The next morning, Ink woke up early -veryearly. At four A.M., he was back working, painting the rooms of the house he hadn't been able to get to yesterday; Fresh probably should have informed Ink about relaxing today before going to bed. Fresh awoke at the reasonable hour of seven A.M., and he was surprised Ink wasn't still in bed. He got out of bed and changed, before going to look for him. Ink was in the laundry room, painting the walls to match the forest theme in the rest of the house.

Fresh realized his mistake and decided that break day would beginafterInk finished this room. "Yo, Ink. How ya doin'? Sleep well?"

"Yep!" Ink confirmed. "I'm almost done here - it's the last room; do you want me to to paint the attic, too?"

"Ah, not today. Wit all dat got done yesterday, I think a break is in order." Fresh told him. He had said the attic would be done today, didn't he? He had almost forgot about that. "Imma get yer room made up, but other dan dat, I think maybe a visit wit Inky? If yer up fer dat, o' course."

"..Oh." Ink hadn't expected that. "Well, um..okay. May I finish this? I'm almost done.."

"I figured ya would wanna. Go ahead. I'll just be on da side o' da house if ya needs me." Fresh told him.

"All right!" Ink nodded, continuing to paint the walls; this part of the forest theme was a shining lake at first, surrounded by trees on all sides.

Fresh went to the side of the house and started by coding in a a door where the window was, just off the living room. That would have been easiest. Ink added a couple flower patches on the sides of the lake, just to add a bit of color to the scene, while Fresh extended the foundation, creating a room about the size of his own. The walls rose around him, starting with the support beams and filling in with all the necessities - wires, insulation, and things of the like. Next followed the plaster and siding. He left the walls plain for now; he would work on decorations after. He made a wooden floor, to match the rest of the house, before creating a roof, carefully attached to the rest, and extending the attic. He then made three windows, to let in natural light.

Now, to paint the walls and furnish it...

Ink soon finished with his painting, glad that he had managed to paint every room in the house before being forced to take a break. He decided to go see what his master was doing, walking outside. Fresh was finishing up outside, adding a flower trough outside one of the windows; it went well with the log cabin design.

He looked up at Ink and smiled. "Sup, homie? Imma just addin' some touches out here for' I go tidy up da inside. Kinda plain right now."

"Which room is this?" Ink wondered; he didn't remember this part of the house.

"Dis is yer room, bro." Fresh steps back and brushes his hands off. "Like I said, it's bare now, but once we get it furnished an' what not it'll be da bee's knees! I know ya been sleepin' in my room, an' if ya want we can keep doin' dat. So dis could be more like a space ta go to ta relax o' maybe be a studio. Like at yer other house in yer multiverse. Whatcha think?"

"Oh..wow.."Ink wasn't sure what to say..he hadn't expected..anything,really. "I..thank you! This is so..sonice!Thank you so much!"

Ink had to hood back the urge to hug Fresh; he didn't want to hurt his master.

Fresh smiled warmly. "No prob, bro. So, ya ready fer breakfast?"

"Yes, I am." Ink confirmed. "Shall I make it?"

"How's 'bout we both make it?" Fresh suggested as he started towards the front door.

"All right!" Ink nodded, following after his master.

"Ya got any preferences ya'd like ta have today?" Fresh asked, entering the house and heading towards the kitchen.

"Whatever your favorite is." Ink answered, humming a tune.

"I see." Fresh looks away and made a face; that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Maybe he could ask a different way. "Well...I'm willin' ta try somethin' new. Got any suggestions?"

"..Um.." Ink tried to think of something that could have possibly ended up on Fresh's list of favorite foods.. "Oatmeal?"

"Dat sounds good." Fresh pulled out a pot and filled it with water. "What sorta things should we add? Nuts, raisins, any spices?"

"Whatever you'd like; I'm pretty sure you can put almost anything in oatmeal.." Ink said, grabbing some oats.

"Aight." Fresh grabbed some walnuts and raisins.

Ink poured the oats into the water, beginning to cook. The two worked together to cook, and soon enough, there was warm oatmeal ready to eat. Cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and raisins came together to create a delicious aroma.

Fresh served up two bowls before Ink could and set them on the table. "Aight. Let's eat, broski!"

Fresh sat down and started eating, humming in approval, and Ink followed, enjoying his breakfast, although he wondered what he would be able to do today..he hadn't made plans for breaks.

While he ate, Fresh remembered the call he made with Blue. "Oh, almost forgot. I called Blue up yesterday, ta check things over dere. He an' Dream wanna visit once things have settled over there. Da plan is ta meet up next Tuesday."

"Oh, that sounds nice." Ink smiled; he would enjoy seeing Dream and Blue again..at least, he would enjoy seeing Blue..he wasn't sure if he and Dream were actually friends.

Fresh nodded and took another bite. "After breakfast, how'd ya feel to a visit from Inky? Bet he'll be lookin' forward ta seein' ya again."

If he was being honest with himself, then Fresh would admit to being uneasy with the visits with the kids. He didn't have all the details on what happened during the months Inky was in Ink's care, but he knew it wasn't all good. For Ink to have regretted it so strongly, even so much so as to go against Broomie, spoke of how much he cared about the kid. And how much he had hurt him.

And yet, the child bounced back as if nothing happened. As if all was right in his world.

That worried Fresh, giving him another reason for the visits. He wanted to check on Inky himself and see how the child was doing. TK was a big help, keeping him informed, but still, he needed to see for himself.

"I'd love that!" Ink grinned; he would enjoy seeing Inky again, especially after..everything.He had regrets, but that didn't mean that he didn't want to see Inky again.

Fresh took note of the difference in response. Ink was definitely more excited to see the child than he was to see his former teammates. That was another thing; Ink didn't seem bothered in the slightest to be living here, and Fresh didn't think it was just because of their arrangement, either.

"Aight. I'll giv' da kiddos a call in a mo.'" Fresh smiled.

Once they finished their meal, they went to the living room, and Fresh made the call. It wasn't long before a clock themed portal opened and out came a certain little artist.

"Ink!" The child ran up and tackled the adult's waist in a big hug.

"Hey, Inky!" Ink grinned, happy to see the little one. "How have you been?"

"I'm good! TK and Lag showed me how to to play video games. And Ruru learned too! But I'm better and beat him a lot, because he gets mad and quits. But I still have fun, because the games are fun." Inky informed him excitedly.

"That's really good, Inky." Ink chuckled. "You'd probably be the best at anything you tried, you know."

"Yeah! I'm super good at stuff!" Inky claimed; he had all the shame of a toddler, which was...none. "Do you like video games?"

"I've never really played much." Ink admitted. "But I guess I'm all right at them. Fresh let me play one not too long ago, and I suppose I'm fairly good at it, but I'm notthatgood."

"I got some games ya two's can play on da TV, if ya like." Fresh told them, already going over to set it up.

"Really?!" Inky shouted, jumping up and down.

"Ya bet believe it, little buddy." Fresh chuckled.

"Yeah!"

"Well, it looks like our day is planned!" Ink smiled at Inky. "Shall we go? You can show me how to play."

Inky grabbed Ink's hand and dragged him over to the TV.

"What ya wanna play, broskis?" Fresh asked them.

"Mario Kart!" Inky shouted; that was his new favorite.

Fresh nodded and put that one on. He handed them each a Wii remote, and Inky started explaining how to play the game to Ink.

"Okay..so how do I move?" Ink wondered, wanting to make sure he understood the game before actually playing it.

Inky pointed to each button and explained each one in great detail, even going so far as to explain what happened if one held the remote upside down. Ink nodded through the explanation; he believed he could play competently now..as long as Inky was the one who started the game.

The game started, the count down playing.

1!

2!

3!

GO!

Inky pressed the button to start his kart, and off it went. He twisted and turned his remote like a steering wheel to dodge the other karts and any obstacles in his way, sticking his tongue out in complete concentration. Ink tried to play, as well, but understanding how the game worked was much different from acruallyplayingthe game, and he was figuring that out quickly. He hit nearly every obstacle in his way, and he was crashing into the sides of the track at every possible moment.

He had a feeling that he was not going to win this game, and he was correct. Ink landed in last place while Inky made it to third.

Inky cheered and did a little victory dance in his seat.

"Good job!" Ink chuckled. "You're really good at that!"

"Thank you! Wanna play again?" Inky grinned.

Fresh was sitting on an arm chair, just watching them. He was content to just let them be for now.

"Sure, although I don't know if I'll do any better this time." Ink shrugged; he would play as many rounds as Inky wanted..and maybe he would get a little better along the way, too!

"That's okay. The more you play the better you are. That's what TK says!"

"I guess so." Ink nodded. "Can you start it again? I..don't know how. Sorry."

"Okay!" Inky restarted the game on the same track; it was one of the simpler ones.

This time, Ink would try to do better; maybe this time, he would focus on dodging obstacles instead of just trying to get through the race..he needed to practice this art form. Inky passed Ink's kart and threw a banana in his path, giggling at his trickery. Ink blinked as his kart began to disobey him; he had no clue what had happened. When he found his vehicle back in his possession, he continued to practice dodging, but Inky took great delight in collecting different materials to slow Ink down. He wasn't even focused on the race anymore. About five traps in, Ink finally realized what was going on...

