid was looking over at them. As Chara rose, Alphys started backing away.

"Umm, I'll leave you two alone. C-call me if you need anything, okay?"

With that, she scurried out of the room. Chara knelt beside Kid and smiled tenderly at him, shoving aside her other thoughts and worries for the time being.

"Hey babe… how are you feeling?"

"Still kinda tired," Kid admitted. "And kinda hungry. And I'm still not sure how I got here… or uh… where I am."

"I called Napstablook earlier, he should be on his way with some food. I figured you'd want to see him."

"That'd be nice…" Kid murmured.

Chara hesitated for a moment, then said slowly;

"You're… in Alphys's basement. You've been unconscious for almost two weeks."

Kid's eyes widened.

"Yo… how? What happened?"

"Do you really not remember?"

The boy shook his head slowly.

"The last thing I remember was… getting lost in a buncha alleyways. And then I met a bunch of guys…" He hesitated for a moment. "That's all I really remember."

Chara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He didn't remember her attack. She moved to sit on the bed, placing a on Kid's shoulder and smiling when he nuzzled it gently.

"They attacked you, Kid." She said quietly. "I don't know why, but when I found you, you were… very badly hurt." Thinking about how close she had come to losing him again caused tears to form around her eyes, though she blinked them away before he could notice.

"I… made sure you were safe, then Sans brought you here, and Alphys saved you. Kid, I…" Her grasp on his shoulder tightened. "I was so scared that you were gonna die." The last words were spoken in a barely audible whisper.

Kid was silent for a moment, processing what Chara had told him. Then he nudged the hand on his shoulder, returning Chara's attention to it.

"You shoulda known better… takes more than that to bring down the mighty Kid!"

Despite his confident words, Chara could tell he was brushing it off for her sake, the slight waver in his tone gave him away. Still, her lips twitched at his bravado, and she twisted her body so she could lean in close to him.

"Guess so," she murmured, kissing him softly. "I should've known better than to underestimate my boyfriend."

"Oh… am I interrupting something?" Both Chara and Kid looked toward the source of the nervous voice, finding Napstablook hovering near the doorway, levitating a basket just in front of him.

"I can come back later if you want…" The ghost continued, turning slightly more transparent as he spoke.

"No, it's okay…" Kid murmured, looking over at him, a small smile twitching on his face. Napstablook went a little more transparent at that, before he faded back into view and hovered hesitantly towards the two. Chara pulled herself back, though her hand remained on Kid's shoulder.

Napstablook set the basket down on the bed, pulling a cloth cover off it to reveal several neatly organized sandwiches cut into triangles.

"I'm sorry, this was the best I could make on short notice… Oh no, maybe I should have made something nicer, I-"

"It's fine," Kid assured, eyeing the food hungrily. "I could eat just about anything right now."

"Not surprising, you haven't eaten anything for a while," Chara grinned. Kid tried to sit up so he could access the food, but Chara pushed him down gently.

"Oh no you don't, mister. You're already weak as it is. Here." She grabbed a sandwich triangle and brought it close to his mouth.

"Chara," Kid whined, stretching her name out, though it didn't stop him from taking a bite of the food, even as his scales colored. "I can feed myself…"

Chara ignored him, continuing to feed him while Napstablook hovered over to the other side of the bed and watched, a small smile forming on his his face, though it began to waver as Kid tore through the food he had brought.

"Oh no… I'm sorry, maybe I should have brought more, you seem like you're really hungry…."

Kid licked his lips and let his head fall down on the pillow again, while Chara put the now-empty basket to the side.

"No… you made just enough. Just like always."His voice sounded a little stronger, not much, but it was a relief to the onlookers to hear the improvement.

As Napstablook mumbled in embarrassment at the compliment, Chara suddenly felt a presence behind her. She turned slowly to see Sans standing in the shadows near the edge of the room, watching her. She blinked, and he was gone. Looking back to the other two, neither of them appeared to have noticed anything.

She swallowed, then stood slowly, and Kid turned his head back towards her, a confused look in his eyes.

"Chara?"

She gave him a smile.

"You guys should get some one-on-one time," She said. "Anyways, I've got a couple things I need to do. I promise, I'll be back soon, okay?"

"'Kay… just… don't take too long, alright?"

Chara reached out and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, then turned and made her way out of the room., leaving Napstablook and Kid behind. The two were silent for a while, before Napstablook spoke up hesitantly.

