Making Things Right Ch. 1 - Skeleton Boy meets Lizard Girl

A very popular teenage skeleton sat on the couch in the living room, cellphone in hand. “Yeah, I'll be there in a jiffy. Yeah.” A big snowball fight in the woods was brewing, and as the best shot in Snowdin, Sans most definitely wanted in on that action. “Yeah, I'm just waiting on Mrs. Drake to turn up. Said she'd take care of Pap while I'm out, so that's snow problem, right?” Sans' expression turned very grim. “N-no, I didn't steal that off anyone's act, shut up.”

Then, the lights flickered, and all electronics in the house, along with those in the rest of Snowdin, shut down for the sixth time that day. Sans sat in the darkness and waited for a few moments. Two, three. The lights then turned back on as the CORE came back to life, resurrecting the phone lines. Sans re-dialed Doggo's number. “Yeah, it's me again. Yup, another blackout. Oh, Pap's fine, even he's managed to get used to 'em. Mmhm. Mmhm.” Sans eyelids lowered. “Hey, the doc's doing his best, alright? Lay off, man.”

Sans heard a click and a creak as the front door opened. As if on cue, a tall, gangly skeletal man wearing a white lab coat over an old black two-piece suit dragged himself in, a large bright-red rucksack brimming with items of interest weighing heavily on his back. “Actually, hold that thought. He's making one of his famous surprise visits.”

The man in the coat was the royal scientist and CORE creator, Doctor Wingdin Gaster 'Just call me Gaster' Serif. Sans, still holding his phone, cupping a hand over the receiver, swung himself upright. “Back again for your legally mandated break, doc?”

The doctor, standing by the still-open door, turned his head to Sans, his almost catlike eyesockets half-closed. “Yes. Well. You know Asgore. Very troublesome, very...” As he trailed off, he removed the rucksack off his person, carefully placing it on the floor.

With a light chuckle, Sans stepped to the doctor, before noticing something amiss. Hiding behind the doctor was a little yellow reptilian monster, maybe half Sans's admittedly short height, wearing an even rattier small grey dress, with stripes so faded they were barely visible. The cracked pair of glasses on her snout seemed slightly too small, as well. She was shivering as she clung to the doctor's right hand as if for dear life. Sans would've raised an eyebrow, had he any, but his change in expression as he stared down this newcomer made the girl tug on the doctor's arm.

To this, the doctor responded by a sudden “Oh yes!” as his eyes shot open, his white pupils finally coming into view. “This is...!” He looked at Sans, then at the newcomer, then back at Sans, before crouching down until he was on the lizard's head level, placing a gloved hand on her head. “This is Sans. I've told you about him. Don't worry, he is very nice,” he explained. She nodded nervously, and looked upon Sans with wide eyes.

Climbing back to a full stance, towering over both of the other two monsters, the doctor walked next to Sans. “And this, Sans, this...” Sans watched the girl's head follow the doctor, a dopey smile on her face, her teeth clattering as she held her hands together on her stomach. Gaster suddenly placed his hand on Sans' shoulder, causing him to give a small yelp as he turned to face the doctor, who was beaming. “This is Alphys. She is, is, my new apprentice.”

Sans blinked, and responded with a quick “Huh!?” He quickly turned back to the lizard girl, apparently named Alphys, who recoiled back in response with a high-pitched hiccup. “Doctor, where did you even find this girl?”

Gaster, halfway on his way to the couch, nodded as he kept on his way. “Oh, from New Home, yes, New Home. Lucky coincidence.” He yawned through his nose. “For now, if you could, please welcome her in. She'll be living with us from now on.”

Some New Home city-slicker? By a lucky coincidence? Living with us!? “Are you serious!?” exclaimed Sans, shocked.

The doctor stopped for just a moment. “Huh, huh, huh...” Three very deep, dark chuckles that brought tingles down Sans' spine. “No, Sans.” The room went completely quiet as the doctor finally practically tripped over himself onto the couch, face first, clothes and all, head buried into a pillow, and gave two last words, in the most serious voice he could muster with what little strength he had left in his tired old body: “I'm dad.” Sans groaned pleadingly, but to no avail. The doctor was already snoring softly.

