AN: This story is going to be rather sad in the beginning but I promise there will be a happy ending. If you've read any of my other fics you know how I work :) Anyway, I was super inspired with this chapter so I hope that you all enjoy it. This is my first post, true pacifist route fic that actually takes place on the surface so I had to figure out how to work with that. I hope you don't mind that I pretty much skipped over the integration by having the humans be nice... I just wanted to get straight into this story. The beginning has a lot of explanation going on but it was necessary to explain what has happened in the two years since they made it to the surface. Don't forget to let me know what you think, it keeps me motivated to write ;)

This story was requested by: SansFan4... I hope it meets their standards :)

Disclaimer: Toby Fox will forever own the rights to Undertale.

It had been nearly two years since the barrier was broken and the monsters ascended to the surface. In the beginning many monsters had been worried about how the humans would react but they were pleasantly surprised to find that most of their former enemies welcomed them back with open arms. Sure there would always be some that held a prejudice against the monster race... but they were far outnumbered by the ones who supported them. The integration they feared would take many long years was nearly non-existent and they were able to get IDs, find jobs, and buy houses with no problems. Things seemed to be looking up for everyone, even a certain hoodie wearing skeleton from Snowdin.

Out of all the monsters it was clear that Sans was the one who'd had the hardest time adjusting. No matter what he'd did the things he'd been witness to just wouldn't leave him alone. The memories resurfaced during the night and sometimes the smallest things would trigger him to have a flashback. His older brother and friends didn't understand what was wrong, how could they when he refused to speak to them of his troubles? Instead, the comedian chose to hide his pain behind a mask made of puns and fake smiles... yet the only one he was fooling was himself. They were all able to see the anguish that was eating away at him but without knowing the cause there was nothing they could do to help. So the older monsters waited patiently for the day their friend would finally feel comfortable enough to approach them with is troubles and, in the mean time, they did their best to offer him support.

When nearly a year had passed without any improvement Frisk decided that it was time to take the initiative. If Sans refused to tell the others about what had happened with the resets, then she would... even if she had to reveal he own crimes in the process. The small child had managed to gather their closest friends and family together for a movie night at her house. She'd even managed to manipulate the seating arrangements so that the hoodie clad monster was pinned between Papyrus and Undyne on the couch... ensuring he couldn't escape. Frisk knew that Sans had been unable to teleport for awhile now, his magic reserves had dropped dangerously low in the last few months. It was one of the reasons she'd decided to go through with this plan. If things kept up the way they were then it was very likely that her best friend would fall down.

Frisk had anticipated Sans trying to run, what she hadn't anticipated was the way he'd completely broken down when he realized he couldn't. She'd never seen her friend so upset. Even during the numerous genocide loops he'd seemed more angry than sad when he'd confronted Chara after learning what had befallen his loved ones. But now the perpetual smile was gone and in it's place was a seemingly endless stream of tears as the youngest skeleton apologized over and over for not being able to save them during those horrific timelines. No one knew what to do as they sat there, watching their punny friend cry himself to sleep in his brothers arms. It was as if every drop of happiness they possessed had leaked out of them with each tear that had fallen.

The next morning Frisk had found Sans sitting outside on the lawn, watching the sunrise with a distant expression on his face. Right then and there she had promised him there would be no more resets. The child had projected all of the determination she contained within her small body into her words, hoping to convince the slightly taller being of her sincerity and in return, she was gifted with the most genuine smile he'd given her since the very first reset. That had been nearly a year ago now and, with time, Sans had slowly begun to heal.

"Hey, bro, I'm heading out." The comedian called as he entered the kitchen where the other skeleton was busy preparing supper. "I'll be back later, okay?"

"WHAT ABOUT THE RULES I ASKED YOU TO FOLLOW? SANS, YOU KNOW THEY ARE THERE FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!" Papyrus declared unwaveringly, hands resting on his hips as he stared down his the younger monster.

During the last year Papyrus had become extremely protective of his baby brother. It had taken weeks just for his friends to convince him to let the other male leave the house without supervision but as Sans' anxiety lessened so did Pap's reason to babysit him. Now he was allowed out on his own as long as he followed a strict set of rules.

1. He had to tell Papyrus where he was going.

2. He had to say exactly when he'd be home and make sure he was there by the appointed time.

3. If, for any reason, his plans happened to change he was to call the older monster immediately and let him know.

"Come on Pappy..." The jokester protested, eyes looking pleadingly up at the taller monster. "The nightmares only come about once a week, I haven't had a flashback for almost a month, I'm even able to talk about the timelines without crying or having my magic act up. Don't you think it's about time that I was allowed some freedom?"

He knew it was a cheep shot. Monster kind had been locked away for so long that any mention of captivity made them instantly uneasy. Thus, it was no surprise when the scarf wearing skeleton looked away, guilt etched on his face.

