((Author's note: Hello all! I suspect most of you are likely coming from my last fic that I finished up around a month ago. If you are, than thank you so much for the amazing support on that fic. Seriously, you guys were so kind to me and gave me so much inspiration. I hope you will enjoy this sequel! ^^

If you happen to have not read the first fic and have stumbled upon this by chance, you may be a bit confused about some established things or miss some references to the last story if you choose to read it without reading the first fic, but I am trying to write it in such a way that you could potentially still follow along. If you want the incredibly brief synopsis, due to a myriad of events, the main cast of Undertale now know about the Resets and the current identities of Chara and Asriel (spirit sharing Frisk's body/Flowey respectively) and through a lot of impactful talks, existential crises, unexpected events, and the sharing of each other's life stories, Sans and Toriel ended up bonding further at the end of it all and officially began dating.

If you think reading about any of that would interest you, I would recommend checking out the original fic (All These Broken Pieces) which can be fond on my page. Just a fair warning though, its pretty darn long and covers some darker themes in more detail. If you'd rather not read that, then I hope you can enjoy this fic nonetheless.

Potential warnings: This fic will eventually contain themes of pregnancy, very vague/brief references to sexual content (or content that could pass as such), some discussion/mentions of topics of depression and mental illness, mentions of child abuse in certain characters' pasts, and references to (past) child death, along with some potential depictions of violence in connection to past or current events.

Another note: This fic and the previous fic were outlined before the release of Deltarune, so there will be no significant references to it or the theories regarding certain characters that it has inspired. (Though a subtle reference or two could potentially be included at some point :3c)

I am hoping to put out a decently sized chapter every 1-2 weeks when possible. This fic will probably be fairly long based on what I have outlined, so I will likely be working on it for a while. (Maybe I will finish it before the full release of Deltarune! We shall see~)

Thanks if you actually read all that, and hope you enjoy ^^))

...

The realization began to take shape in Toriel's mind when she met some of the first monsters to be born to a life of freedom on the surface.

It had started off small, just a thought that had nagged her briefly before being pushed aside to the corners of her mind. Stored away, but not forgotten. Indeed, as she spent more time with the little ones and marveling at their tiny, vibrant souls, it continued to prod her, demanding attention she was reluctant to give.

The children in question were those of Dogamy and Dogaressa. Eight beautiful little puppies, all plump bundles of soft white fur. The dog couple had been bringing them to meet just about everyone they could think of now that the pups were old enough to safely be taken out and about. One could hardly picture a more proud set of parents, gushing over their new additions with enough love, enthusiasm and joyful tears to have just about anyone caught up in the happy event. And with the litter numbering eight in total, there were plenty of little pups to be cooing over.

Eight precious little souls who would never have to grow up in the cramped, dark, and so often hopeless confines of the Underground. They would be among the first to never know such a life, growing up from infancy into adulthood under the blessed light of the sun that had once been denied to monsterkind for centuries. Such a feat was more than enough cause for celebration for just about any monster. As such, the puppies' arrival led to multiple parties at Grillby's and elsewhere that led long into the night for both regulars, friends of the new parents, and those simply caught up in the excitement.

In the often troubled times monsterkind had been experiencing whilst they adapted to their new lives aboveground and did their best to integrate peacefully with humans, the news of Newer Home's first newborn monsters was a needed reason to rejoice.

The home Toriel shared with her children and the skeleton brothers had been the dog couple's stop of choice on that hot summer day in early August. Part of her had been expecting them, as she had heard of their various similar visits all over the monster capital, but she was still surprised when they came knocking on her door.

She had been just about to start cooking dinner, already halfway through tying on her apron when the doorbell rang. With Frisk and Flowey playing in the backyard with Papyrus and the small, white dog and with there being little hope of rousing Sans from his napping in the living room, it fell to her to answer the door.

When she did so, half expecting to be greeted by Kid or any of the other regulars at the house, she quickly found herself the recipient of a crushing hug.

"Toriel! It's so good to see you!" The deliverer of the hug yipped happily, revealing themself to be Dogaressa.

Her husband Dogamy was visible just behind her, looking equally enthused with his tail wagging a mile a minute behind him. It seemed to Toriel that there was something else behind him, something he was resting his paw on, but at that moment she was too focused on having the life squeezed out of her to give it much thought.

She was taken off guard, but seeing as she and Dogaressa had built up something of a bond over the past few months during the dog monster's pregnancy, through advice and sharing experiences, it wasn't too out of the ordinary. Toriel was just glad the dog monster didn't try and lick her face as well, as wasn't too uncommon with the former royal guard canines. She kindly returned the hug in a far gentler manner until Dogaressa released her.

"Hello Dogaressa, you are looking well." She said warmly, looking the dog monster over. "I have not seen you since-"

She paused as the dog monster's notable lack of a distended stomach became apparent to her. In that moment, realization and remembrance struck, and her eyes began to sparkle with nearly equal excitement as that of the Dogi.

"Oh! Oh my goodness, have you brought over your little ones?" Toriel asked, feeling her soul all but leap with joy.

There were few things in the world that could compare to getting to interact with babies. Toriel had an natural inclination towards maternity as it was, driving her love of teaching and raising her own children. But it had been a very, very long time since she had had a chance to interact with a baby. Not since… well… her own son had been born. To say the prospect of meeting Dogaressa's puppies excited her would be an understatement, and set her own short, fluffy tail to wagging. That was usually something she'd feel quite self-conscious about, but she was too happy in that moment to care.

Dogaressa nodded enthusiastically, clapping her paws together.

"Yes yes! We have brought our precious puppies to meet you and the rest of your family! Just as we promised!" She yipped, before stepping aside so that her husband could wheel whatever was behind him up to where Toriel could see.

The sight that met her eyes was both comical and utterly adorable in every way. Dogamy was pushing an oversized baby carriage decorated with patterns of bones and tiny paw prints. Inside the carriage were the beautiful little puppies in question, a pile of tiny, sleepy bundles of chub and white fur. They were all dressed in striped onesies, as was the tradition for all monster children at this stage, all black and white, with different colored satin collars that were perhaps how they were told apart. Indeed, aside from a one or two with small splashes of black on their muzzles or tail tip, and one with a spot of brown over one eye, all of them shared their parents' fully white fur.

They were all dozing, but a few had begun to stir from the noise of the conversation. One of the pups nearest Toriel, with quite a lot of bedhead, blinked open their dark brown eyes and looked up at her, tilting their head slightly. The sight made Toriel's soul feel like it was being squeezed, but in a good way. She wanted nothing more than to pick up the pup and dote on them, but she resisted for the moment.

"Oh… stars above… they are so beautiful you two." She gushed in a mindfully quiet voice, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the little bundles of joy to speak to the Dogi again.

She stepped to the side so that the couple had access into the house.

"Come in, come in!" She insisted cheerfully. "I will go fetch the others, they will be so excited to meet them!"

Dogamy and Dogaressa beamed and carefully wheeled the carriage full of precious cargo inside, heading for the living room. Figuring there was a chance Sans would wake up for such an occasion, or would be woken by one of the dog monsters, Toriel headed for the backyard to call Papyrus and her children.

