Brilliant red and orange shafts of sunlight shone down on Toriel, casting her form in dappled shadows. Leafy tendrils above her waved in the gentle evening wind, causing a faint rustling that, along with sleepy birdsong, were the only sounds to be heard. Or more accurately, the only sounds Toriel chose to focus on.

In truth, her sensitive ears couldn't help but pick up the deep bass of music coming from her home, along with the many cheerful voices of the humans and monsters inside and spilling out onto the front porch. Many were laughing, dancing and just generally making merry. Her chosen place of refuge was slightly elevated, allowing her a decent view of the festivities below. Though the great dome of leaves around her blocked much of it, Toriel could still make out a great number of familiar faces through the openings.

Friends, family, her coworkers at the school, some of her students with their parents, even a handful of the regulars from Grillby's bar... They flashed by in and out of her vision… not unlike the stream of memories she'd been subjected to, and was, ironically, trying to forget.

Not the memories themselves. No, as truly terrible as some of them were, and as much as they bore down on her soul, she was grateful for the truth to finally be known to her. But the experience of reliving those memories, and especially the aftermath, were all things she wanted nothing more than to block out of her mind. But like any of her traumas, such a thing would not come easily, nor quickly.

She sighed softly and leaned more heavily against the smooth bark behind her, her thoughts spinning in various directions as she turned her gaze up at the leaves above. Her legs throbbed with a dull ache, her body's objection to her forcing it to climb even the small hill that the tree rested on. Her time in the hospital had left her muscles atrophied and weak and she was only just getting to the point she could get around unassisted again. But this had been pushing it, that much was clear, and the pain in her legs only added to the confused tangled mess that her thoughts were at the moment.

She had been so caught up in her mind's spiraling and the sights of the foliage above her that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps, if there had been any at all. It wasn't until a voice gently broke the silence that she snapped back to the present in a flash.

"i thought i might find you here."

Toriel looked up, not startled by the voice. In fact, she had been expecting it, and felt in that moment very much like she had been caught in her cowardice. As per her assumptions, it was indeed Sans who stood there at the edge of the willow dome, likely by way of a shortcut. He was dressed in a dark gray knitted hoodie and blue sweatpants, along with his signature slippers. About as close to anything party appropriate as someone like him would go for without being pressured. He looked her over with his usual smile, but there was concern in the light of his eyes as well as a hint of sad understanding.

"everything okay?" He asked cautiously, stepping over and slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets. "party getting a bit too much for ya?"

She sighed softly then gave him a weak smile, laying her paws in her lap. She was grateful he didn't promptly chastise her for coming here in her weakened condition, even though the idea of it must have been burning up his soul with worry.

"Greetings, my dear." She said softly, just over the sound of the rustling willow leaves. "And yes… I suppose it was..."

She looked back towards the house and the mix of colors flashing up from it to the beat of the distant music. Subconsciously, she worried her lip with her fangs as she pondered how to further explain herself.

"I am honored of course that everyone would do something like this for me, truly I am, but it is a bit… overwhelming." She admitted, looking back at him rather sheepishly.

Sans appeared a bit relieved at her answer and relaxed some. Enough to give his usual shrug and wink in reply.

"well hey, s'not everyday you finally get out of the hospital after waking up from a coma. this is how monsters of this century tend to celebrate." He reasoned, as though he were talking about something mundane, to comedic effect. "it's also good to see blooky dj-ing again, their whole crew really have improved a lot, though i think i could have gone without seeing mettaton's whole "glitter explosion" entrance stunt."

He reached up and gingerly scraped a phalange along the inside edges of his eye socket, grimacing a bit as he did so.

"i think i still got some of that damned stuff in my sockets." He said before flicking away whatever sparkly material he'd managed to clear from it.

That managed to get a soft giggle out of her, feeling the unease constricting her soul loosen its grip a bit.

"Yes, I imagine I will be vacuuming it up for weeks to come." She agreed, relaxing a little more against the tree's thick trunk. "Even so, I do appreciate the thought. Though a small warning next time would also be appreciated."

Once those words left her, she felt more confident about speaking, though her emotions drifted back into quiet shame and guilt. She drew in another deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh before speaking. When the words did come, she worked up a small, rueful smile again.

"I do feel badly for stepping away like this… but I cannot help but find all that noise and excitement… a bit too much for me. And I really have lost a lot of my old aptitude at smalltalk." She admitted, turning to look over at the house again and all its current occupants. "I never expected that so many humans and monsters would want to celebrate my recovery… especially after the way I turned my back on my subjects in the past. Yet here I am, still running away from them…"

She paused, knowing better than to linger on that fact if she wanted to avoid both further self deprecation as well as hypocrisy. Her gaze became a little more serious, looking up at Sans again.

"I do hope I did not worry you." She said nervously after a moment, scratching the side of her cheek lightly with a claw.

Sans shook his head, eyelights and general expression softening a bit.

