It's been an exciting two years. Mom and dad are so comfortable with each other now. At first, I wasn't entirely sure they were okay being together. But as the days went by, that all but disappeared. Mom has settled into her role as the queen again quite nicely. She smiles more than ever.

I just wish she wouldn't be so gross with dad when I'm around.

Speaking of dad, he's gotten so much better. It took me a while to call him 'dad' instead of 'king Asgore'. But when I did, he gave me the dopiest grin I've ever seen. He's as patient as mom and twice as affectionate. I love his beard and hair, and he lets me play with both when the urge strikes me. He's also taken to giving me lessons on how to rule. I aid him in his duties as king when the opportunity presents itself.

On a personal note, I've embraced my identity as a boy now. It still feels a little weird, but I'm getting comfortable with it.

The Underground has gotten livelier. True, we're all still trapped down here but you wouldn't know it from the way everyone acts. They're all so happy, celebrating and enjoying their lives. When dad declared the war over, it was as if everyone sighed in relief.

Papyrus has managed to open a restaurant in Snowdin. He was a little scared it wouldn't go over well but opening day was huge. Half the town showed up to try this new eatery. He also hired me as an employee, and I help whenever I can.

Sans is still working as a sentry, but his main job is helping his brother maintain the restaurant. He's still quite lazy but he seems happier than usual.

Undyne's been teaching me how to fight, saying that, as a prince, I should know how to protect my people. I've developed a few new spells as a result. She's a lot nicer than I originally thought.

Alphys has been continuing to research ways to break the barrier, though she's had no luck so far. Her focus for the time being is on the Amalgamates and she is still looking for a way to separate them. While she's had no luck, she's still optimistic.

Mettaton has become the greatest star the Underground has ever seen. With his cousin and Shyren helping, he's become not just a great TV star, but also the best musician we have down here. I still wear the scarf he signed.

My friends are doing very well in school. Berdly's gotten a lot less arrogant, Susie is much nicer, MK's less energetic, but still talkative.

And Noelle… she's doing better. I don't think she's gotten over her father's death, but at least she doesn't cry anymore when he's mentioned.

As for the flower, I'm still taking care of it, and under my care (with dad's help) it has flourished. I'm trying to come up with a name for it, but nothing good has come to mind. Dad gave me a few suggestions, but they're bad. I'm not going to name a flower 'Flowey'. One day I'll come up with something.

Everything is so good. We're all happy. It would take an apocalypse to mess it up now.

Drifting. That's what it felt like. His mind was adrift, not tethered to anything. Impressions were all he could see; his mind unable to process. It was surreal. He was just adrift, floating in a never-ending void, darkness all around him. He didn't have to fear it because he was it. He knew there was no point to fear, or sorrow, or anger, or joy, or anything mortals had words for, because he was dead.

It didn't quite sink in when it happened, the whole experience unbelievable. But he had felt the pain of being pierced, the cold chill as death slowly claimed him, then the feeling of falling apart as his body turned to dust. Then he had ceased to be. Whoever he was didn't matter because that person had died.

But then, he wasn't adrift anymore. Slowly, he began to feel. Sensations returned, bit by bit as his consciousness was pulled back to the world of the living. He didn't know that was happening, as his mind was disconnected from thought. Eventually, memories began to soak in. Slowly, he remembers parts of his life. Gradually, his mind began to work, as consciousness returned in bursts. The trauma of his death would catch up to him, but not for a while. Then, the last moments of life filtered back in. A dissonant serenity as he clutched the body of his adopted sibling, their Soul merged with his.

Then, Asriel woke up.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, confusion filling him. What just happened? He remembered walking into the throne room with Chara's body in his arms. Then he collapsed as his parents screamed. Then… nothing. Now as he looked around, he tried to put together what just happened. But there was nothing around except a bunch of golden flowers and his parents' thrones.

"C-Chara?" he croaked out. Where were they? Where was their body? "Chara, where are you?" They were with him in his head. But they weren't there anymore. Did something happen to them?

It was then he tried to get up, only to find himself rooted in place. He tried to make himself sit up, but his arms and legs wouldn't respond. In fact… he couldn't feel them.