Upon opening the door, she spotted Papyrus and the small, white dog first. The animal was rushing about the skeleton's feet, yapping and trying to jump up and grab Papyrus' scarf. Papyrus clearly was not caring for it, and trying to distract the dog with bone attacks to no avail.

"DARN IT ALL! WHY DO THESE GAMES OF FETCH ALWAYS END IN ME BEING THE OBJECT OF THE FETCHING?!" The skeleton exclaimed, narrowly dodging the dog as it leaped up once more.

Frisk was watching the scene from a short distance away, giggling softly into their hand. They were holding Flowey's pot with the other, though the flower monster seemed far more bored than amused. Toriel didn't linger there simply observing long though, all too eager to tell them all of their wonderful new guests.

"Papyrus, children!" She called over to them, managing to gain all of their attentions.

Papyrus stopped trying to escape the dog, skidding to a stop to look over at Toriel. Unfortunately for him, that gave the animal the opportunity he needed to finally jump up and successfully grab onto the skeleton's scarf, leaving him dangling there with an ever wagging tail. Papyrus let out a frustrated groan, but continued to focus on Toriel.

She hurriedly waved them over, smiling brightly all the while.

"Come inside and wash up quick!" She insisted, the excitement evident in her voice. "The Dogi have come over with their new puppies!"

All at once, Frisk and Papyrus' expressions lit up exponentially and they were rushing over to her, the still scarf chewing dog seemingly forgotten. Flowey's eyes widened at her words, but the emotions behind the action were not clear. He seemed more occupied being annoyed at being bounced around do to Frisk's running than anything else, but there was certainly interest shining in his beady black eyes.

Papyrus was the first to reach her, skidding to a stop just in front of her and looking to be all but vibrating from barely contained elation. His sockets sparkled as he brought both hands to the sides of his skull.

"OH HOW WONDERFUL! I'VE BEEN SO EAGER TO MEET THEM ALL THIS TIME! THE WAIT WAS MAKING ME TOTALLY BONKERS!" He exclaimed, clearly trying to resist the urge to jump up and down in place.

He then struck a dramatic pose, and his scarf waved as though caught in a sudden gust of wind, waving the dog along with it.

"I SHALL IMPRINT MYSELF UPON THEM AS A ROLE MODEL THEY CAN LOOK UP TO AS THEY GROW THROUGH THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL INSPIRE THIS GENERATION TO BE THEIR BEST SELVES AS WELL AS THE NEXT!"

Toriel giggled at the display but held up a finger to indicate for him to be quiet.

"Shhh, my friend. I understand your excitement truly, but you must be quiet around the little ones. I am sure you do not wish to scare them." She reminded him gently.

Papyrus gasped and covered his mouth with both hands, despite the fact that his voice was produced by magic and thus, wouldn't be muffled much by the act.

"OH! OF COURSE NOT." He said, in as mindfully quiet a tone as Papyrus could manage, before dropping his hands again. "VERY WELL, I WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO ENSURE MY VOICE STAYS AT THE OPTIMUM BABY MEETING LEVEL. HOW DOES THIS SOUND?"

Toriel nodded, figuring it was enough to at least not startle the little ones.

"Very good, my friend." She said as she opened the door wider to allow them inside. "Go on and wash your hands well in the kitchen sink, then come meet me and the others in the living room."

As Frisk and Papyrus entered, she directed a remark towards the flower monster in her child's arms in particular.

"That goes for you and your vines too Asriel." She said in a lighthearted tone.

That name caused Frisk to pause in their walking, and for Flowey to visibly tense up. Papyrus, not catching on, just continued on to the kitchen with a happy spring in his step. After a moment, Flowey looked up at her with an expression that was as irritated as it was sorrowful.

"Mom… I told you. I don't want to be called that." He said quietly, without the cruel bite his words used to have so often in the past.

Toriel winced inwardly at her own carelessness, shooting her child an apologetic look. Even now, she still was adjusting to having her two previously lost children here in her home again since they had revealed themselves to her, as well as all the changes and new aspects that came with that. Flowey may have begun to consistently wear a face more similar to Asriel's nowadays, with his familiar green eyes, fangs, soft white fur, and short muzzle visible most of the time, but he still insisted on keeping his old nickname and he still claimed to be incapable of feeling.

It made adhering to her child's wishes more difficult, but that was a small price to pay for having him back in her life in any form. Her mistake was still not something to be glanced over, especially in light of all the progress her son had made in improving his overall behavior.

"Ah yes, my apologies sweetheart." She said, giving him an remorseful look. "I was not thinking... "

Flowey didn't reply other than to make a vague sound of acknowledgment and pick at the dirt in his pot with a leaf, but he at least didn't seem too upset by her slip of the tongue. When the flower monster didn't make any further remarks, Toriel turned her attention back to Frisk.

"I assume you will give Chara a chance to interact with the puppies too, yes?" She asked, rapidly regaining her earlier enthusiasm.

Frisk nodded eagerly, flashing a smile that had a bit of a teasing edge to it. They shifted Flowey to the curve of one arm so they could sign as best they could. Some of the hand signals came out rough, but Toriel managed to understand them.

(They will probably deny it once they are out, but they are super excited.) Frisk signed, grin widening as Toriel could only imagine Chara internally giving them a hard time for revealing that.

She giggled into a paw before ushering her children forward into the house.

"I am glad to hear it." She said warmly, diverting from their briefly shared path to head back towards the living room. "I will see you all in there. And remember, quiet voices."

With that, she stepped into the living room once more, feeling her enthusiasm for the situation at hand flood over her soul again. Dogamy and Dogaressa were sitting on her couch, with the carriage full of pups having been separated from the wheeled component and set on the coffee table. The Dogi were tending to their litter, and looked up as Toriel entered the room again.

"Oh good, you're back!" Dogaressa yipped, though still rather softly. "The puppies are all starting to wake up after that relaxing ride over had them all zonked out. They are ready for lots of snuggles and pets now. Aren't you my puppy-wuppies?~"

That affectionate bit of baby talk, silly as it was, reminded Toriel of precious days long past. She watched, all but enraptured as the dog monster leaned down and nuzzled the pup she was currently holding in her lap, eliciting them to wriggle a bit and open their tiny mouth in a comparatively huge yawn. The act was accompanied with the smallest of squeaks, sweet enough to just about bring a tear to any human or monster's eye.

Dogamy had already succumbed in that regard, staring down at his children with openly watery, sparkling eyes.

"The carriage ride always works good for that." He sniffed, trying to continue to carry on a normal conversation whilst being overcome by emotions. "But unlike the puppies, we couldn't get a certain someone to wake up so easily."

He pointed with a still tearful chuckle at the lump at the other end of the couch, curled up firmly in a blanket like a plush cocoon. Soft snoring emanated from it, confirming that the monster in question was indeed asleep. Toriel let out a little sigh of amusement and exasperation, moving over to take a better look at him. Part of her had been a bit worried with how tightly he was curled up, wondering if he was having a nightmare or was unwell in some other way, but his features were relaxed and serene, and he still had his usual silly grin spread wide on what was visible of his face.

