"Adjustment"

Saturday greeted everyone at the crack of dawn. Whether from a good long night of sleep or the anticipation of a new day, no one was willing to waste their weekend away in bed.

"snnnnn..."

Well maybe not everyone.

"SANS!" Papyrus shouted in vain, trying to rouse his brother. "IT'S MORNING – GET UP. WE HAVE SO MANY ERRANDS TO DO!"

"snnnnnnnn..." Sans continued to snore away. He had his beauty sleep interrupted enough the previous nights and had little intentions on interrupting it further – be it Saturday or the day of reckoning. "snnnnnnnn..."

"OH WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER?" He sighed and left the room seemingly defeated.

Sans cracked one eye socket open and chuckled to himself as he heard his brother walk through the halls to make sure the kids were awake. As he snuggled deeper into his blankets, he realised too late that his brother's footsteps were making a direct path to the smallest bedroom at the northern end of the hall.

Sans barely had enough time to brace himself when a weight in the shape of a nine year old child crashed down on top of him.

"Saaaannnnsss! You promised!"

"FORGIVE ME BROTHER. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THEIR HIGHNESS IS ONE OF FEW ABLE TO WAKE YOU WITH LITTLE ISSUE." Papyrus walked past the doorway with a smug look on his face as Chara sat on Sans's stomach. "ENJOY!"

"ugh." Sans groaned and sank deeper into his blankets. He was pretty sure he had promised something the night before. What that something was he wasn't entirely sure. "promised what again?"

"Hey! No retreat!" Chara swatted at the skeleton, managing only a light tap to his covered dome. "You promised to take me shopping!"

Sans groaned once more. It had been through a pasta and leftover pizza dinner that the household came to the conclusion that they hadn't bought many groceries since they had moved in. Every previous meal had either been ordered in or was comprised of whatever was in their fridges before they left the Underground. And Sans was pretty sure a family of seventeen ("god it feels so weird to live with so many people.") couldn't live off of leftovers and take-aways forever, less they incur the health-conscious wrath of Toriel and Undyne.

He hated waking up so early. But the kid wanted him to go so...

"sorry, old friend. I must leave you for now." He thought mournfully, patting his pillow before raising himself to a sitting position. "alright kiddo. just let me get up." He swung his legs off the bed, his toes barely touching the floor. "we need anything in particular?"

Chara sat on their knees and recited. "Baking stuff, canned stuff, frozen stuff, dry stuff, sweet stuff..."

"well that narrows it down." Sans replied with sarcasm as he threw his trademark jacket and shorts over his nightclothes, not giving a darn if anyone noticed the pink pyjama shirt underneath. "how's the search?"

Chara crossed their arms and pouted. They had spent a good portion of the week searching for a certain type of chocolate and so far had come up empty handed. "Can't find the brand anywhere. The internet says it isn't popular anymore. Apparently it's "region specific" now or something."

Sans had to laugh as the royal child continued to puff their cheeks and scowl. They reminded him of a younger Papyrus – pouting as he waited on the newest puzzle book to be delivered. He zipped up his jacket, hiding the pink pyjama shirt from any critical eyes. "don't sweat kid. I'll keep a socket out for it. heard they got fancy chocolate shops in town, might be in there for all we know."

Chara immediately perked up at this. "Yeah! An other kid at school said there's a cool sweet shop in Old Town. Onwards!"

Again, Sans couldn't find it in his heart to say no as the child all but dragged him out the door and down the stairs. It was nice to be honest. He only really knew Chara from the backlash of different timelines and he preferred not to make that the default. So far he figured that he liked them, maybe because they reminded him far too much of his brother or of Tori in the way they talked or in their actions. A firecracker in flannel jammies.

"Mom?" Chara asked as they heard the sounds of eggs frying on a pan. "Is dad going to town with us?"

Toriel poked her head around the door separating the hallway from the kitchen and answered. "No dear. Your father is adamant on fixing up the garden before the weather worsens. The others may wish to come though."

Sans allowed himself to be herded into the kitchen and into a chair as Chara wandered into the sitting room to ask whomever was available to go. A plate of eggs and tomatoes slid in front of him. Still bleary-eyed he only caught a glimpse of Toriel's smile as she quickly returned to her cooking. Sans could find no response but to smile back.

The kids were all in the front sitting room watching a loud dramatic cartoon, and from the sounds leaking out under the door that connected it to the kitchen – Alphys and Undyne were in there too. If the cries of "Go for the shins, they'll go down faster!" and "U-Undyne! They're just talking to their crush!" meant anything.

Papyrus walked down the stairs but paused when he reached the hallway door to the sitting room - obviously ensnared by the cartoon also.

Asgore could be seen outside, tearing up a system of dead bramble roots that the previous owners had allowed to overtake flowerbed. Asriel stood off to the side in his green rubber boots and straw hat, looking both amazed by their father's strength and horrified at the state of the garden.

Gaster was snoring away in a rocking chair, lazing the morning away under the shade of the back porch with the dog curled up at his feet. Sans envied him.

"Tea's ready!" Toriel called out the window as the kettle made a loud whistling sound, catching their attentions. She picked out a selection of mugs from the cupboard and in each placed a bag of tea. She turned and asked. "Sans, would you like one?"

"sure, hit me with your best pot." He grinned as she giggled and poured him a cup. Sans wasn't even a tea drinker but he simply couldn't turn it down if offered.

Asgore and Asriel tumbled in seconds later, covered head to toe in dry soil and musty plant fibres. Toriel gave them a disapproving look before they remembered to wipe their feet on the floor mat. It took Gaster a solid minute to rise from his chair and follow them into the house, whatever bones he had left creaking with disuse.

"Good morning Sans. I hope you slept well?" Asgore nodded to the other man as he passed him his (appropriately skull-shaped) mug.

"I certainly did brew-tea-full." Sans found himself instinctively winking at the king, only realising seconds later how the pun could be taken. He masked his blush with a sip of tea – finding it to be sweet and tart as opposed to dry or bitter like he usually found tea.

"Oh hush." Asgore hummed, not fazed at all. He had endured enough of his wife's tea-related puns to last a lifetime. "You're the second person to use that pun this morning."

Toriel placed down the rest of the plates with a cheeky grin. She then noticed Sans's confused look when he tasted the tea, providing. "Asgore mentioned that you didn't care much for golden flower, so I made sure that you got blackcurrant instead."

Sans blinked and quietly thanked them both, a strange smile on his face.

Gaster and Asriel noticed this exchange. Similar thoughts went through both of their heads but neither wanted to say anything. Gaster prepared his coffee (he never drank tea a day in his life thankyouverymuch) and sent the king and queen suspicious glances. Asriel happily chugged away at his own blackcurrant tea (having gained a certain dislike for golden flower for obvious reasons) and decided not to press the issue.

Moments later the rest of the house filtered in, grabbing their own cups and plates.

Chara sat with their elbows on the table, barely drinking their tea. "Looks like it's just me, you, and Mom."

"aww." Sans replied in mock disappointment, honestly glad that he wouldn't have to keep check of all nine kids during the trip. "nobody else?"

The kids all shook their heads, all having their own plans for the weekend.

"I kinda wanna come." Sunny piped up, still in his red long-johns. "But I don't know where'd we'd get fresh meat..."