The doctor now completely incapacitated for the near foreseeable future, Sans, with a shaking hand, placed his phone back at his head. “Uh, sorry 'bout that, Doggo. Turns out I can't show up. Something came up. Yeah. Yeah, I know, sorry. See ya.” Sans returned his attention to the still-shivering girl in front of him that had succesfully wasted his entire evening. Tiny, beady eyes behind her glasses. Serious overbite. Awful posture. Smells like oil and garbage. Hasn't even said a word yet, like she thinks she's better than everybody else. How'd SHE get the doctor's attention, let alone become his new apprentice, as if one wasn't good enough? Something didn't add up here, thought Sans.

Sans sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Welp. Guess I'll be dealing with this, now,” he muttered, not even attempting to hide his annoyance, his permanent smile a sardonic one. The girl, who had by now grown very pale, continued to shiver as she stared down at the floor. The door behind her was still open, Snowdin Town plainly visible. “You mind at least closing the door?”

Alphys tensed up, before slowly turning her head to the door. “O-oh,” she managed to utter. “I-I'm s-sorry,” she continued, with a mild lisp and in a quiet, mousy voice. She placed her hand on the door, and slowly pushed it in place.

As the front door slammed shut, a door upstairs swung open. A shrill shout of “DAD, IS THAT YOU?” rang out across the house from a young skeleton boy with no indoor voice. Tiny, rapid footsteps could be heard as Sans' little brother ran down the stairs, wearing a red-and-blue striped shirt, a pair of blue shorts, and an excited grin that quickly vanished with an “OH...” when he noticed his father conked out on the sofa.

Sans couldn't help but smile at his younger brother. “Sorry, Pap. The doc needs his power naps.”

“BUT, SANS! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME HE CAME TO VISIT! AND THAT WAS OVER A WEEK AGO!” Papyrus stamped his foot in frustration.

Sans pat his brother's head. “Papyrus, as soon as they fix the CORE, he'll get to go on vacation, right? So let's just be patient.” Papyrus grumbled something in response. Sans figured he'd get over it. Pap is nothing if not hardy.

Then, Papyrus noticed the lizard girl quivering by the door. Before Sans had the opportunity to say anything to dissuade him, Pap had already shouted a hearty “HELLO!” before running up to her, taking her hand. “I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU BEFORE! I'M PAPYRUS! I'M SEVEN YEARS OLD! I LIVE AT DAD'S HOUSE!”

Alphys looked at the small smiling skeleton with shock, before she finally managed a genuine smile. “H-hello. I-I'm Alphys,” she said, her name coming out as 'Alfith' through her lisp. She swallowed. “I-I'm t-ten. A-and I l-live on-” She cut herself off, shaking her head, before continuing. “I live at N-New H-Home.”

Papyrus' already massive grin somehow grew even wider. “WOWIE! YOU'RE FROM THE CAPITAL!? THAT'S WAY NEATO!” Alphys sheepishly looked away, her free hand on her cheek. She was still shivering, her skin a pale yellow. “UM, ARE YOU COLD?” asked Papyrus, a worried expression on his face. Alphys' smile vanished, and she nodded. “YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID SO!” He ran up to the opposite wall, dragging Alphys along to the radiator, and sat her down, placing her hands on it. The sudden warmth made her body tingle. “IS THAT ANY BETTER? I DUNNO IF IT IS. I DON'T HAVE SKIN.”

Alphys stuttered something, before nodding. “Y-yeah. U-um, thank you.”

Sans inwardly cursed his brother's naiveté as Papyrus sat down next to the girl, smiling, before excitedly launching a barrage of questions. “UH, WHAT'S THE CAPITAL LIKE? IS IT COOL? HOW BIG IS YOUR HOUSE?”

Alphys' teeth continued to clatter, as she looked at the excited skeleton boy closing in on her face. As she tried to think of what to say, Sans walked up to her, standing between her and the wall. “Yeah, Alph. Why dontcha tell us a bit about yourself?”

Alphys inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “U-um. Y-yeah, it's a n-nice place. E-everyone's nice there. My house is...” She stopped, before wildly waving her hands. “R-REALLY big! A-and w-we have, um. W-we have...” She stopped again. Not much for conversation, this girl, thought Sans, but he had heard enough. Some rich girl from New Home, coming in thinking she's all that.

“And what didya do to, uh.” Sans waved his hand in the unconscious Gaster's direction. “Get the doc to make you apprentice? Because, I mean...” He pointed at himself with his thumb, closing his eyes, looking very smug. “He's already got one, right here.”

