Warnings- parental abuse in the form of neglecting, mentions of self-harm and suicide from a child's perspective. Also reader is a child, maybe five or six.

You follow after Sans, confused but excited. You watched as he walked in the opposite direction of Grillby's.

"Um, Sans…?" You ask, not sure how to tell him he was going the wrong way.

"I know a short cut Kiddo. Come on, it's break time." He grinned. He had just made a joke about two jobs meaning twice the amount of legally required breaks. You had giggled, and his grin grew even wider.

You grab his hand, your small fingers wrapping around his larger bone ones. Despite being bone, his hand was warm. Despite being small, you never felt belittled by the monsters. You took three steps to the right and suddenly you were in the doorway of the bar.

You stared in amazement at the skeleton, who blushed a little under your wide stare. The monsters seated in the building waved at Sans, and smiled at you, seeing how you had just met them less than an hour ago.

Sans walked you up to the bar, where two empty stools stood as if they were waiting for you and your lunch date. You struggled to climb up on the stool, your tiny head barely reaching the cushion. Sans chuckled and picked you up, placing you on the seat gently.

"Whatcha in the mood for kid? Grillbz got the best fries and burgers in all the Underground." He grinned even wider as the flame being came over to greet them. Grillby nodded to you, and you smiled back. You liked Grillby.

"Um, could I have a burger?" You realized you hadn't eaten anything filling since you fell down, and your tummy growled at the thought of a burger. Sans nodded and held up two fingers.

"Two orders of burg please." Sans said to Grillby, who nodded and left through the fire exit. Sans winked at you and grabbed a bottle of ketchup, pulling it over to him. With a practiced flick of the thumb, he opened the bottle and squirted the red liquid directly into his mouth. It disappeared down his throat and he shuddered as it went down his throat.

You stare at him with furrowed brows. Suddenly, there wasn't a skeleton sitting next to you, but a woman. A woman with long brown hair and tired eyes and scratches on her wrist. She drank from the green bottle and shuddered just like Sans did. You were snapped from your memory when Sans placed a hand on your head.

"You okay kid? You look like your head it a thousand miles away."

"Are you sad, Sans?" You ask, your child's mind not realizing how odd of a question it was, especially in a bar. Sans sat back in his stool, eyes wide and bones slightly whiter.

"W-what do you mean Kiddo?" the lights in his eyes looked away, towards the fire door maybe.

"Mommy drank like that when she was sad… So she always drank like that. Is ketchup like the happy juice mommy drank?" You asked, not realizing you were never supposed to see that side of 'mommy'.

"Erm, that's a little dark, doncha think kiddo?" Sans chuckled awkwardly, not sure what to say.

"Dark? But it's daytime…" You glance out the window, seeing the light glistening off the snow brightly.

"Hehe never mind kiddo. Look, there's Grillbz with our lunch!" As Sans spoke, the fire door was pushed open and Grillby walked out carrying two plates of burgers. The fire being seemed to sense the tension in Sans' shoulders and raised a single fiery eye brow as he placed the plates down. Sans shook his head and gave him a pointed look that went right over your head.

Sans was about to offer you some ketchup, but remember what you told him and thought better of it. You dug in happily, not noticing the strange look Sans was giving you.

"Say kiddo… what made you think I was sad?" Sans asked casually, wanting to know a little more about your past without seeming like he was prying.

"Oh that's easy! Mommy started crying all the time after Daddy stopped coming home. She got special happy juice, but it just made her cry more. I don't know why she kept drinking it, but it made her smell bad and throw up all the time. She stopped dressing up and going to work. She worked at a biiiig office building. She was always sleeping too, sleeping and scratching at her arm. I told her to go to the doctor if her arm itched so much, but she just started crying again." You put the burger down, suddenly sad yourself. "She stopped playing with me…" You sniffled, tears stinging your eyes. "I… I don't know what I did to make her stop loving me." You burst into tears, sobbing and trying to wipe your nose with your sweater. Sans jumped and rushed to put his arms around you.

"Hey now Kiddo. No need to cry." He rubbed your back like he used to with Papyrus when he was a baby. You turned your face into his jacket, crying into the fabric. "Shhh, shh. It's fine. I'm sure your mom loved you plenty."

