Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale (Actually I kinda do but you know what I mean)

Continuity: Post Pacifist Run with hints of Genocide and other Runs

Cover: Sans drawn by: Fortisselle DevaintART, girl found on Pintrest artist unknown

Title: Absence of Fear, by Jewel

Absence of Fear

Chapter One: The Real World

X -x-x-x-x- X

"No, no, no, that is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard!"

"No, what you need to understand is, this isn't going away!"

A panel of four people arguing with the host trying to cut in and stop them blared on the television. It was always the same argument. No one seemed to have the answers and in the end, no one really cared. They just wanted the monsters to go away and go back to regular reports of school shootings and terrorism. No one had time to debate whether or not these things could think and feel.

It all started five years ago. Suddenly creatures from under Mt. Ebbot came crawling out and immediately people started to panic. Police and military greeted them after a while, and it wasn't pleasant. Some were taken away to facilities, hidden away from the world. They were studied and interviewed for months, all the while rumors and stories of them getting larger. Eventually they were released back to Mt. Ebbot, but they kept demanding freedom. Unsure of what to do, the human government did what they do best; they went to court.

The trial was before a jury of judges, the trial of the century it had been dubbed, and the creatures had a chance to plead their case. They weren't just monsters, they were sentient beings with hopes and dreams and all they wanted was to be free.

Protesters lined outside the courthouse along with supporters, each with their signs of hatred or kindness. The internet was plagued with videos of these beings, the news talking about it nonstop. It was all anyone could talk about.

"You expect me to care about some animal that can walk and talk when our babies are dying in the street from gangs and cops?" A woman of color shouted into a television camera. "My babies will go to go to college before some chicken thing will!"

"I mean, this is really stupid. We have enough problems with ISIS and Putin trying to blow up the world. I say stick 'em in the military and make them fight so our boys can come home." A male stated in a video showing him parked at a gas station.

"This is wrong and we all know it! This is their home too! We have species going extinct every single day! What more will it take?! This is their home too!" A young female began shouting, a crowd behind her joining in. "This is their home too! This is their home too!"

The hashtag #theirhometoo began trending all over social media, more and more support building for the monsters.

A gate had been built around an enclosure at the bottom of the mountain, soldiers guarding it. No one was allowed in or out without clearance. However, human visitors were able to see the creatures behind the gates, often waving and shouting. The monsters seemed happy to see humans interested in them. Crowds gathered every day, as if it was a zoo display. Phones were ever present and many photos and vids were posted online.

One of which sent everyone in a further tizzy. There was a child behind the gates. A human child. Law enforcement intervened going inside the enclosure to "rescue" the child. A video put on YouTube showed a S.W.A.T. team demanding the child from a tall monster. More monsters had gathered trying to stop it, the officers shouting for all to hit the ground with hands on their heads. The video went blurry then showed the team tearing the child from what looked like a female monster, her sobbing in a heap as the man took the young human who was screaming and flailing, kicking their legs.

It was revealed the child was Felicia "Frisk" Warner, an orphan who was living in foster care and had been reported missing a few months ago. She had no family that was claiming her and kept calling the female monster she had been torn from, "Mom."

Activists and supporters of the creatures exploded on social media. "Do you know how many babies have no parents and just want to be loved?"

And protesters. "It's bad enough we got gays raising kids. Now we got demons wanting to."

The monsters did not take it lying down. After months of no resistance, they hired a human lawyer supporter and sued the government for the child back.

That trial ended up getting more coverage than the first one, which was still ongoing. People watched in amazement as each monster testified one by one, telling how much they loved Frisk. Last was the little girl herself, breaking down on the stand, sobbing that she just wanted her mommy back. The camera panned to the creatures sitting on the defendant side, all crying and wiping their eyes. The collective sway of guilt affected almost everyone who watched, public support of the monsters going up.

Eventually the court ruled Frisk could live with the monsters, but only with social services checking on her from time to time.

The other trial ended with a sort of immigrant deal. They could integrate into society but certain rules were to be put in place.

"Are you kidding? We have Syrian refugees getting refused but these things get allowed be part of our society? Send them to Syria!"