And he also realized that he had no idea how to retaliate.

"How do I do that?" He asked the child.

"Like this!" Inky steered his kart to the question mark boxes and collected another banana. "Then you pressthisbutton..."

Poor Princess Peach was the unfortunate victim of Inky's demonstration. Her kart spun out of her control, and he sped passed her.

"Wow." Ink hummed, trying his best to steer his own vehicle into the boxes; he picked up some sort of powerup, and he pressed the button to use it.

A blue shell shot out and struck the vehicle in front of him. The kart was forced out of his way, and he could proceed forward.

"Woah.." Ink chuckled, grinning; this was fun! He continued to shakily drive through boxes, using the powerups to get an advantage.

Inky dodged most of them, but those blue shells were tricky, and always seemed to find him. He kept up his previous tactics of throwing everything he got at Ink. In the end, the game had turned into war between Inky and Ink, and when they finally crossed the finish line, Ink was eager to see the rankings..although he was fairly sure they had ended up near the end. They were in seventh and sixth, with Inky just ahead of Ink. Inky was disappointed he didn't get higher, but he was happy he beat Ink.

He turned to stick his tongue out at Ink. "I beat you!"

"Yes, you did!" Ink chuckled. "Good job!"

"Thank you! Again?" If allowed, Inky would play the same track over and over until the end of the visit.

"If you insist." Ink allowed; he was ready for another game!

Inky restarted the game.

1!

2!

3!

GO!

Inky was quick to move ahead of the other drivers. This time, he would focus on winning the race! Ink had the same idea; he didn't want to be cruel to the child, but hedidwant to win one! It was a hard won race, with the twists and turns, the blue shells and bananas, and other the other karts. It was a close one, but Ink managed to defeat the child, with Inky coming in close second.

"Good game!" Ink held out a hand to Inky.

Inky high fived him with a grin. He didn't mind losing; he had still had fun! "Good game!"

"Wanna play again, or do you want to do something else?" Ink would have been fine with both options.

Inky nodded excitedly; he was ready to go again! "Yeah! Do you wanna try a different track?"

"..There are more?" Ink blinked; he had only just gotten used to the first one!

Fresh chuckled from the couch. "Yep, an' each one is harder dan da last."

"Uh-huh! And they'resuperfun!" Inky added. "They look different too! One looks like a beach, another like a castle, and one that looks like a rainbow!"

"Da rainbow one is one o' da hardest." Fresh informed him.

"Oh, boy.." Ink chuckled. "Looks like I've got some practicing to do, then. Can we try the next one? It's not too hard, right?"

Inky shook his head. "Nu-uh. It's easy."

He picked the next track and started the race. It was a peaceful track that looked like a meadow. There was a small farm, and cows were spread around the track. Ink wondered what would happen if he ran the cows over..maybe they would die horrible bloody deaths. Maybe he wouldn't run any cows over in front of Inky. Inky was once again very good at the game, and he used his powerups to slow Ink and the other racers down. Ink was fine with that; he had won a race, and he didn't need to win any more. He would be happy as soon as he learned the track. Inky won the race and cheered, and Ink had manged to score fourth place. It was a simple track, and if Inky hadn't been throwing so many obstacles at him, Ink might have gotten second or even won.

"Good job, Inky!" Ink congratulated. "You're great at this game!"

"Yeah! I played lots and lots, and TK says I might beat him someday too. He's really good at it. He can play with his eyes closed even." Inky rambled.

"That's pretty cool." Ink commented. "Do you want to do something else now, or do you want to keep playing?"

"Ummm..." Inky tapped his chin and tilted his skull. "I wanna...play hide and seek!"

"All right." Ink smiled. "I'll count first. Do you want to play, Fresh?"

"Sure thing, bro." Fresh stood up.

Inky jumped up and grinned. "Okay! I'm gonna hide now!"

Inky ran off before either adult could say anything, and Fresh chuckled fondly and started to leave the room.

"Guess I'll go hide too." He said.

Ink covered his eyesockets and began to count, deciding to stop at twenty. Inky ended up in the laundry room and hid under a basket he flipped over, while Fresh hid in his closet. His clothes blended in with all the other brightly-colored garments. When Ink finished counting, he looked around, before beginning to search. First, he looked inside the children's room, calling Inky's name. He received no answer from the bedroom; there was some light shuffling down the hall, though. He smiled a bit, walking closer to the sound.

"Inky?" Ink giggled. "Are you over here?"

The shuffling stopped, only to be replaced by muffled giggles, and Ink smiled, tiptoeing closer to the giggles. The giggles quieted down as Inky tried to scoot his basket towards the wall where he thought he wouldn't be seen. Of course, a moving basket was very noticeable. Ink rolled his eyelights playfully as he noticed the definitely-subtle basket, before lifting it up quickly.

"Boo!" He shouted, smiling.

Inky squealed in delight and covered his sockets.

"Found ya!" Ink smirked. "Now to find Fresh.."

Inky giggled and jumped up, grabbing Ink's hand. "I can help!"

"Okay, let's go!" Ink chuckled, leading Inky to the master bedroom.

Fresh remained quiet in his closet hiding spot. It was a fairly obvious spot to look, given the few places to hide for someone his height.

Inky looked under the bed, though. "He's not here!"

"I suppose not, then." Ink smiled. "Where shall we look next?"

Inky hummed and wandered around the room. He looked behind everything he could find. Finally, he came to the closet.

"In there!" He pointed to it confidently.

"All right." Ink opened the closet door for the child.

Inky shoved the clothes aside and looked around. He ended up shoving a bunch of shirts at Fresh, who managed to to contain his laughter.

"I don't see him." Inky claimed.

"Okay, then." Ink smirked, knowing that Fresh was there, but he decided to ignore that fact for Inky's sake.

Inky hummed and left the room to search elsewhere, and Fresh snickered lightly when he heard the stomping footsteps of the child leave.

"I know you're in there." Ink said, with a singsong voice, before following after Inky.

Fresh shook his head in amusement and settled back in his spot. The kid would find him eventually. Inky was looking around the living room, searching every nook and cranny. Even the ones that didn't make sense, like under the couch. Ink smiled, allowing the child to look for a while. Soon, Inky went to the kitchen and searched the cabinets and the fridge and under the table and in the trash can.

No one could claim he wasn't thorough.

"Maybe we missed him in one of the other rooms." Ink hinted.

Inky held a hand up to his chin and hummed. His face lit up and he held a finger to the air. "Oh! We didn't look in the laundry room!"

He runs off to check the very place he hid earlier, and Ink chuckled, following the child. Inky had his head stuck in the dryer when Ink walked in.

"He's not in here!" His voice echoed in the machine.

"Hmm..maybe he's hiding somewhere dark." Ink dropped another hint.

Inky pulled his head out and tilted his skull. "Ummm...the fridge is dark when you hold the light down..."

"...I don't think he's in the fridge." Ink shook his skull.

"Oh." Inky hummed and thought some more. "What about...his room? Did we look under the bed?"

"Maybe not." Ink hummed, beginning to walk back to the room. "It's worth a try."

Inky followed him and flopped down to look under the bed. "He's not here!" He called out.

"Hmm.." Ink opened the closet door.

Inky stood back up and grinned. "Yeah! Maybe he's in there!"

He ran to the closet and shoved the clothes aside once more. Still shoving them right into Fresh. Fresh sighed and stuck his shoe out to get Inky's attention. The child looked all around, somehow missing the brightly colored sneakers.

Ink gasped dramatically. "What's that?"

He pointed directly at the sneaker, hoping Inky would see Fresh. Inky looked up and followed the finger.

He gasped and pounced Fresh's leg. "I found you!"

Fresh chuckled and moved the clothes out of the way, grinning at him. "Dat ya did, kiddo. Ya two did good."

Inky giggled and sat down on his foot, wrapping his arms and legs around his.

"Are ya gonna let go?" Fresh smirked.

Inky shook his head, giggling more.

"Good job, Inky!" Ink congratulated. "I guess you're amuchbetter seeker than I am."

"Uh- huh!" Inky agreed, clinging to Fresh.

Fresh hobbled out of the closet, chuckling. He was used to carrying children around like this. "Aight, now what, stinker?"

Inky stuck his tongue out at him.

"Ya wanna ride 'er somethin'?"

Inky nodded. "Yeah!"

Ink giggled; Fresh was so good with children..he wished he could be good with them too, someday..

"Aight. Guess we're gonna do dis now." Fresh hobbled out out of the room with Inky on his leg.

Ink smirked, following after the duo.

"What should we do now?" He asked, wondering if Inky was hungry..it was near the time for a meal, right?

"Hmm...what do ya think, kiddo?" Fresh asked.

"Food!" Inky answered, unintentionally, both questions.

"Aight, guess we're eatin'. Who's up fer pizza?"

"Me! Me!" Inky bounced on Fresh's leg as he took them to the living room.

"Sounds good - I can get it, if you'd like." Ink offered, beginning to walk into the kitchen.

"Nah, don' worry. I'll jus' order delivery." Fresh told him. "What sort of toppings do ya wan'?"