"I told her it was too many. She always told me I was a smart kid, but she didn't listen." You mumbled into his jacket. Sans froze as he realized what you said. He started shaking a little, afraid he was right about what you said.

"T-too many what kid?" Sans asked, looking at Grillby for help. Grillby looked at the skeleton with a worried expression, not sure what to say. He went back through the fire exit just as you spoke again.

"Too many of the sleepy candies. She would take two, but she accidentally took them all." You sniffed, wiping your eyes again. Your face was flushed red and your eyes were swollen from crying. Grillby came back through the fore door with a small bowl. He placed it down in front of you and you managed a small smile.

He placed a small bowl of ice cream in front of you, with a smile made of chocolate sauce and a cherry on top. You giggle at the face and take a big bite, the sweet cold making you feel a little better already. Sans still stood directly next to you.

When you finished your ice cream, you felt much better. You almost forgot completely about what you were talking about earlier. You offered Sans a bite, who smiled weakly and ate it, eating all the treat off the spoon. You giggle as he chomped on the spoon, and your giggles made his smile relax a little more.

"Hey kid, why don't you go pet Greater Dog for a sec? I gotta talk to Grillbz." He smiled and ruffled your hair. You just smile back and hop off the stool, but since it was so high you almost tumble off completely. A blue magic surrounded you and gently lowered you to the ground. You look up at Sans, whose hand was outstretched. A little blue flame was lit in his eye.

You laughed again and rushed over to the Greater Dog, excited for more petting. Sans turned to Grillby, letting his smile fall.

"What am I going to do Grillbz?" He sighed, resting his elbow on the bar and placing his head in his hand. "This kid is all kinds of messed up, and I don't know what to do!" He was beyond exasperated and his limited options.

"What about keeping them with you?" Grillby crackled out, gathering the plates from your meal.

"I can't care for a kid!" Sans whisper yelled, looking at his friend incredulously.

"You raised Papyrus, didn't you?" He crackled back.

"I can't take care of a-" Sans stopped himself from telling Grillby you were a human. He picked up a paper napkin and shredding it nervously. "But I can't let them go off on their own… it's obvious their mom- and well they'll be all alone. And the Underground is dangerous for a grown monster… a kid their size wouldn't last ten minutes." He was babbling at this point, but he didn't know what to do. A sudden, loud giggle caught his attention.

Looking to the side, he saw you being licked by Greater Dog, your face covered in slobber and a huge grin on your little face. He felt his soul thrum a little at the sight. It had been so long since Papyrus needed him…

"Hey Kiddo." He walked over to you, who was trying to wipe the slobber off your cheek. "It looks like it's starting to get dark out. How about you come to stay with my bro and me. You can take a warm bath and sleep in a bed."

You look up at Sans and nod frantically. It had been days since you last had a bath, and even though you were just a kid, you knew you needed to get clean. And the prospect of a real bed made you tear up a little. Last night you had made a little igloo in the snow and slept against a rock.

"Yes please!" You said, grinning. Sans realized you were missing a front tooth, the gapped grin reminding him of his brother. He smiled and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"Alrighty. Let's head home then." He held out a hand, and you look it happily, glad to have some guidance in your life. You followed him close behind, going over to the two story house about twenty feet from the bar. It struck you how small the town was.

"Pap? I'm home." Sans called to the house. Suddenly there was a loud crash from the kitchen. Papyrus came running out, his long limbs causing him to trip. He caught sight of you and grinned widely.

"Welcome Human! I knew you would not be able to stay away from the Great Papyrus for long!" He laughed his signature laugh. You giggle and put your arms out for a hug. The taller skeleton smiled wide and scooped you up happily.

He spun you around, laughing and smiling. You felt so happy, like before Mommy went to sleep and left you alone. Your mood dropped as you remember how you felt after Mommy fell asleep, alone and cold. Papyrus sensed your mood change and put you down.

"Are you okay, tiny human?" He asked, his naturally loud voice quiet with worry. You just nod your head and give him a half smile. You didn't like seeing his smile go away. Sans caught the mood and stepped in, an uneasy smile on his skull.