He looked down, seeing only a stem where his chest should be. Panic set in. What had happened? "Mom! Dad!" he cried out, trying to get their attention. But it was dark. The middle of the night. No one would be up at that time. "Anyone! Please, help me!" He continued to scream, calling for his parents. Eventually, he began to cry, as if that would make someone come to him.

But nobody came.

Frisk slapped his phone as the alarm went off. He got out of bed and changed into workout clothes. He ran on a treadmill, doing his daily exercise. In the middle of his run, his phone beeped. He stopped running to look at it and read the text before resuming his run. That changed his day, but he'd adapt.

After his exercise, he went through the rest of his morning routine. He brushed his teeth, washed his hair, and chose the clothes he would wear for the day. He settled on a purple shirt with blue sleeves and the Delta Rune on the front, along with purple pants, brown shoes, and his signature scarf. He played with the red stripe in his hair. Toriel hadn't been too happy when he did that, but since it was just a single lock of hair, she capitulated.

After getting dressed, he went to the kitchen where Toriel was making breakfast.

"Morning, my child. How did you sleep?" she greeted.

"Very well, thanks," he said. "What's for breakfast?"

"Snail Pie," she answered.

"Awesome!" he threw his arms in the air as he said that. "Can I get that on a paper plate, though?"

"I suppose. But might I ask why?" Toriel requested.

"Papyrus texted. He needs me to work today," he answered.

"Goodness. Did he say why?" she asked.

"Just that he'd explain when I got there," he explained.

"Well, I suppose you will be working for most of the day, then?" she asked.

"Yeah, probably till supper if he doesn't let me go early," he said. "So don't wait up."

"Very well," Toriel said, cutting a slice of the now baked pie and handing it to Frisk on the requested plate. "I shall inform your father about this change in plans."

"Please do and let him know I'm sorry. I was looking forward to spending the morning in his garden," Frisk said.

"I shall. Have a nice day!" She waved to Frisk as he left, pie in hand.

He took the fastest path he could to Snowdin, eating the pie all the while. As he did, he sent a text, informing someone of the change of plans. He hoped she understood. After half an hour of travel, he arrived at Snowdin, walking the paths to Papyrus' restaurant, which was across from his and his brother's house. He dumped the now empty plate in the trashcan outside. He went in through the backdoor, Papyrus already frantically at work preparing for the day.

"Good morning, Papy," he said, using his nickname.

"GREETINGS, FRISK, GLAD YOU COULD COME IN," he returned.

"heya, kiddo," Sans said, on the other side of the kitchen.

"So, you said you'd tell me why I needed to come in?" Frisk requested.

"AH, YES. YOU SEE, I WAS INFORMED JUST THIS MORNING VIA TEXT THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST FOR LUNCH TODAY. I TRIED TO GET A FEW OF MY OTHER EMPLOYEES, BUT THE ONLY ONES I COULD FIND FREE WERE YOU AND MY BROTHER," Papyrus explained.

"Well, I'm happy to help," Frisk said.

"EXCELLENT, THEN WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO GET INTO UNIFORM? THEN, I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED YOU TO GET FROM THE FREEZER FOR OUR GUEST, BUT IT NEEDS A COUPLE HOURS TO THAW."

"Right away, boss," Frisk said, heading for the changing room. He put up the clothes he came in, changing into a tuxedo. He looked in the mirror, making sure he looked nice. He adjusted the bowtie, making sure it was straight. It had taken him weeks to learn how to tie it, even with Asgore's help. But he managed it. He put his phone with his clothes in a cubby. Papyrus was very particular about his uniform. He took one last look at himself to make sure everything was correct, then he stepped out, ready for the day.

Toriel finished preparing breakfast, making less than she originally planned as Frisk was going to be working all day. Eventually, Asgore showed up.

"Morning," he greeted tiredly.

"Good morning. Late night?" Toriel asked.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I'm just glad I don't have to prepare my own food after such a night anymore."

"Tee hee," Toriel giggled. She carved out a large slice of the pie, placing it on a plate for her husband. He sat down in his chair, eager to begin, but waiting until Toriel took her seat.