"They sell fresh meat in stores now, bucko." Sans explained, briefly forgetting that the eleven-year old came from a different time. "They sell 'em in the butcher and deli aisles."

"Oh!" Sunny looked surprised by this knowledge. "Okay. That's cool. I thought stores only had canned stuff. Alright, I'll go."

"Sweet." Chara smiled cheekily. "Now we got someone who can actually reach the shelves."

Sans sent them an exaggerated look of offence, his face breaking into a grin when the rest of the kids laughed at the remark. "That's a low blow even for you."

"Don't worry Sans." Frisk signed, a bit too tired to have a pun war this early in the morning. "It was a small jest." Frisk paused when Sans's grin got wider, covering their face when they realised too late that they had unintentionally made a pun. Toriel was trying her best not to snort out a laugh as Asgore rubbed the bridge of his nose with an exasperated smile on his face.

Sans chuckled to himself.

He was a horrible influence on these kids.

"I'm going to take a long trek later." Undyne announced, flexing her arms. She was already dressed for the day, a pair of sweatbands on her wrists and her hair tied into a tight ponytail. "I've fallen way behind my regimen since I moved up here and I need to stay in shape if I'm going to be teaching the squirts at school."

Alphys sat next to her, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm going to be staying in today. I have a d-deadline for the new leg design. Company s-said that if the design goes through, they can begin m-marketing it."

"THAT SOUNDS NEAT!" Papyrus commented, eating a bowl of hot porridge. "DOES THAT MEAN EVERYONE WILL HAVE SEXY LEGS LIKE METTATON?"

"God, I hope so." Mettaton giggled, reminding the skeleton that he was sitting right next to him. Papyrus blushed and hid his embarrassed face behind his bowl. The robot turned back to the scientist and teased. "I don't suppose you'll design them with me in mind?"

"W-well not exactly." Alphys explained, a small blush on her cheeks. "I have to market them to people who need them. A-although I guess it wouldn't hurt to make "Metta-legs" an option..." She went back to her breakfast, her train of thought heading elsewhere.

"Then do darling! I'll give it a little celebrity endorsement and they'll sell like hotcakes."

"OR HOT LEGS IN THIS CASE." The skeleton commented, face still hiding behind his bowl of porridge. "WHICH REMINDS ME; I NEED TO GO OUT TODAY. MTT-TOY BRAND RELEASED A NEW ACTION FIGURE OF METTATON AND I NEED TO SNAP IT UP BEFORE THE HOLIDAY SEASON ROLLS IN!"

"But you have the life-sized model right here!" Mettaton pointed to himself amusedly.

"NOT WHEN YOU'RE AWAY. DESPITE YOUR BEAUTY – TO WHICH NO VINYL COULD REPLICATE – IT'S DISHEARTENING WHEN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE FOR WORK. IT WOULD BE LIKE OWNING A 3-D PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU, EXCEPT SMALLER AND WITH ONLY A FRACTION OF YOUR TRUE PERSONALITY AND CHARM."

The table became silent after this little speech, the adults looking at the skeleton curiously while the kids made the same faces they did whenever they saw something sappy on the television.

Mettaton got a strange look in his eyes and cooed. "Aww, sugar-skull! That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me!"

"HMM. THEN I HAVEN'T COMPLIMENTED YOU ENOUGH!" Papyrus replied with his usual vigour, and once the table was back to it's usual chatter he lowered his voice to a sudden whisper. "Also it's actually a gift is for someone else."

"Who?" Mettaton whispered back, confused by why the skeleton would be so secretive.

"Olive. Her teacher called yesterday and said that she becomes very anxious when she's separated from the others. So I think at the very least a plastic toy of you would help." Papyrus decided that for the moment he'd leave out the part where he was knighted with the title of "Papa" - not wanting to make Mettaton feel like he had competition.

"Oh dear!" Mettaton exclaimed, quickly lowering his volume back to a whisper. "Oh I just knew loading up my schedule like that would give me such little time with her! I should take the week off. Cancel my beauty appointment. Plan a trip away from work. If only to spend more time with her!"

"Now don't do anything foolhardy Mettaton. I've planned a little excursion for this very reason."

"Oh?"

Papyrus gave him a nod and raised his voice to it's regular volume. "WHILST THE MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN DO NOT WISH TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING – I THE GREAT PAPYRUS SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE THEM ON A NICE DAY OUT. IT IS FAR TOO SPLENDID A DAY TO BE COOPED UP INSIDE WATCHING CARTOONS ALL DAY!"

Alphys made an indignant noise and decided that would be exactly what she would be doing all day.

"That sounds like a good idea." Toriel agreed, having spent the last few minutes wondering what the other children had planned for the weekend. "It would be nice to acquaint ourselves with the town while we have the time to." She then turned her attention to Chara and Sunny, asking. "Would that be fine with you two? You can stay out with them all day if you like."

"Nah." Chara replied, twirling their fork through their eggs, making the plate a yolk-covered mess. "I really want to find my chocolate..."

Sunny shook his head and agreed. "I'll be fine. I don't want to be herding the little 'uns around all day."

The smaller kids sent him a dirty look.

"Hey I'm older than you!" Jade argued, still in her nightclothes and slippers.

"Only by twenty-something chrono-logic years. I'm older than the rest of y'all by at least forty."

"Twen-ty." Olive disagreed, her face covered in egg and oatmeal. She then pointed to herself and Nerissa. "So I'm bigger than her."

Nerissa scoffed into her orange juice. "Yeah, ain't gonna happen squirt."

"SO!" Tan interrupted the squabbling, turning the attention back to the day ahead. "What are we gonna do today Paps?"

"OH! Um..." Papyrus stalled, actually not sure himself. "I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET THIS FAR. HOW ABOUT A WALK IN THE PARK? FOLLOWED BY SOME MISCELLANEOUS SHOPPING OF COURSE."

"That sounds best." Toriel nodded. "I also need to pick up some new books. Not for school I assure you, but more for leisure. The ones on my shelf are wonderful but I can only read "101 Uses for Snails" over so many times. Hopefully I'll find something nice and entertaining whilst in town."

"hey, I got a notice from the school earlier mentioning that there's a parent-teacher thing every saturday." Sans suddenly remembered, if only because Toriel herself was a teacher. "don't you need to go to that? it's kinda in the name."

Toriel's smile drooped as she too remembered. "Oh dear, you're right. Then again Principal Shrike says that it's non compulsory. Oh but missing the first meeting might not make the best first impression." She looked worried, trying to hide how nervous she was of her first ever PTA meeting. It wasn't as though she hadn't experienced such meetings before (being Queen meant she had to solve a lot of territory disputes and conduct impromptu trials) but the fact that it would be the first in her new job, her new school, her new home, her new world.

Needless to say it was rather overwhelming even if she would never admit to it.

Sans picked up on her worry and offered. "I'll go with you. heavens forbid I do more than a single action a day."

Papyrus and Undyne choked on their drinks, both trying their best to hold down braying laughter.

"Oh please Sans, you don't have to go for me."

"don't have to but will." Sans argued with a smirk on his face. "c'mon it'll be easy. we go out. we bring home the chocolate and whatnot. we head out and snooze through a few hours of gossip. we come home and sit on our butts for the rest of the weekend. sounds pretty good to me."