Alphys' spines perked up. “O-oh! Oh, um... Y-yeah, Mr. Serif told me a-about you." She crossed her fingers as she began to recite. “Um, Mr. Serif said t-that, uh, you're r-really smart! A-and talented, and, and, f-funny, an-and that we'd be, uh...” She gave Sans a sheepish glance. “Good fr-friends?” Sans rolled his eyes. As if.

Before Sans had the chance to vocalize this, Papyrus interrupted with a “WHAT'S DAD SAY ABOUT PAPYRUS?”

Alphys inhaled deeply. “He s-said, tha-that Papyrus is, he's...” “He's re-really gentle a-and giving and strong and gr-great, e-even if he's a bl-blockhead,” Alphys listed, before stopping herself cold. “S-sorry.”

As Sans was about to tear into Alphys for calling Papyrus a blockhead, even if he totally was, the skeleton in question, blushing, responded with a “WOWIE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HUH?” Sans sighed. He was going to go around calling himself that for a while, wasn't he?

Sans looked down at the sitting lizard, who in turn looked up, her smile fading as he glared at her. “Okay, that's all well and good, but it doesn't really answer my question.”

Alphys ummed. “I-I messed around w-with s-some stuff.” She pointed at the rucksack that was still sitting by the door. “Mr. S-Serif said that i-it was i-important and he t-took it, um, here.”

Sans stared at the doctor, as Gaster continued to drool onto the pillow. Figures that the old man would get razzled and dazzled by some kid's science fair project her parents probably made. He's been busy, he's been tired, so of course you'd have some people like that trying to take advantage of him. Sans silently walked up to the rucksack, and tried to pick it up with one hand before having to settle for two. It was actually much heavier than he had expected, but he nonetheless carried it to the middle of the room.

Sans then opened the bag up, and took a peek inside. He was surprised to find a set of electronics inside, and managed to pull out a small laptop, a VHS player, an old, very small and beat up TV and various other small knicknacks, and finally, a somewhat large and heavy boxy contraption he couldn't quite figure out. Each was accompanied by a “WOWIE!” from Papyrus.

Sans sat down and watched Papyrus excitedly look over each contraption, and gave Alphys a quizzical look. “So, didja build these, or what?”

“YEAH, DIDJA?” added Papyrus.

Alphys played with her fingers. “U-um... N-no, I j-j-just, uh...” She turned her attention to the mystery machine. “I b-built that. T-the other stuff, I j-just, uh, made... Work...”

As the lizard began to mumble, Sans took a closer look at the machines he had laid out on the floor. Didn't look like any brands he knew, and they didn't have any magic-compliant plugs, thus most likely making them human machine. He then turned his attention to the metallic box. He could see a few sockets for electric plugs, not the magical kind, but the kind that humans use. Could this be... “What is this, a generator?”

Alphys clicked her tongue. “A-actually, it's a...” She tried to find the word. “It's a, um...” She held her eyes shut, waving her hands in the air, trying to figure out how to explain what the machine was. However, she was then rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. Oh, right. Oh, crap.

“SANS, ARE WE GONNA HAVE MORE GUESTS OVER?” asked Papyrus. Sans gave an err as another knock rang out, and Sans stood up from the mess on the living room floor before walking up to the door and pulling it open.

Just outside stood Mrs. Drake, a white-feathered birdlike monster, with kind eyes and a motherly smile, carrying a small blue bundle of fluff with bird feet and a beaky face under her right wing. “Hello, Sans!” She turned her head to her baby. “Say hello to Sans, Snowy.”

Snowy responded with a soft “Weh.”

“Ah, hey there, Mrs. Drake,” Sans begun, sweating. “Uh, sorry, but there's a bit of a situation developing here, so, uh, you might want to just get back home.”

Mrs. Drake gave Sans a worried glance. “Well, I can't very well just leave you and Papyrus in trouble, can I?” She then stomped right in, practically walking over Sans as she did.

As Mrs. Drake walked in, she saw Gaster completely asleep on the couch, two children, one familiar one rummaging through half-broken electronics, and one unfamiliar one huddling against the radiator while shivering. She furrowed her brow. “Is she your situation, Sans?” Sans nodded grievously.

As Alphys tried to look away from the drake, slightly cowering, Papyrus, on the other hand, shouted a hearty “HELLO, AUNTY DRAKE!”

