The room was silent when Frisk and Chara had finished explaining what had happened during their engagement with Killer.

"Welp. Looks like we're doomed," Sans said, putting his hands into his pockets. He leaned back against the wall and grinned.

"You're giving up already?!" Undyne yelled, stomping.

"You heard them," Sans replied. "Killer's in a different league than us. We can't do anything to stop them. They're simply too powerful."

"But, Sans!" Alphys said, rushing towards him. "How c-could you lose hope so easily?"

"What can I say?" Sans shrugged. "We're completely...boned."

Everyone groaned.

"In all seriousness, though," Sans continued, "let's call off this engagement. If we show up again, then Killer's going to, well...kill us, and then Frisk and Chara will have to reset again."

"So, what do we do?" Undyne demanded. "Sit around and wait for them to come to US?"

"Actually, that might not be such a bad idea," Sans said. His grin grew wider. "The 'sit around and do nothing' part, I mean."

"Why's that?" Alphys asked.

"Think about it," Sans said, taking his hands out of his pockets. "The situation's terrible, but at least Frisk and Chara were able to reset out of it. During their reset, they were confronted by Killer, which means that Killer must be aware of their resets, which also means that Killer must be aware that their reset succeeded. In other words, while we lost that engagement...we actually won the battle of the resets."

"Won't that just make Killer angrier?" Undyne said.

"Wait. Sans has a point," Frisk spoke up. "If Killer is aware that Chara and I can use our combined determination to reset every time they beat us, then there's no reason for them to fight us again."

"You sound so confident," Chara whispered. "What if we can't reset the next time we try?"

Frisk tried to smile confidently. "We succeeded the first time. We can do it again."

"Still..."

"Well. If we do nothing, then Killer has two options," Sans said. "Either they confront us here and attempt to kill us again – in which case, we'll just reset out of it – or, they leave us alone, and hopefully, they never come back to this timeline."

"That s-sounds rather optimistic," Alphys said. "They could do other things – like try to break Frisk's and Chara's determination."

"They could try," Sans said. "But I'm rooting for Frisk. Our kid here won't give up."

Frisk blushed.

"...Right," Alphys said, brightening up. "In a way, we win by r-retaining the ability to reset!"

"Uh, not exactly," Undyne responded. "Where's the part where we DESTROY them?"

"Oh, tr-true."

"I'll leave that for you to figure out," Sans said, turning towards the exit of the room. He walked to the door. "I'm done for today. Even though I haven't really done anything."

Undyne twitched. "...ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Sans," Frisk said. "You...you're actually really powerful, aren't you?"

Sans turned his head around and winked. "See ya, kid."

"I d-don't think he's actually going to do nothing," Alphys said once Sans had left the room. "Sans works on h-his own time. He's probably looking for ways to protect this t-timeline right now!"

"So...are we just going to do what he's telling us to do?" Chara asked in a flustered tone. "Sit around and wait?"

"That does seem r-rather fruitless," Alphys said, lowering her eyes. "Still, the two of you look tired right now. I'll g-go search for ways to counter Killer's shadow! You should rest and recover your strength."

Chara didn't look convinced. "Killer could attack us while we're sleeping."

"We'll keep watch," Undyne said, smiling. "Alphys' right. The two of you are our only capability to resist Killer. We need you to be well-rested."

"Thank you," Frisk said, rubbing their eyes. "Let's take a nap, Chara. I'm exhausted."

"...I suppose."

"We'll drive you to the dormitories," Alphys said. "None of the r-rooms are being used by students right now, so you can sleep there."

"What? We're going to be sleeping where the students were sleeping?" Chara asked.

"The laboratory is a m-mess," Alphys replied. "You...probably don't want to go there right now."

"Fine."

They went out to their taxi, and their chauffeur drove them to the campus dormitories.

It was a series of old brick buildings that were much less fancy than their laboratory apartment. The rooms inside were fine, if not a bit small. Frisk and Chara chose a room with a twin sized bed.

"Well...enjoy," Alphys said, chuckling. Her eyes darted back and forth between Frisk and Chara. She started to giggle.

"Alphys?" Frisk asked.

"I'll...I'll leave you alone now."

Frisk plopped down onto the bed as Alphys closed the door. Their eyes felt weary, and they blinked several times. Chara shut off the lights and walked towards them. They stood in front of Frisk, who lay on the bed with their legs over the edge and feet hanging above the floor.

"This is a disaster," Chara whispered.

"...I know."

"Aren't you worried?"

"I am."

"So how can you sleep?"