"If you're serious..."

"how can I be Serious if I'm Sans?"

Toriel chuckled. "I certainly can't argue with that logic. But it will only be for today. I really hope to include myself in the community and the PTA meetings are one of the best ways to do so. I admit I'm rather well... concerned with how the other parents may think of us."

"Tori, you're already teaching their children." Asgore reassured her, taking her hand into his. "If they can trust you with that, they can trust you with their very lives."

"and if they don't, then I'll ask them to just try to find someone better." Sans said with an air of blunt honesty. "they've got nothin' on you."

Toriel smiled and moved her free hand to hide her blushing cheeks.

Gaster found himself hiding a knowing grin behind his mug.

/X\

It was shortly before ten in the morning that it was decided who was going where. Papyrus was surprised that only about half of the children wished to go. The others seemed adamant on being elsewhere.

"Can I go with Auntie Undyne?" Tan asked excitedly, bouncing on the tips of his toes. He flexed his barely-there muscles in emphasis. "I wanna get strong like her!"

"Oh I'm "Auntie" now am I? Yesterday I was Miss." Undyne teased the boy, ruffling his hair as he laughed with her. "Hmm. I guess it'll be a little more fun with a hiking buddy. Think you can keep up kiddo?"

"Yep!"

"Then get ready. I want to squeeze at least a mile of out you before lunch."

"AYE AYE CAPTAIN!" Tan saluted in a manner - and volume - more suited to Papyrus. He sprinted upstairs, crashing around as he tried to find the perfect work-out clothes.

Asriel and Jade decided to stay home. The young prince wanted to spend the afternoon with his father – an answer which made Asgore's heart ache from happiness. Jade on the other hand simply had no energy to go out that day. She was obviously tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and read a good book.

Toriel nuzzled both of their faces and assured. "We'll be home in a few hours. If you need anything from town you can ask."

Jade's hand ghosted over the side of her face where Toriel had nuzzled her, the feeling foreign yet warm. "I would like a few books too if that wouldn't be a bother. There's a writer from my time named Jules Verne and I would like a book by him if you could find it. I'm not sure if he's popular anymore though..."

Toriel smiled, not wanting to tell the girl just yet how popular the author was. "I'll make sure to find you one. Certainly there would be at least one of his works in the book store." She gave the girl another nuzzled kiss to the cheek, wondering how she could still be so surprised by them despite receiving one each morning.

Tan barrelled down the stairs seconds later wearing a bright pink shirt with a red heart over the front, a pair of tangerine shortalls partially obscuring it. "I'M READY AUNTIE!"

"NICE! You look so cool!" Undyne encouraged, already psyched up. "C'mon hop on my back! I'll get us to the trail head! We've got miles of woods to cover!"

"YES!" Tan leaped onto Undyne's back, barely having enough time to secure his arms around her neck before she sprinted off the porch and down the street heading to Uptown.

As they disappeared from view, Papyrus hummed worriedly. "I FEAR UNDYNE MAY BE FEEDING INTO MY SON'S ADRENALINE HABIT. HONESTLY I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING."

"How so?" Toriel asked, more amused than concerned.

"HE TRIED SUPLEXING ME WHEN I AWOKE HIM FOR BREAKFAST."

Gaster had decided to do his own thing for the day. Having little responsibilities beyond making sure his machines didn't consume the house meant that he had a lot of free time to worry about. Frisk held tightly onto Gaster's bony hand, simply explaining that they wanted to join him in his wander around the neighbourhood.

"I have no idea why." Gaster admitted, looking surprised by Frisk's insistence to go. "I'm just going to have a stroll around Old Town. Talk to our neighbours. Maybe have lunch at a cafe, you know boring old man things..."

Sans looked at him suspiciously, knowing fully well that his father was a wily old skeleton when he wanted to be. "okay... make sure not to tire yourself out. some of the streets are kinda steep and you're still recovering from the whole "being ripped apart by the space time continuum" thing."

"Oh don't worry about me! I've already taken a stroll or two before, it isn't too tiresome. And perhaps Frisk would enjoy a hot chocolate during lunch?" Gaster said the last part with a tinge of mischief, immediately catching the queen's attention.

"Just make sure they don't have too much sugar." Toriel warned, knowing that the former royal scientist had an infamous sweet tooth. "There is going to be a fine home-cooked meal tonight so I don't want them filling up on sweets."

"Of course Your Majesty."

"SEE YOU IN A FEW HOURS FATHER!" Papyrus called back, already loading the kids into his car. "I'LL BE SURE TO FIND THAT CHOCOLATE YOU LIKE!"

Chara's eyes widened and they whined, running down the garden to the convertible. "Hey! How come you're looking out for his and not mine?"

"IT'S THE SAME BRAND."

"It's the principle of the thing!"

Toriel laughed at the exchange and commented. "It seems I may need to double the chocolate larder with you and Chara warring for it."

Gaster looked away bashfully and quickly changed the subject. "I wish you and my son luck at the meeting today. A few of our neighbours are long time members and they've assured me that it has a very relaxed atmosphere."

"That's certainly a relief." The queen sighed, her concern only slightly quelled. "We'll see you in a few hours and please be sure not to stay out too long."

"No promises." Frisk signed, gaining a chuckle from their mother.

Toriel nuzzled Frisk's cheek one last time before leaving. "Goodbye dear. And goodbye to you too Wind Dings."

"Goodbye!" Gaster and Frisk waved from the porch even as Toriel and the rest of the posse loaded into the family car and drove slowly away from the house.

Making sure that the cars were at a safe distance, they quickly dropped the facade and smiled deviously to each other.

"Ice cream?" Gaster signed, not wanting to alert the others to their plans.

"Ice cream!" Frisk signed back enthusiastically, excited to finally have time to get a cone. And maybe have a nice one-on-one chat with their dear Gramp-ster.

/X\

Asgore chuckled to himself as Gaster and Frisk sneaked out for ice cream. He had been aware of their ploy from the start. He should know; having pulled the same trick hundreds of times before with his own children.

The mid-morning sun was blaring down from the east, casting the back garden in a light shadow that warned of the hot afternoon to come. It was better that they fix up the garden now before the heat became unbearable or before any wind picked up.

Toby the Dog had yet to move from his place under the shaded porch, his only movements being his frequent trips inside to lap up cool water before resuming his busy task of sleeping.

"Whew!" Asgore huffed, dragging up the last of the dead brambles from the flowerbed, now only having the living stems to take care of. The damage done to the garden was substantial, far worse than anything that may have overtaken one in the Underground. "The previous owners must have left the patch to grow unattended for years. I never seen an infestation this bad before."

He wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his glove, regretting not dealing with this particular patch of bramble first.

"Don't they give fruit sometimes?" Asriel stepped forward, clearing the leaf litter away with a chunky plastic pitchfork (Asgore would never let the kids near a sharp metal one) into a green waste bag.

"Only once every two years." The king explained, cutting through the fleshy green root with a pruning tool. "They're actually the same plant as the blackberry, but wild. Unfortunately they can become a real nuisance since they grow fairly quickly." He yelped as a stray thorn pricked the exposed area of his wrist, quickly drawing his hand away from the plant. "The thorns of course are a hazard."