"nah, and it's not like that tori." He insisted, slowly regaining a stronger smile. "don't overthink it too much, it's normal to need some air from all that. plenty of folks find parties to be exhausting. i guarantee alphys is holed up somewhere by now with her headphones on watching anime rather than socializing. you aren't the only one."

Toriel nodded and hummed in acknowledgement, agreeing that that was most likely true. But they both knew such avoidance was different when you were the so called "guest of honor" and had once been a queen who attended countless royal affairs. The galas of old compared little to the parties of this century however, and it was just another one of the many things she'd have to get used to. She couldn't just keep running away like this… even with all these new memories dredging up those old feelings and fears that once kept her in her self imposed exile within the Ruins.

Sans shifted in a small, anxious sort of motion, fidgeting his hands in his jacket pockets a bit. Then he looked at her with an attempt at a more casual grin.

"mind if i join you?" He asked, stepping over so that he was standing at her side. "i've learned how to navigate the party scene over the years, but i'll admit, this is much more my style."

His words brought a small smile back to her own face, unable to avoid finding his manner of speech wonderfully endearing as ever. And his offer managed to wash away some of her unease. She nodded and scooted over a bit to give him space to sit beside her against the tree's massive trunk, just like they both had done back at the start of all this.

"Not at all." She assured him warmly. "Your company is far preferred over this being a partree of one."

That got a laugh from him as leaned back against the tree and slid down into a sitting position. It was one of his best laughs too, wheezy and unrestrained enough that it made his bones lightly rattle. Usually that rattling sound was indicative of immense negative emotion bearing down on him, like that day he first began sharing his secrets with her beneath this very tree. But now, it only came from joy, and Toriel's own soul felt far lighter for hearing such a thing from him. So much so that she couldn't help but lean over and nuzzle his cheekbone once he was settled.

The act brought a flush of cyan to his skull, even now. Part of her hoped it would always happen to some degree, as the sight always made her soul do happy flips inside her. Her little display of affection caused his laughter to hitch a bit, but it continued for a few moments before trailing off. He then leaned against her with a somewhat winded sigh, smile warm and genuine.

His close presence pushed all her earlier worries aside for the moment, allowing her to put the majority of her focus on him. She moved to slip her arm around him, but he surprised her by reaching up his hand and pressing something into her paw instead, as though perfectly anticipating her intended action.

He shot her a playful wink and she played along, pulling her paw back to see what he had given her. It was a deep wine glass, filled with a multicolored, clearly magically created, liquid that bubbled and glowed in the low light and emitted a colorful vapor in lazy curls.

"surprise, snuck you a glass of grillbz's new masterpiece." Sans said, suddenly also holding an exact clone of the drink in his hand. "It's a good one, really turning heads down there."

He then took a small sip of it by pressing it against his teeth, the magic in it making his eyelights shimmer. She didn't bother to ask how he had carried the drinks up here without her seeing them. It seemed there were simply some things about her dear skeleton that would always remain a mystery, even now. She smiled and held the glass in the manner she used back when she was royalty, more for show than anything.

"Well, how very thoughtful of you." She said, looking over the magical concoction curiously and giving it a swirl. "Just how strong is this drink though?"

Sans gave another soft chuckle at that, along with a subsequent teasing wink.

"don't worry old lady, it's nothing too potent." He promised, before lightly elbowing her in the side. "i know better than to let you drink too much, wouldn't want to get a pizza your mind for it later after all."

Stars above, was he ever going to let her live that down? She shot him a flat look and pointedly pushed him over. He chuckled to himself the whole time, keeping his drink aloft above him with his magic as he laid on his side in the grass for a few moments. She left him to his amusement at her expense, taking her first delicate sip of the drink. It didn't hit her in a rush like Grillby's previous "hot shots" had. Instead it was a milder sensation, smooth on the tongue and stirring up a pleasantly warm swell of magic within her. The fire elemental had truly mastered his craft, there was no doubt about that.

Sans sat up hesitantly again beside her, moving playfully slow as though anticipating being pushed over again. She allowed him to sit up though, and found his grin so infectious that her attempts to appear sore at him for bringing up that embarrassing moment failed her and she couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes. She looped an arm around him and pulled him close, an action he reciprocated by settling comfortably against her with another soft chuckle that trailed into a content sigh.

The two sat like that a while, sipping their drinks in the relative quiet and privacy that the old willow offered them. The sun was dipping lower towards the horizon behind them, casting the view ahead in a great canvas of ever more vibrant colors. The day's last grand display before bidding their side of the world goodnight, and making way for the moon and its ethereal shroud of darkness. They had some time before then, but seeing as the event continued to be one treasured by the monsters who had been denied it for all those centuries, Toriel wanted to savor every moment before the full setting of the sun.