"I want cheese! And pepperoni, and sausage, and the green things, and mushrooms, and..." Inky went on to list just about every topping he could think of. Including some things that should havenevergone on pizza.

Fresh squinted at Inky as he pulled out his phone. "We can havesomeo'dat on da pizza."

"Oh, all right." Ink nodded, sitting down on the couch instead; he supposed that was fine, too.

Fresh put in the order for two pizzas. One with most of Inky's choices, and the other only sausage.

While they waited, Fresh walked around the living room with Inky on his foot. He seemed to be having fun. Inky was giggling and kept asking for Fresh to go faster. Ink was watching the two, making sure they wouldn't fall down; he was fully prepared to bombard his master and his so- Inky..with pillows and blankets. Soon enough, the door bell rang and Fresh hobbled over to answer.

The delivery monster noticed Inky and smiled. "I have your pizza. You ordered two practically-everything and sausage pizzas, right?"

"Dat's right. Someone couldn't decide what they wanted on dere pizza." Fresh chuckled, trading the boxes for the tip.

"I understand. Have a good day, folks."

"See ya, dude." Fresh closed the door and brought the boxes down on the table. "Inky, kiddo, ya gotta let go now. Time ta eat."

"Okay!" Inky let go and sat down next to Ink.

"I'll get the plates." Ink stated, standing up and starting for the kitchen. "Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Juice!" Inky shouted. "I want juice, please!"

"Jus' water, bro. Thanks." Fresh smiled.

"All right." Ink nodded, walking into the kitchen to grab some plates and drinks.

He grabbed three plates and two cups, filling one cup with water and the other with some grape juice. When he was done, he returned to Fresh and Inky, presenting them with their plates and drinks.

"Thanks, bro." Fresh took the plates and his cup. He set his water to the side and helped serve Inky two slices, while Inky happily took his juice.

"Thank you!" Inky smiled at his adult self.

"Of course." Ink nodded, taking one slice for himself and waiting patiently for his master to begin eating.

Fresh gathered his own slices and took a bite, glancing at Ink and nodding, while Inky didn't waste time on waiting, already having stuffed his face with a huge bite. Ink smiled at the silent permission; Fresh was a great master! Ink ate his own meal quietly as the others continued with their own. Inky was quickly covered in pizza sauce. It seemed he still hadn't learned how to not make a mess while eating. Fresh leaned over and wiped the child's face off with a napkin; he would have to remember to give the kid a bath before sending him home. Ink smiled at the child's messy tendencies; he enjoyed the memories of when..that was every day..

Inky wiggled and tried to dodge the napkin, but Fresh was quick and the child's face was clean before he knew it. It would be dirty again soon, but for now it was clean. Ink chuckled; the little one was always reluctant to cleaning up! Inky was unbothered by being clean, but the napkin was in the way of his eating. He took another big bite of his pizza, and he missed. There was another sauce spot on his face.

Fresh sighed and set the napkin to the side; he would wait until the kid was done before cleaning him again. "Dat good pizza, kiddo?"

"Mhm!" Inky nodded, cheeks puffed out with food.

Fresh snorted, smirking. "Good ta hear. How 'bout you, Ink? How's yer food tastin'?"

"It's very good." Ink smiled. "Thank you for everything; I really don't deserve it."

Fresh rose a brow, but he remembered the rule about slaves putting themselves down. Did he argue this point? Inky was watching the two, wondering what Ink meant by that.

"I'm glad ya like it. Da pizza place here is one da best." Fresh ended up saying.

"I can't disagree!" Ink said. "Are you getting enough, Inky?"

Inky nodded and reached over for another slice; he liked the pizza he chose. He wished they had put jelly on it, but this was still good.

"Good." Ink approved. "Do either of you need anything else? I'd be happy to help!"

"I want more juice!" Inky announced, holding up his cup.

"I'm good. Thanks, broski." Fresh nodded.

"Okay." Ink took the child's cup and went to the kitchen, getting more juice for the little one. After just a minute, he returned and gave Inky his juice.

"Thank you!" Inky said, before drinking his juice.

"You're welcome." Ink nodded, before going back to his own food.

When they finished their meal, Fresh stood up to put the leftover pizza away.

"Mind helpin' Inky clean up, Ink?" Fresh asked, as he walked away with the boxes.

"I'm not dirty!" Inky claimed, despite the sauce spread across his face.

"Maybe not, but wouldn't you like to besuperclean?" Ink tempted, holding up a wet towel. "Then you can brag about your cleanliness!

"Umm...nope!" Inky grinned, jumping up and running off with a giggle.

"I guess a certain someone doesn't want to play moregames!"Ink shrugged dramatically, hoping this would get Inky to come back; if he had to chase the little one, it very well could have taken all day.

Inky peeked his head around the corner, narrowing his sockets at Ink. "But Idowanna play..."

"Only clean little skeletons get to play for the rest of the day; it's the rules."

Inky pouted and stomped his foot. "That's not fair!"

Fresh chuckled from the kitchen doorway, watching them.

Inky looked up and pointed accusingly at Ink. "He says I have to be clean to play!"

"He ain't wrong, doe. If ya wanna play, den ya gotta get clean." Fresh told him.

Inky crossed his arms, realizing he was out numbered; he stomped his foot again and grumbled. "Fine..."

"I'll make it fast." Ink assured, lifting the towel up and gesturing for Inky to come over.

Inky grumbled some more and drags his feet as he walks over. He didn't see why he had to do this to play...he stood in front of Ink and crossed his arms, and Ink cleaned Inky's face off quickly, making the moment as easy as possible; within twenty seconds, Inky was clean.

"Can we play more now?" Inky asked impatiently.

Fresh chuckled and entered the living room. "What ya wanna play, kiddo?"

"Hide and seek!"

"Who'll count this time?" Ink inquired.

"I can! I can count!"

"Guess da kiddo is countin'." Fresh shrugged. "Ya ready, Inky?"

"Yep! I'm ready!" Inky covered his sockets and started to count. "One, two, blue, three, four, six, eight, I, J, K, L, M, N..."

Ink chuckled before running off to hide in the kitchen; he hid in a cabinet that barely fit him, while Fresh hid in the kids' room. When he was finished counting, Inky began his search. He looked around the living room first, under the couch and coffee table.

He then went to search the kitchen, under the table. "Ink? Fresh? Are you in here?"

Ink regretted his choice of a hiding spot; he was cramped in here. Inky opened the fridge to check for him or Fresh. And then he got distracted by the jelly jar...

Ink's back was starting to hurt. Inky finally checked the cabinets. It took him a minute, but he found the one Ink was in.

"Found you!" Inky exclaimed, face covered with jelly.

"Good job!" Ink smirked, happy to leave his hiding spot. "Have you found Fresh y- you're a mess.."

Inky's sockets widened, and he started running out of the room.

"Guess the tickle monster has to come clean you up!" Ink grinned, wetting a towel and chasing after Inky.

Inky giggled and ran out of the room and down the hallway. He went straight for Fresh's room, and Ink followed along, smiling all the way. Inky crawled under the bed to hide. He giggled and tucked himself back; Ink couldn't get him here!

"Where could Inky be?" He chuckled, looking around.

Inky placed his sticky hands on his equally-sticky face to muffle his giggles.

"I wonder where he could be.." Ink hummed loudly.

"Not here!" Inky called out.

"Well, I suppose he isn't here, then!" Ink smirked, coming closer to the bed.

"Nope! No one here!" Inky slunk deeper under the bed.

"Indeed.." Ink looked under the bed, hoping to see eyelights.

Bright yellow and green eyelights stared back at him, fully of mischief.

"I suppose you're nobody, then?"

"I am the Nobody, King of the Darkness!" Inky claimed.

"Kings need to be clean, too!" Ink informed.

"Not if its against the law." Inky argued, scooting back; he stuck his tongue out. "And I declare, no cleaning!"

"I'm not a subject of your kingdom, and, therefore, I don't have to follow your laws."

"Then to the dungeon with you!" Inky declared, throwing a pickle he found at Ink. Why he took it from the fridge would forever remain a mystery.

"Oh, woe is me." Ink rolled his eyelights, creating a cookie in his hands. "I suppose this doesn't entice you, then?"

Inky reached out to grab the cookie. "No! I want it!"

Ink pulled the cookie out of the child's reach. "Let me wipe your face off, then."

Inky pouted, but he wanted that cookie; he crawled closer and stuck his face in Ink's. "Okay."

Ink wiped off Inky's face quickly before giving him the cookie.

"Don't make another mess, or else I'll have to clean you up again." Ink warned.

Inky stuck his tongue out at Ink, and Ink returned the gesture, albeit more playfully. Inky giggled and crawled back out from under the bed.

"You still need to find Fresh." Ink reminded. "Where shall we look?"

"Ummm... under the bed?" Inky bent down to search where he had just exited.

It seemed it only took a few days after Error's recoding for his memory to return to its former forgetfulness. Ink didn't mind, looking under the bed with Inky to look for Fresh. Fresh, unsurprisingly, was not there. Inky stood back up and walked out to search elsewhere. He looked in the laundry room, sticking his head in the dryer. Fresh was not there. Ink searched a bit on his own, but he couldn't find Fresh..he wondered where his master was..