"Sans dating you has not changed him I see." Dogaressa commented with a giggle and a small wag of her tail. "He is still his wonderfully lazy self."

Toriel returned Dogaressa's smile, even though the dog monster was actually wrong about that, more wrong than she could possibly know. The amount of changed she and Sans both had went through… no… her whole family had went through since the time she and Sans had first begun to pursue a deeper relationship were too numerous to name. While it wasn't truly the act of being in a relationship with her that had sparked the changes, it had certainly played a big role in all the life altering events that had followed. But such things were not the thoughts to stew over with something so much more exciting to focus on.

An idea struck her after a few moments of looking over her dear skeleton and tapping her chin with a claw, one that brought a small sparkle to her eye. She leaned over and whispered it to Dogaressa, who immediately giggled and agreed before getting Dogamy in on it as well. Once Toriel had gone over and gently moved Sans' sleeping form so that he was laying on his back, The new father in turn carefully handed Toriel one of the puppies, the one with the blue collar and the tiniest dot of black above their nose.

Toriel could have immediately begin doting on the little one as her soul so desired, but she had a plan to see through first. Delicately, she laid the little pup on the curve of Sans' ribcage. That sight alone was enough to make her soul flutter from the cute factor alone, but then the tiny monster began to sniff at Sans' sleeping form curiously. They crawled over closer to his skull, sniffing that more thoroughly and wagging their fluffy tail a little. Sans mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, but didn't react beyond that yet.

Finally, the pup began to lick Sans' face, the result Toriel was hoping for. She thought it would be an amusing and cute way to rouse and surprise him, but she feared now the little ones' tongue wasn't quite big enough to be noticed by the well known deep sleeper. But after the pup began to try and nibble on Sans' nasal ridge, that was finally enough to begin to wake up the lazybones. He grumbled sleepily and a weakly investigatory hand moved up to try and find the source of what was using him as a chew toy.

When his hand brushed soft fur, he paused and drew it back a bit in surprise before moving it over the pup's soft head once again, likely noticing it was quite a bit smaller than the usual small, white animal he was used to petting. It was that which prompted him to slowly begin to ease his sockets open.

"wha...?" He questioned drowsily, which was met with a good deal of muffled giggling from Toriel and the Dogi.

Sans didn't seem to notice, taken in by the sight of the little bundle of white fur on his chest. The puppy became more excited at the sight of Sans moving and went in for more nibbles and licks, tiny tail wiggling in a small wag. Perhaps the little one already was gaining a liking for the flavor of bones. The skeleton let out a confused chuckle, flinching back from the adorable assault on his face and using his hands to hold the pup up and over him to get a better look.

"hey now, where'd you come from lil guy?" He asked with a small sparkle to his eyelights. "i'm paw- sitively sure i didn't order any sorta wake up call. 'specially from a mysterious pup."

The little one didn't offer any answer to Sans, simply turned their head to chew on Sans' phalanges. He chuckled again at that, playfully wiggling one of them to entertain the little pup further before finally turning his head to look at everyone else in the room.

"How nice of you to finally join us, my dear." Toriel said, in a lightly teasing manner. "Dogamy and Dogaressa have come to visit and let us meet their children at last."

Sans' eyelights brightened further at that, the full idea of what was happening setting in. He carefully adjusted to hold the pup in his arms more properly and eased himself up into a sitting position.

"so i gathered." He said, seemingly having trouble looking away from the tiny monster he was holding and teasing them with a phalange again. "wow you two, you sure weren't kidding when you said they were cute. and this lil guy's the spitting image of both of ya."

Both the Dogi lit up at that, thumping their tails against the couch and floor respectively.

"Aren't they?" Dogamy gushed, succumbing to tears again. "I just can't believe how beautiful they all are."

Dogamy then dramatically hugged the basket of puppies, overcome with love for his little ones. Most softly yipped or whined up at their father in response and began to playfully tug on his ears. If it hurt at all, he clearly couldn't care less. Toriel could remember what that felt like, and could relate to those feelings all too well.

Dogaressa giggled warmly at the sight, taking a moment then to snap a picture of the scene on her phone decorated with colorful paw print stickers before turning back to Sans.

"That one is named Dogathan." She said, pointing to the pup he was holding and glowing with maternal pride.

Toriel smiled at the name and did her best to keep a giggle from escaping. She hadn't been expecting that, but in hindsight it really should have been obvious. And she had certainly heard far more unusual names in her time.

"ah…" Sans said, also clearly fighting back a more openly amused smile as well. "so they all have dog in their name?"

"Of course! It is a family tradition." Dogamy said proudly, still acting as a living chew toy. "Or at least… it is now."

Sans grinned at that with a single soft chuckle before shifting the little pup he was holding to one arm and easing himself up and off the couch. Toriel watched him as he stepped over to the basket of monster puppies, looking them all over with an ever brightening smile. Dogathan began to chew on one of his hoodie's drawstrings, but like Dogamy, Sans didn't pay it any mind.

"heya pups, glad to finally meetcha." He greeted the little ones, as though they were any other monster. He then tilted his head a bit with a playful shimmer to his eyelights when they didn't promptly respond. "what's the matter, don't you dogs know how to greet a new pal?"

He promptly offered his free hand to the puppies as if he expected them to shake it back. They only sniffed at and licked it of course, all of which didn't seem to deter the skeleton. Then with a little shake of his wrist, a plumply inflated whoopee cushion fell out of Sans' sleeve into the pile of puppies. It only took a moment for one of the more energetic of the group to jump onto it, resulting in a drawn out sound of artificial flatulence as the pup slowly deflated the cushion.

There was silence for a moment, then the sound of Toriel trying and mostly failing to hold back her laughter, resulting in a series of quite undignified snorts and muffled giggles. Sans just grinned wider as he noticed her reaction, cheekbones coloring a bit as he chuckled along with her. The Dogi both smiled but sighed dramatically in vexation, having grown quite familiar and used to Sans' antics over the years, both under and above ground.

"UGH, OF COURSE YOU WOULD FIND SOME WAY TO RUIN THIS WONDERFUL MOMENT SANS." A new voice spoke over Toriel and Sans' giggling, in a notably more subdued tone than usual.

Toriel looked over to see Papyrus, the owner of the voice, and Frisk holding Flowey's pot standing in the entryway to the room. The small white dog was perched between Papyrus' boots, tiny tail wagging excitedly. Frisk didn't seemed distracted from the situation at hand by Sans' silly prank, more than used to the skeleton's antics by that point.

They carefully set Flowey on the coffee table beside the basket of puppies before going over to greet the Dogi. Toriel watched the flower monster look over the infant monsters with an air of his usual disinterest, but she could tell he was in fact curious about what he was seeing. Memories of what he was capable of in the past briefly flared up in her, but she smothered them down as always. She trusted her son's vow to do what he could to better himself and knew he wouldn't be a threat to the little ones. Interacting with them could even be a good experience for him.

One of puppies leaned their head over the rim and stared back at Flowey, tilting their head in curiosity. They then wagged their tail a bit and leaned forward to try and sniff the flower monster, but Flowey pulled back with an uneasy expression. He then waddled his pot back enough that the puppy couldn't reach him and turned away with an annoyed sigh.