Mrs. Drake answered with a smile, before turning to Sans. “Sans, take Snowy for a second, will you?” She asked, before forcefully handing Snowy to him.

Snowy responded with a sharp “Weh,” and began to dig into Sans' shirt with his beak. Sans was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Mrs. Drake then strolled on over to the two children, before crouching down next to Alphys. “Oh, you look like you're freezing.” Alphys seemed to look even further away. “You can call me Aunt Drake. You don't have to be scared of me, not at all.”

Papyrus, noticing Alphys trying to retreat, decided to speak for her. “THIS IS ALPHYS! SHE'S TEN AND FROM NEW HOME AND SHE MAKES COOL STUFF,” he listed without missing a beat. Alphys gave an embarrassed giggle with a hushed snort.

Mrs. Drake nodded. “Alphys, is it? Alright, Alphys, how did you get here?” Alphys' giggle petered out, and she made a humming noise, as if something was forcing her jaw shut.

“The doctor brought her with him when he got home,” Sans interjected. “Told me she was his new apprentice, whatever that means, and that she'd be living here now.”

Mrs. Drake looked upon the amazing snoring Gaster, her expression becoming very serious. “I see.” She then stroked the lizard's cheek, trying to gauge just how cold she was. “Sans, how much was she wearing when the doctor brought her in?”

Sans tried to shrug, but was too busy dealing with Snowy, who was now picking at his chin. “Just that raggedy dress she's wearing, ma'am.”

Mrs. Drake groaned. “Yes, of course.” She then stood up, took great care to not trip over anything while making his way to the red rucksack lying in the center of the room. “This is all Gaster brought back today?” Sans nodded. “Alright, let's see.” Sans waddled over, taking great care to not drop the bundle of joy currently grasping one of his ribs with his talons, and peeked inside with her. With all the electronics out, all that was left was an old toothbrush, some tools, a few books and a set of VHS tapes. Certainly no change of clothes, let alone ones appropriate for the Snowdin climate.

Mrs. Drake let out a sad hum as she rubbed her forehead with her wing. “Is this all you brought with you, Alphys?” She asked with a gentle voice.

“U-um,” Alphys stuttered. “Mr. S-Serif said that, u-um, that it was, uh, i-important, that we, uh, g-got here quick, s-so I, only packed the, uh...” She pointed her head at the floor, her voice becoming quieter by the word. “T-the, uh, most important stuff.” Mrs. Drake clicked her tongue, and Alphys lurched over slightly. “I-I'm sorry.” This lizard sounded completely pathetic, thought Sans. Apparently, so did Mrs. Drake, as she settled back down in front of Alphys, placing her wings on her shoulders..

“You don't have to apologize for anything, Alphys,” she told her gently. “What you need right now is something in your tummy and a warm bath. Does that sound good?” Alphys was quiet for a few second, before giving a quiet mm-hm. “Alright.” The bird let go, turning to Papyrus. “Papyrus, why don't you and Alphys go up to your room? It's warmer up there than down here.”

Papyrus stood up straight in attention with a proud nyeh-heh-heh. “YES, MA'AM, AUNTIE DRAKE, MA'AM! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS GOT THIS!” Sans cursed his own precognitive skills while Snowy tore a hole in his shirt. Papyrus once again, took Alphys' hand. “COME ON! I'LL SHOW YOU ALL MY NEAT TOYS AND STUFF!” Alphys suddenly seemed very excited, a wide smile growing on her face as Papyrus dragged her upstairs.

After she heard the door shut close, Mrs. Drake closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “Darn idiot brought a lizard to Snowdin and didn't even think to...” She looked upon Sans with sad eyes. “Did your father tell you anything else about her?”

“Only what I just told you,” Sans plainly stated despite the tiny wing up his nose.

“Alright.” The white-plumed lady locked eyes with the skeleton boy. “Sans, let me be straight with you. I'm not sure I like the idea of Alphys living here,” she began, in a serious voice. “It's been six years, and your father's still...” She pointed her wing at the doctor, sleeping fully clothed on the couch at 6PM. “Recovering.”

“Hmm,” Sans muttered. “Well, I guess we could always just send her back to wherever she came from.”

Mrs. Drake shook her head. “I'm not sure if that's an option.” She paused for thought, then smiled through her teeth, her usual cheerful and motherly voice returning. “I suppose we're just going to have to support him, for her sake.” She nodded at Sans decisively. “For now, can you fix dinner while I go run a bath? Something quick.”