It was only when Toriel's sensitive ears caught the sweet sound of her children's laughter that she turned to look back at the house. Frisk and Kid looked to be playing a game of tag, dressed up in their matching ponchos. Flowey was sticking out from her child's backpack, and from what she could hear of his tone, was giving Frisk demands throughout the game. They were something her child seem to be taking in stride as they pursued their monster friend. The small white dog rushed about between them as well, yapping excitedly.

Kid jumped over the dog with surprising skill, landing on their feet and rushing to use Asgore as a temporary shield. Even from a distance, Toriel noticed their child's stance change in response, and the shift of their eye color. The scarlet that emerged to replace the brown glowed faintly in the fading light as Chara took over and continued to chase Kid with their own techniques. Techniques that included using the dog as a distraction to take Kid off guard from behind. Chara grabbed their tail and the monster child spun around with a mixture between a shout and a laugh, taking up their mantle as "it" and beginning to chase Chara across the yard.

Seeing her two human children share one body and switch places like that… It was still something she was getting used to and trying to fully understand. But the whole scene made her smile, bringing her soul a maternal warmth. After everything that had happened... to see smiles on her children's faces again, to see them having fun as children their age should be, it brought her a level of joy she almost feared would be lost to them all in the wake of the great revelations.

"the kiddos look like they are having fun." Sans chimed in, following her gaze. "even flowey looks a bit less grumpy than usual."

That comment made her glance at him for a moment, noting the slight hesitance in his voice at the mention of the flower monster, but she left it be. The scars her children had left on him still had only just begun to heal after all, no matter how much he chose to forgive them. The best thing she could do for the moment, she felt, was to simply go along with his words to show her appreciation for his efforts.

"Yes, It is wonderful to see them so happy." She agreed with a stronger smile. "They have adjusted to their new lives so well so quickly… and everyone has accepted them with open arms. I could hardly be more grateful."

She watched them for a few more moments, and her eyes grew heavier as a lump formed in her throat. The emotions responsible for that also dredged up words from her soul that escaped her before she could think to stop them.

"I still do not know what I ever did to deserve the blessing of my children's return." She murmured, briefly displaying her own wounds openly once more.

She inwardly winced at her own words and looked to Sans apologetically as he laid a comforting hand on her arm. The gesture was also a silent reminder of what he spoke in words a few moments later. It seemed she wasn't getting away with saying such things this time.

"come on tori." He gently admonished. "that counts as tearing yourself down, if you don't let me do it, then i'm not gonna let you do it either. i'm no pro at compliments like my bro, but uh… you're great, amazing. and you deserve the world, okay?"

She blinked at that, not expecting the sudden rush of compliments. He managed to maintain eye contact with her to drive in his point, but the cyan flushing of his cheekbones betrayed that he was a bit embarrassed by own impulsive words on the matter. She blushed lightly in turn and giggled a few times, truly touched and amused by all he'd said. It was true she still slipped into hypocritical self deprecation even after all her efforts to get Sans to stop doing the same. It was good that he called her out on it, and she would just have to keep trying alongside him to better monitor her thoughts and words in that regard.

Leaning over, she nuzzled his bright blue cheekbone and gave him a brief little squeeze with her free arm.

"Alright then dear. Very well, I apologize for that." She conceded, the smile evident in her voice. "And thank you, my love."

She pulled back then to meet his gaze, finding herself drawn in by the lights of his eyes, shining brighter from all the stirred emotions within him. As always though, they revealed the turmolt always lingering beneath Sans' surface when nothing else would. Even now, she could see the hints of heavier emotions lingering in those little lights, kept at bay for now, but far from being banished. It was still a massive improvement to how he had looked when she had first woken up again however.

She looked down only long enough to take another long sip of her drink and revel in its subtle pleasant effects, then looked back to him again.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, trying to emulate his usual casual tone rather than her perpetually fretful one. "You do seem in better spirits today."

The pun hit the mark, proven by the wheezy chuckles and snort that escaped him then. Clearly the alcohol was now helping lend to that too, making his laughter sound even more giddy. She almost joined him in that, but she was more caught up in wanting to know what he would say in return. Once the silliness of the joke wore off the true weight of what she was asking set in, he steadily composed himself and then let out a soft sigh. His smile remained though, weaker than his usual grin, but genuine.

"heh, yah… i'm doing okay. getting along at least." He answered, closing his sockets briefly. "it's still hard though… i can't help but still feel awkward around the others sometimes. especially the kiddos… i just don't know how to act like things haven't changed. like they don't all now have to deal with all these horrible truths and memories because of me."

The words hung briefly, and the slight wince she could see from him betrayed he realized he too had drifted into self-deprecation with his words. She didn't chastise him for it though, instead she simply hummed thoughtfully, looking down at the colorful glow of her drink as she pondered her response. As she did, the cheerful voices of everyone at the house floated up to them, in stark contrast to Sans' own tone.

"Well... things have changed, my love, have they not?" She asked, offering a small smile. "There is no need to act as though that is not the case. Just because some things are different now, and we all have a lot more on our minds to deal with, doesn't mean we cannot still be happy. Besides, you have only really been facing this properly without hiding away for a week now, have you not?"