"Where is Frisk? I would have thought he'd be up already," Asgore said.

"Papyrus texted and said he needed to come in. I do not know the details," Toriel explained.

Asgore let out a short laugh. "That boy works very hard."

"I believe he gets that from you," Toriel said.

"I'm pretty sure he got it from you," Asgore returned. "You had more with his growth than I."

"You underestimate the impact you have had on his life," Toriel said. "Even before he came to live here, you were a powerful figure in his early days."

"Perhaps," Asgore mused. "Unfortunately, that means I won't have any help with my garden today."

"I would offer my help, but I believe I would hurt more than help," Toriel said.

"The offer is nice, regardless," Asgore said.

Toriel sat down, and both began eating. Both couldn't help but feel a little lonely without Frisk there. It was a sad truth they had to accept, that as Frisk grew, he'd be less present. Toriel had grown used to it – or rather, was trying to – but Asgore was having a harder time.

"It is quiet without him here," Asgore finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yes. But it happens," Toriel said. "It is inevitable that he… grows up."

Asgore nodded. "Yes. But that got me thinking," he began. "Frisk is growing up, but he also seems a little lonely at times. I think he'd love to have a sibling to play with."

Toriel froze up before she resumed eating. "What are you getting at?"

"I know you still miss Asriel, as do I," Asgore said. "But… I think he would want us to move on."

"Is that not what we are doing?"

"Frisk isn't quite like that," Asgore said. "He's not Asriel, he's Chara. We're moving on from them, not our son."

Toriel conceded the point.

"So, I was thinking, perhaps, we should… try again?" Asgore got out.

Toriel wasn't sure. She could see Asgore's point, but she wasn't sure she was ready to move on from her first son. That wound had never healed, even with Frisk's presence. But she did want to move on. "Someday," she agreed.

Asgore heard the condition in the tone. She wasn't ready yet. But that was okay, he could wait. He already waited almost a century. "Good."

Eventually, they finished their breakfast. "Well, I'm off to attend to my garden," Asgore said.

"I shall have lunch ready by the time you get back," Toriel said.

"Maybe perhaps we should think about that," Asgore suggested. "I think Frisk would be pleasantly surprised if we showed up for lunch."

Toriel giggled. "I shall think on that."

With that, Asgore left, walking to his garden. He grabbed his gardening supplies on the way. Everything felt so good to him. He had his wife back, they had a child to replace one of the two they had lost, and Toriel was considering having another to fill the void Asriel had left. He couldn't help but hum on the way to his garden.

As he approached, he heard something coming from the garden. He wondered what it was. It sounded like… crying? Who would be in the throne room at this hour? He walked in, and found the flower that Frisk cared for hunched over like it was dying. But he noticed drops coming from its head, and traced the sniffling to it.

"A crying flower?" he questioned aloud.

His voice caused the flower's head to snap up, and it looked at him with tearful eyes, the face on it familiar.

"Dad? Dad! It's me!" it cried.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"W – it's me, Asriel! Help me!"

The watering can fell to the ground at that.

"Asriel?" Asgore questioned. He studied the flower for a moment and realized its face had contorted to a mirror image of his dead son. What was more, it sounded just like him. When he realized that, his brain made the rest of the connections for him. "Asriel!" He threw himself at the flower, hand open to cup it's head. "Asriel, my son, is that really you?"

"D-dad, it's me, it's really me," Asriel insisted. "W-what happened to me? W-why am I like this? And… w-where's Chara? What happened to them?"

Asgore hugged his crying son, shushing them. "It's okay, Asriel, it's okay."

"It's not okay! I'm a flower! Why am I a flower?"

Asgore wasn't sure. But then he remembered what Frisk had told him about the flower and what Alphys did to it. Did her experiments do this? Given what happened to those Monsters, it seemed likely.

"It matters little," he said. He didn't want to frighten Asriel now. He was clearly scared enough. "You're back, that's what's important."

"But… I'm a flower," Asriel said.

Asgore pat him on the head. "It's okay. You're back, and you're still my son."

Asriel looked down, not responding to what Asgore said.