Frisk and Papyrus clearly didn't share in Flowey's disdain for the pups, both joining him then in taking in the lovely sight of the basket of puppies, but with far more cooing and gushing than Flowey would ever be caught doing. The small white dog also stood on his hind legs to look into the basket, and monster dog and animal dog met each other's gaze with interest. Though in all honesty, in light of what the "annoying dog" had shown himself to be capable of in the past, Toriel sometimes wondered if he was more than just an average canine.

Whatever the case may be, it seemed that the two kinds of dog recognized each other as some sort of kin, exchanging soft yaps and tiny whines of greeting respectively. From their place next to the small white dog, Frisk excitedly looked over at Dogamy then and signed up to him.

(May we please hold them?) They asked with a bright smile.

Dogamy blinked a few times, looking a bit taken aback, and then embarrassed. Clearly he was having trouble deciphering what Frisk was trying to say.

"Um, s-sorry Frisk, but uh…" He stuttered, before looking helplessly over at Papyrus, who was more than happy to help.

"OH! FRISK IS ASKING IF THEY MAY HOLD ONE OF THE PUPPIES." He explained cheerfully.

Dogamy then perked up, looking relieved as he knelt back down towards the basket.

"Oh, yes of course!" He affirmed as he picked up the smallest puppy, the one with the pale spot of brown over their right eye. "Here you go, this is Dogerra. Just be sure to support them properly. They are usually quite laid back, and they love pets very much."

Frisk was all too happy to listen to those instructions, carefully cradling the puppy with both arms and using a finger to gently pet their small head. This pup did indeed seem more subdued than the others, and simply gave Frisk's finger a lazy lick before yawning and settling against them. The child giggled softly and carried the little monster over to the armchair where they could settle them on their lap. Dogaressa took note of Papyrus then, who was all but vibrating in place as they watched Frisk gently play with the puppy in their lap.

"I bet you want to hold one too, don't you Papyrus?" She asked, scooping up the pup she was currently holding and carrying them over to him. "I can't blame you, who could resist these precious pups?"

She punctuated that last part by giving her little one a nuzzle and a lick across the forehead, a gesture that made all the fur there lay flat. The puppy wrinkled their nose a bit and then sneezed, resulting in many quiet "awwws" to fill the room in its wake. Once the reveling in the cute moment passed, Dogaressa carefully handed the pup over to Papyrus.

"Here, this is Dogthany. They tend to be the most energetic of the bunch, I think they'll get along with you quite well." She said, helping her puppy get settled in the skeleton's arms.

Papyrus looked rather nervous once he was actually holding the little monster, a few beads of sweat forming on his skull. He stayed stock still, as if he were afraid any movement at all might jostle the little one. Of course, for a monster like Papyrus, staying still and admitting he was unsure of what to do in any given situation were both things that were rather difficult. Thankfully, his brother came to his rescue, even before Toriel could.

"come sit here bro." Sans said, patting the space on the couch beside him. "so i can see the paw-some lil guy you've got there."

"AH O-OKAY, YES." Papyrus stuttered out, somewhat awkwardly ambling over and carefully lowering himself down until he was sitting beside Sans.

He was still rather stiff though and the puppy kept shifting in an attempt to get more comfortable.

"like this bro." Sans said, demonstrating to his brother how to more properly hold the little monster. "and loosen up a bit k?, the pup'll be fine. see look, they're wanting to play with ya."

The puppy was playfully nipping at one of Papyrus' red gloves, trying to pull at the hemline. Papyrus was quite attached to all the elements of his "battle body" though, and carefully pulled the glove off with his free hand so that the little monster couldn't reach it. As a sort of penance, the skeleton offered one of his phalanages to them instead, even though he was far more reluctant to do so than Sans. The puppy took him up on the offer and happily nibbled at the digit.

"WOWIE! SUCH SHARP TEETH FOR A SUCH A SMALL MONSTER." Papyrus commented with something of an amused smile before returning to his usual tone."I SUPPOSE THEY WILL JUST HAVE TO LEARN LATER ON THAT BITING IS CONSIDERED QUITE RUDE IN MODERN SOCIETY."

Despite what he said, he continued letting the puppy use him as a chew toy without complaint. Toriel watched the endearing scene with a warm smile, enjoying seeing Papyrus interact with the little one. But then something seemed to occur to the skeleton that made him look back at his brother suspiciously.

"HOW EXACTLY DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BABIES SANS?" He asked, moving his phalange then to stroke the puppy's fuzzy head.

Sans looked a bit taken aback by the question, pausing in his own petting of the pup currently in his care. He looked down at the little monster for a moment and they peered back up at him as if wondering why the petting stopped. He blinked, looking as though he were trying to recall something, then appeared to give up on the task and snapped back to his previous routine. He lightly scratched behind the ears of the puppy in his arms, shooting Papyrus a grin and lazy shrug of his shoulders. A glint of amusement also passed over his eyelights.

"eh, we have a lotta the same thought processes and priorities in life. we both just want to be cozy, eat good food, sleep a lot and have a good time."

That answer had Toriel giggling in moments, the kind she could hardly muffle even when she covered her mouth. The Dogi too, chuckled at his remark, but more so out of an affectionate familiarity for the skeleton's eccentricities. Papyrus however gave his brother a long flat look before slapping his hand over his face.

"THAT WAS THE WORST ANSWER YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN, SANS." He said, rather flatly and only feeding his older brother's amusement.

Papyrus then turned his focus back to the puppy in his arms, likely to distract himself from his vexation towards his sibling. He steadily regained a bright smile as he tickled the little monster under the chin and discovered the ideal place to scratch them behind the ears. Toriel also noticed Flowey and the small white dog watching curiously, though with quite different sorts of expressions on their faces.

The puppy's tail wagged with more enthusiasm as Papyrus became more confident in playing with them and it let out a squeak of a cheerful yip up a him. That made the skeleton all but beam and laugh quietly to himself. Toriel was glad to see him getting the hang of it, and enjoying the little monster's company rather than worrying incessantly over being a potential hazard to them. Sans took note of his brother's rapid shift in demeanor too, and made note of it with a soft chuckle.

"heh, and here i thought you didn't like dogs." He said, grin widening as he was again met with Papyrus' annoyed expression.

The younger skeleton drew himself up with a huff, cradling the puppy protectively against his chest.

"I HAVE NEVER SAID SUCH A THING, I ONLY DISLIKE ONE PARTICULAR DOG." He clarified, holding up a finger to prove his point.

The small, white dog then popped up inexplicably at Papyrus' side and let out a single high pitched bark.

"YES, I MEANT YOU!" Papyrus said, perhaps a touch too loudly.

Thankfully Toriel didn't need to remind him of that, and he quickly recognized his mistake and lowered his voice as he stroked the puppy again.

"SORRY, SORRY LITTLE FRIEND." He apologized, even though the little monster looked none too fussed. "I WILL MIND MY VOLUME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS SIMPLY NATURALLY BOISTEROUS AT ALL TIMES."