Fresh was hiding in the toy box in the twins' room. All the toys were now in his inventory; he was a tad cramped.

"Where do you think he could be?" Ink inquired, looking around the living room.

"Um...maybe over here?" Inky led the way to the children's bedroom and opened the door.

He looked around the room - under the bottom bed, on top of the top bed, and in the closet.

"Hmm.." Ink looked around in search of Fresh. "Maybe if you call his name, he'll give you a hint as to where he is."

"Okay." Inky nodded, before cupping his hands around his mouth. "Fresh! Where are you, Fresh?"

There was a delay, but after a moment, there was a dull tapping sound.

"Did you hear that?" Ink inquired, smiling.

Inky nodded and tiptoed closer to the source of the tapping. He stuck his tongue out and opened the toy box to find-

Nothing. Just a small pile of glitter.

Inky tilted his head in confusion.

"Huh..shouldn't there betoysin a toybox?" Ink thought.

"Normally, yeah." Fresh said with a grin from behind them.

Inky jumped and whipped around, pointing an accusing finger at Fresh. "You tricked us!"

Fresh snickered, holding up a hand to muffle it. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I was hidin' in dere doe. Ya found me fair an square."

"It looks like Inky wins." Ink smiled; he was glad that the child had found both of them.

"Looks like it, broski." Fresh grinned as he rubbed the child's skull. "Yer real good at dis game, kiddo."

Inky stuck his tongue out at Fresh. "I'm the best!"

"What shall we do next?" Ink wondered. "Or do you have to leave? What time is it?"

Fresh pulled out his phone to check. "Looks ta be around three. Might be time ya headed back, kiddo. I'm sure TK and Error-bro are worried 'bout ya."

Inky pouted. "But I don' wanna...I wanna stay and play."

"Well, think about it this way: the sooner you leave, the sooner you get to come back!" Ink smiled.

Inky hummed, tapping his chin. He didn't look convinced.

"How 'bout dis, one last board game before you leave." Fresh offered.

Inky perked up at that. "Yeah! I wanna play checkers!"

"Aight. Let's go get it, den." Fresh smiled, heading out of the room.

"I can set it up!" Ink volunteered, speedwalking to the board game in question and setting it up on the couch.

Inky was quick to follow, and he chose the black pieces. "Ink and I can be a team!"

Fresh chuckled as he entered the room."Sounds like a plan, kiddo. Ya two goin' first den?"

"Yeah!"

"Aight den."

"Shall I go first, or do you want to?" Ink offered.

"Me!" Inky said in excitement. He moved the first piece forward.

Fresh moved his own piece, beginning to plan to strategy. He felt he would still lose though. Ink hummed, moving a piece to set up for a possible attack strategy that he would discuss with Inky later. Fresh moved his piece, already planning any counter attacks. Ink whispered a strategy to Inky, hoping for a quick win. Inky nodded and stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, looking at Fresh smugly.

Fresh sticks his tongue out in turn. He knew he was going to lose.

Inky took his turn, setting up the plan, and Ink giggled; he loved silent battles on a checkerboard! It wasn't long before Ink and Inky possessed five kings and only one of Fresh's pieces remained. How this had happened was anyone's guess. Fresh made one final attempt to redeem himself, going out in a blaze of glory. He jumped two of the kings and saluted his brave piece.

Inky jumped it and stole it a second later, no remorse on his face as he did his typical victory wiggle dance.

"Good job!" Ink congratulated Inky, giving the child a big hug.

Inky giggled and hugged him back. "We won! We won! We're awesome at checkers!"

"Yep!" Ink nodded. "Good game, Fresh!"

"Good game, ya two." Fresh held out two hands to them.

Inky jumped up and slapped Ink's hand in a high five. "Good game!" He repeated.

"Well, I guess you have to go now, right?" Ink assumed.

Inky pouted and plopped back down. "I don' wanna!"

"'Fraid ya gotta, kiddo." Fresh told him, standing up and opening a portal to the hideout.

TK stood on the other side waiting for Inky. He gave Ink a small nod and looked back at the younger child. "Ready for dinner, kid?"

"But I don't wanna go!" Inky repeated with a whine.

"We have cake~" TK tempted him.

Inky perked up at that and ran through the portal. "Where's the cake?!"

Fresh chuckled and closed the portal behind them. He hoped they remembered to use portion sizes. Ink chuckled at the exchange, before cleaning up the board game; he had things to do now. After putting the board game away, he looked to his master and began to speak.

"Is there anything you'd like me to do?" He offered. "I can cook something, or give you a massage if you're tired; I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm alright, thanks." Fresh smiled gratefully. "How's 'bout you help me cook doe? I like it when we do it together."

"All right!" Ink nodded. "What shall we cook?"

"I'm thinking we cook up some burgers. I gots a recipe I wanna try." Fresh led him to the kitchen and started pulling out some seasonings from the cabinet.

"All right, what type of burgers do we need for it?" Ink wondered, opening the freezer.

"See if ya can find da turkey burgers in dere." Fresh asked, as he started peeling some garlic cloves.

"Here they are." Ink pulled the requested burgers out, putting them on the counter. "Do you want them cooked in a certain way?"

"Gotta add in da fresh seasonings and ingredients. Garlic an' all dis other goodness." There were ungrounded spices lined along the counter, along with an onion. "Set da burgers in a bowl ta thaw fer now, an' den grab da morter and pestle from da top o' da cabinet."

"Got it!" Ink did as instructed, putting four burgers (he didn't know how many Fresh would want, but this would likely be enough for the two of them) into a bowl and grabbing the mortar and pestle, putting it next to Fresh's workspace. "Shall I grind?"

"Dat would be great, Ink. Here are da measurements. Don' worry if they ain't exact." He placed a cookbook in front of Ink and pointed to the spices.

"All right." Ink nodded, grinding the spices required (he may or may not have been astoundingly exact, even to a grain of a specific spice). After a couple minutes, he spoke again. "Done - anything else?"

Fresh had finished with the garlic and onion. There was now had a fine paste of the two.

"Now we mix 'em wit da paste and coat the burgers in it." Fresh went to grab the burgers; they were thawed and ready to be coated.

"Okay." Ink mixed the spices with the paste.

When he was done, Fresh coated the burgers in the mix and placed them in a heated pan - it was a very big pan.

Ink grabbed a spatula. "What now?"

"Now, we wait." Fresh said. "What o' toppin's do ya like on yer burgers?"

"Just cheese, mustard, and ketchup, really." Ink replied; he wasn't a fan of burgers topped with everything known to the multiverse.

"Keepin' it simple. I can dig it." Fresh pulled those and a few other items from the fridge. "Do ya like it ta melt on da burger as it cooks, or addin' it after?"

"During." Ink answered, checking to see if the burgers were ready to flip yet. "How do you like yours?"

"Lettuce, tomatoes, and a little mustard." Fresh responds, as he starts chopping a tomato.

"I can do that, if you'd like." Ink volunteered; heshouldhave been doing it from the start..he needed to work on his serving skills.

"I'm almost finished wit da tomato. If ya'd like, ya can clean up da lettuce and tear it inta strips. I'm thinkin' of having a salad wit ma burgers." Fresh says, distracted by the tomato. "Ya want one too?"

"I don't think so, but I'll prepare the lettuce for you." Ink said, beginning to work on that.

"Thanks, Ink." Fresh smiled.

He finished with the tomato and went to check the burgers; he flipped them and added cheese to Ink's two burgers.

"Just doing my duty." Ink smiled, happy to be of service.

"...Well, you're doin' a great job at it." Fresh complimented; he was quiet for a moment before adding, "It's nice ta have another adult around, other dan Gaster. Dude's busy all day time wit his own kids an' workin' at da labs."

"That must be hard work."

"Mhm...bro got a lot on his plate. I try ta help when I can. His kids an' mine are good friends."

"That's good." Ink mentioned. "I can help watch the children from now on, if you'd like."

"Dat would be nice...ah, dat reminds me. My kids are gonna be comin' home eventually." Fresh plated the burgers on the waiting buns. "Might not be 'til we get yer room finished. Don' wan' em gettin' under foot while we decorate it an' whatnot."

"I'm eager to meet them already!" Ink smiled.

"I'm sure they'll love ya." Fresh smiled fondly. "Especially Dream, he likes everyone. Kid don' know da meanin' of da word stranger. Nightmare might take sum time ta warm up ta ya, but he'll come around too."

Sometimes he wondered if his twins just normally complimented each other like that. If it were common for one to have better survival instincts than the other. He shook his head fondly as he thought back to how many times Nightmare had talked Dream out of doing something even mildly dangerous.

Fresh dressed the sandwiches according to each of their tastes and gave Ink his plate. He took his own to the table and sat down, taking a bite before glancing up at Ink and smiling.

"Ya did good, Ink. Thanks fer helpin'." He said as he took another bite.

"Of course." Ink nodded, sitting down. "I'm happy to help in any way I can, and I look forward to taking care of the children. I'll do my best to respect their boundaries, though, too."

"I'm sure dey'll appreciate dat." Fresh nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. He didn't plan to have Ink do much, but he did appreciate the thought. "An' thanks fer da help...I'm still gettin' used ta dis. All o' it."