"I can't believe you're here," Asgore said, sitting down. "It's almost surreal."

Asriel bowed his head.

"Son, what happened? Why did you take Chara's body to the surface?"

Asriel continued to look down, not willing to tell the truth. How could he tell his dad about the plan he and Chara had made to free everyone? Wait. Where was Chara?

"Dad, where's Chara?" Asriel asked, looking around. Their body was nowhere to be seen.

Asgore looked down sadly. "I… a lot has happened, Asriel," he said.

"What? What could have happened?" Asriel asked. "It only happened yesterday." Asgore looked at him sadly and Asriel realized something was wrong. "It did just happen yesterday, right?"

"No," Asgore answered.

"Last week?" Asgore shook his head. "Last month?" Another shake. "It couldn't have been a year, could it?"

Asgore gulped before answering. "It's been ninety-nine years, Asriel. Almost a century has passed since yours and Chara's deaths."

Asriel shivered, his stem trembling. "A hundred years. I've been dead for… a hundred years?"

Asgore nodded.

"Oh, my god. Has it really been… it's been…" Tears started falling from Asriel's eyes. "It was… for nothing? We did that… for nothing? I killed Chara… for nothing!"

"Asriel," Asgore said gently, reaching a hand for him. But Asriel just wept. He cried and kept crying as that horrible realization sunk in.

Asgore stayed with him for several minutes, waiting for his son to calm down. Eventually, Asriel's sobbing got quieter. "Asriel, it's okay," he assured. "Whatever it was, it's fine."

"Y-you don't understand," he sobbed. "Chara died for nothing. I killed them."

"Nonsense," Asgore insisted. "You had nothing to do with what happened to them."

"I did! I gave them the flowers. I sat by their side. I absorbed their Soul. We had a plan, a plan to free everyone. And it was all for nothing!"

Asgore reached forward and hugged his son as he continued to cry. Asgore thought he was just blaming himself for something that wasn't his fault.

After a while Asgore's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw a text from Toriel.

Are you done? We need to discuss lunch.

Asgore debated for a while what to do. Asriel was a wreck and needed comfort. Perhaps seeing his mother would do the trick.

"Asriel, can you wait right here?" he requested. "I'm going to go get your mother."

Asriel, still crying, nodded. He stayed there and moped as Asgore returned to the house.

Asgore found his wife sitting in her chair, reading a book. "That took you longer than usual," she observed. "Though, I suppose that is because you had to do it all by yourself."

"Toriel, you need to come with me," he requested.

"Why?"

"There's something in the garden you need to see," he answered.

"I thought we were going to discuss lunch first?"

"We'll probably have it here. Come on." He beckoned her to follow. She put her book down and stood up, following her husband.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Something has happened," Asgore said. "Something extraordinary."

"Like what?"

"Remember that flower that Alphys said she injected with Frisk's… what did she call it… Determination?"

"I do."

"Well, when I got to the garden, it was alive. And I don't mean like how all plants are alive," Asgore explained. "It could talk."

"Fascinating. I imagine Alphys will be eager to learn more," Toriel said.

"It's not that simple," Asgore said. "This flower… it's Asriel."

Toriel stopped following, stunned. "W-what? What do you mean?"

Asgore turned back to face her. "I don't know how, but this flower, it's our son. He's alive."

"Asgore, it cannot be him," Toriel denied. "We both saw him turn to dust."

"I know. But it's him," Asgore insisted. "It's our son."

"Stop saying that. It is not true," Toriel continued to deny.

Asgore took her hand, pulling her along. "Come and see for yourself."

He pulled her the rest of the way to the throne room. They stepped inside and Asriel was still there, crying to himself.

"Hello?" Toriel asked.

His head shot up when he heard her voice. "Mom! Mom, it's me."

Toriel couldn't believe her senses. Intellectually, she believed it was just an ordinary flower. But the face, the demeanor combined with the voice convinced her weary heart that it was her son. "Asriel, my baby," she cried, walking forward to take him in her arms.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Asriel cried, weeping into his mother's arms.

"It is alright, my child," she assured. "You are here now and you are safe."