Dogamy laughed from across from him as he was carefully fixing up one of the pup's onesies that had come undone in a few places.

"Do not worry too much Papyrus." He assured the skeleton with another whuff of amusement. "They live in a rather noisy home, I suspect they are used to it by now."

Toriel smiled at that, and was about to inquire into just what such a household was like. Being a married couple living with some of their relatives fused together as one being, now along with eight beautiful new puppies to add to the mix… It was fair to say such a place was likely rather chaotic, messy, and contained an optimum number of dogs. But before she could ask, she noticed her child trying to get her attention, and since she was notably still puppy-less, she stood and went over to them to see what they needed.

Frisk's puppy was asleep against their chest, tiny paws and ears twitching as they slept. The very tip of the little one's pink tongue was poking out as well. Oh, she could see why Frisk summoned her over. This was prime photo material. She quickly took out her phone, though even with having a custom made larger one as a gift from Alphys, and all the time she'd had to practice, she still struggled a bit getting her chunky fingers to work with all the intricate touchscreens and tiny buttons. But she managed to snap a pic after one or two attempts, and took a few more pictures of everyone meeting the little ones while she was at it. After all, this was an important memory to keep, was it not?

But it seemed taking photos wasn't the only thing Frisk had waved her over for. They pointed over at the dog couple and situated the puppy comfortably against them before beginning to sign.

(How long until the puppies can talk and walk around like Dogamy and Dogaressa?) They asked, curiously. (They almost seem like normal dogs right now.)

From across from them Dogaressa tilted her head at Frisk's signing, and Toriel was happy to explain.

"Frisk is wondering how long it will take for your little ones to begin to walk upright and learn to speak." She explained, giving Frisk's hair a gentle stroke before going back to sit on the couch next to Sans.

Dogaressa brightened up once the question was clear to her, tail wagging and thumping against the couch cushions.

"Oh! Well that is an easy one." She said warmly, looking over her children with a maternal fondness Toriel could easily recognize. "Since they are monsters, they will develop slower, but a lot further than a dog like your friend here."

She then stroked the small, white dog's head for emphasis, and something about petting him seemed to be quite personally exciting to her as it made her eyes sparkle. But rather than elaborate on why that was, she continued on with her explanation.

"Because of that, it will be a little while before they can speak and walk upright. Faster than a human would, but slower than some other monsters. Does that make sense Frisk?" She asked.

Frisk nodded thankfully, and the interest that shown in their eyes made Toriel consider that perhaps the subject of all the different kinds of young monster development versus human development may be a good subject for her to cover at the school someday. It would certainly be relevant to all of her students. But like any the other thoughts that had been cropping up, she filed it away for the moment in order to focus her attention on the little ones. And her fixation was certainly not missed by Dogaressa this time.

"Wonderful." The dog monster replied to Frisk, before carefully picking up the pup she herself had been holding and offering her out to Toriel. "Would you like to hold this one Toriel?"

It took most of Toriel's self control not to answer that question with an unbecoming amount of enthusiasm, but she couldn't keep the sparkles from her eyes. She managed to clear her throat though and maintain her tone's usual poise.

"I would be delighted to." She said, accepting the precious little bundle of white fur into her paws.

They stared back up at her, deep brown eyes meeting scarlet red. It was that feature plus the notably messy fur on their head that made Toriel recognize this puppy as the one she'd first seen in the carriage when it arrived. The little monster sniffed at Toriel curiously, not as keen to promptly go for nibbling as the others it seemed. Toriel very carefully stroked the pup with a finger as they prodded the material of her sleeves with their tiny black nose, ensuring her claws were retracted as much as possible.

"Hello there little one." She crooned, holding the puppy up a little higher so their eyes were at a even level. "Are you not just the most beautiful little monster?"

She was briefly caught up in marveling over the precious little pup, giving them all her focus. It stirred warm, old feelings inside her that were all at once tethered to great joy and tremendous greif. It certainly didn't help that the puppy had those same familiar long droopy ears, soft white fur, and tiny pink paw pads. For a moment in her mind, she saw those brown eyes as green, that black nose as flat and pink, and pictured a pair of minuscule fangs poking out from the little monster's lip.

Once she realized where her mind was drifting though, she pulled herself out of it, doing her best not to get caught up in her old sorrows. Still, she did find herself casting a glance at Flowey, and he was looking back. Something intangible passed through their shared gaze until the flower monster looked away again with an expression that was difficult to read. As much as it made her want to try and talk to him, she could feel the expectant gazes of the Dogi on her, and she felt it would be remiss not to give the situation at hand the proper attention.

She cradled the puppy more properly and looked back at Dogamy and Dogaressa with a renewed sparkle to her eyes.

"They are simply precious you two." She said warmly, lightly running the curve of a finger against the pup's velvety soft ears. "What have you named this one?"

The dog couple exchanged a meaningful, joyful look, one that made Toriel the one tilting her head a bit in confusion. Dogaressa was the one to explain, thankfully not leaving Toriel in the dark.

"Well Toriel, that one is actually a little special." Dogaressa began to explain, tail starting to wag again. "There is a reason we gave them to you in particular to hold."

Toriel blinked in confusion, looking down at the little pup for any hints. They were wearing a purple collar, a color many associated with her, but other than that she couldn't discern anything about this puppy that would tie her to Toriel.

"Oh? What is that?" She asked, finding herself smiling as the Dogi couples' was contagious.

Dogamy was the one to speak up then, and by now everyone in the room was listening intently, other than the puppies who remained in their own little worlds.

"We both collaborated on names once the little ones were born." He explained, "Most came to us naturally, and they were no exception. We couldn't help but notice that this one looks so much like you. And since you were such a help to us during my sweetie pie's pregnancy, we thought it would be simply perfect to name them after you."

The words took a few moments to really sink for Toriel, trying to understand the nature of all the implications. She looked back down at the puppy who had begun to lightly nibble and tug one of the sleeves of her dress. Utterly oblivious to the nature of the conversation at hand.

"So… that means their name is...?" She asked, though she had already put it together in her head.

"Dogriel!" The Dogi confirmed in unison, tails both wagging excitedly. "Such a beautiful name too!"

Toriel was briefly left rather bewildered by the name, unsure if it would be uncouth to giggle at it or not. It reminded her of what she had playful christened the writing chair in her bedroom back in the Ruins. As the moment of amusement passed though, the deeper implications of what was happening set in, and she looked back at the dog couple with shining eyes.

"Well… I… am honored." She said, clearing her throat before continuing. "Truly, I am, they are a beautiful little monster."

Toriel looked down at little Dogriel, wondering what the small monster would one day think of the name. Would Toriel be someone at that point in her life that the young pup would be able to look up to and feel grateful to have their name inspired by? Time could only tell, but Toriel made a silent vow to herself to do what she could to live up to that notion. Dogriel quietly whined up at her until Toriel began to pet their ears again. Toriel was all too happy to do so, recognizing yet another trait the two of them shared. Whether dog monster or boss monster, there was nothing like a good ear rub.

Doting on the puppy had distracted Toriel for a few moments, but when she got the sense that the Dogi had more to say, she slowed her movements and looked back up at them.