"Well, I'll be glad to do my part!" Ink grinned; he was ready for anything! "Anything you need, and I'll be there!"

Fresh knew very well why Ink was so eager to help; he was aware it was due in large part to the arrangement they had. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Ink considered this a new job on top of everything else he believed he needed to do. But it still nice to know there was someone else here to help. Even if that help would be limited.

"Thanks, Ink. Dat means a lot." He smiled, taking a bite of his food. "Guess ya picked up a few things from takin' care o' Inky. Uh, how'd dat go, by da way?"

The amnesiac child forgot and seemed to forgive Ink immediately. The other children however, were wary of the strange adult. Perhaps it was just because of the incident in Littleswap, but Fresh had a feeling there was something more.

"Inky?" Ink let out a hum. "Well..I don't know."

Ink tapped the table with his fingers a few times.

"I.." Ink looked down at his food. "I did a lot..but I couldn't stand seeing him sad. I just..erased his memories every time I did soemthing wrong; it seemed easier that way."

"...Ah. Ya ain't gonna do dat 'ere. Understood?" Fresh gave Ink a firm look; his soul clenched at the disturbing thought of someone messing with his emotions and memories so casually. "Kids need ta feel, an' folks need their memories. Ain't somethin' ya can jus' go messin' wit."

"..It isn't?" Ink tilted his skull. "But..isn't that what code magic is for? Changing things? What's the point in having it if you aren't going to use it?"

"Ya can use it, jus' not on people. Like, ya can use it ta change a fit to fit ya style." Fresh gestured to his get up with a crooked smile. "Or ya could code in some wicked cool foods ta eat. Dere do be options."

"..Huh." Ink looked down, considering that. "Do most coders stay away from changing others? I thought almost everyone changed others..that's what I was taught, at least. That's..one thing I knew before I became a lower being; I didn't use it like that quite as often back then, though..is itwrong,to use code magic on people?"

"I think it be. 'Less it be ta help 'em after someone else messed wit dere code, I don' kno' much good reason ta do dat." Fresh said, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't say he hadn't thought about it. Hadn't considered it when certain situations would be easier if certain people forgot he was even there, but...it never felt right.

"..Huh."

Ink stared at his food. He..had always relied on his coding powers when he was in a pinch. It was just so easy to make tough situations vanish with a single erased memory or a bit of manufactured emotion to keep people happy. It..was just something he had always done.

"I guess..I'll try not to use it on others anymore." Ink said. "It might be hard to remember, though.."

"Guess I'll hafta remind ya." Fresh hummed, wiping his hands off with a napkin. Maybe he could make Ink a poster to put in his new room - then he could read it every morning.

"Thank you..and, um, don't worry: I haven't touched your code - I would never do that to my owner, so..you don't have to worry."

"Glad ta have confirmation. Woulda known if ya had tried." Fresh glanced up at Ink with a tight smile. He kept his shields and firewalls up to date just in case he ran into any nasties.

Ink nodded, giving Fresh a small smile back, before letting it fall. "Um..Fresh?"

"Hm?" Fresh lifted his head with a raised brow.

"..Are you going to change my code?" The other wondered. "I..I would just like to know ahead of time..if you are. I have to warn you that I get jumpy about things like that..but I'd still let you do it, of course; you own me, and you do have permission to do that..so..are you..?"

"I- No! I ain't gonna touch ya code." Fresh shook his head, his knee jerk reaction to deny it. "I ain't got no reason ta."

Ink had been taught to live the way he did. His code had nothing to do with that.

Right?

"..Okay." Ink seemed to..relaxat the answer. "Thank you.."

..He wasn't asking if Fresh was sure. He wasn't questioning Fresh's answer. Why would he accept an answer so quickly on something so specific when he had asked about so many other things?

Unless..

"Uh, why do ya ask?" Fresh hazarded a question. Something didn't sit right with him.

"..It was just part of the conversation." Ink avoided Fresh's gaze. "We were on the topic."

"True, but...I think ya had anotha reason." Fresh leaned forward on his elbows. "Ink?"

"..." Ink looked down at his plate. "I'm full; I'll start the dishes. Are you done?"

Well..it seemed Fresh had found a sensitive point. The only question now was whether it was worth it to press.

"I am." Fresh frowned and considered. He studied Ink's expression, what he could see, and considered. "Ink... you don' gotta tell me, but if ya ever wanna talk, I'll be there."

"..Thank you."

Ink collected the dishes from the table and took them to the kitchen to start washing them, leaving Fresh alone at the table.

That was a different interaction. Ink typically never minded speaking about things he was used to, but this time..it pointed to some very..distressingthings. He was fine with talking about physical and mental abuse, as if it were commonplace and normal..but he didn't want to talk about code manipulation? It had some worrying connotations.

Fresh stood up and went to the kitchen as well. He would give Ink time to trust him before he revealed that one. For now, he would help Ink with the dishes.

"Mind if I help?" Fresh picked up a cloth to dry the plates with.

"If you really want to.." Ink didn't argue.

Ink just washed the dishes one by one quietly, not making conversation; he would take a minute to get over this, it seemed. Fresh gave him time, quietly drying the plates. He took a wet plate and wiped off the damp before setting it in the rack. When the two were done, Ink turned off the water and started to clean the counters, still remaining silent. He..didn't seem to want to talk.

"...So, wha'ya think o' da burgers? Think they turned out pretty good." Fresh tried; maybe a lighter topic would be appreciated.

"..They were good." Ink shrugged, focusing on his work.

"Ya did good wit 'em." Fresh hummed in thought. This was definitely not awkward. "I think dis is a good recipe ta repeat. Wouldn't mind makin' it again." He gave Ink a half smile. "Yer real good in da kitchen, ya kno'? Is cookin' somethin' ya enjoy?"

"Um, not really." Ink replied, quietly. "I'm just good at cooking because I've been doing it for so long..but it's not my favorite thing to do. It's just experience."

"Makes sense. Ya got a favorite thing ta make doe?" Fresh wondered, moving to put the dishes away; he glanced at Ink to gauge his emotions.

"No, not really." Ink shook his skull; he..didn't seem to eager to continue this conversation; he was just talking because he felt as if he had to. "I don't cook unless I have to."

"Right...that's fair." Fresh closed the cabinet and held back a sigh. He tucked his hands in his pockets and turned around. "Uh, Imma be in the livin' room if ya need me. Gonna make a call. See how my kids be doing."

Ink nodded, letting Fresh go without complaint, and Fresh left the room without another word. He glanced back at the door and his shoulders fell. Maybe he had pushed Ink a little too much. The guy still needed time. Fresh shook his head and sat down on the couch. Taking out his phone, he dialed a number he hadn't in a while.

The phone was answered instantly. Fresh's mood lifted as soon as he heard the little voice that answered.

"Hey, kiddos. How's it goin'?" Fresh asked, smiling at the air.

[ "Hi, daddy!" ] Little Dream greeted.

[ "Hi, daddy..." ] Nightmare said in a quieter voice.

"Whatcha ya been up ta?"

The children went on to describe their day and the fun they had with their babysitter. Since Gaster had to go to work, they and Sans and Papyrus were left with Ms. Judy, Mrs. Bun's daughter, from the shops. She was an older teen with plenty of experience with younger children.

"An' den what happened?" Fresh asked as Dream told a story Ms. Jenny told them.

"And then the bear family found Goldilocks and gave her what for. They told her she couldn't steal their food, because taking without permission is stealing, and she didn't ask."

"Dat's true. Ya always gotta ask before ya take somethin'. else ya gonna make 'em sad."

"I don't wanna make them sad!"

"Nah, not like dat, right? Dat way would be mean." Fresh agreed.

"Mhm...making people sad is mean."

"Unless...?"

"...Unless Nighty is doing our job?"

"Dat's right. Ya hear dat, Nightmare?"

"Yes, daddy...but-" Nightmare paused.

"What is it, kiddo?"

"What if I dun wanna make people sad...?"

"Hmm...den we'll figure somethin' out. Ya don' gotta do nothin' ya don' wanna. Okay?"

"Okay, daddy." Nightmare said, smile clear in his voice. This was a familiar conversation; the child needed constant reassurance that he wasn't bad like the villagers made him feel like.

"Yer welcome, kiddo."

They spoke for a few more minutes before the twins were called away to play some games with the neighborhood kids. Playing took priority, of course.

"Bye, kiddos." Fresh said softly before hanging up.

While Fresh was making his call, Ink had a few things of his own on his mind. As he cleaned the kitchen, he considered..life.He wasn't sure how things would turn out, in the end..but he knew, at the very least, that he wanted to help. That was something he knew. His other master hadforcedhim to help, and others undoubtedly would have, too. But Fresh was..

Different.

Ink didn't know if Fresh had ever had a slave before; if he had, he had done a good job of hiding it. Ink, however, knew what it was like; he knew every intricacy of this sort of relationship so well that he could decipher the silent messages between other slaves and their masters while others would think that they were simply shifting in their seats. Ink knew this.

Fresh..did not.