Asriel cried as his dad joined the embrace. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to be relieved. He was safe. He was back.

So why did he feel so empty?

Frisk was cleaning off a table. Papyrus' restaurant was very popular with the residents of Snowdin. Part of the skeleton's biggest fear had been that he wouldn't be able to make enough money to sustain his business. But as it turned out, Snowdin had plenty of residents who were more than happy to eat there almost every day.

While Grillby's was rather popular and was Papyrus' main competition, that restaurant catered mainly to carnivores and omnivores. While Snowdin did have a fairly large population of meat eaters, the rest were all herbivores. As a result, they couldn't eat the meat and deep-fried food Grillby served.

Papyrus, on the other hand, designed his restaurant like an Italian one that Alphys had talked about. As such, the pasta was more digestible for the vegetarians and others. Papyrus did serve a few meat dishes, but his menu mostly catered to the plant-eating folk. He had even ordered more of the vegetarian ingredients in bulk after he realized that that would be his biggest source of income.

Additionally, all his food was local, which was also a huge boon. QC, a rabbit who owned a shop down the road, agreed to be his supplier and offered a discount. Papyrus also decided to sell QC's pastries as dessert options, feeling that her food items deserved more popular.

Frisk was putting dirty dishes in a tub when the doorbell rang. He looked at the entrance to see who it was and straightened in surprise when he saw Noelle walk in. He adjusted his bowtie before going to greet her.

"Howdy," he said nervously.

"Hi," she returned. "So you had to work today?"

"Yeah. I would have given you more of a warning but he texted me this morning," Frisk apologized.

Noelle sighed. "Shame. I was looking forward to today."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he swore.

"Well, how about this weekend? I don't have any plans," she offered.

"Sounds great. I'll have to find free time of my own," Frisk agreed.

"You'll manage."

It was about then Papyrus walked out. "OH, GREETINGS, NOELLE. HERE FOR LUNCH?"

"I'm not very hungry and I wasn't planning on staying," Noelle said.

"Come on, Noelle. I'll even have my lunch break so we can talk," Frisk insisted.

"WE ARE SLOW, SO I SUPPOSE YOU CAN DO THAT," Papyrus agreed.

"In that case, I'll have a salad," Noelle ordered.

"COMING RIGHT UP!"

Frisk led Noelle over to a free table, where they sat down. He took his coat off, folding it then laying it on the back of his chair.

"Have I ever told you how cute you look in your suit?" Noelle asked.

"I'm sure you have," Frisk said.

"Well, I must not have said it enough," Noelle decided. "Because you do look cute."

"Thank you," Frisk returned.

A minute later, Papyrus showed up with two salads, a smaller one for Noelle. He left them to talk in private.

"So, how are things going at your house?" Noelle asked.

"Okay for the most part," Frisk said. "Mom and dad do a lot of stuff together, though I wish they wouldn't flirt when I'm in the room."

"They really that gross?"

"Ugh… the names. I thought her hating him was bad. This is almost worse in its own way," Frisk complained.

"Hee hee," Noelle laughed. "At least they love each other."

"Yeah. At least there's that," Frisk agreed. "They help each other and stick together now."

"That's very nice. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. Though, I get the feeling it won't be just me for much longer," he said.

"Oh? You're thinking there might be the pitter patter of little feet before too long?" Noelle asked teasingly.

"I'd bet my scarf on it," Frisk said confidently. "And I think you'd agree, it would be about time, wouldn't it?"

Noelle half-nodded. "Yeah, probably. I mean, it has been almost a century since Prince Asriel's death. So, you might have a little brother before too long."

"I think I'd prefer a little sister," Frisk said. "Girls are much neater."

"You're just saying that because I'm here," Noelle retorted.

Frisk didn't dispute that. But their conversation was interrupted when the door opened, and in came Mettaton and his band.

Papyrus poked his head out. "OH MY GOD, HE'S HERE! OUR SPECIAL GUEST! SANS, GET EVERYTHING READY!"

"i'm working as fast as i can," Sans lazily said.

"THAT'S NOT WORKING! YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY MOVE!"