Asriel nodded and wondered if he should fetch bandages just in case the brambles caused anymore injuries. He looked around the back garden in wonder. It was fairly large, almost as big as the courtyard back in New Home, save for the sunlight and the six foot tall wooden fences that separated it from the side street and the vast expanse of meadow that was too uneven for any neighbours to build on. The house itself sat on a corner, meaning that they only had one neighbour to worry about – a pair elderly gentlemen with whom Gaster had found fast friends in.

The flowerbeds ran alongside the fence before meeting again at the front of the house and merging with the hedges. The plan was to dedicate the front of the garden to ornamental flowers and shrubs while the back would be used to grow herbs and maybe the odd vegetable. An old dormant cherry blossom tree dominated the centre of the back garden, it's wide branches and sturdy wood just begging to be adorned with a tree house or a swing.

The back of the garden held a wide ornamental pond, only run off from rain and morning dew keeping it from going stagnant. A small tool shed sat in the far corner, infested with spiders and centipedes. Asgore had warned the children not to play around in there so to avoid angering Muffet and her large arachnid family – perhaps he should consider evicting the tenants so he could retrieve his gardening tools in peace.

Still in this half-dazed state of wonder, Asriel found himself staring straight upwards – facing the back of the garden.

"One of the easiest ways to manage them is..." Asgore cut his ramble short, noticing the strange far off look in his son's eyes. Placing a hand on his shoulder he asked softly. "What has caught your attention?"

"It's kinda of ominous huh?"

"What is?"

"It."

Asgore was about to ask him to elaborate when he too was distracted by the sight; It's dark face and snowy cap blocking the western skies from view. It's sheer mass causing the clouds to warp around it less they be ripped in twain by its peak.

Mt Ebott.

It was closer than Asgore had originally thought – barely ten minutes on the rough dirt road (and an additional two hours if you were brave enough to climb upwards) that signified the end of their neighbourhood and by extension: all civilisation. The change from tree-lined and worn brick sidewalks ended abruptly when you reached the end of the street next to the new royal residence. Asphalt became coarse gravel and clusters of homes turned into massive empty fields of grass that continued on until you reached the forest. The Mountain presided over Ebott like a resting guardian, filling in the gap between multiple ranges and plateaus that scarred the coastline. It's twisting paths and insurmountable rocks shielded the small town from the outside world whilst it's thick forests and heavy snowfall discouraged it's people from overtaking it. Truly a staunch figure in local history.

At the moment however, from their garden in Old Town, it was an uninvited neighbour.

An unwelcome reminder.

"Oh yes." Asgore coughed nervously, trying not to show any weakness or fear to his son. "It is very ominous indeed. Though it is very inspiring."

"How?" Asriel asked, breaking his gaze from the horizon.

"Well... we're out here are we not?" He stumbled, trying to find the right words. "That's something I thought I would never be able to say." There was an odd pause before he continued. "And I suppose if I'm able to say that I, a hundred-something year old monster, has breathed fresh air and felt the warm sun for the first time, perhaps I am able to do even greater things tomorrow. Does that make any sense?"

Asriel kicked at the leaf litter. "I guess..." He stood deep in thought, clearly thinking hard about something. Something that he could find no answer to. "Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"Did you expect to live so close to the Mountain? Even after everyone was set free?"

The king was stumped yet again, to answer that question would be creating a hundred more. So he tried to explain in the simplest way he could. "Not exactly. When I was young I was convinced that the first thing I would do would be to find the farthest point from Home and stay there. But I have decided since then that I shall go where my people are. Even if where happens to be the shadow of the mountain."

The prince looked rather confused by this and pressed on. "Why? Don't you ever want to get away from Mt Ebott?"

Asgore blinked and noticed the odd worry in his son's eyes. It was a familiar look of fear. "Asriel..." He began carefully, not wanting to scare him. "Have you thought of being away from Mt Ebott?"

"Yeah." Asriel's reply was blunt, the fear in his eyes replaced with one of guilt. "I did a lot of bad things when I was gone... Looking at the mountain sometimes reminds me of it."

The king sighed. "I understand how you feel."

Asriel blinked at him in confusion.

"I have done horrible things in the name of the Underground, that's something I can not change." Asgore continued with sorrow in his voice. He closed his eyes to prevent the sadness from escaping. "The problems of many are because of me. Because I was afraid. Because I was short-sighted. And most of all, because my anger outweighed my reason. I will bare the weight of such mistakes for the rest of my days. That's something not a lot of people can accept."

The prince looked a bit misty-eyed as he said. "It's... it's a really hard feeling to be okay with..." He rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, making his eyes look red and tired. "I... I know Chara and Frisk and all the others forgive me for what happened but... I don't know if... I forgive me."

"I'm not sure if I forgive myself either." Asgore admitted, bringing his son into a tight hug as they both tried to hold down tears. "Frisk and the rest of the children certainly forgive me. I doubt your mother will ever truly forgive me and I do not blame her... But I'm afraid that I won't be able to accept what I've done. And somehow knowing that makes it a little easier to move on and amend."

Asriel replied by hugging his father tighter and letting his tears fall freely. Asgore placed a hand on his son's back, allowing him to release whatever emotions he had tempered down. Asriel was an emotional young lad and in the past had exploded from anger simply because he felt that showing so much sadness or fear was "childish" of him. It was far better that he let all the badness out now before he bottled it up and hid it away.

They stayed like that for a while before Asriel suggested with a wavering voice. "Hey Dad? You think... after we finish with the brambles, we can maybe play a game of catch?"

Asgore's breathing hitched and he too let his tears fall freely.

/X\

"Auntie it's so big out here!" Tan exclaimed, arms thrown upwards towards the near endless ceiling of the outside, his voice echoing off the trees. He was bouncing with excitement, his hair wind-swept from the journey.

"I know it's so cool!" Undyne agreed, her mind racing with how much room there was on the trail. Even from the trail head with it's small outpost of bathrooms and picnic tables, she could look in any direction and not see a single sign of civilisation. "We're so far away from town, it's crazy!"

The abundance of trees reminded her of Snowdin Forest but that was where the similarities ended. Whereas Snowdin Forest was cold and silent, Mt Ebott Woods was warm and noisy with the heat of the sun and the calls of hundreds of creatures that called it home.

"Which path do you think we should take bud?" She asked, reading the map posted at the trail head, each path designated by a colour. Some lead further into the woods, some looped around before heading back into town, two were old horse trails used to pass safely into the next town, and the bright green "Scenic Route" lead upwards until it reached a point on the mountain that ended with a great vantage spot. Undyne silently pondered which path she and the other monsters had taken when they left the Underground as such details didn't seem so important at the time.

Tan hummed in thought, his finger lingering on the red "Historic" route before he decided on the green trail. "Scenic!"

"Really?" Undyne asked, the idea of going up the mountain not appealing to her. "Don't you want to go on an easier one? I mean it's three miles, that's like an hour each way. That might be a little too much for a first hike."

"Scenic!" Tan repeated getting more and more excited at the prospect of seeing deeper into the woods. "There's so much cool stuff in the woods Auntie! I want to see all of it!"