As any good slave would, Ink had to teach his master. It was part of the custom of the lifestyle; if one didn't know the rules, the other would instruct. Masters had it easy; they could use words. Slaves, however..they had to useimplications.They had to subtly mention things that others would see as nothing more than daily chatter, but their masters would view it as helpful advice. In addition..he had to learn who Fresh's children were. He was Fresh's slave, and while he would mainly focus on Fresh, the family was also his responsibility, and he was subject to their whims, too..he just had to learn who they were and what they wanted from him. He would serve. He was good at serving.

He always would be.

...

The only difference now was that he wasn't being forced to.

When Ink finished the dishes, he walked into the living room and looked at Fresh.

"Is there anything you'd like me to do?" He asked, ready to serve.

"Nah, yer good, Ink." Fresh shook his head, putting his phone away. "If ya wanna get started on yer room, ya can do dat."

"Very well." Ink nodded, going to his room.

He wasn't planning on making anything special for himself; he wasn't good enough for that. Instead, he only created a bed, a dresser, and a couple curtains for the windows. After that, he went to Fresh's room and grabbed his things. He put them in place neatly, and soon enough, he had a bedroom with a small space for his artistry. That was all he needed. He decided not to paint the walls; he didn't deserve that luxury.

Fresh remained on the couch and watched a movie, not really paying attention to it. He glanced up as Ink passed through the room, but otherwise he just relaxed. It was nice to take a moment to do nothing. When Ink finished his bedroom, he went back to the living room and looked at Fresh. His master was watching a movie..good. That meant that he could tend to some work..he could focus on something other than status and lifestyle. He decided to go clean Fresh's room, not stopping for a moment in the living room, and Fresh watched Ink leave the room, letting out a hum. He really needed to teach this kid how to relax. Ink cleaned up Fresh's room down to the last speck of dust; if the room had been made of metal, it would haveshined!After the movie ended, Fresh stood up and went looking for Ink, and his brows raised when he saw the state of his room.

WO-W

"And here I thought dis room couldn' get cleaner..." Fresh muttered. "Good job, Ink."

"Thank you, Fresh!" Ink smiled, happy that he had been able to make his master happy. "When should I expect the children to come live here again, exactly?"

"Eh, it gonna be a minute. I wanna make sure ya settled before dey do." Fresh rubbed the back of his neck and looked aside. "May be a few more days."

The morning after their visit with the other kiddos had gone quietly, with Ink and Fresh still figuring out a routine with their new living arrangements. Fresh decided to take a look at what Ink had gotten up to while he contemplated things, which led him here, to the twins' room.

"Gotta say, dey gonna love what ya did wit da place." He added on quickly as he turned around to take a look at the place.

"Thanks." Ink smiled, straightening one of the pictures on the walls a little. "I wasn't sure what they would like, so I did my best.."

"Dey'll love it. I jus' never got da time ta put it together." Fresh muttered the last part to himself as he tucked his hands in his pockets. He gave Ink a grateful smile and said, "Thank you, broski."

"Of course." Ink nodded, looking around at the room. "Do you think it needs anything else? I could definitely add more. What do kids like, anyway?"

"Eh, dey pretty content wit most tings. I think dey'll be pretty happy wit it jus' like dis." Fresh commented. The bedroom had everything they needed: bunk bed, toy chest, a closet, and a dresser. "An' wha' dey like depends on da kiddo. Some like cats, others books, some like baking...pretty broad."

"..What did you like when you were little? Does it change when you get older?"

"When I was a tot? Oh, defineitely." Fresh nodded and chuckled, sitting on the lower bunk and picking up a teddy bear set on the pillow. "When I was da twins' age I was major inta dis one game. Thought it was the raddest of the rad. Even got a plush dat looked like one o' da characters. My pa made it fer me. Ya ever heard o' tamagatchi?"

"No, I've never heard of that.." Ink admitted, sitting on the floor next to Fresh. "What is it?"

"It's a little toy wit a virtual pet. I had, like, dis squished-lookin' rabbit. Ya can feed 'em, play wit 'em, and carry da toy wit ya. Dey could fit in ya pocket." Fresh explained, tilting his head. "I wasobsessedwit da ting. We couldn't afford a real pet, so it let me have one dat my dad didn't hafta worry 'bout."

"..You had a dad?" Ink inquired, folding his hands in his lap.

"Yeah, 'course I did. Someone had ta raise dis radical bro ya see." Fresh smiled wide and leaned back on his hands.

"Huh.." Ink looked down, seemingly contemplating that fact; had he just thought that Fresh had popped into the world on his own?

"Wha' 'bout you? Ya had someone?" Fresh asked curiously, looking down at Ink.

"..No." Ink shrugged. "I was just..created. I never had parents."

"Ah. Who helped ya learn ya powers?"

"..No one. It was instinctive."

"Ya figured it out on ya own, huh? Dat's pretty impressive." Fresh gave him a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. It fell into a sympathetic look. "Dat musta been hard fer a tot all on ya own."

"Tot?" Ink tilted his skull. "Oh..oh, no - I, uh..I wasn't a kid. I was just created as an adult; I've just always been this way.."

"Ah. Dat..dat's a new one. Don' think I've met someone who just popped up like dat." Fresh said lightly. He wasn't sure how to respond to that, honestly. Someone who never had a childhood..that had to be rough. Suddenly expected to be an adult without the proper training.

"Well..now you have!" Ink let out a light chuckle. "I don't mind it, though; this is just the way things have always been, and it isn't as if it's going to change anytime soon - I'm not just going to magically get a childhood."

"True...guess its jus' different." Fresh said. He leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees. "Curious doe, wha' ya were like back den."

"Back when I was created?" Ink let out a hum. "Uh..I was..different, I guess. I wasn't a slave back then.."

"Dat's good. Def good." Fresh nodded; he was admittedly relieved to hear that, even if the subject still made him uncomfortable. "What, uh, what did ya do back den?"

"Oh, tons of stuff..I was created to protect the codes of my multiverse, so I did that a lot, destroying code corruption that threatened to destroy the whole multiverse and stuff like that."

Fresh whistled lowly as his brows rose. "Dat sounds like a lotta work. Bet ya needed help."

"Not really." Ink shrugged. "I didn't have any, anyway, so I had to do it by myself. I..didn't really have anything else to do, since I only had two friends, and they were also guardians that had just been created along with me, so they were busy a lot. I..didn't really have anything to do but my job; I was created solely to do my job."

"Dat sounds pretty lonely..." Fresh frowned, giving Ink a sympathetic look. This one was different, however; his shoulders sagged with a weight felt by every Protector. The idea of not having help. That was familiar.

"..I guess it was." Ink shrugged. "But that's..just the way my life's always been. I don't have many friends; I never have."

"...Dat's- dat's hard. I'm sorry ya didn't hav' dat." Fresh said sincerely; he held a hand out to Ink and gave him a small smile. "But, hey, ya ain't alone no more. Ya got Blue an' Dream, an' now me. Don' gotta fly solo no more."

"..Really?" Ink inquired, softly. "..Why? What's in it for you?"

"Nothin'. Jus' the good feelin' knowin' I helped someone in need." Fresh's expression was as honest and open as it could be. Barring the glasses over his sockets, there was nothing hidden.

Ink looked down, before slowly taking Fresh's hand. "I hope that feeling is good..I don't think I've ever felt it before, so I wouldn't know.."

"It do be good. An' I think ya migh' feel it someday." Fresh gently wrapped his fingers around Ink's, giving him what he hoped was a comforting squeeze.

"..Thanks, Fresh.." Ink smiled softly. "I..hope I do, too."

The afternoon rolled by, and Ink decided to swoop in to take care of the dishes on his own, slyly sneaking away before Fresh could realize his course of action. Fresh was distracted with calls, checking in on the Guardians and taking a moment to call his kids.

"Yoyoyo! Wha' ya kids up ta?" Fresh's voice could be heard from the living room.

Ink let out a soft hum and tried to listen to the conversation as he did his work, wondering what Fresh's little ones were up to; he was very eager to meet them! They were a Dream and Nightmare, right? He wondered if they got along better than his own Dream and Nightmare did..

"Uh huh...really now? Ya kiddos been busy over dere. Whatcha got goin' fer school?"

"..."

"Nah! Dey got a new slide?! Dudes, dat's wicked cool! Ya been down it yet?"

"..."

"Right on. Gonna hafta show me later."

Ink smiled; children always got so excited at the littlest of things. He wondered if he could maybe create something for the little ones when they started living here again - perhaps a playset? He would have to ask Fresh, of course, but he didn't think Fresh would mind. Maybe he'd make it yellow and blue, maybe with a little green, or perhaps p-

Crash!

"Woah, hold on. Think I heard somethin'. One mo.'"

Fresh was at the kitchen entrance the next moment. His brows rose in surprise when he saw the shattered remains of the plate on the ground.

"I-I'm sorry!" Ink was already cleaning up the dropped dish; he was..shaking as he picked up all the small pieces. "I dropped it! I'm sorry! I'll do better! I-I'm so sorry!"

"...I'll call ya kids back. Love ya." Fresh said into the phone before hanging up. He put the phone away and went over to help, his voice gentle as he picked up a couple of the bigger pieces. "Easy dere, Ink...it happens."

Tears fell from Ink's eyesockets as he cleaned up the mess he had made; he was..scared.