Mettaton rolled up to the counter, Papyrus running up to take his order. "GREETINGS, BEAUTY. I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR OUR ARRIVAL."

"OH, ANYTHING FOR THE STAR THAT MADE MY RESTAURANT MORE POPULAR," Papyrus assured. It had been Mettaton who'd written the glowing review about the new eatery in Snowdin that got it so much attention, even from as far away as New Home.

Mettaton ordered first, then his cousin, followed by Shyren. After placing their orders, they picked a table to sit down at. Mettaton was looking around when he spotted Frisk. "OH MY, IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS?" He stood up (or as close as a box on a wheel could) and rolled over to Frisk. "WELL, LOOK AT THAT, THE UNDERGROUND'S PRINCE. WHAT A COINCIDENCE."

"Actually, Papyrus had me work here because all his other employees were busy," Frisk admitted. It was well known that Frisk worked here when the skeleton needed him.

"WELL, GOOD FOR YOU, DARLING, GLAD TO SEE YOU DOING YOUR DUTY TO YOUR PEOPLE," Mettaton complimented. "HEY, IF YOU'VE GOT A MINUTE, WHY DON'T WE DO A QUICK INTERVIEW? PEOPLE WOULD GO NUTS TO SEE IT."

"I guess I've got a few minutes," Frisk agreed. Noelle just continued to eat, overlooked by the TV star.

"EXCELLENT! SHYREN, CAMERA!"

The fish pulled out a video camera from a bag she was carrying. Since they weren't broadcasting, she just set it to record.

"SO, DARLING, EVERYTHING GOING ALRIGHT IN THE DREEMURR HOUSEHOLD?" Mettaton asked, a microphone in hand.

"Everything's going great," Frisk said.

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT YOU, LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!" Mettaton said. "SO, ANY UPDATES ON MY NEW BODY?"

"It's still a work in progress," Frisk answered. "We got the face, it's just everything else that still needs work." Frisk was helping Alphys design a new body for Mettaton. While he did like his current form, he said it just 'wasn't him' and that he wanted a form looking closer to a human. Alphys had gotten the general design down but Frisk felt her initial design was too boring. It needed to be flashier and cooler.

"OH, EXCELLENT, DARLING. GLAD TO HEAR THAT!" Mettaton said. "I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE THE BODY I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF HAVING!"

"You're the Underground's shining star. You deserve a body that reflects that," Frisk complimented.

"OH, THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT YOU'VE DONE, DARLING," Mettaton returned. "YOU HELPED THOSE POOR MELTING MONSTERS SO THEY COULD GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES. AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, AS OUR DEAR ALPHYS IS STILL TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SEPARATE THEM."

"Yeah, but you built an amazing hotel in Hotland for people to either vacation at or stay in, not to mention all the housing in the various other regions you've built, sponsored by your shows," Frisk said.

"I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN THIS POPULAR IF YOU HADN'T CONFRONTED ME AND CONVINCED ME TO PULL MY HEAD OUT OF MY… WELL, YOU KNOW," Mettaton said. "IT'S THANKS TO YOU THAT I GOT THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT ON BOARD, AND THEY HELPED REMIND ME OF WHAT'S TRULY IMPORTANT OUTSIDE OF FAME."

"But you're an inspiration to so many Monsters. You were just a nobody who rose to be the most popular person in the Underground. That's gotta be really amazing."

"NOT AS AMAZING AS YOU, DARLING. YOU'RE A HUMAN, YET YOU'VE BECOME THE UNDERGROUND'S STAR PRINCE, CONVINCING US THAT THERE'S STILL GOOD IN HUMANITY WITHOUT EVEN TRYING. AND YOU BROUGHT OUR FORMER QUEEN BACK AND REUNITED HER WITH OUR KING."

"But you've got the amazing rectangle body! You look so amazing like that."

"AND YOU KNOW HOW TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS, NOT TO MENTION THAT SPLENDORIOUS HAIR JOB. THAT RED STRIPE MAKES YOU LOOK VERY HANDSOME."

"But you're the more popular figure."

"A TV STAR CAN'T COMPARE TO ROYALTY, DARLING."