"What if one with claws and teeth gets on a plane and attacks people?! How is that any different from a terrorist?!"

"Oh, really? Then I suppose a woman with a long manicure shouldn't get on a plane either? Or anyone with teeth."

The argument on the panel continued, to idiotic levels.

"What if an alien ship landed on Earth and the aliens just demanded to be part of our society? We wouldn't allow that. And yet, we just open our arms to these creatures!"

"They are sentient beings, that has been proved!"

"I've seen no concrete proof they are on par with us."

"With us? Like we're gods or something? Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me."

"MY arrogance?"

I sighed and changed the channel. "Hello and welcome back to The Situation Room. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Carly, this just keeps being the subject that dominates our airwaves. Should these...monsters be allowed to fully be a part of our world?"

I imagined Ariel singing on her rock with a snicker.

Wolf paused with a slight chuckle. "Monsters. Is there any other word we can all them?"

The female reporter shrugged. "They call themselves that, Wolf." They both chuckled in disbelief. "I know. I feel like I'm on Sesame Street with Elmo and Oscar."

I laughed at that. It did kinda feel like it. I turned off the T.V with a heavy sigh, running a hand through my too long bangs. Things weren't dying down in the discussion due to an incident a few years back.

The thing humans had been fearing came true when a vid surfaced of a group of teens playing basketball. What appeared to be a tall skeleton in red approached them, supposedly asking to play. The teens allowed it but the taller monster kept dominating them on the court and eventually, accidentally, knocked down one of the teens. Immediately the human children turned on it, throwing the ball at it, hitting it. It soon turned into punches being thrown, the skeleton refusing to fight back. The vid lasted about a minute like this until all the boys were enveloped in a blue light and knocked back to the other side of the court. The camera shook and a smaller skeleton in blue came onto the screen, blue fire bouncing off its' outstretched hand, the boys being tossed in the air and thrown to the ground. The taller one stopped the smaller one and both monsters ran away.

I recognized them both from the Frisk trial; both of the skeletons had testified. The tall one barely making it through, talking through tears and sniffling (which I wondered how it could do that with no nose), and the smaller one in blue who seemed cool and not as affected but paused a few times to compose himself.

Yes, they were both males, I think. Not it...not things...men. People. With feelings. Obviously they cared for each other and the smaller one protecting the taller one showed that.

"This magic they claim to posses is dangerous! Look what that thing did to those children!" Yes, the teens were minors so for all intents and purposes, the monster had attacked defenseless children.

"Oh, please, this is no different than people running around with guns. They have a right to defend themselves!"

"Humans have that right. They do not."

President Obama put an end to all the debate with a speech - well, many speeches on the subject. He made a bill where it would be illegal to hurt the creatures and in turn, them to hurt humans. Both sides would be charged as normal. "If we are a land of freedom, like we proclaim to be, then we should act like it. We have other countries opening their arms to...uh, these people."

True. Africa had extended an invitation. South America, Mexico, Ireland, even Iran was interested, yet America was having this many problems deciding what to do. That being said Putin laughed when he was asked and said flippantly, "If the Americans want them, they can have them. We certainly won't be taking them."

Obama continued. "We need to learn from our mistakes of the past. Mistakes and crimes that were committed to my ancestors. Do we really need segregation and bigotry ruling our country again?"

It was true after all. That was exactly where this was going, and in some places, that is where it was. Certain businesses didn't allow monsters to enter. Certain companies didn't hire them. But slowly, through the years, a tolerance built up. Not a happy one, but not an angry one either. It was just normal now.

Some communities accepted them openly. Not surprisingly, minority groups and the LGBT were most accepting. They knew what it was like to be different and ostracized for it. "Next they'll be human/monster relationships and they'll want to get married," I remember one disgusting panelist yell. Which started a LGBT backlash on social media. The man never apologized but he changed his job.

There were segregated planes so humans would be more comfortable. Humans still flew the monster planes (of course monsters can't go to flight school), but there would be monster attendants for the monster passengers. Passports were more difficult for monsters to get, but they were allowed to travel to countries that allowed it. Monster ran businesses started popping up, along with products in stores. Monster only schools and clinics. It was disgusting, but progress was always slow and things were changing as best they could.