"Hey kid. You wanted a bath, right?" He asked, holding his hand out to you. You nod more vigorously and picked at the crusty hem of your sweater. He smiled a little more naturally and led you upstairs, to a bathroom at the end of the hallway.

It was a nice little bathroom, with white and blue tiling, blue rugs and towels and a vase of fake blue flowers on the white sink. He looked over at you and furrowed his brow bones.

"Oh hey I never asked if you'd want a bath or a shower. What have you kid?" He asked, pulling the shower curtain aside.

"What's a shower?" You ask, unfamiliar with the word. He pulled his hand back from the curtain in surprise.

"Erm, the water falls from that spout, like rain kinda. It's pretty ncie, if I say so myself." He explained. You looked at the shower distrustfully and realize you did know what it was. You felt tears building as the tightness in your chest made it hard to breath.

"I know what that is… it shoots blood at you." You say, your voice quivering with fear. Sans' eyes widened in shock, not sure what to do with a crying child.

"W-what makes you think it… shoots… blood at you?" He asked, confused.

"M-mommy would go into the bathroom and I would hear water running like rain, and when I went in after there was red all over the tub and the curtains. It hurt her…" You explain, your tiny hands shaking at the memory. San' skull whitened as he connected the dots.

"W-well Kiddo, that's… well that's not what usually happens… I think your Mommy was just… sick? Here look." He turned the water on, turning the knob so the water ran through the shower head. You looked at the stream of water curiously. Why was there no red? You asked yourself. You reached a hand out and touched the warm water.

"I wanna bath please…" You mutter, not comfortable with the clear shower. He just nodded and turned the shower off. Plugging the drain, he let the tub fill up as he twisted the shower curtain and tossed it over the top so it was out of the way.

"Why doncha get out of those nasty clothes? I can dig up something clean and patch you up. Looks like you got beat good." He pulled out a towel from the closet and placed it on the edge of the sink before digging around under the sink and pulling out a little white box.

You tried to take off your sweater, but the fabric was stuck to your shoulder by some dried blood. You let out a yelp as the scab was pulled at. Sans' gentle fingers worked the fabric free and pulled the sweater over your head. He got a look at your wounds for the first time and you thought he looked a little green.

Your pants were a little easier to take off, the large holes and cuts in the fabric making it easy to strip off and go directly into the trash can. Sans lifted you into the warm water, smiling faintly as you giggled when your feet touched the bubbles.

He patiently wiped you down, rinsing the blood soaked wash cloth every few minutes. He silently rinsed the dried blood from your hair as you giggled, splashing and playing with the bubbles. He sighed sadly as you flinched when the soap got into the deeper wounds.

"So many wounds…" He muttered under his breath as he rinsed your hair once again, the water still running faintly pink. The whole tub was almost as red as pomegranates. "Here kiddo, step out of the tub. I'm going to get some fresh water in the tub and let you play for a little bit while I round up some clothes, okay?"

You nod, already feeling better. The dried blood had been making your skin itchy and tight. Now you felt clean and warm. The idea of having more time to play with the bubbles made you smile, so you let Sans lift you out of the tub and wrap the towel around you. He pulled the plug, and you watched the red water swirl down the drain. Within minutes he had filled it back up with warm water and even more bubbles. Sans took the towel from you and draped it on the towel holder next to the tub and carefully placed you back in the bubbles.

You immediately went back to playing with the bubbles as Sans gathered your soiled clothes and leaving the bathroom, keeping the door open a crack.

Sans walked over to his own room first, leaving the rags in a pile by the door frame. He dug through his dresser, not finding anything that would really fit you. He grabbed an old t-shirt from when he was a younger monster. He figured there was still some of Papyrus' baby clothes in the shed, and there might be some clothes to fit you.

Leaving his room, he tossed the clean shirt over to the bathroom and snagged the pile. Teleporting to the shed, he stopped outside of the door, throwing the old clothing away in the trash cans between the house and the shed.

"Alright, come on lady luck give me some clothes." Sans muttered under his breath, his words fogging up in the cold air. He unlocked the door and let himself in. Despite being out of the wind, it was still freezing in the small room. He smiled faintly at the makeshift cage, reminiscent of Papyrus' human capturing stunts.

There were boxes piled in the far corner, almost so far out of the way that it was easy to overlook them. He looked at the labeling on some of them, going through boxes of books and blankets and board games. Finally he found the keepsake box.

