Two: You Cry A Little; So Do I

The weeks leading up to the first day seemed to fly by, but were not spent idle. Darian came through and managed to call enough of his buddies to serve as plainsclothes officers for an escort into the school. Both Frisk and Asriel would walk with Nicky up to the doors, and all three of them would wear bulletproof vests - as would any of the escorts.

"Ugh," Nicky grumbled when she tried hers on. "I don't like this. I want to wear the cloud dress, Mami."

"You will," Frisk agreed, adjusting it and making sure it fit properly. "But you have to wear this over it until you get into the school, okay?" That earned her a nose-wrinkle, but no other protest, so she took it as a yes.

There was also the small issue of almost everyone wanting to be a part of the escort. Everyone - save one person - volunteered when either Frisk or Asriel mentioned it, despite both of them clearly stating that that was impossible. However, they did decide to accept help from Asgore, Undyne - and sans. sans really didn't give Frisk a choice, but looking back, she knew she likely still would have asked him, anyway.

"Uh," Frisk said, blinking, having just found sans in their hallway closet, looking as casual about it as anyone could get. "Hi...?"

"sup," he agreed, walking into the hallway with a grin.

Asriel sighed; they had just put Nicky to bed, and the last thing they needed was her waking up again. "You have the worst timing, bastard."

"nope," he replied, grinning at him easily. "i've shown up while she's sleeping, so i think i'm right on time." He turned to Frisk, and she saw a rare seriousness in his eyes. "can we talk?"

"Yeah, of course," Frisk agreed slowly, still confused. She gestured to the living room, but sans shook his head. "i mean, just you and me," he explained.

"You do know she keeps nothing from me, right, bastard?" Asriel snorted.

"then you won't mind waiting for her to when i'm done, weed," sans replied, and Asriel scowled. He looked back to Frisk, who was rolling her eyes. "well?" he pressed.

"Balcony," she answered, waving him over, and he followed her lead. Once there, she turned to him and growled, "Explain."

"you need to let me help you with nickname," he explained quickly.

"I need to?" she echoed.

"yeah," he nodded, as if he didn't see the problem. "i need to be there."

"What makes you think that?"

sans hesitated, and she sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs, her eyes on the view.

"trust me," he said finally.

"I do, sans," she said honestly. "That's why I'm asking. Because often, trust means bupkiss to you."

His face fell. "oh, come on, frisk. when have i ever done anything like th-,"

She glowered at him, and he looked away uneasily, scratching at his bony cheek.

"Yeah," she agreed. "And now you're expecting me to trust you around my daughter?"

"kinda," he said. "yeah."

Frisk stared at him, her face a mix of wariness and shock. "Really."

sans nodded. "i'm not sure, i'm never sure, but, frisk... i'd rather be wrong and be there and not be there if it happens."

"And what exactly is 'it'?"

Again he hesitated, and again she glowered at him. "i know," he nodded again. "it sounds bad. but again, i'd rather be wrong and look a fool."

"But are you making a fool of me?" she asked plainly. He looked at her carefully, seeing both a worried mother and a strong protector, one who would protect her kid to dust.

"no," he said honestly. "that's the last thing i want, too."

Frisk searched sans's gaze carefully this time. He did look worried - harried, almost. She realised she did trust him, even with Nicky, though she was loath to admit it, especially to him.

"Okay," she said finally. "But if you make me regret it, you're as close to dead as I can get you."

sans swallowed; he knew she meant it. "got it. thank you." He paused, then sat down, got comfortable. "got any good jokes?"

When she came back in an hour later with a small smile but alone, Asriel met her at the door. She looked up at him and nodded, then told him everything. When she was done. he was frowning. "Can we trust him, though?" he wondered.

"I think so, yes," she agreed. "He does have a good point: better wrong and prepared than right and defenceless."

Indeed.

Of all of them, however, Alphys was the only one who backed out of it. She wanted to, but at the same time, she also knew she needed to be home for Basket - and that came first. Frisk understood completely, but Alphys still felt bad and wanted to explain her reasons in person.

"I-I'm not saying Basket's more important than you, or Nicky," she said, looking down at said Basket, who was on her lap and staring at Frisk. "I don't mean it like that."

"I know," agreed Frisk, placing a hand over Alphys's.

"B-but..." Alphys looked up at Frisk, her eyes silently appealing for an understanding that they didn't know they already had. "She-she needs me here. A-and Undyne..." She trailed off, looking away again.

"I know," Frisk said again. "It's okay."

"I'm not a coward," Alphys blurted out, her eyes blazing. Now Frisk understood. "I'm n-not hiding or running away."

"Alphys." Frisk squeezed her hand."I know. Who said you were?"

Alphys blushed. "M-me," she muttered. "I-I wonder if I'm just using Basket as an excuse to hide."

"Then you give yourself no credit," said Frisk, her voice firm. "You should know better."

Basket, who up to this point was staring at Frisk in a half-doze, chose this time to look up at her mother and stare at her, instead. Alphys stared back with a smile, on that was returned with a laugh before Basket hid her face in her mum's chest again.

"See?" Frisk said with a smile. "Even Bass understands."

Alphys's face became soft, like it usually did when Basket (or Undyne) was involved. "But do you, Frisk?" she asked quietly.

"Yep," Frisk nodded. "I did the moment you mentioned it. I'm a mother too, remember?"

Alphys blushed. "Er," she mumbled. "Yeah. Longer than I've been, and you're also... much younger..."

"So then, all the more reason to believe me," Frisk teased. When Alphys grinned, both felt better.

The night before Nicky's first day had Frisk waking up to Asriel's tears. That hadn't happened in a long, long time. He had his back to her, clearly trying to hide it, but failing, and she curled up against his back, resting her forehead between his shoulderblades. He reached back and grabbed one of her hands, holding it over his heart as he sobbed. She said nothing, just kept her eyes closed and her hand flat against his chest, her other hand rubbing his back slowly.

When he was somewhat calm, Frisk whispered, "Talk to me?"

Asriel nodded and turned back to her, keeping her hand over his heart. Frisk could feel it racing, and his eyes were wide and full in the dim light. "I'm scared, Frisk," he admitted at last, his voice thick.

"Me too," she agreed, her own eyes burning now. "But we've done all we can."

"Yeah," he said softly, but he still cried, unable to help it, now. She pulled him close and let her own tears fall with his.