She took another slow sip to allow the question to hang between the two of them comfortably, with enough time for him to really take in what was being asked. He said nothing, only stared down at his dingy slippers where they rested in the rested in grass. So she continued, reaching to take his free hand with her paw, all but enveloping it.

"Trying to reconcile something like this is never going to be easy love." She said gently, running her thumb over his knuckle bones in a dearly familiar gesture for the two of them. "Give it time, it will get easier. You are doing wonderfully, especially compared to where you were at the start of all this. And I am sure your HP will continue to improve as well going forward."

His expression remained stiff for a few moments, still contemplating her words. Then it softened, and he squeezed her paw back and looked up at her again, eyelights glowing more brightly.

"heh alright, thanks tori…" He replied with a quiet chuckle.

His eyelights didn't leave her face though, and seemed to be exploring it as though it were some detailed work of art. A dusting of cyan reappeared on his cheekbones, along with a few beads of sweat on his skull. He cleared his metaphorical throat before speaking again.

"uh... can't help but notice… you look… really um… beautiful tonight."

She blinked in surprise, not expecting that, then her expression softened into a somewhat flustered smile. She rubbed one of her long ears between her fingers, resisting the urge to hide behind them and feeling her cheeks heat up under her fur.

"Oh? Goodness me." She said with a giggle. "Well thank you, dear. This old thing is a bit much for a house party I would say, but I am glad you like it."

She instinctively smoothed out her long maroon colored dress, making it shimmer some in the evening sunlight. It had been a more bold choice on her part, given that it was less conservative than her usual outfits with its lack of sleeves and eye catching material. It was a signifier of how she had started this night a lot more confidently, along with the thorough brushing of her fur and the lightest hint of makeup around her eyes. She had wanted to prove to everyone she had not only recovered from her ordeal, but wouldn't let all her new memories and knowledge cause her to hide away again, that she would bounce back.

It was fair to say, she had failed in that endeavor. Quite emphatically so. But his compliment was still appreciated. It seemed her efforts had not been for naught after all. At least in this small way. Though it felt as though that there was more to his words than just flattery. He fidgeted a bit next to her, blush grower more prominent, enough that the light blue magic glowed faintly in the fading light.

"well uh... the dress is great, really great even, but i uh… more meant your... eyes." He said, offering a terribly wobbly smile. "the sunset makes them look… well… they kinda reflect all the colors y'know? i noticed it that day you finally got fed up with all my bs, heh… out on the porch that day. it was the sunrise then, but in any case… they really do look uh… pretty."

The words were terribly clumsy, and no matter how endearing she found them she couldn't seem to spare him from his own embarrassment. He groaned and covered his face with his free hand, sinking into his hoodie a bit as though it would make him disappear. As he did, his wine glass tipped dangerously in his other hand as he drew it close to himself as well.

"ah geez…" He mumbled, blue glow from his skull seeping out from between his phalanges. "don't listen to me, i already had another glass of this stuff down there."

She tried to fight it, she really did, but a flurry of giggles burst out of her regardless, the kind that trailed into embarrassing little bleats. Not necessarily for humor in this situation, but more for a wonderful mix of joyful emotion, and generally still not knowing how to properly accept such heartfelt compliments again. She managed to compose herself quickly though for his sake, not wanting him to have too much time to doubt how much she appreciated his attempts. Sans was adept at a good number of things, but stringing together the romantic words to leave another swooning wasn't among them.

She gave him another hug, her own emerging tipsiness nearly making her spill the remainder of her drink as she wrapped her arms around him. After righting both his glass and her own again, she gave him a teasing sort of nuzzle along his cheekbone, one that almost became a kiss, but never quite reached that point. She also used it to gently nudge his hand away from his face and tuck his skull under her chin.

"Oh my dearest little bonehead." She all but purred in a lightly teasing tone, a bit bolstered by the drink's effects. "Your jokes are to die for, but your flirting techniques could use some work."

He mumbled something intelligible at that, and she giggled once more before continuing in a more sober, earnest tone.

"Nonetheless… I am flattered, love." She said softly, brushing her cheek slowly over the top of his skull. "You look wonderful as well, that sweater suits you quite nicely."

He let out a short sort of laugh that showed he didn't quite agree with that, but didn't argue against it either. With that, she shifted so she could look down at him, encouraging him to meet her gaze as well with a careful motion of her free paw's knuckles against his cheekbone. He obliged after a moment's hesitation, settling back against her and turning his eyelights up to meet the deep scarlet eyes he had so kindly praised. The blush remained on his face, but at this point he seemed to have accepted it, unable to keep from smiling that wonderfully giddy smile up at her.

It was nearly enough to break her from her more sincere tone, and it made the corners of her mouth twitch and her nose wrinkle a bit in the beginnings of an amused snort. But she stuck with it regardless, trailing the curve of one finger playfully over his cheekbone.