Undyne found herself sighing in resignation, a gesture that had come recently to her since knowing Papyrus and his boundless energy. It seemed that the CrabApple didn't float far from the tree. Tan was a good kid, but he was also very young and had yet to learn his own limits – Undyne didn't want to accidentally push him to his breaking point. "Alright then. But no whining when your feet fall off."

"That's okay! If my feet fall off then I can walk with my hands!" Tan said with confidence, already making his way to the trail. "C'mon Undyne!"

"Whatever you say Captain." She gave him a joking salute, deciding that if anything happened during their trek she'd rush them back home in an instant. Or god forbid fight off whatever they come across.

The hike was rather eventful to say the least. Undyne had only seen a fraction of what was in the woods and yet Tan acted as though he had never seen the outside before. Every five minutes or so they were interrupted by the appearance of an unfamiliar plant or creature. They both got a good laugh when a curious butterfly perched itself on Undyne's shoulder, giving the former knight a such a fright as to pull a spear from her inventory as if there were a deadly enemy. The butterfly fluttered off, none too amused by the bright blue weapon pointed at it's face.

The trail got steeper about half an hour in where the leaf litter began to thin out and the trees became skinnier. They were heading straight up after all, and if the map was correct the path would lead them to an area that had a great view of the valley below. There were a few old rusted signs along the trail warning travellers of a "deep pit" that was reachable through the trail and had a few cryptic hints about what happened to those who seek it out. A pit in Undyne's stomach told her exactly what it meant and wondered if the same pit was the one in the Ruins back Underground.

About half way through the trail, Undyne started noticing something was a little off about the squirt.

Tan was smiling and happy as ever, but his face was red, he was drooping slightly, and his water bottle seemed like it had not been opened during the entire trip. Even the distance he was trying to put between him and his chaperone was odd, it was like he was trying to splinter away from her and go his own route.

"Hey bud..." She broke the silence, slowing her pace. "You want to take a break? Catch a breath or two?"

"Nope!" He replied back, somehow magically rejuvenated. His pace quickened and he began all but sprinting up the incline, gravity the only force keeping him from going mach speed.

"Hey! Slow down squirt! You're gonna burn yourself out running like that!" She rushed after him, finding the incline to prove much more a challenge to her as a taller adult.

Tan shouted back. "I'm gonna make it to the top!"

"You won't if you don't slow down!"

The conversation went back and forth for what seemed like ages. Undyne was slowly losing her ability to keep up with the kid as the path got more and more rugged with rocks and gravel lining the way. During all this Tan continued to race forward, ignoring how much his body protested.

"I can make it!" He proclaimed to the heavens, his face and clothes soaked in sweat. "I can make it, promise!"

"No you can't! You're not able to yet!" Undyne argued, genuinely worried that the kid might burn himself out or fall full force into the gravel path. "C'mon Tan! You need to take a break!"

"No!"

"That wasn't a suggestion!"

"NO!" He yelled louder, his voice straining from the struggle to breathe.

"Stubborn brat..." Undyne muttered under her breath, mustering all her power to sprint forward and finally catch up with the squirt. "That's it!"

In one quick swoop Undyne barrelled forwards and caught Tan as she fell, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him close so that the rough path would leave too many scrapes or bruises. Just as she was about to catch her breath, Undyne fell something try to wriggle out of her grip.

"Stop that!" She barked, practically holding the boy down as he thrashed violently against her. "I know you want to make it to the top but you can't! You're burning yourself out way too fast!"

"No! Let me go!" Tan shrieked, trying to claw his way to freedom. "I can do it!"

She managed to push herself to her feet, the child still thrashing in her hold. "One day maybe, but now? I'm taking you home kid, you look like you're going to pass out."

"NO! Put me down! I can make it!"

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep pushing it like that!"

"I don't care! I have to make it to the top!"

"You really don't!" Even through the thrashing and the screaming, Undyne managed to start their way back down the path, leading back to the trail head. "Why is it so important to you?"

"I have to! I have to! I have to! I have to get out!"

Undyne froze in her tracks. Something was not quite right with the boy's words.

She breathed in deeply before asking in the calmest voice she could muster. "Out of what?"

"Out! Out! I have to get out!" Tan's voice croaked out, the boy now crying profusely. He completely broke down into Undyne's chest, sobbing at the top of his lungs. "I have to get out. I have to Auntie."

Undyne felt an odd sympathy for him. She hadn't a clue what set him off but damn if she didn't find a way to make him happy again. She carefully let him down, making sure that he wouldn't buckle or bolt the moment his feet touched the ground. "Slow down bud. Take a breather. Tell me what you were trying to get out of."

Tan, now standing still, rubbed at his eyes until they were red and sore. His breathing ragged and painful "It's dumb. It's really really dumb."

"If it upsets you it can't be that dumb."

"It is." He sniffled and explained. "Before I di-" He cut himself off, deciding to use a different word. "Before I fell, the Mountain was out. No one went there. No body checked up there."

He paused, waiting for a reaction from the fish woman. She nodded, telling the boy that it was alright to continue.

"Wh-when I had... bad thoughts and needed out, I went to the Mountain." His voice began to quiver, the dried sweat on his face being replaced with fresh tears. "When I went to the Mountain I was safe. When I went home, I wasn't safe."

The boy's words made everything suddenly very clear to the knight why he was so insistent on going up the Mountain. He wasn't just trying to get away from her, he was trying to get away from everything. Trying to put the greatest distance possible between him and the world. To him, the top of the Mountain was far far safer than whatever was waiting for him at the base. Undyne had known guards who suffered from similar thoughts, some of whom refused basic help because they felt it unworthy of them or refused to halt training because it was the largest taste of freedom they had experienced.

"So..." She began, not sure what to say. "The day you fell... it was the highest up the Mountain you've ever gone huh?"

"Um-hm." He nodded, his gaze fixated on the ground.

"That's a long way up. You must have been really tired by the end of it."

"I don't care. I hurt before I fell."

She saw him rub his hand over a significant part of his arm where a pattern of scars lay almost hidden if not inspected close enough. A dark thought lingered in her mind whether or not he was hurt by something in the forest or by something far worse.

"Wh-when I met Toriel she kissed all my hurt away. She was warm and read to me. I wanted to stay with her forever but I had bad thoughts again and I wanted out. I wanted to climb back up and see the sky. But I..."

He stopped, his head titled completely downwards.

Undyne put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to."

He gulped and thanked her. "Then I met the others and they were nice, but I couldn't get out. When I came back I ran away from the others so I could get out. Then I met Paps and he felt like how Toriel felt." He made a small gasp as he tried swallowing tears, his pace quickening. "He knows when things are too loud and he doesn't care what I look like. I don't want him to go away and I'm having bad thoughts about it and it scares me and I'm sorry Auntie but I really really want out!"

Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts that made a kid climb a Mountain. Bad thoughts that make him run away from the people he loves when he is in need. Tan was a young kid but he was one with a lot of emotions and dark memories. Few kids can say that they cheated death, but even fewer can say that it is the least of their worries.

Undyne held the boy's shoulders and said to him firmly. "He's not going anywhere kiddo. He likes you too much to leave you. But I think you really need to tell him about these "bad thoughts" you've been having. Bad thoughts like that can dig into your Soul. If they get in there too deep they start to eat you alive."