"There was something else too…" Dogaressa said, confirming Toriel's suspicions and looking a little nervous but no less happy as she wrung her paws together. "We were wondering, well… would you like to be Dogriel's dogmother… er…. godmother?"

Toriel froze up at that, midway through stroking the little pup's ears one more. Dogaressa pressed on, as Toriel couldn't help but look at her rather wide eyed.

"We have found godparents for many of the puppies so far." Dogaressa explained, scooting close and smiling down at the contented child in Toriel's arms. "But I thought it would be perfect for you to be the one for this pup."

There was a long moment where Toriel found she didn't know what to say. Words wouldn't come, and thoughts were slow to emerge as well. With her history with parenthood, even if it was only tangentially relevant to what was currently being asked of her, everyone present must know just how much something like this would affect her.

She found herself looking back down at the precious little bundle of white fur in her paws. One of the first monsters born in the world above, under the light of the sun, rather than in the cramped, dark caverns monsterkind had been inhabiting for centuries. This child and their siblings were so beautiful in every way she could ever hope to conceive, and so was the potential future they represented for both humans and monsters. As her soul stirred for emotions both old and new, she knew that there was only one answer she was going to give in this case.

"Oh… I absolutely would love that." She said, unable to keep from tearing up a little as she spoke. "Yes of course I will."

She gathered the puppy a little closer then and gently nuzzled them, as though sealing the decision with the act. The little monster remained oblivious to that, but did offer Toriel back a small reply in the form of the touch of a tiny tongue against her nose. Beside her, Sans chuckled and grinned playfully.

"careful you two, she's gonna wanna be scheduling visits with that puppy all the time going forward." He teased, though with a good deal of warmth.

"Oh hush you." She replied back with a smile, not looking away from her newly christened godchild for a few more moments. "But still, if you two ever need help, or a babysitter, or anything. We are here for you. Though I am sure you must have had plenty of such offers already, have you not?"

The Dogi couple nodded enthusiastically, reaching over to hold each other's paws

"Oh yes, we are very fortunate to have such good friends and family." Dogaressa said. "All of our fellow former royal guards have been so supportive, as well as our good friends at Grillby's. Even Endogeny has been so attentive and eager to help out with what they can."

Toriel smiled brighter at that, thinking of all the dog monsters who had formed such tight knit bonds with one another. The mention of the amalgamate especially was good to hear, as she knew that the multi-souled monster had taken some time to adapt to life outside Alphys' laboratory. Witnessing the birth of the puppies that many of their souls had relations too must have been such a joy for them.

The topic of conversation drifted in that direction for some time then, as Toriel and the rest of her family, save Flowey, continued to bond with the pups. Dogaressa shared a lot about what the canine members of the former royal guard were doing for a living nowadays, about how they all lived in rather close proximity, and details on how Endogeny spent time with everyone its many souls had relations to. Toriel spoke amiably with the dog couple, and all the while protectively cradled the puppy in her arms.

Eventually though, Toriel was distracted from her conversation by Frisk, who had walked across the room with their own pup in tow to speak to Sans. They set both the small monster in the skeleton's lap, leaving him abruptly in charge of two puppies rather than one. It was clearly in an effort to free their hands to sign, but Sans still looked a bit nervous and Toriel noticed a few beads of sweat forming on his skull.

He readjusted quickly to properly hold the two puppies even as they wriggled and nibbled at his sleeves. Frisk gave him an apologetic look before raising their hands to sign. Toriel couldn't quite catch the words from the angle she was at, but she was sure she saw the signs for "bone" and "make." Sans gave a slightly sheepish grin in response as he continually made sure to support both puppies in his arms.

"uh, i think these pups are still a bit too young for chewing on bones kiddo." He said with a light chuckle. "might be a bit ruff on their gums."

He appeared to think more deeply about the child's request for a moment, then a wider grin appeared on his face.

"tell ya what, i'll make them all little bone treats for 5000g each." He said definitively, moving both puppies to one arm in order to hold out his hand as though truly expecting the payment.

Frisk crossed their arms and pouted back at him, an expression that made their cheeks puff out a bit. Sans held firm in his joke though for another few seconds. Then his cool facade fell as he snorted and reached out to ruffle the child's hair.

"i'm just messing with you kiddo." He assured them, before settling back against the sofa and looking down at the puppies he was holding. "i could make them for later on, but honestly you should have pap do it. he loves making little bone presents for people. and he'll probably actually put effort into wrapping it and everything."

From beside them, Papyrus was all too eager to burst into affirmation when he heard mention of his name, but he kept his word and stayed moderately quiet.

"OH YES OF COURSE!" He declared before turning towards Toriel, holding the puppy carefully in his hands as though fearing they might break if he moved. "IF YOU WOULD PLEASE HOLD MY DEAR NEW FRIEND DOGTHANY FOR A MOMENT TORIEL, I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT."

Toriel nodded, shifting Dogriel to her other arm to accept Dogthany in the other. Papyrus passed over the pup rather slowly, sweat visible on his skull. Only when Toriel had taken the small monster from him did the skeleton visibly relax again. He gave Dogthany a quick little wave goodbye before hurrying off to his room with his usual enthusiasm and display of physics defying acrobatics.

Toriel hardly had time to even look over the second child suddenly left in her care before the sounds of boots thumping rapidly across the floor back to the living room could be heard. Papyrus skidded to a stop out of his rush a few feet past the door frame to the hall, stumbling once a bit before righting himself dramatically. In his hands was a large dull gray cloth bag adorned with a picture of Mettaton and a pair of red pullstrings. With a flick of his wrist, the skeleton plucked the bag open, reached inside, and lifted up and out an example of its contents dramatically.

"HERE YOU ARE, IMPECCABLY SHAPED, MASTERFULLY WRAPPED AND FILLED WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY CALCIUM!" He declared, displaying a large golden colored bone tied with a red ribbon.

The Dogi looked at the gift with wide eager eyes, and even some of the puppies glanced up at it curiously. Papyrus grinned and procured another seven identical bones, stacking them in a perfect tower that almost reached the ceiling. Toriel looked up the stack warily and pulled the two pups she was holding closer to her, unsure how he was managing to keep them so steady. The skeleton then handed the tower of bones to Dogamy, somehow without causing the tower to sway at all.

When Dogamy had them though, the bones did begin to wobble dangerously. He tried for a few moments to keep them steady, but quickly realized it was unlikely not to end in disaster. So he settled for carefully setting the tower down on the table and putting the bones one by one in the baby carriage's back pocket.

"Thank you Papyrus! I am sure the puppies will love these once they can have them." Dogaressa said cheerfully, before looking at the tower and licking her chops. "Though it might be hard to resist chewing on them ourselves..."

Dogamy looked as though he agreed, clearly fighting with his own instincts as he secured his children's gifts away for later. From the couch beside her, Sans gave a short chuckle and shifted the wiggly puppies in his arms in order to free his left hand. He quickly formed two more bones, slightly chunkier and shorter in shape than the ones Papyrus made. He gave them solid form before tossing them in the direction of the dog couple.

"here ya go, one for both of you guys too, for the road." He said with a lazy wink.