"And as for your eyes… If mine are at their best under the first or last bits of a day's sunlight, then I say that yours shine brightest under the wondrous light of the stars." She said, ending the praise with a smile that all but invited him to try and best her back.

But her words had left Sans flustered all anew, though he resisted shrinking in on himself in response this time. He seemed to be trying to think of something to say in return, but as he gazed up at her playful smirk, it seemed it all was just too much for him, and had thoroughly banished any of his clever thinking for the moment. He finally just let out a defeated sigh and closed his sockets, sagging against her all the more before taking another sip from his glass.

"damn it… you are so much better at this than me." He conceded with an amused grin.

He gave the remainder of his drink a contemplative swirl, then seemed to be hit with inspiration. He sat up and slipped out of her hold in order to face her properly, looking more confident even with his exasperation towards himself still clear on his face. She let him go, curious as to what he could be planning.

Whatever it was seemed to be paired with a desire to be the one to hold her cheek rather than the other way around. When he reached up to do so, she allowed the gesture gratefully, leaning into his touch as his phalanges slid through the fur there. Sans took a short, steadying breath and faced her again with a grin more in line with his usual casual one.

"how's about i just kiss you again instead?" He asked as though it were a simple offer, before giving his shoulders a playful shrug. "that tends to be easier than coming up with words. and y'know me, i love finding the easiest way possible to do things."

It was a response that was so… so very him, that it made her giggle all over again. Even now, after feeling so badly about coming to hide away up here, he managed to knock down the walls she had been trying to build up around her and surround her with happiness and peace of mind instead. And it always seemed so effortless for him, even when it was clear he had to work to put forth that image successfully, especially after being so flustered from her earlier teasing.

It took a good deal of effort on her behalf as well to keep just a warm smile on her face, rather than break out in giggles again. Her ruby red eyes still shimmered with amusement though, and no shortage of affection.

"That would be acceptable, my love." She murmured.

In a display of the shared sort of understanding that had been growing between them since she had regained her lost memories, and even before then, they both tipped back their drinks and downed the rest of them in a quick motion before dropping the empty glasses into the grass. Then she let him do the honors of gently pulling her head down to meet him for a kiss.

They were careful not to be too daring with a whole host of potential eyewitness not too far away, but the willow's dome did provide them with a bit of privacy to share in that wonderfully simple expression of love. Even if Sans was right and it was the "lazy" way of going about it, there were things shared from the meeting of their magic and the stirring of their souls that just couldn't be expressed in words. She stuck to trailing small pecks against his exposed teeth, slipping in and out of letting him hold her there and doing the same right back.

In a way, the whole thing seemed a bit scandalous to her, slipping away from a party to kiss the monster she loved here beneath a tree just out of view of everyone else. Why, it seemed to be something much more suited to far younger monsters with far different lifestyles. But in a way, that made her soul stir with an odd sort of exhilaration, just enough that her more reasonable side didn't take over and insist she cease such behavior. He really did have a wondrous natural ability to make her feel at ease, even in a situation like this.

Eventually the kissing devolved into little more than affectionate nuzzling and a bit of her playfully head butting his skull, all punctuated by stifled giggles and snorts. Such childish, silly things, but all the more meaningful to them. It ended up with Sans snug in her lap and her wrapping him up in a hug from behind. She settled her chin on his skull for a while then, feeling a bit tired… but in a good way, unlike the ever draining exhaustion that the knowledge of the resets had brought her. During all their silly, rapt affection, the sun had sunk ever lower behind them, casting the world in ever more vibrant shades of fiery colors.

The crickets were beginning to sporadically sing around them, like chorus men testing their voice before a big show. Moths started to flutter by, just waking up from a long day's slumber in time to see the sun's light fade to shadow. The world around them was preparing for nightfall, but the humans and monsters currently within her home clearly intended to stay quite awake long into the night. Well… until Toriel had to step in for the sake of her children's bedtimes that is.

Such a thought almost brought her gaze back to the house, but she forced herself to stay in the moment. The children would be fine and were surrounded by those who loved them, she could afford to enjoy this time alone with her dear skeleton, at least until the sun finally bid their side of the world goodnight that is. And that time was drawing nearer and nearer every moment.

It was perhaps this unspoken fabricated urgency that led to Sans perking up from within her embrace again. Truthfully, she had thought he was asleep, or at least near it. It was the perfect scenario and time for that after all, and they had established many times over in the past that she didn't mind, even enjoyed, carrying him home after he had dozed off. But it seemed he had something to say before the sun left them for the day. By then, the glow of his eyelights was prominent in the dying light, instinctually drawing her eyes to his when he glanced up at her.

A certain seriousness had returned to his expression, but he still maintained a fairly genuine smile. After a another few moments of subtle fidgeting and hesitance from him again, he finally broke the silence, all while absently running his phalanges through the fur on her arm.