Sans, being the kind of monster he is, saved a lot of the things from Papyrus' childhood. Clothing, games, toys, puzzles. It was like a memory box of his baby brother. He shuffled through the layers until he found a pair of purple shorts that looked to be about your size. He also found a smallish sweater with pink and purple stripes. He smiled fondly, remembering the day he gave Pap the sweater, back before they moved to Snowidn. Back before Gaster… He shook his head and gathered the clothes. With a flick of the wrist, he closed the boxes and teleported back to the hallway, not bothering to lock the shed behind him. He knew no one would want to steal their books. Grabbing the t-shirt, he pushed the door open.

"Hey kiddo, found some stuff for you to wear-" He cut himself off, staring at the tub in horror. You were floating, upside down, not moving. Dropping the clothes, Sans ran to the side of the tub, his hands shaking as he flipped you around.

He felt the tears building for the split second that you didn't move, but you suddenly spit out water directly into his face. You looked at him confused, not sure why he looked like he was about to cry.

"What's wrong?" You asked, wiping some bubbles from your face.

"I thought… I'm just glad you're okay kiddo." His voice shook as he wiped some of the bubbles away from your eyes. You looked at him confused. You wondered why he was so worked up just because you were holding your breath.

You liked holding your breath under water. It made you feel safe, having the sounds muffled and the light all bending. It made you feel better.

"I think I want to get out now…" You said, wanting Sans to stop looking at you like you were going to disappear. Your words snapped him from his stare, blinking and grabbing your towel again. You used his magic to gently lift you from the cooling water and wrapped the towel around you snuggly. He dried you off carefully, as if you were breakable.

"Here kiddo. Found some clothes that should fit you. I'll step out of the room so you can get dressed, alright? The t-shirt is for sleeping, and the sweater is for the morning, alright?" He smiled at you and stepped out of the bathroom.

You found the pile of clothing he left on the floor, digging through it. You smiled at the purple shorts, noticing the little smiling skull decal on the pocket. They were a little bit big, but then again you were a very small child.

The shirt was about ten times bigger than the shorts, the hem falling down to your knees and the 'short sleeves' hanging past your elbows, but it smelled like comfort and you really liked it. After you were dressed, you looked at the sweater, liking the stripes on it. It reminded you of one of your favorite sweaters back home.

You grabbed the sweater and left the bathroom. Sans was waiting right outside the door, something in his hand. Smiling at you, he waved the object at you.

"Come on kiddo. I'll brush your hair out. Paps should be watching Mettaton right about now." He put his free hand out. You took his hand and followed him down the stairs into the living room. As expected, Papyrus was sitting on the couch. He was wearing loose sweatpants and a hoodie. You thought he looked really comfy.

Sans sat on the far end of the couch, leaving a space in the middle for you. He turned to the side, facing in, and began brushing your hair gently. You tried to keep your eyes open, but the feeling of the brush moving through your hair and the warmth from the monsters on either side lulled you to sleep within minutes.

Sans watched as your eyes slipped shut, sighing and putting the brush to the side. Papyrus was being unusually quiet. Usually he commented all through the program, but tonight he was silent. Papyrus glanced over at you with a strange look on his face.

"What's wrong Pap? You look sick." Sans asked his brother. Papyrus looked away and sighed.

"They are so small… and yet look at them. Cut, bruised… they do not deserve this kind of treatment from us." Papyrus said quietly, looking at the credits of Mettaton's show. Every credit said 'Mettaton'.

"They didn't know. They were just doing what they thought were right. How could they have known the kid was so young?"

"I do not like it. I am supposed to report any human activity to Undyne, but…" He trailed off, not having to finish his sentence for Sans to understand what he meant.

"You know, you don't have to tell her. They could stay with us… they'll look like a normal monster kid with your old sweater and maybe a hat." Sans suggested, knowing the idea would never really work.

"Brother…" Papyrus trailed off again. Sans just chuckled deeply.

"Yeah, it was a dumb idea… I'm just worried."

"About the human?" Papyrus asked.

"Yeah, and not just with the fighting thing. This kid…. This kid's been through some serious shit bro. I don't think they know what really happened though. They're too young to realize…"

"Sans what are you talking about?"