Frisk pulled themselves onto the bed fully. "I try not to think about it. If I worry too much, it isn't going to help. The best thing I could do for myself right now – and for everyone else – is to get some rest." They sighed. "I know it sounds selfish. But it's better than panicking."

Chara seemed to be trying to smile. "You're always so self-assured."

"I'm not," Frisk said. "When I was trying to reset, and I was stuck in that tunnel, I nearly...lost hope. The truth is, I only found my determination again when I saw you coming."

The blush on Chara's face resurfaced. They climbed onto the bed and leaned over Frisk.

"Thanks, but still. The way you sounded just now – it made you seem confident."

"I'm just trying to make us feel better."

Chara leaned their face closer to Frisk's. "You're too honest."

"Umm..."

"Frisk." Chara placed their head down beside Frisk's and tucked themselves under the blanket. "What if we fail?"

"We won't."

"You don't know that for sure."

"You're right."

"So...aren't you scared?"

Frisk stared at the ceiling, unblinking. It was true that losing to Killer, and being unable to reset, would be absolutely frightening. The thought of it was enough to make them feel anxious.

"I am," Frisk replied.

"You don't seem scared."

They turned their head over to face Chara, who was staring at them with wide eyes. Chara looked cute when they were scared. It was such an unusual expression on their face. Like when they blushed, they had a quivering frown, and their eyes were always darting away.

"I guess I'm good at hiding it," Frisk said with a half-hearted laugh.

"Frisk..."

"Yeah?"

Chara's lips trembled. "I can't stand it."

"Do you...want me to give you a hug?"

"...Yes."

Frisk wrapped an arm around Chara's shoulder and pulled them close. Chara had been trembling a little, but stopped once Frisk embraced them. Frisk began to stroke Chara softly on the head, patting them, and Chara giggled. Chara raised their fingers and gently brushed away locks of Frisk's hair. Their touch was comforting. Staring into Chara's eyes, Frisk leaned closer, until their noses and lips touched, bringing about a sense of close, loving affection.

"...Kiss?" Chara asked.

"Not tonight. I'm too tired."

"I just want to have a quick kiss."

"All right."

Chara began the kiss. Their soft lips were irresistible, and Frisk kissed back. The warmth that came from Chara's closeness was soothing. Frisk held them tighter. They needed this warmth, and they loved the feeling of intimacy that came with kissing. A feeling of tenderness.

It lasted for longer than they had originally intended, and when Chara pulled away, Frisk felt a wave of fatigue. However, they didn't want to let go. It was comforting to have someone so warm in their embrace.

"...Frisk?"

"You're warm," Frisk said, gently nuzzling against Chara's face. "I still want to use you as a blanket."

"Uh..."

"A Chara-blanket."

Chara was blushing again. "Sure."

"Just for tonight."

Hugging Chara, Frisk breathed deeply, and the tension in their mind unwound. They started to finally feel relaxed again.

"By the way."

"Yeah?"

"Do you naturally smell like a buttercup?"

"...What?!"

Frisk giggled. "Just wondering. Your hair always has the smell. I mean, I like it – I'm just curious about how it got that smell..."

Chara narrowed their eyes. "Maybe because that's what killed me."

"Ummm, sorry –"

"No, it's all right." Chara rolled their eyes. "Really. That's just a weird question to ask."

To Frisk's amusement, Chara grabbed a tuft of their own hair and sniffed it.

"I don't smell anything."

"Forget about i-"

"No, wait, I do smell some buttercups," Chara said. "Huh. Maybe their scent got ingrained in my...essence after I died."

"Well," Frisk said, laying their head against Chara's, "You do smell nice."

"Are you happy I have it?"

"Ah..."

Chara smiled. "Don't worry, Frisk. I'm not going to become sad just because you bring up what happened in my past. If it makes you happy that I smell like this, then I'm happy that I came back with this scent!"

Now, Frisk was the one who was completely red.

"Just..."

"Yeah?"

"Just be my Chara-blanket for tonight."

They leaned in closer and hugged Chara tightly. If they could spend the whole night like this, then they would. They just wanted to have this warm and adorable person in their arms forever.

Frisk heard a knock on the door of their room. They opened one eye and saw light streaming through the window. A voice was saying something, but they couldn't hear them clearly. Moments later, the door opened. Sans strolled in, grinning. He froze when he saw Frisk and Chara in the bed together. Without saying a word, he walked out backwards.

"Wait!" Frisk called, pushing the Chara-blanket off their body and jumping out of bed. Chara groaned and buried their head into their pillow.

"Sorry, kid," Sans said from behind the door. "Should've waited for you to get up before coming in."