"it's probably just the drinks talking, but… despite everything that happened… and how much it all still sucks… i'm kind of… glad everyone knows now." He admitted, though the uncertainty behind the words still lingered in the edges of his tone. "it's the... right thing i guess… even if it can't help but cause a lot of hurt too… "

He paused and Toriel tightened her hug a bit, wishing to give some reply in return. But she could feel from what she could detect from Sans' soul that there was more he wanted to say. So she simply settled for a thoughtful hum in response, feeling her soul's magic now all but instinctually reach out to his own. His soul returned her efforts, and through that she could feel the somberness that had settled back into it, weighing it down like a heavy layer of thick black tar.

Despite that though, there was still positivity there as well, working its way through the gloom. And it was those feelings he did his best to project when he spoke up.

"tori… i…" He began but paused and then turned in her embrace to press his face against the plush fur of her neck. "just… thank you..."

He shifted then to wrap his arms as much as he could around her neck, reminding her of how he had clung to her in the hospital upon her awakening. And judging from the brief turbulence of emotion from his soul, she was fairly certain he was thinking back to then as well.

"i'm still really sorry for what i put you through…" He went on, emotion pulling at his voice. "i'm always gonna be... but… thank you for everything… especially for getting through to me back then when i needed it."

The heavy quality of the words hit her hard, summoning up a mix of conflicted emotions from her soul. Part of her wanted to remind him again to stop apologizing for things he couldn't have predicted or knowingly prevented. Or even the things that she chose to take on for herself. But there was a sense, like many of the times he said these sorts of things, that the words were something he needed to say for his own sake as well. He had thanked her like this before, and she had a feeling she'd hear those same words many more times going forward.

So she didn't allow herself to fret over that, reasoning that, if it brought him a level of peace in the face of all this, she wouldn't dare take that from him. Plus, it was fair to say that his intoxication no doubt was contributing to all this as well. And even if it had been the millionth time he'd said those words, she knew her soul would leap in her chest just the same. She tightened her grip on him and cradled him against her as though he were the most precious thing in the world. More precious than any material possession she had been allowed during her time as royalty could ever hope to be. More precious to all those around him than his dark and twisted father could have ever imagined he would be.

To think he had begun his life considered little more than a flawed prototype weapon created in a lab to be tossed away once his perceived use had run out, it was all but unimaginable now. Sans had so much worth as a monster, as a friend, as a brother, and as her beloved. Worth he had found for himself despite the lingering curses of his creation continually making his life an inescapable hell. Despite his upbringing giving him every reason to live with darkness and apathy in his soul, he had never, even in his darkest moments, truly lost his compassion. Part of her hoped Gaster could see the monster he had brought into the world with such cruel intent from wherever his bizarre fate had left him. So he could see just how wrong he had truly been to doubt Sans' worth, so he could see how much greater a monster Sans was than the ghoulish royal scientist who had made him.

"You are most welcome, my love." She crooned, pouring all she could of her devotion into those words. "And I must thank you in return, for putting such trust in me back then and now, and for helping me face my own burdens as well."

It was almost a rehearsed recital by then, and thus, both knew there was nothing more that was going to be said this particular time. All the expected branches of conversation they could have taken had been traversed before already, both in the hospital and once she had been allowed to leave and return home. The ones that ended in further warmth, the ones that ended in tears, and the ones that ended in the two of them falling into fits of giggling over everything and nothing at all.

This time though, they just held each other for awhile and reveled in all they had been through, and just how lucky they were to be together like this in the wake of it all. Perhaps if their time alone had continued a little longer, she could have found something new to say, some memory or aspect of their current struggles that they hadn't discussed before. But the stars above fated something different for that evening, as they readied to make their grand entrance for the oncoming night. A voice pierced through what had become a pleasant hum of background noise from the house, making both of them jump a bit.

"Hey you punks! What'cha doing up here?" Called the voice, revealing itself to be Undyne pushing through the hanging strands of willow leaves.

Moments later, Alphys, Asgore, Papyrus, Frisk with Flowey in tow, and even the small white dog were filing into the space beneath the willow dome right behind her. All, save Flowey, were dressed in their house party attire, which varied in formality between each of them. Even the dog wore a small bowtie, the origins of which Toriel had no idea.

It seemed Toriel's secret place of retreat hadn't been so secret after all. She looked up at them and felt her face flush hotly beneath her fur. Some of it was from embarrassment of behind caught being so openly affectionate with Sans, yes, but most of it was born from the shame of running off like she had, as she so often did, when they were all there to celebrate her recovery.

"The party is down there!" Undyne reiterated with a grin, jabbing a webbed thumb back at the house. "And it's really picking up now, Mettaton and crew are setting up karaoke and everything."

When Toriel didn't respond right away, a few of the other's faces grew worried, including that of her child. The scarlet hue to their eyes told her who was in control at the moment.