"Well, they talked about how their mom drank 'happy juice' when she was sad, how there were scratches on her arm, how the shower rained red instead of water… this kid doesn't know what depression is, I'm guessing. They didn't realize that their mom killed herself… or at least tried to." Sans ran his fingers through your drying hair, but you were deeply asleep and didn't stir.

"Oh dear…" Papyrus furrowed his brow bones and stared at the commercials. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He tried again. "Kind of like you."

Sans felt his soul drop, that feeling in your chest when someone says something that really hits home. He stared at your sleeping form, not really seeing you. His hands were shaking a little

"Papyrus look-"

"Sans, there is no need to hide this from me anymore. I know what you went through. I talked to Dr. Alphys about it. I can understand why you didn't tell me, back when I was younger, but I was really hoping you would trust me when I grew up."

"It's not that I don't trust you Paps… It's just hard to talk about. Especially with someone who you care about." Sans whispered, eyes going dark.

"What are we going to do with the human?" Papyrus asked, letting the topic drop. He would talk to his brother about his depression later, when there wasn't a possibly scarred child in their presence. Papyrus looked over at the small smile on your face as you took a particularly deep breath in your sleep and snuggle into Sans' lap more.

"We can't let them go out alone. They're trying to get to Asgore, but they'll die as soon as they leave Snowdin."

"We should keep them here." Papyrus said, finality in his voice. "No one in Snowdin is going to ask about a new small monster child, and if Undyne asks we can say they are our family from the Capital." Papyrus suggested. It struck Sans odd how eager he was to go against Undyne, but it made him proud also.

Papyrus was growing up, making his own decisions. It struck Sans that Papyrus wasn't a baby bones anymore. It was obvious, seeing how the younger was easily two feet taller than the older, but it never really stuck in his head that Papyrus really was an adult.

"That's a good plan Paps. I knew you'd be able to come up with something." Sans smiled gently at his brother. "We should get the kid into a real bed. Don't think they've had a real night's sleep in a while."

"They can sleep in my bed!" Papyrus perked up. "They would be much more comfortable in my cool racecar bed rather than that hovel you call a room."

"Hehe you're right again bro. Why don't you go tuck them in? I have something to take care of." Sans hopped off the couch as Papyrus picked you up. Your small frame looked even smaller in his long bone arms.

Sans left the house, but only went down the street. Grillby's sign glowed bright in the darkness, the snowflakes dancing in front of the red and orange lights. He pushed the door open with practiced ease. The bar was almost empty, seeing how it was almost 10 in the evening. Grillby looked up and furrowed his eyes brows. Sans never came in this late, not anymore at least.

"Sans." Grillby said, his voice soft. "Are you falling back into bad habits again?"

Sans just chuckled without much humor. Oh the irony of it all.

"Ya know, that's the second time that's been brought up today." He reached for a ketchup bottle. "But no, I'm not. It's about the kid that was with me earlier. They're… not in a good place." He sipped the red liquid and rubbed the top of his head.

"What is wrong with them?" Grillby asked, wiping down some crumbs off the bar.

"Their mom left them all alone. Kid said something about taking too many 'sleepy candies'…" Sans sighed heavily. "Kid's mom offed herself, and they don't know anything's wrong."

"Sounds very serious."

"You don't know the half of it Grillbz. Can I tell ya something? Can ya promise not to tell anyone else?" Sans asked, a key of desperation leaking into his tone. Grillby's face turned somber as he nodded. As a bartender, it was his job to listen without telling. "The Kid's a human." Sans whispered to his oldest friend. Grillby bristled, his flames growing and spitting.

"Sans what are you thinking?" Grillby rose his voice, something that rarely happened. The few straggles in the bar flinched at the sound and looked at the fire monster with a mix of shock and concern. The only time the bartender ever raised his voice was when someone was causing trouble in the business.

"I can't just off 'em Grillbz! You should have seen them… they don't know what's happening. They don't know why everyone's attacking them, why their mom abandoned them. I'm going to try to get the full story when they wake up. And don't try to call the Royal Guard on us. Papyrus and I will protect the kid with all our strength." Sans let the threat hang in the air for a second.