"Do you get bad thoughts Auntie?"

Nights of screaming and throwing punches at a training dummy flashed across the woman's eyes. Nights of crying because she couldn't stand the thought of bringing her anger with her to work. Nights of lying still in her bed staring at the ceiling because she couldn't will herself to get up and do the things she wanted to do.

"Yeah," Undyne replied simply, not wanting to elaborate for the kid's sake. "I used to get them a lot. I started getting them when I was really young. Sometimes when I had them I hurt others. One day I got scared that I might have a thought so bad that I'd hurt someone I cared the world for. So I went to someone who I knew could help me and the thoughts got weaker. I still have bad thoughts, but I know how to beat them up now. And you should too."

"How?"

"I talked to someone who listened and they told me that I was far greater than my bad thoughts said I was." She smiled at the boy, running a webbed hand through his sweat sodden hair. "And you're totally a hundred times better than what yours say you are."

Tan was quiet, the look on his face now contemplative. "Auntie?"

"Yeah kid?"

"I think I want go back home now."

Undyne smiled triumphantly. Although it hadn't been a successful hike, at least the kid was finally calm enough to make his way home.

"Alright." Undyne lifted the boy onto her back, his arms secured around her shoulders much like they had been before their hike. "Let's get you home so we can get some sea tea. That'll cool you down in an instant."

"Hey Auntie?"

"Yeah?"

"Your feet are bleeding."

Undyne looked down, finally noticing the red stains seeping through her running shoes. "Oh damn."

/X\

Town was rather busy that morning.

As they found suitable parking spaces close to where they needed to be, it became clear that everyone had their own ideas about where to go first.

"Books!"

"Beauty!"

"REASONABLY-PRICED ARTS AND CRAFTS!"

Toriel rubbed the bridge of her snout and laughed. "Oh dear. It seems we have a little disagreement. Let's try settling it on what can be gotten the easiest."

The group nodded, figuring out a suitable plan that would let them do everything they wanted done and still give them enough time to be home before dinner. Toriel only needed to go to the book store before she and Sans headed off for the groceries so it was decided that they would go there first before splintering off into groups.

The large book store sat on the main road flanked by many other stores. The inside had multiple floors sectioned based on function with big wooden display cases at the entrance advertising the latest bestsellers.

Toriel had barely walked through the door when the party all ran off in different directions to seek their favourite genres and stories. By the time she was able to assess where they had all run off too, she noticed that only one person was still by her side.

"Olive, dear?" She asked the little girl clinging to her skirt. "Don't you want to find any books to bring home?"

"Hmm." The girl was absent mindedly chewing on her sleeve, staring blankly around the book store like it were a strange alien place. She thought about it for a moment before slowly leading Toriel to the brightly coloured kids' section near the back of the store.

There was already a small gaggle of children hovering around the shelves, who immediately scattered upon seeing the monster woman walking slowly towards their section. Toriel frowned a bit when the children hurried away from the shelves, not exactly understanding why she seemed so frighting to them.

Olive ignored the reactions of the other children, instead focusing on a collection of large print books meant for beginners. She stood somewhat puzzled, as if trying to deduce the covers. She spent a moment or two tracing a finger along the spines, getting gradually more and more frustrated as time went on. Toriel looked on concerned, wondering if the small girl knew how to read just yet. She was only about five or six years old and during her stay with Toriel all those years ago had always gone to her with a book she wanted read to her. Toriel was actually unsure if she had ever seen Olive read any of her children's books by herself before.

"It's okay sweetie." She assured the child, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you need a little more time choosing then that''s fine."

Olive nodded at her and wandered off to a different shelf, one where the recommended reading level was slightly higher than what was recommended for a five or six year old. She seemed much happier with the higher level books, recognising some of the titles.

Toriel chuckled a little to herself as Olive began pulling out multiple hardbacks from the Classics section, her stack quickly becoming taller than herself. "Well a lack of reading ability certainly doesn't seem to be the issue."

Sunny joined them a minute or so latter, his hands empty. He had a mixed look of confused boredom on his face, completely ignoring all the books in favour of complaining. "Ma, when can we leave? It's real crowded in here."

"Soon, Sunny. Don't be so impatient." She chided him, watching him huff indignantly at the thought. "We just need to sort out what books we'd like and then we will go get the groceries." Seeing the pre-teen get more unsettled she suggested. "Maybe you can help Olive with her books? She may need an extra pair of hands."

Sunny nodded, albeit still impatient.

Olive, who was ecstatic at this development, started talking a mile a minute. "Which one is your favourite? I like the one with the girl and the weird things and the animals and-"

"Yeah." Sunny nodded, looking to the side a bit. "Those kinds are good."

"I only saw parts in the paper and I want to find them all." She continued unfazed by his apparent disinterest. "I can't read some of the titles though..." She looked sadly at the cover of one book, holding it in front of her for the older child to see. "I think this is the one I want, but I don't know. What's the name?"

Sunny stared at the book like it was in a different language. A bright cover and large black letters spelling the name of the book was all he could process. "T-the Won-der fill... Wi-iz... erd..." He stopped, his head hidden in shame as he failed to recognise the last word. "I... I don't know the last one, sorry."

Something clicked in Toriel's head.

"Dear," She began in her calming tone. "Have you read many books?"

"Nope." Was the blunt answer. "Too expensive."

"Hmm." Toriel hummed, starting to understand the situation. "Well... I think Olive here might want a reading buddy to help her out." She turned to the little girl and asked subtly. "Dear, would it be okay when you're reading; to help Sunny follow you? Some of these books, even the Classics, are very much new to him. Is there any you want to share with him?"

Olive's eyes lit up and she matter-of-factly climbed the shelf to retrieve a book she had recognised by cover alone. "This one! This one! This one!"

"Get down from there you'll break your neck!" Sunny scolded, picking her off the high shelf. He barely had a moment to put her down when she continued to ramble, shoving the paperback in his face.

"This one! It's about a boy, and a river, and pirates, and..."

Toriel had to laugh as Olive dragged Sunny away by his sleeve to another shelf, the taller child looking like a deer in headlights. She decided to stay in the Classics sections a little longer, trying to find the elusive "Verne" that Jade was so interested in.

Before they had realised it, a good half hour had past and each member of the party had amassed their own collections. Toriel had found her own little library, an even mix of science and fiction that would last her months. Papyrus held up a stack of brightly illustrated books, his face beaming with the excitement of sharing them with the children. Mettaton and Nerissa had one each, a sappy Edwardian era novella and a very thick French drama respectively. Sunny stood confused, struggling with the tall stack Olive kept adding to every few minutes. Chara held a single book in their hands, a Physics book that seemed more appropriate for Gaster than a child – though Toriel paid it little mind as the child had become quite close to the elderly scientist as of recent.

After paying for their books (and retrieving Sans from his resting place in a reading chair), the group discussed their plans for the rest of the day. Although Sans and Toriel needed to head away early for the groceries and the PTA meeting – the others had made the decision to spend the rest of the day out and about town.

"I'm going to take myself and the others to a salon." Mettaton announced, giving a dreamy yawn in emphasis. "There's a wonderful one nearby, it's monster and human owned. Maybe a nice massage will work the static out of my joints."