"You okay Mom?" Chara asked, voicing what was clearly on the minds of everyone currently staring at her.

She was quick to nod, composing herself and sitting up more properly. Sans remained in her lap though, either unbothered by the situation or set on staying where he was for another reason. She didn't pay him too much mind then.

"Yes, my child. I am fine." She assured them with a smile, but one that quickly wavered with mixed emotion. "I was just... Um…"

Thankfully, Sans and his usual quick wit was there to save her from her verbal fumbling, responding to the question without missing a beat.

"we're just taking a break." He said simply, settling back against her with a wink and a lazy shrug to the others. "what can i say? i'm a bad influence."

Undyne rolled her single eye at that, a general reaction shared by Papyrus, even if he lacked eyes to roll. But the others seemed to take it in good humor, and the tenseness that had been hanging over the situation dissipated quickly. Alphys stepped up to stand beside her girlfriend, staring out at the sight of Newer Home, Ebott City, and the surrounding countryside. All bathed in those brilliant shades of color from the fading sun.

Even with the willow's strands hanging in the way here and there, it did not rob the view of its beauty. They cut through the bright colors in dark, thin strands, only adding to the visual fidelity of what could be compared to a work of natural art. Art that life on the surface graciously provided for free every day.

"Oh w-wow…" The lizard monster gasped, clasping her hands together. "What a view!"

Asgore nodded in agreement and stepped up to join the couple, smiling in quiet reverence at the sight.

"It certainly is beautiful…" He said softly, his bi-colored eyes brightening up.

At that, Papyrus' attention was pulled from reprimanding his brother through harsh looks in order to also take in the scene before him.

"WOWIE! SO COLORFUL!" He exclaimed, sockets sparkling excitedly.

He reached over and grasped Undyne's arm, pulling her up closer so that she could better take in the view.

"COME ON THEN UNDYNE, SURELY WE CAN ALL TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO APPRECIATE THE SETTING OF THE SUN FROM THIS MOST WONDERFUL VANTAGE POINT!" He insisted, gesturing dramatically.

Undyne smirked and playfully elbowed the skeleton in the side.

"Alright alright, you win Paps." She conceded, flashing him a toothy grin.

She then turned to look back down at Sans and Toriel, rolling her single eye when faced with Sans' rather triumphant grin.

"But afterwards you two come back down with the rest of us." She said, pointing a webbed finger at them. "The Temmies showed up with a… uh… "cake" they made for you. Wouldn't want to miss that right?"

The image of just what the Temmies of all monsters could have created couldn't quite take form in her mind, though her imagination entertained many possibilities, none of them resembling anything edible nor aesthetically pleasing. But still, a gift was a gift, and she would be grateful for their show of kindness towards her nonetheless.

The small white dog crawling into Sans' lap then and settling down there decided things for her and she managed a stronger smile as she gave the animal's head a stroke.

"No, certainly not." She confirmed, in perhaps a heavier tone than was expected.

She brightened up again quickly after though and patted the space in the grass beside her.

"Very well then, come join us to watch the sunset, then we can all return to the house together." She conceded, feeling her earlier anxiety waning significantly.

The words summoned up smiles all around, and everyone began to find space to sit beneath the tree. Papyrus had to sit propped up on Asgore's leg, as the hulking boss monster took up the majority of the available space. Undyne followed Toriel's example by holding her smaller girlfriend in her lap and wrapping her up in a hug from behind. Frisk, who had reemerged as the one in control, squeezed into Toriel's lap beside Sans with Flowey in tow. They leaned back against her and also rested their head on Sans' shoulder, a gesture the skeleton met by looping an arm around them. Toriel slipped her arms around all four of them, happily settling her cheek against Sans' skull.

Before they could all settle completely, Sans seemed to recognize someone was missing from the group, someone who had also once been part of Sans and Toriel's original long talks beneath the willow tree. With a brief crackle of magic distortion above them, GB was summoned into existence, at a conveniently small, about dog sized, stature. The blaster glanced around, utterly delighted to see everyone all together like this, and it seemed all present were just as happy to allow him to share in the moment. Unlike before, there was no longer fear that GB would act out aggressively towards her children, not even Flowey. It reflected the change in how Sans himself viewed them, and his slowly building trust in the children's growth and vows to ensure this timeline was their last was reflected in his loyal weapon. The blaster trilled cheerfully and briefly rushed about before settling on Toriel's head between her horns, purring in his usual reverberating manner.

With GB rounding off the group it was a bit of a tight squeeze by design, as they all wished to stay near the center for the best view, but the closeness was welcomed and invoked a shared warmth between all their souls. Each individual soul's emotions fed into the others a mere short distance away, from the enormous king of monsters, to the small white dog. Even Flowey with his allegedly hollow form was felt to be a part of it, albeit only faintly. Chara and Frisk's shared soul was felt as well, seperate in their energies but unified in the emotions they shared. Everyone felt uplifted by the familial sharing and gaining of love. The good kind of love.