"If Undyne or King Asgore find out… you will be in a lot of trouble. You're practically harboring a fugitive."

"They're just a kid Grillby! A child. Paps' baby clothes were too big on them. Even if they could find a way to hurt us, they're so small someone could accidentally step on them and end it all."

"Is this because of what happened with Papyrus?" Grillby asked after a long pause. Sans flinched so violently he almost fell out of his seat. He was suddenly brought back to that day, so many years ago.

Papyrus was on the ground, clutching his eye. Gaster stood over his, his usually professional face twisted in fear. Sans ran forward, the sleeves of his lab coat reaching past his palm. He knelt next to his brother, who was writhing in pain.

"What did you do to him?" Sans screamed, never taking his horrified eyes off the red tears leaking from his brother's eyes.

"It was an accident. This was not an expected outcome of the experiment-" Gaster tried to explain. Sans whirled around and cut him off.

"Experiment? You promised me you would never lay a finger on my brother, you lying bastard!" Sans tried to throw himself at the scientist, but found himself surrounded by a navy blue magic. Gaster had one hand out, his magic surrounding the smaller skeleton.

"He came to me, Sans." He said calmly, not letting Sans down. "It was just supposed to be a checkup, but something sparked this. I never meant to hurt your brother."

"He came to you?" Sans asked, so shocked he felt numb.

"He said he wanted to help you. Wanted to protect you." Gaster said calmly. Sans felt tears leak from his eyes as Papyrus cried out and fell silent.

"Papyrus!" Sans screamed. His own magic overpowered Gaster's, as the older monster knew it would. Sans fell to the ground and ran over to his brother. He gathered Papyrus up in his arms, his pink and purple sweater stained with glowing tears.

"Sans…"

"I'm leaving, Gaster. You crossed the one line I can't ignore. If you ever come near me or my brother again, I'll make you regret it." He ground out, picking his brother up in his arms. Gaster didn't say anything as the shorter skeleton left the lab, not looking back.

Sans didn't know that would be the last time he saw Gaster.

"Sans, you can't let this… human child send you back to that place." Grillby said. It was after Sans brought Papyrus back from that fateful day in the lab, his emotional health went downhill. Papyrus was too young at that point, and just recovered himself. He never noticed his brother's depression, but the other townsfolk did.

"I can't fail the kid too." Sans whispered, his fists clenching on the bar top.

"Sans you didn't fail Papyrus." Grillby was brought back to the dozens of time he said the same thing to the skeleton back when he drunk himself into a stupor several nights a week to escape his own guilt.

"Hehe, oh Grillby… If only we could all be so optimistic." Sans sighed again, desperation dripping from his words.

"Sans, if this child means so much to you, I will help in any way I can." Grillby placed his warm hand over Sans' fist. The skeleton smiled at the familiar warmth, his fist relaxing some.

"I don't know how to deal with an emotionally messed up kid. I didn't exactly deal with Papyrus the right way…" He chuckled sadly again. "I really messed up…"

"Sans, you were a great role model for Papyrus. Even though you were so tired all the time, you still cooked with him, helped him train. He looks up to you, even to this day." Grillby tried to appease his friend's grief, but there was no getting through to the skeleton.

"I should be getting home. I'll tell you if I need anything, alright?" Sans stood, his back creaking with the motion.

"Take care of yourself Sans." Was the only farewell the fire monster gave his dear friend. He watched his friend leave the bar, a heavy feeling in his chest. Grillby had been the one to find Sans in a very compromising position, kneeling in his kitchen with a large knife aimed at his soul.

Grillby shuttered at the memory and prayed to a higher power to keep Sans safe.

"Can you tell me where your Mommy went?" Sans asked you. You were sitting at the kitchen, happily eating the pile of toast in front of you. Papyrus had asked what you want you wanted for breakfast, and you kept chanting 'Toast! Toast!' until he made a plate of it. You put the crust on your plate and wiped your mouth on the back of your hand.

"I told you. She took her sleepy candies." You were confused. Why did Sans look so sad?

"Yeah, but what happened after that?" He pushed.