"But you're better looking."

"NO, YOU ARE."

"No, you."

"NO, YOU."

"You."

"YOU."

"You."

"YOU."

"Y-"

"FRISK, GET BACK TO WORK! METTATON, QUIT DISTRACTING MY WAITER!" Papyrus shouted.

"Sorry!" Frisk apologized, shooting up from his seat and running off.

"OKAY, GUESS THAT ENDS THAT," Mettaton said, gesturing Shyren to turn the camera off.

Eventually, Mettaton and his crew left. Papyrus had a pizza made for them. The robot complimenting the skeleton. Noelle had already gone home, having finished her small salad. The rest of the day passed without incident. Now it was closing time and Frisk was cleaning up.

"WOWIE, WE SURE MADE A LOT TODAY," Papyrus said, having finished counting the money drawer.

"Any tips?" Frisk asked, sweeping the floor.

"QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY. HERE'S YOUR CUT." Papyrus handed Frisk the gold coins and the human put them in his pocket. "YOU CAN GO HOME. SANS AND I CAN FINISH UP."

"Sure thing, Papy," Frisk agreed. He made sure to clock out before going to the back room to undress, folding his tuxedo up and putting it in the cubby his clothes were stored.

He checked his phone to see if there were any texts from his parents while he worked. Finding none, he put it in his pocket and went home. The walk was uneventful. He was hungry because he had been unable to find time to have supper while working. He pulled his phone out and texted his mom, telling her he was on his way home and asked if she would prepare something for him to eat. He was pretty sure he would have time to talk about his day. What could have happened while he was gone?

It had taken them a while, but Asgore and Toriel had managed to get Asriel out of the garden and plac him in a pot so they could move him through the house. Their son looked around at the walls, noticing that they were much more colorful than the last time he had seen them. That thought reminded him it had been almost a hundred years since he had died. He still felt empty at that thought.

They set Asriel on the table, discussing what they should tell their son. Part of that led to wondering if they should tell him about Frisk. Neither one was sure how to approach that topic. That also made them wonder what they were going to tell Frisk. He would be home late and they were both unsure what to tell him.

Asriel spent most of the day on the table and asked his parents questions about what had happened. He forced himself to appear happy, to feel what he didn't. He knew he shouldn't make his parents worry, but for some reason, part of him wondered why he should bother.

He did notice a framed picture on the mantle which he thought was a wedding photo from a long time ago. He didn't bother wondering why said photo was in full color and not sepia. Nor did he notice the other picture next to it of a human he had never seen before.

The day went on for a while. The Dreemurrs continued to debate about what to tell their son when their other son got home. They knew they would have to come clean at some point, especially about their divorce, but neither one could drum up the will to mention it. What was more, they could tell Asriel was pretending to be happy, even though he clearly wasn't.

Eventually, after supper, Toriel got a text from Frisk, requesting that she prepare something for him as he was on his way home. She pulled Asgore aside to show him that. Both panicked for a moment, as they still hadn't told Asriel of Frisk. Asgore decided that Toriel needed to prepare something for Frisk to eat when he got home. He suggested that she warm up a piece of that morning's pie for him.

A short while later, Asriel noticed how nervous his parents looked. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Asgore assured. "It is just…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Dad, what is it?" Asriel asked. It was then Toriel had entered the living room with a slice of Snail Pie. "Who's the pie for?" he asked.

Toriel wasn't sure what to say. Both parents looked at each other, knowing they were running out of time to explain things and had to tell Asriel the truth.

"Mom. Dad. What is it?" he asked.

Toriel set the pie down. She decided she had to be the one to tell him. "Asriel…" she began.

Suddenly, the door to the house slammed. "Mom. Dad. I'm home!" came Frisk's voice. "The main road was busy so I took a shortcut through Alphys' lab."

He walked into the living room to find his parents frozen, surprised at his early arrival. But then he saw the flower on the table, which turned to face him. But what really surprised him was the face of the flower. It looked like a younger version of his parent's faces.

Asriel's eyes went wide as he beheld the human that had just walked into the house. "Chara?"

End of Chapter 16