"Um… she seems like she's doing a lot better," he murmured. "She seemed really upset the last few times I saw her…"

Kid looked sadly after where his girlfriend had left.

"I gotta remember to tell her I'm sorry… I shouldn't have run ahead of everyone else like that."

"I think it'll be okay… she's probably just happy that you woke up." The ghost faded slightly before saying in a near whisper, "Um… I know I am…"

Kid turned his gaze back to the ghost, his eyes widening slightly as realization struck.

"Oh man… I guess I worried you too, huh? I'm really sorry…"

"It's alright," The ghost assured. "Like I said, I'm just happy you're awake now. Umm… do you need anything? You must still be pretty tired, your magic levels are really low right now…"

Kid stifled a yawn, but shook his head.

"Not right now, but… yo, we should probably talk about… things."

Napstablook looked at him in confusion for a moment before realization dawned.

"Oh… we don't have to do that now, if you don't want to. You just woke up, and-"

"It's fine," Kid assured before the ghost could go on. "Um, I didn't get as much time to think about it as I thought I would but… I think I already knew what I was gonna say, I just… didn't want to say it yet."

"Oh… okay…" Napstablook hovered inconspicuously closer, while Kid tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Um, so, you've been taking care of me for two years, right?"

Napstablook slowly nodded.

"Um…" Kid began fidgeting nervously. "What I'm trying to say is… I mean…" He took a deep breath. "I kinda want you to stay, if… if you want."

Napstablook blinked in surprise.

"...Really?"

Kid nodded hesitantly, not trusting himself to say anything.

"Oh… okay," Napstablook was quiet for a moment, then said softly; "I think I'd like that too."

"Then... " Kid bit his lip, his teeth pressing into the small scales lining his mouth. "Um… can I call you… Dad?"

Napstablook started.

"You… you really want that?"

"Yeah… um, it'd be nice to have someone actually answer when I say that and… well…" He trailed off, his gaze fixed on Napstablook as he waited for a response.

"If… if you really want to…" The ghost finally replied. "I'm okay with it..."

Relief flooded through Kid and he let himself his head sink into his pillow, his eyes beginning to close of their own accord.

"Thanks," He murmured. "That means you'll let me see you more often, right?"

"Okay," came the soft reply. Kid smiled.

"Thanks, Dad."

Chara stepped out of the elevator, blinking in surprise to see sunlight pouring through the windows. She'd been aware of the time passing, but… she supposed it had been awhile since she last saw daylight.

Those thoughts took to the background of her mind as she saw Sans standing across from her, watching her, with his hands still in his pockets. She swallowed.

"Sans-"

"So, what happens now?" The skeleton asked abruptly. At Chara's silence, he continued, taking a small step forward, keeping his gaze locked on her, and she found herself unable to look away.

"I know exactly what you were planning," he said quietly. "Kid's awake now… is that enough for you? Because I seem to recall telling someone I'd stop her before she became a murderer… again."

Chara trembled, remembering that snowy night, what seemed like an eternity ago. One particular phrase suddenly echoed in her mind. If I thought there was any chance you were still like that, I would have already killed you, rather than risk you falling back into your old ways.

Somehow, she managed to find her voice again.

"Sans, I…" She trailed off, finding it difficult to concentrate under his piercing stare. She tried again.

"I don't… I'm not going to…"

"Is that true?" Sans took another step forward, and Chara found herself involuntarily stepping back. "I trusted you, Chara. I trusted that you had changed. And you were ready to do it again. What would you do, in my place?"

They both knew the answer to that. And he was right. She took a moment to attempt to steel herself, then said quietly;

"I'm sorry…" She managed to tear her gaze away from Sans's and lowered her head, trying in vain to keep her body from shaking. "And I… accept your judgement."

She closed her eyes, expecting to feel his attacks at any moment, but none came. She heard Sans speak up, and his voice was now laced with weariness.

"I'm not gonna kill you, Chara. That's… not just my decision to make anymore." Chara looked up in confusion, still halfway braced for an attack.

"I just want to know one thing. You wanted to commit genocide again. Do you think you would have actually done it?"

Chara swallowed, thinking back to the last few days. Her rage, her grief… and her cold acceptance.

"Yes. Sans, you're right. I'm a danger to everyone. Maybe you should-"

"I said I wasn't gonna kill you. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna be watching you pretty close from now on. You haven't fallen yet… that look on your face tells me you regret how close you came to the edge. For now, that's enough. But…" his sockets went dark.