I looked in my makeup mirror at the bags under my eyes. Damn my Italian heritage, making me age much faster than I am. I'm only twenty seven and I already looked thirty five under the eyes. Of course, most of these dark circles and early wrinkles could be blamed on my career...

Becoming a doctor was never easy for anyone. After getting my bachelor's degree in science, taking chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry, I started medical school.

Medical school lasted four years. The first two were classes like anatomy, physiology, and many others. The second two years were rotations. I went around to all the different areas of medicine and spent about a month in each.

Now I'm a resident. I specialized in general medicine and want to be a general practitioner; a family doctor. Residencies usually last 3-7 years depending on what you want to do, so I'm in for the long haul.

Especially since I've changed my residency from human medicine to monster medicine. There was a shortage in monster doctors due to them not being allowed in human medical schools, and I feel if the world is going to change, I could help it along. Changes were made in small steps and I might as well do it. I had to retake some classes to learn monster anatomy and the more I learned, the more fascinated I became by it.

All monsters were different. Some were flesh and blood and some weren't, like that internet famous robot one, Mettaton, who had gained massive recognition in Japan. But it was explained to me that monsters instead had souls, which controlled their entire being. It seems silly for a woman of science to be taught things like magic and souls but it kinda made sense in a weird way. I'd been taught by a monster teacher and it was just me and four others in the class, which was sad beyond all reason. Even sadder, in the end, I was the only one to graduate the class.

Now here I am, having a residency in a monster clinic. I'm excited to start this new page of my life and hoped it was the right choice. It felt right, but my friends and family ridiculing me and some cutting off contact because of my choice made it more difficult, as if it wasn't hard enough.

And on top of that...the clinic I work at has no humans; I'm the only one. I expected to be singled out, treated badly, but much to my surprise the monsters were more than welcoming. My species had treated them all so terribly but they were nothing but kind and gentle. It made my heart warm that I was trying to help them out with medicine, and with that I knew I'd made the right choice.

The best one was Doctor Alphys, who was my teacher now, showing me all the things I'd need to know. "Miss Moretti? Are you listening?" A pause. "Nicoletta?"

I put down my anatomy book, that I wasn't really wasn't paying attention to, and looked up at the almost triceratops monster in glasses. "Yeah? I'm sorry, Doctor. I got lost in thought."

Alphys giggled and I couldn't help but think it was cute. "I told you call me Alphys. No need to be so f-formal."

I smiled. "Yet, you call me Miss Moretti and Nicoletta. I told you, it's Niki."

The monster smiled back. "A-Alright. So...um...your break is over. We have to make rounds."

I sighed and got up from the couch. Thank God the T.V. was off so Alphys couldn't see the awful debates happening on the news, although I'm sure the monsters saw them all the time.

Alphys was slowly becoming a good friend. The dinosaur was a nerd just like me, and I found myself geeking out with her. We'd discussed favorite animes and found we had a few in common. I even told Alphys of some the monster hadn't seen before.

"Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite, you should totally watch that." I'm always trying to get people to watch my ultimate fave. We also geeked out on popular television shows, the most recent one I got Alphys into was another favorite of mine, Once Upon a Time. It had long since been over but the fandom still remained online and of course I have all the DVDs.

"I so ship Captain Swan!" Alphys had giggled.

"No way, Rumbelle forever!" And we laughed together, laughed together as if there was no difference between us. There was no human or monster, just two women fangirling over ships.

Our friendship had blossomed into personal details, such as Alphys having a girlfriend and the two of them wanting to get married, or at least Alphys wanted to but wasn't sure Undyne, her partner, wanted to. "Why don't you propose to her?" I'd asked.

"W-What? Me? N-No, I couldn't! I just c-couldn't!" the poor monster girl stuttered, resulting in a hug and back pat.

It was really sweet how much Alphys gushed about Undyne and I found myself wishing I had someone to gush about...

"Niki? I asked you a question..."

I was snapped out of my thoughts again. "Huh?"

"I was asking i-if you'd like to j-join me and my friends for f-food and d-drinks?" Alphys was really too cute.

I smiled and thought about it. We hadn't socialized outside of work the six months I've been working at the clinic and honestly I was delighted at the idea. "I'd love to!" I beamed right at her.