"SOUNDS WONDERFUL!" Papyrus agreed excitedly to the idea. "IS IT ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE THEY PUT CUCUMBERS ON YOUR EYES?"

"Why would you put fruit on your eyes?" Nerissa piped up, looking baffled at the thought.

"Would that not hurt?" Momoko asked in similar confusion.

"Oh dear..." Mettaton giggled quietly. Looks like he needed to give Undyne's and Alphys' little ones a crash course on beauty treatment. "It seems I have my work cut out for me."

"I hope five have a wonderful time. We'll bring all the books and whatnot home so you won't be weighed down." Toriel said, preparing her van for their departure – Sunny and Chara already arguing over the front seat as Sans fell asleep in the back. She had a little nugget of thought that suggested that one of these days she should join Mettaton on one of his many beauty excursions and give herself a well deserved pampering – but she shelved the thought away for now. "Is there anything in particular you need from the shops?"

"I WOULD MOST GRACIOUSLY ENJOY MORE DRIED PASTA AND TOMATO SAUCE. MY RESERVES ARE GOING DOWN FASTER THAN I CAN COOK!" Papyrus asked, Olive bouncing excitedly next to him whilst chanting. "Tomates! Tomates!"

"Ovaltine and strawberries – if they're still in season." Nerissa said, and upon seeing the expectant look in Toriel's eyes added. "Please."

Momoko stood deep in thought, absently holding onto the arm of Nerissa's wheelchair, until deciding. "...Curry."

"Curry?" Toriel wondered aloud. She had certainly expected the small boy to ask for sweets or fruits like others his age, but curry? "Is it a dish you want one of these days? Or do you want the sauce itself?"

The boy thought a few seconds more before deciding. "Yes please."

"Okay dear." Toriel gave a short laugh, no use arguing with that request. She then addressed the rest of the children before getting into her van. "You all be good for Mr Mettaton and Papyrus now. Make sure to have them call me if anything happens okay?"

Nerissa, Momoko, and Olive all nodded, barely giving the instructions a second though before they clasped Mettaton and Papyrus by the hands and zoomed down the street – their chaperones yelling dramatically as they were dragged to whatever had caught the children's attentions.

Toriel sighed.

It was so nice to see her children having fun again.

/X\

The supermarket recommended by the other teachers at the school was a fair distance away from the Old Town centre, leading into the more gentrified northern part of town where the houses and front lawns became larger and the shops became restaurants and cafes. Money had bled out from the nearby Fox City and settled as three story suburbs and car dealerships, the home of many middle-to-upper class families that worked in the city and sent their kids to Ebott for school.

"Mama." Sunny spoke up from his place in the front seat (a victory he gained over Chara) as they pasted one of the many neighbourhoods in the districts. "What do you suppose people grow out here?"

"I don't think they grow much dear." Toriel answered, not exactly understanding the boy's question. "Though I have seen lovely gardens outside some of the houses."

"They've got a lot of bare land though." Sunny remarked as they past a particularly opulent home where the entire front lawn was bare save for a few emaciated myrtle trees. Sunny hummed in thought for a few minutes before deciding. "Must be the fallow year."

"They're called lawns." Chara corrected, lightly kicking the back of Sunny's seat. "It has something to do with owning a lot of land or something. Dad says wealthy humans don't really do gardens anymore and that's why a lot are bare."

"That's foolish." Sunny huffed crossly. "If I owned my own land I'd put it to work. Or at the very least let the nature take over instead of shaving it near bald."

"don't think people would appreciate attracting the local wildlife bucko." Sans suddenly commented, slowly rousing from his nap. He himself was a little confused on the habits of the modern human – what monster wasn't? But he was able to conclude that (for most humans) more equalled better, whether that be homes, gold, or in this case; manicured grass. "don't worry, 'Gore and Asriel are gonna put the yard back home to good use. make all the homemakers jealous."

"Like yourself?"

"nah. never the gardening type myself."

"How come?"

"my celery wasn't high enough."

"Mister Sans you are a rigmarole."

"don't you mean rigmarose?"

The kids groaned at the his response, deciding not to ask anymore questions for the rest of the trip less they indirectly gave him more material to work on.

The supermarket seemed to be quite busy that time of day. Even after finding a parking space in the sea of cars, it took some considerable care not to bump into anyone going in and out of the lot.

The inside was less frantic than expected, likely because most of the outside traffic seemed to be people going in for very minor items or just needing to leave their vehicles somewhere so they could peruse the surrounding retail stores.

Toriel didn't fail to notice the odd stares she and her family attracted. Most of the patrons seemed to be human and the few that were monsters seemed to recognise her – most likely from either her recent work at the elementary school or as their Queen. Toriel tempered down the twinge of nerves she felt when Sans arrived at her side, pushing a shopping cart almost as tall as he was.

They quickly made their way through the aisles, though it quickly became obvious that Chara was annoyed by something.

"Moooom!" They whined, hand tugging at Toriel's skirt. "Can I go look for my chocolate? I didn't get to check any of the sweet shops in town and I neeeed it!"

She sighed, knowing that her child would not let the matter slide so easily. "Alright sweetie. Take Sunny with you though. I don't want you climbing the shelves to reach it."

"I do what now?" Sunny asked indignantly, finally snapping out of his daze of gawking at the sheer size of the market.

"Yes!" Chara said triumphantly, grabbing the older child by the wrist and all but dragging him to a completely different area of the store, Sunny complaining about the arrangement all the way.

"heh." was the quiet chuckle Sans made, looking on as the two wandered around the corner of the baking goods aisle. "they seem to be really getting along."

"Truly?" Toriel asked, an uncertain tone in her voice. "I swear I've seen them argue more than bond."

"you don't have siblings do you Tori?"

"Sadly I don't. I was an only child." She looked away wistfully for a moment before continuing. "Though I can see some of what you're implying. I guess I'm so used to Chara and Asriel being thick as thieves that I struggle to see what brings the rest of them together. At the very least they seem comfortable around each other."

"yeah. that's the least you can hope for." He trailed off a bit as they continued to browse the aisle, albeit slower so that the children could find them again once they were finished with their quest for chocolate.

Thoughts of the meeting later in the day crept back to him, briefly wondering exactly what did people talk about at those things. Even in the last few years of Papyrus' education Sans had often neglected to attend such weekly meetings, skipping them in favour of work or rest. From the gist of what he had attended though; it seemed to mostly be time for the school and parents to sort out schedules and future fundraising events. Shouldn't be so hard.

A louder, triumphant cry rang in the aisle about two rows away, confirming that the children had found their quarry.

Sans and Toriel both laughed as they heard the distinctive voice of Chara, instructing Sunny to "Lift me up so I can get all of them!" followed by the older child's protests of "And break your neck? Not likely!"

Through the children's amused arguments and their guardians' slow path to the sacred aisle, Sans swore he heard a voice he recognised speak out from the usual ambient noise.

"Ugh. Such bad manners."

"I know! I'd hate to see how their parents act." Agreed an unfamiliar voice, the tone a bit more haughty.

Sans turned and gazed upon a sight he wished he hadn't seen.

"Mrs Measles?"

"Oh!" Toriel exclaimed, pretending she didn't hear the mean comment. "Mrs Evans and Mrs Bouquet. I hadn't expected to see you two before the meeting."