"Hey...Ink, its okay. You're not in trouble." Fresh assured him quietly, lowering his head to look Ink in the face. "It was an accident. Ya ain't in trouble."

"I-I'm..not?"Ink asked, quietly. "B-but I broke it..I-I should be punished.."

"Ya didn't mean ta. It was an accident." Fresh reminded him, setting some of the broken pieces in a pile. After making sure there was nothing stuck on his hand, he reached out and gave Ink's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Ya ain't in trouble."

"But...b-but..this is..I-I broke it.." Ink didn't understand. "I-it was..it..it's my fault.."

"It was an accident. 'Less ya meant ta break it, den ya ain't gonna be in trouble fer it." Fresh shook his head, hoping to assure Ink; his expression was gentle and patient.

"..Why not?" Ink didn't understand. "I..it doesn't matter if it was an accident..I messed up.."

"Its okay. I ain't gonna punish ya fer dis. I don' punish no one fer accidents."

"..Okay." Ink wiped his tears away and finished picking up the little pieces of plate on the floor. "I-if..if you say so.."

"Imma get da broom. Den how 'bout ya take a break?" Fresh suggested as he stood up. "I think ya could use one."

"..I should be helping..I want to help." Ink said, standing up with Fresh.

"Hmm...aight. Ya wanna hold da dust pan fer me?" Fresh offered him the pan; it was an easy enough task.

"Sure.. " Ink nodded, holding the pan quietly; he seemed to be contemplating something.

Fresh swept up the smaller plate pieces; the bigger pieces were taken to the trash can. He glanced at Ink every so often as he got what he could. "Aight, we can toss it now."

"Okay.." Ink nodded, getting up and emptying the dust pan into the trash; when it was empty, he looked over to Fresh. "..M-Fresh?"

"Yeah, Ink?" Fresh glanced over as he put the broom away, giving Ink a questioning look. "Need somethin', broski?"

"I..I wanted to ask..why don't you give punishments for accidents? With me around, it..e-everything bad is going to be an accident..I wouldn't do anything bad on purpose.."

"Because dat don' make sense? Ya didn' mean ta. So long as ya pick up afta o' help fix it, den wha's the ish?" Fresh shrugged, holding his hands out. He didn't see a problem with letting Ink off the hook - a reminder to be more careful, sure, but a punishment was going too far.

"..Any other master would have punished me for that..even the nicest ones. I just..don't understand your viewpoint.."

"Guess I nicer den da nice." Fresh half joked; he leaned against the counter and looked up. "I don' really understand why dey'd feel da need ta punish someone fer somethin' outta dey control. Seems dum ta me."

"..It's just the way things are..the way they've always been." Ink shrugged. "I.." Ink looked at Fresh again. "You..really don't punish for accidents? What if it's something valuable? Then would you?"

"No. I'd be upset, sure, but I ain't gonna punish ya fer dat." Fresh shook his head, tilting it to the side. "If it's an accident, it don' get a punishment. An' ta be clear, any punishment I did give...it ain't gonna be wha' ya used ta. Ya already dig I ain't harsh like dat."

"..Yeah. I..thank you.." Ink gave Fresh a small smile as a few tears formed in his eyesockets; he had found the best master in the world, didn't he?

"Hey..." Fresh's expression softened and he pushed off the counter. He held an arm out to Ink and asked, "Ya need a hug, broski?"

Ink nodded, coming closer and wrapping his arms around Fresh. He felt..good. He had a master who wouldn't punish him for accidents! That was so, so rare! Fresh was so special...Ink would do his best to make him happy.

"Thank you, Fresh.." He whispered. "You're so kind.."

"I try." Fresh sighed, wrapping his arms around Ink and sighing. He gently rubbed his back. "Ya don' gotta worry 'bout me hurtin' ya..."

"Thank you.." Ink rested his skull against Fresh's shoulder. "I..it might take me a while to get used to it, but..I'll try."

"You'll be fine. I kno' ya got dis." Fresh whispered. He had faith that Ink would succeed - that he could recover. It would just be one step at a time.

"..Okay.." Ink nodded, hugging Fresh just a little tighter. "I believe you..thank you."

When night came, Ink was once again busy with his self-imposed chores, rushing around the house to get things done that..definitely didn't need to be done right now.

Fresh trailed behind him as he took two shirts to the laundry room. "Ink...ya need a break."

"Huh?" Ink turned to see Fresh. "But I'm not even tired; I feel great, and there's so much to do!"

"It can wait. C'mon, ya been at it all day." Fresh reached out and gently coaxed Ink out of the laundry room. "Let's head ta da livin' room."

"Oh..okay.." Ink let Fresh guide him along, although it was clear that he still wanted to continue working.

Fresh wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him to the living room. There was already two bowls of popcorn on the table. Ink looked over to Fresh when he saw that; had Fresh planned this? Had Ink really been so busy that he hadn't noticed? Huh..

"Da one on da left be yours." Fresh said as he sat down, directing Ink to sit next to him.

"Oh, um, thank you.." Ink smiled, sitting next to Fresh. "Did..when did you do this? I didn't see you.."

"You were busy detailing da carpet in my room. Thing is soft as grass now." Fresh commented, handing Ink a bowl of popcorn.

"Oh.." Ink nodded, accepting the bowl. "I..guess I was a bit focused on that.."

"Jus' a tad. No worries." Fresh leaned back and set his bowl in his lap; he crossed his leg so that it rested on his knee and his arm was thrown over the back of the couch, the remote in his hand somehow. "Whacha wanna watch?"

"..Whatever you'd like to watch, I guess." Ink shrugged. "I don't really know many movies.."

"Dat's all right. What have ya seen?"

"Mostly..action movies? A few kid movies when I was with Inky, too.."

"Neat. So ya inta action movies, den? Ya ever watched Star Wars?"

"Uh..I don't think so." Ink shook his skull. "Why?"

"Its an action movie, so ya migh' like it." Fresh shrugged, flicking on the TV and going to a channel at which they could watch the movie. "Da OGs be da best."

"Um, okay." Ink nodded, hesitantly leaning against Fresh a little. "Sounds good."

The screen darkened, and orchestra music began playing. Words appeared on screen, narrating the opening description of the movie scrolling across the screen. The scene then opened to a scene of space: a planet with two moons. A smaller ship raced across, chased by a larger triangular ship. Ink watched the movie curiously, glancing over at Fresh and the popcorn every so often. Fresh seemed content to watch the movie. He popped pieces of his snack in his mouth every so often, and after Fresh started to eat his popcorn, Ink started his own, and he started to focus on the movie a little more; he had been waiting for Fresh to start eating..of course. Fresh glanced at him and noticed - another thing to work on. It was all right, though; they could work on that later. Right now, they had a movie to watch. As the movie continued, Ink slowly got more and more invested in it, watching the main character's adventure into space. It was quite thrilling! Fresh smiled gently, glad to see that Ink was enjoying himself; that was good.

"Fresh?" Ink addressed, at one point.

"Hm?" Fresh glanced at him, pulling his eyes from the TV.

"Um..why are all the main characters mostly humans?" Ink wondered. "Was this made in a universe where monsters are considered inferior? I mean..they have monsters in the movie, but they're not really in big roles, for the most part..why not?"

"Eh, budget costs, I think." Fresh shrugged, glancing at the movie. He snorted at the scene in which the princess was insulting her savior's height. "An' dey actually aliens, not monsters. Natives o' da planets an' stuff."

"Oh..what are aliens?" Ink tilted his skull. "Are they like monsters?"

"Uh, I guess so. Alien jus' means'not from 'ere.'An' since dee's folks don' live on Earth," Fresh pointed to the aliens on screen. "Dey be called aliens. Monsters are from Earth, so they ain't aliens."

"Oh..does that make me an alien to this world, then? Since I'm not from here?"

"Yeah, guess it does." Fresh hummed, tilting his head. "Hadn't thought o' it like dat."

"..I guess you're an alien to my world, too; that's a weird thought.."

"Lil bit." Fresh chuckled, smirking a little. "We da cool sort, doe."

"Yeah." Ink nodded, smiling. "You are."

"You, too, dude. Ya pretty dope if ya ask me." Fresh lightly bumped his shoulder with his.

"..I'm a dope?" Ink tilted his skull, frowning. "I..guess I am..sorry.."

"Nah, man. 'Dope' means ya cool. Its a good thing." Fresh quickly corrected, brows raising in alarm.

"..Oh." Ink let out a soft hum. "Okay..I'm sorry."

"Nah, don' be. No harm, ya didn' kno' da word." Fresh shook his head and leaned back in his chair; he huffed, and his mouth twitched up in a half smirk. "I kno' I talk funny, so I don' expect everyone ta get wha' I mean."

"..Whatdidyou mean..if you don't mind my asking?" Ink inquired; he must not have fully understood yet. "I mean..if you want me to know, that is.."

"Ya can kno', no prob. It means ya be real cool. A chill dude an' all dat. I think ya be pretty cool ta hang wit." Fresh explained, folding his arms behind his head.

While Ink still had some...questionable behaviors and beliefs, he could see there was a good person underneath. Kid just needed someone to show him right from wrong.