"Very well," The spaghetti lover relinquished, worry shining in his eyes. "But if anything happens I swear I will never let you out of my sight again!"

"You got it, bro!" Sans exclaimed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he headed toward the door. "I'll see ya tonight."

"Goodbye Sans..." Papyrus began only to trail off when he noticed his brother was already gone. "Please be safe."

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Sans drove his motorcycle to his favorite spot in Ebott city... an old, overgrown park that people rarely visited nowadays. It was the perfect place to go when he felt like being alone. It's true that he could have just teleported there, his magic had risen significantly since the kid had pulled their little stunt, but he liked feeling the wind whipping against him as he drove. It felt nice... it felt free. That's what he liked about this park, it was wild and untamed, flourishing untouched in the middle of a bustling city. Pulling off to the side of the crumbling road that wound through the area, Sans dismounted and placed his helmet on the seat of his ride.

"Wow, it's such a nice day." He said to himself as he walked along his usually path toward the middle of the park where a small fountain resided. "I can't believe it's already fall, time sure flies... though I am looking forward to seeing the snow again. I wasn't really in the mood to enjoy it last year."

As he reached his destination the slipper wearing monster took a seat on the marble barrier, watching as droplets of water rained down inches away from where he sat. Reaching into his hoodie, the jokester pulled out his journal and flipped it open to an empty page. He had started keeping one at Toriel's insistence. The queen had explained that it would help him deal with the trauma he'd endured and implored him to, at the very least, give it a try. So even though he wasn't sure he believed it would work, Sans had complied in order to appease her. A few weeks later he was faithfully writing in his journal every day.

'October 10, 2016...'

He wrote, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

'Hmm, I don't really have much to record today. No nightmares last night... that's good. Papyrus finally let me go out on my own today without using the rules! I know he means well but my bro can be kind of suffocating at times. It's weird though, I'm so used to him hovering now that I've started to get nervous when I'm alone. I'm sure I'll get over that soon though. Maybe Pap will even let me go back to selling hotdogs since I'm mostly better. That reminds me, I really need to remember to thank Frisk sometime, after all... she's kept her promise.'

With that taken care of the short skeleton returned the book to his jacket and stared into the water, thinking back to the times when he'd sit on the bench in his secret alcove of waterfall. Back then that had been his place of solitude, similar to how this park now was. But the major difference is that he wasn't sitting here with tears running down his face as he blamed himself for letting his friends die for the countless time. No, Sans was here with the knowledge that the others were safe, alive, and they would remain so as long as the kid upheld their promise... and so far she'd given him no reason to doubt her.

After a while the stocky skeleton rose to his feet and made his way back to his vehicle. He'd lost track of time as he was daydreaming and now it was nearly dusk. If he didn't get home soon his big brother was likely to assemble a search party. Securing his helmet on his head, he mounted his ride and started the engine. Sans was just pulling out of the drive when a car sped forward out of nowhere, colliding with the front section of his motorcycle and sending it spinning out of control. The twenty-four year old held on as best he could, panic causing his eye to light up blue as he summoned his magic. However, he was unable to teleport in time and his head bounced off the ground as he impacted the pavement. He lay there, feet away from the smoking wreckage that had been his bike, pain coursing through his body as he watched the offending vehicle speed away into the distance.

"Hey, are you okay?" A middle aged human cried, rushing forward as he directed someone else to call for an ambulance. "Where does it hurt?"

Something warm and sticky was covering the side of Sans' face and he shifting in order to bring his left hand up to his head, cautiously removing the dented helmet with an unsteady grip. Gasping in pain the former judge attempted to sit up but was held in place by the humans gentle grip on his shoulder.

"No, don't try to move. That could cause more damage." The man explained, doing his best to spot any injuries in the fading light.

He winced as he saw a dark trail of blood leaking from the large crack on the short skeleton's skull. Upon further observation he noticed what looked like a broken leg as well. Those were the only injuries visible to the naked eye but it was painfully clear that if the wounded monster hadn't taken the proper precautions for riding his motorcycle he would have been killed on impact.

"Can you tell me your name? Should I contact anyone for you?" The witness asked, doing his best to remain calm so he wouldn't cause the other being any unnecessary stress.

Sans stared up at the person above him, thoughts sluggish as he tried to comprehend what the guy had said. After several moments realization dawned as the comedian's mind cleared slightly.

"I'm S...Sans." He said, breathlessly, shivers wracking his small frame as the cold settled into his bones. "C...can you call my br...brother, p...please?"

"Nice to meet you Sans. My name is Matthew. Don't worry, help's on the way." The human said as he quickly removed his coat and carefully spread it over the trembling monster's body, trying to keep the shock at bay as he noticed the injured male's eyes slowly begin to close. "Come on, stay with me! I'll make sure to contact your brother but you have to stay awake. Can you do that for me?"