"You mean the PTA meeting?" After getting a nod, Mrs Evans' demeanour immediately changed too something a little more cheery. "Of course! We attend every week. I'm actually the head organiser of the PTA so I can't miss a meeting!"

Sans felt a strange pit in his stomach but was unsure of why it was there. Perhaps it was his previous encounter with the woman that caused it, but something else was there that he couldn't place.

Mrs Evans gaze flickered to the short skeleton, a look of distaste in her eyes as she continued to chat with the monster woman. "And I see your... friend is out helping you shop?"

"Oh yes!" Toriel confirmed, placing a light hand on Sans' shoulder. "Sans has been such good help recently. Of course when you have as many children as we do, we need all the help we can get."

"we?" Sans felt his cheeks flare at the phrase. She could have said "I" or "my family" but she settled on "we", like she was making some sort of subtle confirmation that Sans was indeed part of her family. He quickly brushed it off however, not wanting to spend the day dissecting a single word.

Instead Sans raised a bony hand to the women, greeting them both. "hi. I'm Sans the skeleton. I think we've met before Mrs Evans. sorry if I came off as a bit abrasive when we last met. guess I was a sponge for stress that day."

"Oh?" Mrs Evans raised a brow in surprise, taking the skeleton's bony handshake tentatively, somehow expecting it to feel like a plastic prop. "I believe we did meet. At the pharmacy near the mall." She recalled although she didn't relay the events of the day.

"haven't met much of the other teachers yet. both your kids go to the school?"

"Yes." Was the curt answer.

"that's cool. all nine of ours is as well. eldest is only in fifth now that I think about it, so no rowdy teens yet." he rambled, hoping that the mindless chatter would eat up enough time to have the kids barrel through and save him from the awkward meeting.

"I'm the teacher for fifth actually." the other dark-haired woman, Mrs Bouquet, announced proudly, adjusting her basket. "I pride myself on knowing my students, and I don't think I have a skeleton in my class."

"Oh no, no." Toriel interjected, giggling a little. "Most of our children are human. Sunny, the eldest boy, is one as well."

"You're... his parents?" Mrs Bouquet asked with a tone somewhere between pity and criticism. "I suppose I could see why he acts the way he does."

Sans immediately felt as though the woman's words were so innocuous and prodded carefully. "in what way? I mean, is he unsettled or bored in class or something? cuz, I've had to help my little brother with that before and-"

"No, no, no, no... no" the woman interrupted, using her hand to metaphorically brush away the issue. "It's nothing. I have a lot of students and Sunny is certainly... a character. But I will suggest one thing."

"lay it on me."

"Maybe he would be more comfortable in a less... difficult class. Just a small suggestion."

"I don't think that would be a problem Mrs Bouquet." Toriel dismissed. She knew of her son's difficulties adjusting to the new world but he was still very much as curious and observant as any other child. "Sunny is bright young man and he can talk your ear off at the best of times. I don't think he'll have any trouble keeping up with the right support."

Mrs Bouquet hummed but it was clear that her thoughts on the matter were unchanged.

"Mom! Sans!" called the small voice in the next aisle, it's source quickly barrelling to where it could see them around the corners. "We found it! We found it!"

It was almost comical. Chara standing there with a wild look in their eyes, every reachable space of their arms stuffed with bars beyond bars of chocolate. The distinct black and white wrappers proclaimed itself to the world as the beloved "Cocoa-Mountain" brand founded in the very town many many years beforehand.

"heh. told you we'd find it." Sans admired the kid's haul, careful to put it on top of the shopping cart so none of it would get smushed – not that Chara would mind smushed chocolate mind you. "where's Sunny?"

"He has the rest."

Sunny appeared around the corner moments later, staggering under the weight of his haul as Chara had insisted on getting every single flavour of the brand. He unceremoniously dumped the bars into the cart, huffing tiredly from being used as a pack mule. His eyes gained a startled glint as he recognised the face of his teacher in front of him.

Chara recognised Mrs Evans, but choose to smile sweetly at the woman as they greeted. "Hi Mrs Evans~! Is Mrs Colt back yet?"

Mrs Evans in turn made a strange face at the sight of the Dreemurr children and answered awkwardly. "No. She's on maternity leave for the foreseeable future. I hope you and... Frisk was it? Behave yourselves on Monday." She then turned to Toriel one last time before she and Mrs Bouquet moved on with their shopping. "See you at the meeting Mrs Dreemurr."

"And you two as well!" Toriel said her goodbyes warmly, although she felt the encounter to be rather odd and the ladies behaviours peculiar. "I'll be sure to bring something to share with the group."

As the two ladies waved back, the small group slowly went back to browsing the shelves.

At some point during the rest of the trip, Chara leaned into Sans and whispered. "Those two make my skin crawl."

Sans nodded in agreement. "ditto. well, almost." He jokingly pulled on his wrist bone, gaining another annoyed groan from the child.

/X\

After a good amount of time (and money) spent at the supermarket, the four quickly made their way home, the clock just about to reach noon. The streets of Old Town were filled with kids playing sports and the meadows surrounding their older suburb had even more carving out their own mess of game somewhere between tag and fencing.

When they lugged everything inside, the first thing Sans noticed was Undyne and Tan in the front room, soaking their feet in a large metal basin.

"whoa. what happened sport?" he asked the boy, wondering how he gained so many new scratches on his knees.

Tan's face lit up as he explained through his superhero themed band-aids. "Me and Auntie were hiking and I went too fast and I fell and I cried and Auntie calmed me down and Auntie walked me home but Auntie's feet were bleeding and now me and Auntie are soaking are feet like old men in a sauna."

Sans looked toward Undyne for confirmation, barely catching half of what the boy said.

Undyne nodded exhaustedly from the armchair, a box of sea tea in her hand. "We went a little too hard for a first time."

"ahh." Sans said in understanding. He was about to ask something else went he felt something in his pocket.

His phone.

Opening it, he noticed that he had an unread email and opened it.

Upon reading it he rushed to the kitchen where Toriel and Sunny were beginning to put away the groceries, looking out fondly at the garden where Asgore and Asriel played catch.

"Tori. what time is the meeting again?"

"It starts at One if the school's email is correct." she answered absent-mindedly, distracted by the sounds of play outside.

"well, I just got a new email from the school saying they bumped up the time."

Toriel finally tore attention away from the window and took out her own phone, noticing her own unread email. It was apparently received about an hour ago but she hadn't noticed due to keeping her phone on silent while she was out and about.

"Dear Parents and Faculty

The starting times for the Parent Teachers Association meetings have been changed from one o'clock in the afternoon to Twelve o'clock noon.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the sudden change."

Toriel reread the email once more before looking up at the clock.

Seven minutes to noon.

"We're late!" She and Sans said simultaneously, accidentally leaving the others to put away the groceries as they rushed for the door and into the car and down the street.

"I wonder what they're so worried about." said Undyne, deciding to turn on the tv so she and Tan could watch a cheesy action movie.

Notes: Hah! PTA cliffhanger. A lot of kid-centric stuff happens here – so much that I split the day in two. Warning for mental health stuff mentioned in this chapter. Hopefully I will update much quicker than last time and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a comment or review and have a nice day! :D