A/N: Thanks you so much to those of you who reviewed the first chapter! I appreciate the support very much. If you enjoyed this story, and are sad it's only two parts, don't worry! I have plans for a few more installments into this crossover universe. I hope you will be looking forward to it as much as I am!

For a good minute, no one reacted. Sam's grip on the Trickster was loosening rapidly, but he remained stock still in place against the fence, staring dumbfounded at the skeleton and the child standing across from them. Dean looked between them, unsure of how much they were in on that he wasn't privy too.

The Trickster sputtered a response. "You- you're just a monster. How did you get here?"

"like we'd let a little thing like a time loop stop us, right kid?" He said, and the child, who still looked as if they were in bitter pain, gave a slight nod in agreement.

"that's very rude, by the way. what you've been doing." The skeleton said. It was a mild response said with a wide grin still firmly in place, but it somehow sounded like a threat when he said it. "this time loop business has really been putting a damper on my future plans. we were gonna see a movie this friday, weren't we?"

He turned to the child, who stared back, unamused.

"and come to find out, this is all so you can torture this poor kid by killing his brother? not cool."

The Trickster was silent for a moment before barking out a harsh laugh. Sam felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to the Trickster just in time to feel a force beyond what a regular human was capable of shove him into the pavement a few yards away from where he previously stood. He sat up to see Dean in a similar predicament on the other side of the Trickster. He was smiling that condescending smile again as he approached the skeleton and child.

"Oh, I see. You're Sans, aren't you? I'm a huge fan. You actually inspired me to get into comedy." The Trickster said, and Sam was starting to think the skeleton, Sans, was incapable of frowning, because he grinned on, but the lights of his eye sockets looked like they wanted to scowl instead.

"that's funny, seeing as i don't find you very humerus," Sans said, his tone biting.

The Trickster laughed again, just as harsh as before. "I don't mean your routine, Sans, God no. I mean what happened to you. In the Underground."

Sans stiffened, the lights of his eyes disappearing, leaving his sockets black and all the more dangerous looking. Sam thought about what the Trickster could mean by that. He recalled the news of monsters emerging from Mount Ebott, settling at the foot of the mountain. Given the international press it was receiving, few hunters wanted to touch the place for fear of the kind of publicity they might get. But what could have possibly happened Underground to make the Trickster say that? It had to have been a peaceful place for monsters to settle aboveground like regular people might. The child beside Sans backed a few steps away.

"heh. you don't know a thing about what happened to me."

"Oh, but I do. I know every detail about every reset. Even the bad ones. Every time you had to watch Papyrus cut down all because you were too weak to stop a child-"

"i made someone a promise," Sans choked out. His hands were still in his pockets but even through the fabric Sam could see they were shaking. The way the Trickster had said the name, on top of how Sans reacted to Sam's situation, Sam could only conclude that Papyrus was a relative, and most likely a brother, at that. Sam was torn. He felt sympathy for what Sans went through, but also anger knowing it was exactly that which had inspired the Trickster to do the same to him. He felt plain disgust at himself for even having that thought, though it didn't change the fact that the emotion was there.

"Always making excuses, Sans," The Trickster said. They were almost nose to nose ridge now, or would be if the skeleton weren't so short. "Why don't you just admit that you were too weak and lazy to do anything about it? We both know that between the two of you, Papyrus is the strong one. Why even bother trying to avenge him, right? If he couldn't win, you didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell."

Sans didn't respond. The Tricksters cocksure smile grew in triumph, and out of the corner of his eye, Sam could see Dean scramble to his feet. He patted the ground blindly until his fingers curled around the stake and followed suit. When they were both on their feet, Sans finally spoke.

"yeah. you got me. knowing that no matter what i do… it'll just be reset? makes it hard to give it my all." The skeleton said, eye sockets closed. "really made it hard to give it my all this time too. but frisk was insistent. weren't ya, frisk?"

Dean, who had been creeping up behind the Trickster paused to look at the child, who was standing a few feet back from Sans now. They blinked in shock at being addressed. A look of guilt flashed across their face, and they averted their gaze back to the ground. Sans continued, never looking back at Frisk to confirm that they had heard him, or that they were even still present. "and you're right, paps is stronger. he's the strongest guy i know. but me?"