The poison of Toriel's former trauma and bitterness was not there to sour the experience like it once had been. Granted, it was not wholly banished, and some dark, stifled part of her soul still recoiled at accepting Asgore's close presence again. But it lacked the strength to manifest and steal away the happiness of the moment.

And as before, despite the glorious show nature was providing before her, she found her gaze drawn to the monster she loved. He gazed forward, smiling a smile that was genuine through and through. What once had been rare, now had become a rather regular fixture on his face. Someone less close to him may not see any difference at all in the grin he once wore and the expression on his face now. But there was a glorious happiness there in his eyelights that for her was impossible to miss, giving them a shimmer that made her soul stir in her chest.

It had not been just her actions, or the two of them finally confessing their feelings for one another that was responsible for this change in him. It had been love in general that was truly deserving of that praise, love in as many shades as the sky at sunset.

Love from her, his brother, his found family and all of his friends who stood by him even at his lowest. It was that collective love that they all could feel now that had seen him through this, and would continue to help him heal going forward. Even if she had in fact perished in that hospital bed, she was sure that the others would have continued what she had begun, and ensured Sans would have eventually found it in himself to have hope again.

Sans was not healed of that darkness that ailed him and had called her to confront him at the start of all this. Indeed, one could even say that in the course of her attempts to help him, he had, at least for a while, slipped further into the clutches of his personal demons than ever before. But being forced to confront his myriad of secrets and unthinkable pain had freed him from his prison of apathy that had once left him so hollow and distant. And though the adjustment to that had been nearly too much for him to bear initially, he had come out of it far better off than before, and far less afraid to face the road of healing ahead.

She could say the same of herself… for Sans' journey had become a personal one of her own as well. That initial spark of bravery, that chance he took in her telling her his secrets, had grown into a blaze that had eventually consumed every one of them, leaving them burned but renewed in its wake. And despite what had happened to her specifically, they had not lost anyone in that great inferno.

They were all here, with new and old scars to bear surely, but stronger and closer than before. And though all of their minds were now burdened with immense knowledge that had savaged their very sense of reality and existence, knowledge that had nearly stole Toriel from them all, she had a feeling that none of them had true regrets. Even her dear skeleton seemed to be accepting that fact, and accepting himself better for it.

She closed her eyes briefly as her thoughts spun on, surprised to find them slightly wet. When she opened them again, she realized they had mere moments before the last bits of brilliant light gave way to the oncoming night. Without much conscious thought, three words slipped out of her lips, just before the final sliver of the sun disappeared past the horizon behind them.

"Thank you all."

The words were soft, but it was clear that everyone present heard them. There was no response to be heard from the others, but it was not needed. A concept that seemed to be understood by all present. The answer to her gratitude could be felt in the connection of their souls, the unified reassuring warmth that came through to her and made her own soul practically melt within her chest. With it came flickers of individual emotion, specifics tied to each member of her new odd, broken, but oh so wonderful family. Most notably perhaps, from the weak, precious soul of her dear skeleton.

She squeezed him and her children tight, and everyone around her seemed to press closer as well by some silent instinct. Still saying nothing, but sharing everything.

Above and before them, the first stars were beginning to wink into existence. But even they in their ethereal beauty along with the sights and sounds of the party still going on in her home, did not demand the attention of the humans and monsters beneath the willow tree. The view in all its grandeur had been all but forgotten by them as they turned their focuses inward and towards one another.

Nothing that had once been stolen from them during their imprisonment, no matter how beautiful, could hope to compare to the things that had kept them going all those centuries underground. What kept all of monsterkind from becoming forgotten dust in those dark caverns. The very things that made up a monster's soul, and contrary to prior belief, most human souls as well. Love, hope and compassion. Elements that were felt most strongly in moments like this.

Someday, they'd be able to make sense of all these broken pieces. But until then, they could all now help to hold each other together through the monumental task of healing ahead.

And for that moment, that was more than enough.

The sun had set for the day, but its departure marked a new beginning for all of them.

Now under the light of the burgeoning stars, Toriel again looked down at her dear skeleton and, acting on a whim, performed a check on his soul.

*SANS, 1 ATK, 1 DEF, 5/5 HP

-FIN-

((A/N: Thank you to all who have read this fic and taken the time to comment, fav and/or follow, it really means a lot to me and I am so glad you enjoyed. I do have a sequel outlined for this fic, it will be more plot focused but it will be a direct continuation of the story. I am hoping to craft it a way that you could read both as their own stories too though, but we'll see. I hope you will give it a look when it's posted. It will be covering a few details that got brought up in this fic but didn't get fully explored. Especially regarding a certain man who speaks in hands. Whether you decide to read on when I post the sequel or find you are content with this ending, I truly appreciate every one of you that took the time to read and encouraged me to finish this 3 I wish you all the best.

Thank you, and goodnight.

-insert image of a small, white dog sleeping here-))