"I c...can try." The pun lover declared after a short silence, teeth clenched as he tried to hold back his tears.

Everything hurt so bad. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wait for his big brother to come and tell him that it would be okay.

"That's good... just do your best." The person soothed, taking out his phone. "Can you tell me his number?"

The hoodie clad monster spoke the number for his brothers cell, eyes growing heavier by the second as he did his best to follow the man's instructions. He watched as Matthew called the number he'd given him, hope filling his soul as he heard Pap's voice only for it to be dashed moments later when it turned out to be the answering machine. Every single time he'd been scared or upset during this past year, every time he'd needed someone to lean on, Papyrus had always been there for him. But now he was one his own... scared and hurt... and his brother wasn't coming. That thought made the tears he'd held back for so long spring to the surface.

Hanging up the phone, Matthew turned his attention back to Sans... heart clenching as he took in the tears streaming down the small monster's face. It was easy to see the fear lingering in the skeleton's eyes as he softly ran a hand over the younger male's arm, trying to soothe him as he did his own son whenever he was upset. The man was glad when he felt the other being slowly relax, the action seeming to have served it's purpose. This continued for a few seconds more before his wife rushed over and declared that the medical team was on it's way.

"You poor dear. " She said, tears filling her kind eyes as a whimper escaped the weary monster. "Shh, it's alright, you'll be safe soon."

Sans hadn't even noticed that a second human had joined the first until she began tenderly wiping the blood off of his face with a napkin. Once finished, the woman lightly clasped one of his hands between her own, rubbing circles on the bone with her thumb.

"Th...thanks." The jokester said, voice barely above a whisper as he blinked up at the couple above him listlessly.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart." The female replied, giving the hand she was holding a gentle squeeze. "My name's Jeanie, I heard you say that yours was Sans?"

He nodded, almost imperceptibly, but stopped immediately when it felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to his head.

"I also happened to overhear that you have a brother. I have an older sister myself." She revealed, doing her best to keep the skeleton alert. "What's your sibling like? Mine was rather protective when we were younger, worse than my parents if you'll believe it, she even tried to chase off Matthew when we first started dating."

Sans chuckled lowly, amazed by the resemblance the female human's sister shared with Papyrus.

"Trust me, it's not very funny when you're the one being chased off with a broom." Matthew added, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment which only caused Sans to chuckle more before a spike of pain shot through his body, cutting it off.

A couple minutes passed by as they waited for Sans to get his breath back. Once he had the female spoke again, anxiety showing in her posture yet she refused to let it enter her voice.

"You never answered my question, what's he like... your brother?" Jeanie offered a fond smile, still holding the smaller beings hand as she patiently awaited the slippered monster's response.

He smiled as he quietly told the humans of his amazing older bro, glad to have a distraction from his suffering. The three stayed there, talking about everything and nothing as they waited for the medics to arrive, but soon the effort grew too much for the wounded skeleton and he fell silent. Each breath the former judge drew shook in his chest, seeming to intensify the pain, and he was so very dizzy. It felt as if he was back on his motorcycle spinning out of control, though he knew he was still lying prone on the ground.

"Sans? Sans!?" Jeanie called, noticing that he'd grown very pale since they'd last gotten him to talk... well paler than he already was considering that he's a skeleton.

"Is he going to be okay, Matt?" The woman asked when she failed to get a response from the smaller being, worriedly biting her lip as she rubbed some dirt off the skeleton's tear stained face.

The other human glanced down at the monster they'd been doing their best to help, a sigh escaping his lips as he noticed the exhaustion filling the small skeleton's eye sockets. He wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"I don't know, Jeanie." Her husband spoke at last, unwilling to give false hope to the woman he loved.

As they continued to wait, the apprehension Matthew felt grew stronger with every second help failed to arrive. Sans had been taking longer and longer to respond to their stimuli and a blank stare had stolen over the shorter male's face a few minutes earlier. With nothing more he could do, the man took hold of his wife's hand and turned his eyes to watch for any approaching vehicles.

Sans' breaths had grown shallow as the minutes passed and his eyes fluttered closed. To him, it seemed as if an eternity had passed... in reality it had been all of six minutes. By now the city noise had faded into a soft echo, making every sound seem as if it were coming from far away and somehow he could tell that it wouldn't be long before he lost the battle with sleep. As the ambulance sirens rang out in the distance his last conscious thought was of Papyrus and he couldn't help the small smile that found it's way onto his face... his bro was never gonna let him out of his sight again. As the flashing lights drew closer Sans felt himself let go, the pain and fear disappearing as he succumbed to the welcoming darkness that awaited him.

An: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this! I'm planning on updating this whenever I have time between working on Adopted Promise and Doubtful Belief. Please let me know what you think! Review really make my day :)