Both dog monsters' eyes went wide and sparkly, and they leapt up to catch their respective bones with ease. The two gnawed on the gifts for a few moments before turning back to look at Sans and Toriel, tails wagging.

"Thank you Sans!" Dogamy yipped before sticking the bone back in his mouth and returning to his task of stowing Papyrus' gifts away in the carriage.

Dogaressa nodded, eyes sparkling as she worked her teeth over to bone.

"Yesh, thanksh yoush so musch!" She mumbled around the bone, before reluctantly taking it out in order to keep talking in a clearer manner. "Well… I suppose we should be getting the puppies home for their supper. Thank you for letting us all drop by unannounced."

Toriel got up from the couch then to properly bid the dog couple farewell, handing Dogthany off to their father as she did so. Dogriel remained curled up in her arms for the moment, tiny tail lightly brushing Toriel's elbow in a wag as she gently stroked the puppy's head with the curve of her finger.

"Oh course, and it is I who should be thanking you, for letting us meet your beautiful children, and for honoring me with the godparenthood of this precious little sweetheart." Toriel said, the last part coming out more as a croon directed at the pup she cradled before she looked back at Dogaressa. "Are you sure you all would not like to stay for dinner? We would be happy to have you."

Dogaressa smiled gratefully but shook her head, though that didn't stop her tongue from hanging out a bit.

"You are too kind Toriel, and it pains me to turn down your wonderful cooking." She said, with a bit of a sad whimper overlaid. "But I'm afraid we already have plans for dinner. We are following our doctor's advice on diets for me and the puppies."

Toriel gave her a sympathetic smile, thinking back to those first few months after she first had Asriel. She had been advised towards something similar in order to properly provide for her son, as well as to steadily recover the magic she'd lost in delivering him. She remembered how stressed and worrisome she'd been during that time, fussing over her child and fretting over any small sound or odd movement he'd make. As well as feeling so very useless in her drained state as she watched her now ex husband having take care of everything, both in the home and on the throne. Yes, she could remember it all so very clearly, despite it being over a century ago.

She was again prompted to look over at her child in his floral form, wondering if he was still staring at her with that unsettling look. But no, he was facing away, watching Dogamy carefully get his puppies settled back into the carriage. Frisk, no- Chara, judging from the eyes, was there as well, peering down into the carriage and gingerly touching one puppy's head with a finger, in an action that resembled prodding more so than petting, as though unsure of its intentions. She couldn't tell if they were genuinely unsure of the small monster, which felt doubtful to her, or was simply just still wary of showing themselves to be taken in by something so cute.

Toriel could at least see from their soft scarlet eyes though that they were curious and poorly masking a smile, so the sight ended up leaving an endeared warmth in her soul. She couldn't see Flowey's expression though to potentially stave off her other anxieties, so she just looked back over at Dogaressa. In her moment of spaciness, she almost neglected to reply.

"I see, well then I wish you a wonderful evening." Toriel said warmly. "And again, feel free to give us a call if you need anything."

Those words prompted Dogaressa to abruptly hug Toriel again, thankfully at least mindful of the puppy the boss monster was holding. Toriel could only return the dog monster's hug with one arm, but it seemed to placate her well enough, and Toriel couldn't help but giggle softly at the sudden affection. Once Dogaressa released her, Toriel returned her attention to little Dogriel, who was peering up at her with those precious big brown eyes. Especially with the role she had just been given in this little monster's life, Toriel almost didn't want to give them up. But it was time to part ways for now.

She gave the little pup another nuzzle, and Dogriel respond with a faster wag of their tail and a happy wiggle. Toriel could feel the tiny pulses from their soul sharing that contentment as well, meeting her own magic like soft rays of warm morning sunlight.

"Goodbye for now, little one." Toriel cooed, before handing the puppy back to their mother. "I hope to see you and your siblings again before too long."

Getting up from the couch behind her, Sans also made his way over to them, still trying to properly hold the two squirmy puppies in his arms. Dogaressa came to his rescue though, leaning down to take both from him and cradle them as if the act were the easiest thing in the world. Clearly the new mother had been adapting to the role rather quickly, and was already learning to handle her children with relative ease. Toriel didn't envy her though. Raising one little infant monster had been a massive challenge in and of itself, raising eight of them? Toriel said a silent prayer for the Dogi's future wellbeing.

But she knew that, just like her, they would certainly find the struggles irrelevant to all the joy raising their children would bring them. Toriel was so caught up in those warm, fuzzy feelings that she almost missed Sans speaking up from beside her.

"yah guys, was real cool of ya to let us see em." He was saying, now back in his usual pose with his hands in his hoodie pockets. "thanks for bringing them by, they're pretty great."

Papyrus was quick to agree, joining them with his usual flair.

"INDEED! THEY ARE DELIGHTFUL TINY NEW FRIENDS!" He declared before placing a gloved hand over his chest. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, VOW TO BE AN UPSTANDING ROLE MODEL FOR THEM AS THEY GROW."

He narrowed his sockets a bit once the words left him, setting his jaw in a poorly repressed irritated expression.

"AND I HOPE THEY CAN BE A ROLE MODEL FOR A CERTAIN OTHER CONFOUNDING CANINE."

From the floor beside Papyrus, the small white dog let out a joyful yip. The skeleton glowered down at the animal and let out a exaggerated sound of vexation. All of them shared in another laugh, and the dog simply wagged his tail, seemingly oblivious. After the mirth quieted down some, Chara came over from the carriage stand with them, carrying Flowey in his pot. The flower monster's expression was once again guarded, but at least did not seem to carry any harshness as once was so usual for him. Toriel did notice he didn't seem keen on meeting any of their gazes though.

"Yeah, those puppies are pretty cool I guess." Chara commented casually in their layered voice, though their eyes kept drifting towards the carriage with just enough of a shine to them to show they were more enthused than they were letting on.

Everything looked at Flowey by instinct, expecting him to say something as well. When he didn't, Chara tapped the top of his head with a finger. The flower monster grit his teeth and glared up at Chara, but they didn't seem bothered, quite used to Flowey's dirty looks.

"What do you think, bro?" Chara asked, with a teasing sort of tone and expression.

It was not the way Toriel would have advised them to try and encourage Flowey to participate in the conversation, but she resisted commenting on the matter. Mostly since Flowey did at least feel inclined then to say something. He huffed and took a long moment to answer, clearly having to pause to force down his usual instinctual harshness and find a reply that wouldn't get him in trouble. Toriel appreciated that effort from him, and tried to look supportive when his gaze drifted towards her.

"They're fine. But they do kind of smell weird." Flowey said after a few moments, wrinkling his short muzzle a bit.

The Dogi didn't seem at all offended by the statement, more amused than anything.

"That is just wonderful puppy smell!" Dogamy said cheerfully as he finished getting the last puppy settled in the carriage. "It is the best of smells, Frisk can tell you all about that."

Chara's smile softened some at that, likely from the influence of the other child in question. After a moment, they let out a short chuckle.

"Yeah, they are asking if you still consider them a weird puppy."