"She kept sleeping. I tried waking her up, but she must have been really sleepy. After two days, I went to look for Daddy. I thought maybe he could wake Mommy up. He always talked about hiking on the mountain. He took me on a pic-i-nick there on my birthday before he left. I tripped over those vines and woke up down here." You said with your usual childlike tone. Totally factual, like you were telling him what happened in school that day.

"Oh god…" Papyrus muttered under his breath. Sans could only stare at his hands. You had no home to go back to. A father that left and a mother that…

"Hey kiddo." Sans got your attention back from the jelly you were spreading on your toast. "What would you say if we wanted you to live here? With us."

"I would love to! But I have to get home to Mommy. She'll be sad if she wakes up all alone." You smile innocently at him, not understanding why he made a choking sound.

"I think your Mommy went to find your Daddy. It'll be best if you stay with Papyrus and me for a while." Sans said softly, afraid of scaring you off. You scrunched your little nose and looked at the plate of crusts in front of you.

"But… won't I be attacked?" You ask, not realizing your statement was way too profound for someone your age. Sans just flinched away.

"We'll keep you safe." Papyrus spoke up.

"Yeah kiddo. Me, and Paps, and Grillbz, and all our friends. We'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again." Sans said, more serious than you had ever heard him before. You sit in silence for a second before saying something that brought tears to both the skeleton's eyes.

"My Mommy isn't waking up, is she?" You say, not entirely sad but not entirely lively. You almost said it like a statement, but it sound twisted being said in such a high, young voice.

"We'll always take care of you kid." Sans didn't have to agree or disagree. Tears built up in your eyes. You suddenly didn't want your toast anymore.

"Do you think she's happy now?" You ask, sniffling slightly.

"Yeah kiddo. I think she's happy now. Especially because you're safe." Sans replied, placing a gently hand on your cheek. Your small hands came up to rest on his large bone one, snuggling your face into his hand.

"I miss my mommy." You started crying into his hand. Sans sniffed a little himself and moved to kneel next to you. He wrapped his arms around you.

"I know kiddo. It's hard, but you've got us now. We'll be like one big happy family. You, me and Pap, the best family in the whole Underground." He poked your stomach gently, causing you to giggle through your tears.

"A family… that sounds nice." You smile through your tears, sniffling and wiping your eyes on the sweater sleeve.

"We'll make all the other families jealous over how awesome of a family we are. We'll strike envy in the hearts of every family ever, because we're such a perfect family." Sans said, poking your stomach every time he said 'family'. Soon, you were a giggling mess, tears falling down your face from laughing so hard.

You finally managed to stand upright. You threw yourself at Sans, who was still kneeling at your height. You wrapped your arms around his neck and hugged him as if you were afraid he would vanish into thin air.

"Thank you…" You whisper into his shoulder. You felt another pair of arms wrap around both you and Sans. Papyrus had knelt next to you, hugging you both at the same time.

"Everything will be fine now, small human. I, the Great Papyrus promise you! And I never go back on a promise!" He exclaimed loudly, causing your ear to ring, but that was oaky.

Because you were home.

Alright a little different than the usual hurt/comfort chapter format. For the first time in a few weeks, I actually have solid ideas for some of the upcoming chapters.

I'm kinda excited to sake it up a little. It'll be different POVs and characters and such, like the reader going through a normal day, not realizing Sans' is depressed or has PTSD until you're woken by his nightmare, and things like Mettaton dealing with the pressure to keep up his looks for fans or getting into drugs because of the pressures of fame.

I know I do this at the end of every chapter, but thank you everyone for being so supportive. I keep getting offers to talk, and it honestly makes me cry because I'm so used to being brushed aside by my family and stuff, so thank you so much everyone.

Anyone catch the lowkey Sansby? Cuz I love that ship. That and Papyon are my OTPs for Undertale. I think maybe NicePants is third on that list. Man I just love the idea of cranky old Burgerpants with the Nice Cream guy. Ah warms my cold, dead heart.

ALSO! If anyone follows me on Tumblr (itsalwaysagoodtimetoeatcake) send me a message! I want to know how many of my followers are also reading this story! It doesn't even have to be a real message. Just send me a joke or a pun. Actually, that's even better. If you follow me on Tumblr, send me a pun! Warning though, there is a great possibility I'll stalk your blog an end up following you, just a heads up.

Until next time!

~Starlight