The tension in the air was palpable as the skeleton paused. The Trickster tensed, unsure what to expect, and both hunters did as well. Frisk hadn't moved since Sans spoke directly to them, but the look on their face suggested they knew what was coming.

Suddenly, Sans opened his eye sockets, his left eye blazing brilliant cyan and yellow hues that licked the edges of his socket and mixed into bright, coppery green. There was an audible pinging sound. In the next moment the skeleton was pulling his hand free from his pocket, throwing it into the air, and the Trickster was sent flying back into the fence, Dean barely having time to leap out of the way.

"i still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Sam wasn't sure what he was expecting from monsterkind, but that was not very high on the list of possibilities. The Trickster struggled against an unknown force that pinned him to the fence, iron arrowheads impaled into his back, and as he did Sans's eye flashed. There was a soft rumbling, followed by the pavement cracking, splitting apart as a row of bones emerged, headed straight for the Trickster. If Sans was the weak one, he'd hate to see how strong this Papyrus was. The Trickster was left a bloody, gory mess from the bones that crushed him further against the fence, and as the last of them disappeared in a cloud of blue sparks, Sam rushed forward, ready to plunge the stake into the Trickster's chest and put a stop to him for good, but in the next moment he was blinking awake in bed as Heat of the Moment filtered through the speakers of the alarm clock once more.

He jolted upright, startling Dean out of his usual Tuesday morning routine, and threw his covers aside. "We need to go, now."

Sam did his best to catch Dean up on the situation as he dressed and threw his sparse belongings into his duffle. With Sans's intervention this might be his last chance to stop the Trickster for good, and as grateful as he would feel if he was free from this time loop, he couldn't let the Trickster go unpunished. The brothers were packed and stakes retrieved in record time, leaving them to head out to the diner once more, hoping the Trickster might still be there. Dean stiffened beside him as they arrived, but Sam was unsurprised to see a stocky skeleton leaning against the building casually, hands in pockets and child beside him, the same worry from before still on their face.

"your little friend didn't show today," Sans said, opening one eye socket to look at the brothers. Dean wrinkled his nose in undisguised revulsion. Sam put a hand on his arm, holding him back from whatever it was he was thinking about doing to the monster before them.

"that expression…" Sans commented, staring directly at Dean with an unreadable grin. "that's the expression of someone completely out of the loop. didn't sam tell you i'd be here?"

"I… didn't know what to say," Sam admitted, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "I wasn't sure you'd come back. How did you even get here in the first place?"

"i know a shortcut," Sans said simply, and stuck a bony hand out to the brothers. "name's sans. sans the skeleton. and that there is frisk."

Dean grimaced at the offered hand and made no effort to take it, still suspicious of the skeleton, so Sam stepped forward instead. As soon as the skeleton's hand was in his grasp he realized his mistake. A loud fart ripped through the air, and the brothers froze in place. Sans's grin grew wider, but Frisk's face in turn fell into a scowl. The child put one hand on their hip and used the other to whack Sans in the shoulder, giving him a pointed glare that he just shrugged at. "heh, sorry kid. couldn't resist. thought the mood could use a little lightening. that joke just never gets old."

The prank made Sam feel a tinge of pain, reminded all too much of the Trickster, but Sans was on their side. As far as being the butt of a joke goes, it was as harmless as the prank wars Sam and Dean used to find themselves in years ago. He gave a shaky smile to the odd pair, and beside him could see Dean had perked up a bit as well.

"Dean," he grunted out, trying to hide his slight amusement with the skeleton. Sam would've been grateful he was out of murder mode if not for the circumstances of their meeting. "And this is my brother, Sam."

"good to meet you. so what'd you two do to piss a trickster off, anyway?" Sans asked, and Sam shifted uncomfortably at the question.

"We killed him. At least we thought we did. It's just coincidence that we're both here now. We didn't know when we picked this gig up that he'd be the one behind it." Sam paused here, then asked, "How do you know about the loop when nobody else does?"

Sans glanced at his companion, a silent conversation passing between them before he turned back to the brothers. "we've got some experience with resets. what do you mean by gig? you regularly go looking for trouble with tricksters?"