Alphys shared the same expression, then blushed. "R-Really? Y-You mean it? Oh, great! That's...great. Heh...I can't wait to introduce you to all my f-friends."

I smiled and patted my superior on the back. It was funny how I'm the resident and Alphys the doctor, yet sometimes it seemed the other way around.

After work I got ready at home quickly, changing into a tank top, jeans and my favorite hoodie which had cat ears on the hood. Yeah, I'm a big ol' dork.

I drove to where Alphys had said, a place called Grillby's Lounge and walked in, seeing nothing but monsters. I kinda started to feel self conscious but that soon melted away when my friend beckoned me over. I joined Alphys and who I assumed was Undyne at a table.

Undyne was very pretty in a strange way. It was obvious the woman was a fish monster of some kind and I briefly was reminded of The Missing Link from Monsters VS Aliens. I giggled at that comparison.

But Undyne had flowing red hair, well defined muscles and not a bad figure either. The fish was dressed in a black tank top and jeans just like me. The only difference in our attire was my cat hoodie. "Nice to meet ya! Alphys keeps going on and on about you..." The monster stopped. "If I was a jealous person I might be suspicious she had a crush on you..."

Alphys turned beet red. "N-NO! Never! I w-would never-!"

"Shush. Calm down, sweetie. I know you wouldn't." And Undyne gave Alphys a small peck on the cheek, making the small monster even redder if possible.

Good grief, this is adorable.

A loud voice sounded through the joint, making me jump in my seat. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE ARRIVED!"

Undyne groaned into her hands and stood up, only to shout just as loud. "NO ONE CARES, YOU IDIOT! NOW GET OVER HERE!"

I looked over and gasped. It was the tall skeleton in red from the trial and video. I would recognize him anywhere. I hate to admit it, but I watched the trial with heavy interest and that video many times, too many times...

Papyrus came over to the table and looked me over. "Hello! And who are you?"

I cleared my throat nervously. "I'm Niki. Nice to meet you." The skeleton eyed the other two monsters questionably.

"She works with me at the clinic," Alphys explained.

"Oh! How wonderful! I'm glad you are comfortable with dining with us, human."

That stung a little but I shrugged it off. "Why wouldn't I be?" That made all monsters at the table smile.

"Where's Sans?" Undyne asked.

Papyrus sighed dramatically. "That lazybones brother of mine is late again! I swear, all he does is sleep."

"Well, ever since...t-that...happened...he has b-been a little down...I'm worried, Pap," Alphys' voice trembled.

Were they talking about the small one in blue?

"Worried about what?"

I jumped again at the low toned voice behind me, a drastic contrast to the higher pitch of Papyrus. I recognized their voices from the trial, though Papyrus had been crying most of his testimony...

I turned and sure enough, there he was. He was short, maybe five feet, but for my towering frame of four foot eleven, that wasn't so bad. I hate being so short, but my heels give me at least five feet to five foot one.

He was dressed in a white tee shirt, blue hoodie with fur around the collar, black shorts with white stripes down the sides and...pink slippers? I had to hold in a giggle at that. What on Earth?

He had a big grin on his skeleton face and that's when I realized these two could made facial expressions. How could they do that when they were made of bone? Or were they?

His gaze locked onto mine and I gulped as his smile fell away, the points of light in his eye sockets fading. "Who is this?"

The dark tone he used sent a chill up my spine along with the image of him effortlessly throwing those boys around. What have I gotten myself into?

~To Be Continued

A/N: In which Alphys is a plot device to get OC to meet Sans. Urg. I tried to make this as realistic as possible with how I think our world would react to this without getting too real and ridiculous. I hope I did a good job. Also this will be romance doy and it is M for a reason, folks. All you bonezoners will be happy later. But first lots of story and plot and junk. This is my first try at Undertale and the first real thing I've written in six months so I'm a little rusty. Please go easy on me?

Nah, let it rip with constructive critisim! Let me have it! -battle box opens and Megalovania plays- I'm ready for ya! -opens items with endless hotcats and nice creams-

P.S: I totally added my fandoms I write for in here. YYH and OUAT ftw!