"It's okay," Frisk replied. "Is it urgent?"

"Kind of. We need to drive you back to campus. Alphys and I have news."

Frisk turned towards Chara. They shook Chara on the shoulder, and Chara sat up. Chara rubbed their eyes lazily, then faced Frisk with a barely disguised frown.

"Can't I sleep a bit more?"

"Sans says we need to get going," Frisk replied. "You can sleep on the drive there."

"That's not much more sleep."

"Come on."

"Plus, I'll probably feel awake once I'm in the car."

"Take your time," Sans said, taking out a cell phone. "I'll give Alphys a call and tell her that you two just woke up. When you're ready to leave, meet me outside the building entrance."

"Okay," Frisk responded. "Thanks, Sans."

"Thanks, I guess," Chara said groggily.

Frisk helped Chara to get dressed in their favourite green and yellow striped sweater (for some reason, even after all these years, it still fit their size). For themselves, they wore a blue hoodie and black jeans. Afterward, they went into the dormitory's public bathroom to brush their teeth, wash their face, and comb their hair.

Chara came in and stood at the sink beside them. They glanced at Frisk and burst into mild giggles.

"What?"

"Your hair," Chara said, pointing at Frisk's head. "Look."

Frisk stared into the mirror.

They thought that they had combed it already, but a few strands of their hair were still sticking up. It refused to go back down even when they used their hand to squash it. Next, they wet their comb with water and tried combing their hair again. The strands still refused to be flattened. Sighing, Frisk cupped water into their hands and splashed it over their head. With their hair wet, they were finally able to squash those strands.

"Awww," Chara said, "You kind of looked cute with your hair sticking up like that."

"I'd rather be neat."

When they were done, they walked to the exit of the building and found Sans waiting for them by a car. The same chauffeur as last night was driving it. As usual, they sat in the back seat.

"Feeling all right?" Sans asked as the driver started their car.

"Yeah," Frisk replied. "Why?"

"I hope you've got a good night's sleep. If Killer attacks again, and we fail to fend them off, we'll need you to use your determination to reset."

"...I know."

"Well, I could sleep a bit more," Chara said, leaning their head back against the top of their car seat. They yawned, then closed their eyes.

"How are you doing, Chara?" Sans asked.

Chara seemed surprised that Sans would ask them that. They were speechless for a while. Then, they looked away. "I'm fine."

"That's good."

Frisk smiled at Chara. "See? Sans cares about you."

"Well...thank you, Sans," Chara said to him.

"Don't mention it."

While they were being driven back onto campus, Frisk found themselves feeling nervous again. Looking out the car window and seeing everything in the city as it normally should be, everything that had happened last night felt like a dream. The battle, Killer's shadow, the wall of darkness that had prevented them from resetting by themselves – it all seemed too surreal. Yet, they knew that it couldn't possibly have been a dream. They had fought Killer, and they had lost, and Killer had used their own soul to kill both Sans and Undyne.

It was a sight that had become etched into their mind: Undyne and Sans' dead, disintegrating bodies. They would never forget it. They would never forget what Killer had done.

When their car arrived on campus, they walked back into the meeting room that they had been in last night. Alphys and Undyne were there again.

"Good m-morning, Frisk and Chara," Alphys said, waving at them.

"Hey! How are you two?" Undyne shouted.

Frisk nodded at both of them. "Good morning. I'm fine, Undyne."

"Chara?"

"I'm...sleepy," Chara replied, grabbing their arm. "Don't mind me."

"If y-you aren't feeling well, you should tell us," Alphys said to Chara.

"It's okay. I normally feel sleepy when I wake up in the morning."

"Anyways, let's recap over what we did last night," Sans said, stepping towards the middle of the room. "Alphys?"

"You go f-first," Alphys responded.

Sans shrugged.

"I contacted the country's government and told them about Killer," he began. "It took some time for me to convince them, but they started to believe me after I showed them our data with the corrupted timelines and the twelve dead guards from our laboratory basement."

Frisk grew disheartened. They wished they could have reset back further to save them.

"Anyways, the government contacted their military leaders, who have agreed to cooperate fully." Sans winked, and his smile grew larger. "Guess what? We may actually have an advantage now."

"How?" Frisk asked.

"We gave the military our codes to detect Killer's signal," Sans said. "They have more determination than you alone, Frisk – though not as much as you and Chara combined – which means their individual signal is the most easily detectable in our world right now. With this signal, we can track their location and activities anywhere they go, though it does take a bit of filtering."

"Filtering?"