The Dogi couple giggled, looking as though they were recalling fond memories. Toriel for her part was confused by what they could be referring to, but figured it was simply something from her child's journey through the underground she hadn't been told about yet. There was still so very much she didn't know.

"Of course!" Dogaressa yipped, tail wagging behind her even as she seemed to ponder the question further. "But perhaps not a weird puppy, just a human puppy! An amazing human puppy. And that goes for you too, ghost puppy."

Chara made a face then that showed they weren't too sure how to feel about that nickname, but if the Dogi noticed, they didn't show it, and Toriel muffled a giggle into her paw. With that, Dogamy and Dogaressa got everyone and everything loaded back into the carriage. The puppies were more active then they had been when they had arrived, probably a sign they were indeed getting hungry. Toriel could only imagine how wonderfully chaotic mealtimes at the Dogi house must be, and especially would be once the puppies were big enough to get around on their own.

They all bid the couple farewell once again, walking with them to the door. But while the rest of her family dispersed back to their previous activities, still chatting and gushing over what they had just experienced, Toriel remained by the door, looking out through the window. She watched the Dogi stroll down the path from her house, pausing once they reached the sidewalk to nuzzle their noses against each other affectionately. Dogaressa then had to quickly set one particularly brave puppy who had started to pull themself over the edge of the carriage, back down inside it, giving them a little kiss as she did so.

Something about watching that stirred up old memories in Toriel all over again, but beyond those… there was something else. Something that kept her at that window even after the dog couple and their children were out of sight.

It was just a thought, a flicker of a reminder, but it was enough to summon up a spark in her mind. Overdue realizations about her immortality, and how it would affect her relationship with her newfound family as time went on. Just a short time ago, she and the others had been fearing a return to the past, upon Frisk and Sans revealing the truth about the nature of their world, and the child who held power over it. Now, it was the great unknown of the future that hung over all of them.

She looked at her ageless reflection in the window, the same face she'd worn for the past hundred years after her children perished at the hands of humans. Not even the partial revival of those children in the forms they now took had released immortality's grip on her. Asriel's soul was still nowhere near whole as Flowey, and thus, hers and Asgore's connection to his magic remained severed. It left all the former Dreemurrs in that ageless limbo in a way, still the same physical age as they were during the worst day of their lives, over a century ago.

But while her children's situations were a mystery they were all collectively trying to solve, Toriel knew what would have to happen for her to age naturally again. She rarely let herself dwell on it… but even considering the idea of a future where she watched those she loved grow old and die, whilst she remained untouched by time was just... unbearable. Living alone in the Ruins had freed her from that burden on some degree. As her heartache and bitterness hardened her soul against all she once knew and she lost track of the decades passing by, only ever noticing it whilst watching the generations of Froggits, Whimsuns, Moldsmals and others that came and went like the passing of the seasons.

But things were different now. While her immortality had served her mission back then, it was nothing but a barrier in and of itself now, something that would only cause a gulf between her and her loved ones as the years went by. And someday… she'd have to watch them all die, one by one, still exactly as she was at this very moment. The idea was nearly too painful to bear, and her mind instinctively shoved it back as it always had when the thought had tried to rear its ugly head. But her efforts couldn't stop the thought completely this time, as seeing the Dogi and their children had made the reality of it far too clear.

But for her to age again… there was only one way. And it was...

"you alright, t?" A sudden voice broke her from her swirling thoughts and she jumped a bit in surprise.

She turned to see Sans standing there behind her, a hint of concern evident in the soft lights of his eyes. Whether he had taken a shortcut to suddenly appear like that, or had simply walked in whilst she was lost in her thoughts, she could never be sure. Even after dating him all these months, and learning a great deal of the secrets he had kept hidden for so long, there were likely always going to be things about her dear skeleton that she didn't fully understand. She smiled gratefully down at him, her scarlet irises appearing to shine some.

"Yes dear, I am fine." She assured him, letting those earlier thoughts fall away for the moment. "I was just... thinking about something."

Sans didn't seem appeased by that response though, and shifted a bit in a small anxious motion of uncertainty, After a few moments, he closed the short distance between them and walked up to take her large paw in his small hand. She smiled at the act before returning it, holding his hand in her own and lightly stroking it with her thumb. His eyelights drifted downwards for a moment, wavering slightly with thought, then they floated back up to her.

"you uh... wanna talk about it?" He asked in a softer voice.

Toriel's smile grew warmer, but she slowly shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer love, but I am okay. Perhaps another time though." She said, hoping the last part would satisfy him for the moment.

She and Sans had been making an effort over the past months to be more honest with one another and talk out such things as this. It had started as her doing what she could to coax out the reasons for the behaviors he'd displayed that hinted at his inner turmoil, but she quickly found that she was in need of such improvement as well. They had both made great strides in that regard, though they still shared a number of sleepless nights and moments of retreating behind their familiar emotional walls. Thus, deflecting from his offer of discussion then did make her feel a touch guilty.

But the thought had already retreated back into the shadows and she lacked enough sense of it to know how to discuss it with him effectively. She silently vowed to him and herself that she would address it in time, but for now…

"Come now dear, since you are now awake, why not help me prepare dinner?" She said, turning from the window and stepping back towards the kitchen, still holding his hand gently in her own. "It has been a while, I think a dinner pie would be wonderful for tonight, would it not?"

Though some faint concern still remained in his gaze, it could not compete with how the mention of the dish made his eyelights shine. The reaction was not simply due to the dish being a favored one by him and her children, though that certainly played a part. The take on chicken pot pie that she had learned from her father many centuries ago had become something special to the two of them as of late. It was not only the first non dessert dish they had crafted together, but also the last meal they'd shared before he finally told her the terrible truth of their world, and the power her child held over it.

Perhaps that left its overall influence a rather mixed bag, but both of them regarded it fondly nonetheless. Sans' grin widened, and his usual relaxed posture returned as he walked with her back towards the kitchen .

"sure tori, sounds like it'll be supper delicious." He quipped up at her with a lazy wink.

The pun hit the mark, and she was briefly beset by giggles. But she did her best to compose herself again quickly. The pun was a challenge that marked the start of their oldest and most treasured of routines. Even if it was plain old silliness to most, even aggravating silliness to some, to them it carried such warmth and fond memories. Toriel was sure that that aspect of their relationship would likely remain throughout all the changes and struggles they'd been facing, and would continue to face going forward. With his joke, any remains of her earlier troubled thoughts left her mind, leaving only a focus on their wonderful shared joviality.

"Why certainly!" She replied confidently, smiling wide. "Between the two of us, it will turn out chew wonderful for words!"

She was rewarded with her quip with one of Sans' blessed wheezy chuckles, the kind one only heard when he was truly happy. And while hearing such a thing from him had once been quite a rarity, it was slowly, blessedly becoming more and more common. They both giggled like the, as Sans would say, "huge dorks" that they were as they went together to the kitchen, ready to end off another good day to add to the growing list.

She hadn't dwelled any further on the pressing thoughts that had been sparked then, leaving them to settle in the corners of her mind. But as the days and then weeks went by after that first visit with the Dogi, those thoughts grew stronger, more insistent, and lied in wait for the day she could ignore them no more.