"Tricksters, werewolves, vampires. You name it, we kill it," Dean said, giving Sans a pointed look. Sans put his hands up, chuckling darkly at the thinly veiled threat.

"hey, i don't like this trickster fella any more than you do. no need to go putting me in the same category as him."

There was the pained look on the child's face again, and Sam was quick to change the subject, for their sake. "You said you have experience with resets. Experience how?"

"personal experience," Sans answered cryptically. "why don't we focus on the issue at hand: catching that trickster. i've had about enough of tuesday."

Sam huffed a laugh and said, "You and me both."

"You're all still here?"

The four turned to the newcomer, the Trickster they were in search of. He cocked a brow at them, incredulousness written all over his face. "Did you really think I'd still come here after the last time?"

"uh, hate to break it to you, buddy," Sans said, his tone taking on the same incredulousness, "but we were right."

The Trickster rolled his eyes in response. "I couldn't resist seeing if you knuckleheads would be dumb enough to check for me in the same diner I've been at hundreds of times before you finally managed to figure out what was going on. Did you think you'd find me eating breakfast in there like nothing changed-"

Before the Trickster could monologue further there was a pinging sound, and Sans's eye was lit ablaze like before. The god was dragged forward by that unseen force again, then thrown hard against the ground. "a hundred and forty-three times, actually. but who's keeping track?"

Sam and Dean both had their stakes at the ready, but the Trickster had enough mobility to fling the group away himself. Sam skidded across the pavement painfully, and beside him Frisk's head made contact with the ground. Dean landed a ways from them, with Sans on top of him. His brother didn't hesitate to shove the skeleton off.

"That's a cute trick you got there, Sans, but it's hardly unique," The Trickster said, and Sam turned to see he was already to his feet, albeit struggling against the force that threw him to the ground in the first place. The skeleton, who was now sitting up, just shrugged in response.

"For someone who always gives up, you sure don't know when to quit." The Trickster took a few steps closer, and Sam was quick to stand, Dean following suit. Frisk moved closer to Sans, glaring at the Trickster as he approached. "I'm not surprised you'd find yourself in the company of Winchesters. I'd watch my back if I were you. They have a way of getting their allies killed."

Sans's eye sockets narrowed at the Trickster, and Frisk continued to glare. Sam wondered if they were considering what the Trickster had to say seriously, or if they would see through the distraction it was. He tried to ignore the part of himself telling him it was true. That wasn't important right now. The Trickster's attention seemed focused on the monster on the ground in front of him, and Sam saw his opportunity. He crept forward, just out of the trickster's sightline, holding his stake at the ready, listening to Sans's response.

"yeah? they're in good company then."

The Trickster laughed, and Sam stepped closer. "That's right. You and Frisk have a rocky relationship yourself, don't you?"

"rock climbing's a great team building exercise, i hear. not real big on exercise though."

Sam took another step. "Oh, don't try and deflect, Sans."

"what makes you think i'm deflecting?"

Another step. "What else do you call an answer like that?"

"i'd call it a distraction."

Sam was right on top of the Trickster now, and as the god turned to see what Sans was talking about, Sam plunged the stake deep into his chest.

"now how's about you leave these poor kids alone and let us all get back to our lives, capiche?"

"There's a lesson in all of this, Sans," The Trickster said, staring Sam right in the eyes. "It was meant to be Sam's, but maybe you could learn something from it too."

The next thing Sam knew he was waking up in his bed at the motel, Back in Time playing on the radio.

xxx

Sans blinked and found himself back in his bed at home. Another reset. If working on his equipment tired him out, this was even worse. How long could they keep this routine up? It was only a matter of time before he ran out of surprises for the Trickster, assuming he even showed this time. Was there even a point in trying this time?

His phone rang on his bedside table and he groaned. It hadn't even been a full five minutes, and Frisk was already calling? He supposed they must be impatient to get back to it. The way the Trickster came after them specifically must have rattle them like it had him. On the fourth ring he finally reached over and dragged his phone off the table, answering it. "yeah?"

"Sans. It's Wednesday."