"..You really mean that?" Ink asked, hesitantly. "You..didn't mean it as a backhanded compliment?"

"I meant it, kid. I don' make a habit o' sayin' unrad stuff 'bout my friends."

"Why not?"

"'Cause it jus' ain't nice. It ain't cool ta do dat ta dem."

"..Why is being nice important to you?" Ink looked up to Fresh, and for a moment, Ink seemed..on-edge - as if he expected a certain type of answer.

"'Cause it feels right. If I'm not nice ta folks, dat means I'm hurtin' dem. I don' like hurtin' folks,." Fresh grimaced and looked away for a moment; sometimes, he had to hurt people. Looking back at Ink, he gave a smile. "I wanna hurt my friends even less."

"..You're a lot like Blue." Ink smiled a little. "Blue's a good friend. I think you are, too."

"Heh, I think me an' 'im will get along swell den." Fresh chuckled lightly as he looked back at the movie; he forgot what was even happening by now.

"..Maybe." Ink nodded. "Hey, Fresh?"

"Yeah, Ink?"

"..Would it be right to..to be.." Ink trailed off, looking down. "..."

Fresh waited patiently for Ink to get his thoughts together, picking up the remote and pausing the movie so he could better hear him. After a quiet moment, Ink looked back up at Fresh, taking a few breaths before speaking.

"Do you think it's okay..to be a little upset when people treat you less than nicely..?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course. Dat's only natural." Fresh confirmed, voice softening as he studied Ink's face. "Did someone say somethin' ta ya, broski?"

"..It's not important." Ink avoided the question, losing eye contact with Fresh as his eyelights drifted down. "I just..wanted to ask. I'm sorry; we can watch the movie now."

"Hey, if ya wanna talk 'bout somethin', we can." Fresh leaned around to catch Ink's eyelights again. "Won' push ya, but if ya wanna talk..."

"..You're one of the few close people in my life who have ever given me that choice." Ink admitted. "And..I really don't want to talk about it. But I will, if you force me to..I'm pliant."

"I ain't gonna force ya." Fresh shook his head, pulling back. "I know what its like ta have things ya jus' don' wanna share. Ya kno' where ta find me if ya change ya mind, doe..." He pressed play and the movie resumed, turning back to watch it.

"..Thank you, Fresh." Ink smiled softly, leaning against Fresh once more.

Ink and Fresh continued to watch their movie, and a few more questions were asked over the course of it, but..Fresh could see that Ink's demeanor was a bit lighter..a little less grim.

Maybe this would work out, after all.

The next few days went slowly. The two learning each other's habits and tendencies. Learning how to work around them and to help each other. In Fresh's case, he was learning how to help Ink not want to help him so much. As for Ink..progress was slow, but it was still there. The former protector was still highly-dedicated to his old lifestyle, but little things were starting to change, and they were changing for the better. At one point, Ink had even accepted a snack! He had eaten it without needing Fresh to eat anything before him! Sure, he still waited for Fresh to eat during meals, but a snack..that was progress. Fresh would take it. Baby steps. Every little step was a step in the right direction; he would quietly celebrate each one, all the while making things as comfortable for Ink as he could. Taking things slow for him. He would ease him out of this lifestyle one choice at a time. And, as the few days passed and the two got closer, Fresh eventually came to a decision: it was time to bring the twins home. Just before bedtime, after a particularly quiet and relaxing movie night, it was time.

"Ya ready ta meet dee's rugrat's, broski?" Fresh asked as he slipped on his coat.

"Yes, I believe I am!" Ink nodded, approaching Fresh. "Shall I stay here or go with you?"

"Think I'd like ya ta come wit. Would be good ta get out o' da house and whatnot." Fresh requested, starting to walk out of the door. "Haven't really been out dis week 'cept for chores outside."

"All right!" Ink nodded, following after him. "I can't wait to see the town.."

"Place is pretty sweet. Snowdin is one o' da quieter places 'round 'ere." Fresh led him to the front door and slipped on his shoes before looking back at Ink and asking, "Do ya need a coat?" He looked down. "Or shoes?"

"No, I'm fine." Ink assured. "I'm not as sensitive to the cold as some people."

"Ya sure? I got some extras dat should fit ya."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Ink nodded, giving Fresh a smile. "Let's go get those little ones back."

"Aight. Let's go den." Fresh chuckled and nodded, opening the door.

He led Ink towards Snowdin town, and Ink followed Fresh closely, wanting to be ready in case someone attacked his master. No one attacked, though. They were safe here in Undertale; this universe didn't even know what a reset was. They entered the town, and Fresh started pointing out all the buildings. He acted as a tour guide, playing it up for the fun of it.

"And to yer left is da finest eatery on dis side o' da multiverse, Mrs. Bun's Bakery and Pastry Shop." He pointed at the building next to the Inn. He held his hand to his mouth and stage whispered conspiringly, "Personally, I like the strawberry tarts."

"Sounds delicious." Ink commented, chuckling. "Perhaps I can get you something from there sometime, when you don't want my cooking or regular takeout."

"Dey got a little seating area inside. We can go together wit da kids one o' dee's days."

"Ah..perhaps." Ink nodded, although he doubted that he would actually join them..slaves weren't meant to go on outings with the families they served.

They soon arrived at the skeleton house and Fresh knocked on the door.

A teenage bunny monster answered the door. "Oh, hey, Fresh. How's it hangin'?" She winks and shot him finger guns.

"It's right cracka lackin' ma fuzz meister o' delectables! What's new wit you?" Fresh greeted her with a complicated hand shake.

"Not much, homeslice." She replied, as they ended with a spin. She smiled at Ink. "Who's this?"

"Dis 'ere is Ink. He's new to town an' will be livin' wit me from now on."

"Oh, like a roommate?"

"Sum like dat, yeah." Fresh nodded.

"Hi." Ink smiled, waving; he was happy to meet a friend of his master!

"Coolio. Nice to meet you, Ink." She smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Judy."

Ink shook the offered hand firmly.

"Where are your children?" He asked Fresh, curious.

"Inside probs." Fresh said.

"Yep! They're actually napping upstairs." Judy told them. "They just went down about half an hour ago."

"Bit late fo' a nap, don' ya think?" Fresh asked, as they followed her in.

"Usually it would be, but they wore themselves out playing earlier and fell right asleep by themselves. I didn't want to wake them."

"Should we come back later?" Ink wondered; maybe this was the wrong time to come..he didn't want to interrupt a nap!

"Nah, we'll just carry them back." Fresh decided, as he started up the stairs. "Dream could sleep through a thunderstorm, an' Nightmare...I'll carry 'im."

"All right." Ink nodded. "If you want, I can open a portal back home to avoid getting them cold."

"Good idea, Ink." Fresh nodded as he opened the second bedroom door.

The twins were curled up on the bed. The Sans and Papyrus, also known as Vanilla and Creampuff, were flopped over next to them. Fresh tiptoed over and untangled Nightmare's tentacles from his brother before scooping him up carefully. The six year old blinked his socket open before closing it again; he wrapped his eight limbs around the adult and went back to sleep. Ink opened a portal to the cabin and picked up Dream carefully, making sure to keep the child steady; he didn't want to wake the little one! Dream didn't stir. He was a heavy sleeper. Fresh led them through the portal and to the twins' bedroom. He placed Nightmare on the bottom bunk, tucking him in and giving the child a stuffed octopus. Nightmare latched onto the toy happily and snuggled under the covers, and Ink placed Dream on the top bunk, smiling as he tucked the little one in. Fresh reached into the toy box, only to remember he took the toys out earlier. He huffed lightly in amusement and shook his head. He stood back up and pulled out a stuffed dog from his inventory and placed it in Dream's arms. Dream gave a tiny yawn and cuddled the toy, still not waking up.

"When do they wake up?" Ink wondered; he would have to get up early to make breakfast.

"Around sevenish." Fresh answered as they left the room. He closed the door, but he left it open a crack so he could hear the children if he needed.

"All right." Ink nodded. "Do they have any favorite foods?"

"Just 'bout anythin' sweet. Pancakes wit fruit are usually a good option." Fresh chuckled, going to the living room and sitting down on the couch. "Nightmare likes blueberries, an' Dream...is surprisingly picky. He likes his plain doe."

"All right." Ink nodded. "Well, it's getting late..almost bedtime."

"Yeah, yer right." Fresh sighed and rolled his neck. Why was he so tired? He had barely done anything today. "Guess we best hit the sack. Ya gonna sleep in yer room o' join me in mine? I'm aight with both."

"I'll sleep in mine; it's more customary." Ink informed; slaves who had rooms were obliged to use them, to ensure that their masters knew that they were grateful. "Good night."

"If ya say so, Ink." Fresh shrugged. He stood up and placed his hands in his pockets and smiled. "Good night, Ink. Sleep well."

He started towards his bedroom with a final wave, and Ink went to his bedroom promptly, lying down on his bed and preparing to get a good night's rest; he would have a big day tomorrow tomorrow. Within minutes, he was fast asleep. The twins slept peacefully in their beds, and Fresh got a good night's rest. He would also have a busy day. He needed to introduce his kids to Ink, and then Inky, and find time to check on the others kiddos.

The night went by without any problems.