"Yeah. Humans are chock full of determination, so even Killer's signal sometimes blends in with the others around them. We have to run a program to ascertain their precise coordinates every few minutes or so."

"But th-that's not your concern," Alphys spoke up.

"In any case, the military is now on high alert," Sans continued. "If Killer does anything drastic, we'll know what, and we'll respond appropriately."

The light behind Sans' eyes dimmed.

"In the worst case – that is, Killer unleashes their shadow and tries to consume the world – we'll have every nuclear weapon in the country's arsenal pointed at them. We'll make an effort to evacuate the people in the surrounding area, provided that they haven't all died already, and then we'll strike."

"Nuclear...weapons?" Frisk said. "Those are extremely dangerous, aren't they? I read that the fallout from detonating enough nuclear bombs at once could kill every person on the planet."

"It could," Sans replied, shaking his head. "But it's better than letting everything be consumed by Killer's soul, don't you think?"

"...I see."

"There's just one thing," Alphys said. "Just a f-few hours earlier, we actually...lost Killer's signal, and we haven't been able to r-recover it."

"What?!"

"But, we think we know why!" Alphys responded. "Killer left the h-hill and went back to the laboratory early this morning. We had to interrupt our s-signal to do some filtering, and then they were gone. I think the m-most likely conclusion is that they went back into the tunnels."

"Why?" Chara asked.

"Remember, Killer knows that the two of you have enough determination to still reset," Sans said. "Maybe they gave up on destroying this world and decided to go bother some other timeline."

"Killer? Giving up?" Undyne said. "I bet they'll come back. They're probably just taking a break."

"Our evidence that they've left is...unfortunate," Alphys continued. "I checked the n-number of timelines we have left again a couple of minutes ago. It's d-decreased again."

Frisk shuddered. They hated the thought of Killer leaving them alone, only to go and destroy some other world.

"Well, if Killer comes back, we'll be prepared," Sans said. "And, unless they find some way to get even more determination, we'll still have the upper hand on resets in this world."

"So what do we do now?" Chara asked.

"I'll be r-researching souls, and determination, and see if we can s-somehow destroy Killer's shadow," Alphys replied.

"And I'll help!" Undyne exclaimed, giving Alphys a nudge.

Everyone turned to face Sans.

"Me? I'm just going to take a break," he replied. "Welp. See ya."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Undyne yelled.

"Wait! Sans!" Alphys said. "Remember the other th-thing that we discussed?"

"Oh, right."

Sans turned to face Frisk and Chara.

"It's too dangerous to take you back to the laboratory," he began. "Killer could show up from the tunnels at any moment, and we don't want you two to be so close to that place. So, we've decided to let you crash somewhere else for a while."

"Another home?!" Chara said in an exasperated tone. "Where are we going this time?"

"He's g-got places," Alphys replied.

"Yeah." Sans winked. "Follow me. I know a shortcut."

"THIS is our new home?"

Compared to the laboratory apartment, this one looked like it came out of a dump. It was a small low rise building, with stairs on the outside. They had climbed up to the second floor, where a balcony walkway took them in front of their door. Inside, there was a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a bed right in the middle of it.

"Hey. I'm not a rich skeleton," Sans replied, shrugging. "Plus, I moved all your stuff in for free. Normally, I'd charge."

"Why this place, though?" Frisk asked.

"It's in an old and denser part of the city," Sans said. "Lots of people live here, so it'll be hard for Killer to find you if they try. I hope you like, uh, crowds."

"I don't," Chara replied in an angry tone.

Sans shrugged again.

Frisk began to unpack their belongings. Asriel was already in his flower pot on the table.

"But there's another reason," Sans said. "There's someone here who I'd like you to find. It could help you to meet them."

"Who are they?" Frisk asked.

Sans shook his head. "I can't say. But you'll know them when you find them."

"Could you be just a little less vague?" Chara asked in a sarcastic tone.

Sans' smile grew larger. "Welp. That's all the work I feel like doing for today. Call me up if you need some help. I'm leaving."

There was a flash of light, and then Sans was gone.

Chara sighed loudly. They got out their laptop and placed it on the desk.

"I'm going to set up the wifi," Chara said.

"Of course that's what you're going to do first," Asriel said, his face reappearing upon the flower. "The world might be in mortal danger, but what does it matter if you don't have your wifi?"

"Shut up," Chara replied, though they smiled and patted Asriel (a flower petal).

Frisk took off their jacket and jumped onto the bed.

"Well," they said, facing Asriel, "looks like we don't even have a bedroom in this place."

Chara started to blush.

Asriel groaned.

"If you and Chara are going to make out, just kindly move me into the bathroom."