"You've proven over the past few days that you're capable of becoming a murderer again. If you start to fall again, I won't hesitate. Understood?"

Chara managed a nod, not sure if she was relieved or terrified. Maybe a bit of both.

"Good." The lights returned to the skeleton's sockets. "Now that we've got that out of the way, you have a bunch of apologies to make. Your family's been worried sick over you, and you owe one to Alphys and Undyne too for how you treated them."

"Okay… Um, where are Alphhys and Undyne? I thought they would have-"

"They're at Napstablook's place… where they've been living for the past couple days."

"What? Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"O-oh. I guess I should-"

"I'll let them know their home is safe again," Sans interrupted. "You need to reassure your family first. You gave everyone… quite a scare."

Chara walked down the street in the direction of her home, her hands deep in her pockets. She was moving quickly, wanting to get this over with and get back to Kid, though she'd be surprised if he was still awake.

"Chara!" a familiar voice called, causing her to look up from the pavement passing beneath her, to see Frisk walking quickly towards her, waving as he did so. Her magic began pulsing within her in the equivelent of her heart rate increasing. Frisk...

The boy stopped a few paces away, and Chara also came to a halt. Frisk was smiling at her, but she quickly noted his tensed body. A pang of guilt shot through her, realizing he was already prepared to dodge… in case she attacked him again.

"Finally! I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming out of that basement! Looks like Papyrus was right again, huh?"

"Yeah, looks like. Frisk, I'm-"

"Don't worry about it." her brother waved a hand nonchalantly. "It was my fault really, you did tell me to go away, after all. And besides, it's not like it's the first time someone close to me has tried to kill me."

"That's not exactly a good thing." Chara had taken on a wry tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Frisk just shrugged.

"Eh, you gotta get through the hard times to get to the good ones right? And we've had more than a few of the hard times… and boy has it paid off!"

"That's… surprisingly philosophical coming from you."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot. I've never heard that one before."

Despite herself, Chara chuckled, and it was only then that Frisk relaxed, smiling broadly at her.

"Really though… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you, even if you were being a pain."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it… death's kind of an unpleasant experience, and I've already had more than enough to last me a lifetime, ironically enough."

"You're insufferable, you know that?"

Frisk just gave a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, I know. C'mon, Mom and Dad are waiting for you at home, you probably want to talk to them both."

"Uh," Chara asked, a terrifying thought suddenly entering her mind as they both began to walk again. "Do they… know about…"

"You trying to kill me?" Frisk asked in a teasing voice. Then he shook his head. "Nah, I figured they don't need to know about that. As long as it doesn't happen again, we're cool."

"Thanks."

"Hey, what are brothers for?"

From where she sat in the living room, Toriel could hear Chara and Asgore speaking quietly in the kitchen, her daughter's voice apologetic and her husband's reassuring. She smiled and settled further into her reading chair, closing her eyes as she did so. She finally allowed a wave of relief to wash over her. It had been close but... it seemed her daughter had made it out of her ordeal with her sanity intact.

She would speak to her about the Resets later, as well as how close she had come to falling again. But for now, they all deserved a break from such things. Once everything had settled, she would broach the subject. This was not an experience she ever wanted to repeat again.

Toriel had not relaxed properly since finding Chara kneeling over Kid's unconscious form nearly two weeks ago now. Now that she had the chance, she began to notice something that she hadn't before.

There was a feeling. A magical signature that she had never felt before, yet seemed very familiar. She concentrated for a moment, trying to get a clearer glimpse of the energy. It was far away... No, that wasn't it. It was close. Very close, but also very weak, which had given the impression of distance at first glance. She leaned forward, and felt the magic shift slightly. Odd, it was almost as if…

As if…

She let out a small gasp as she realized. Her eyes opened, and she stared down into her lap where her hands clasped together tightly. Tears began to form in her eyes, but unlike those that had been shed over the past week, they were tears of joy.

She was pregnant.

Author's note: Very important announcement. So, this is the final chapter of Armless Embrace. However, we are not nearly done with the series yet! The next installment, titled "Forging Rifts" is already out and ready for your enjoyment! Now, Forging Rifts is a collaboration work between myself and the lovely Petalthorn, who some of you might recognize as the author of "Corrupted File Exe" IT is not necessary, but strongly advised for you to read her work before continuing the series.

Thanks to everyone who has commented, favorited or followed my little work! It's been a fun ride so far, and we're not nearly done yet! Hope to see you all in later installments!