He blinked again and pulled his phone away from his skull to check the screen. Wednesday. Not Tuesday. If he hadn't already been grinning, he certainly would be now. From downstairs he heard Papyrus calling him. "heh. we gotta celebrate. you got any breakfast plans?"

Frisk told him no, and he took a shortcut out of his bedroom door to theirs, then from their bedroom door to his front door, opening it to Papyrus shouting upstairs for him to get his lazy tailbone out of bed.

"hey paps. you make breakfast yet?"

"WELL BROTHER, I WAS PLANNING ON IT, THOUGH I HAVEN'T STARTED JUST YET. QUITE FORTUITOUS SINCE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME FRISK WOULD BE JOINING US. WHY DO YOU ASK?"

"i was thinking we could do something different. nice cream for breakfast. to celebrate."

"AND WHAT WOULD WE BE CELEBRATING?"

"wednesday, obviously."

"I SUPPOSE I CAN'T ARGUE WITH THAT LOGIC."

The three walked to the corner where the nice cream guy was set up for the morning, Papyrus taking the lead and allowing Frisk and Sans to talk.

"you think we'll be seeing anymore of those guys?"

"Maybe. I don't think Dean liked you."

Sans smiled ruefully. "yeah, i got that feeling. wonder why we haven't heard of these hunters before now. you'd think they'd be all over us."

Frisk shrugged. "Before I fell, I didn't think vampires and werewolves and trickster gods were real. Maybe they just want to be a secret."

"probably be real hard to keep one if they're out killing a whole population of naturalized citizens."

"Yeah."

They reached the nice cream stand then, and discussion shifted to their tasty, if unhealthy, breakfast, and their favorite parts about Wednesday. Papyrus was just as suspicious of Sans's motives as he predicted, but he didn't care. He was glad to see his brother in one piece, and the lingering memories of distance timelines were pushed to the back of his mind so he could enjoy his company. Papyrus didn't mind Frisk's fawning the way he did Sans, but Sans understood the gesture for what it was; apology, a cry for redemption. And despite the fresh wound the Trickster's actions left, he thought he might be ready to give it to them.

xxx

"I remember the Trickster attacking, and I remember that weird ass skeleton. And then," Dean shrugged, at a loss. "waking up here."

"And nothing else?" Sam asked.

"Nothing else." Dean confirmed.

"Weird," Sam said. "Me too."

The two sat to the table in their motel room, empty breakfast sandwich wrappers and coffee cups on the surface between them. The rest of their possessions had already been packed the day before, but Sam was reluctant to pick up and go so quickly. He didn't want to get his hopes up. One hundred and forty-three resets? It hurt thinking about why Sans would know the precise number. It also hurt knowing exactly how long he'd been trapped in this loop. Knowing exactly how many times he'd watched his brother die. He wondered if Sans felt the same way he had after he'd finally been released from his loop. Supposed he must have with all the Trickster's talk of giving up.

"Surprised to see a monster in person," Dean said after a moment, vague distrust tinging his voice. "Didn't think they'd be leaving their little settlement so soon. Or be so far away. How'd they even get here, anyway?"

"Shortcut?" Sam supplied unhelpfully. "Hell if I know. There's a lot we don't know about the monsters from the underground. They're a whole new ballgame."

"Didn't Bobby check them out after they first came to the surface?" Dean asked, taking a sip from the gritty liquid that remained in his cup.

"Yeah. Maybe we should see what he knows," Sam took a sip of his own, grimacing at the texture. "What do you think Sans meant when he said they had experience with resets?"

"You think a Trickster messed with them before?"

"Maybe another monster."

"What about that kid with him?" Dean suggested, and Sam quirked a skeptical brow at him. "What? The skeleton kept talking like he was speaking for them both. Maybe the kid knows something. Maybe the kid's the one behind it!"

As crazy as it sounded… it also sounded plausible. Frisk was strange. Sam hadn't heard a word out of them the entire time they were together. Sans really did do all the talking, and what other reason would Frisk have for being present in the confrontation? They were a child, probably no older than ten. And didn't the Trickster say something about a child being involved in the resets?

Sam finished off the dregs of his coffee, setting the empty cup down beside his sandwich wrapper. "We should get out of here." He said.