Sans wanted to decline, but the idea of being able to let go of the fluffball currently kicking his side was too much to take. “Hot dogs sound okay?”

Mrs. Drake nodded. “Good thinking, Sans,” she said in a voice so sickly sweet and encouraging that it would've been patronizing, had it not come from her beak. She then walked up to Sans, wings open. “Let me just take Snowy back.” Sans did so gladly.

Soon, Sans had a pan on the magical heat, water sausages frying up nicely, buns toasting in the oven. The kitchen table was set with four seats, condiments at the ready. If there was one thing Sans was proud of, it was his hot dogs, and not even some upstart little handbag-to-be was going to ruin that for him. “Alright! Dinner's ready! Come get your hot dog on!”

Again, a door opened, as tiny footsteps echoed across the house. “SANS! SANS!” shouted Papyrus, as the two brothers met in the living room. He was holding something small and yellow in his hands.

“What is it, Pap?” asked Sans.

“LOOK, SANS! SHE FIXED IT!” Papyrus raised the small yellow RC car to right under Sans' nose. The one Gaster had brought back from the dump, which Sans wasn't able to fix. Alphys stood by the staircase, the controller in her hands.

Sans squinted his eyes. “No foolin'.”

“NO FOOLIN' AT ALL, BROTHER!” responded Papyrus. He set the car down on the floor, and ran up to his new friend. “COME ON, ALPHYS! SHOW HIM!” Alphys responded with an affirmative noise of some kind, and as she began toying with the controller the car flew into motion, driving in circles on the living room floor. Gaster continued to snooze.

Sans kept his eye on the car before turning his attention to Alphys, who looked at him, a proud grin on her face as the car came to a stop. “YOU SEE, SANS? SHE IS SMART! AS SMART AS YOU!” With that shout, Papyrus put his arm around Alphys' shoulder and nyeh-heh-heh'd boisterously, the lizard's face turning red. Sans, on the other hand, felt his soul sink. Little smug runt thinks she can get Papyrus to replace him, too? Darn kid needs an attitude adjustment. Sans balled his hands into tight fists, which began to shake at his sides.

Before Sans had the chance to say anything, the bathroom door opened, Mrs. Drake and son emerging. She glanced over to the two kids, and let out a contented sigh. “You kids having fun?”

“HECK YEAH!” exploded Papyrus. Alphys nodded profusely.

“That's good,” Mrs. Drake continued, smiling. “You can play more later. It's time for dinner.” Papyrus groaned, while Alphys' spines perked up. Soon, the car and remote control had been placed on the corner table, and the skeleton and the lizard both ran into the kitchen.

However, as Sans began to follow suit, she heard Mrs. Drake speak up behind him. “Is everything alright, Sans? You seem upset.”

“I'm, uh.” Sans thought a second. “I'm cool, thanks.” Mrs. Drake chortled.

Soon, the entire crew had entered the kitchen. “Oh, Sans, you've set things up very nicely,” Mrs. Drake said, glowing. Sans rubbed the back of his head before sitting down, Papyrus climbing on the seat next to his, Mrs. Drake, still holding Snowy under one of her wings, sitting opposite.

When Alphys began to clumsily climb on the seat between Sans and Mrs. Drake, Sans quickly and very matter-of-factly told her: “Oh, sorry, Alph. You can't sit there.” She faced Sans with a shocked expression. “That's the doc's seat. Y'know, in case he wakes up and wants a snack.”

“O-oh. Um.” Alphys stopped climbing, head sinking. “S-sorry...”

“Sans!” Mrs. Drake's head instantly snapped to Sans's. Her gaze practically pierced Sans' soul. Papyrus, similarly, gave Sans a mean look.

“H-hey, now, it was just a joke, alright?” Sans nervously explained. “Feel free to sit down, uh, anywhere you like.” You lizard piece of trash, he added inwardly.

Alphys forced a laugh, and finally managed to heave herself up despite her short stature as Mrs. Drake and Papyrus stopped glowering. As Alphys marveled at Sans' hot dogs, her eyes glistened and her mouth watered like they were the greatest delicacy she'd laid eyes on in a long time. Darn right, thought Sans.

Sans took a quick look around the table. Papyrus was busy very prim-and-properly using a fork and a knife on one of his 'dogs, while Mrs. Drake was trying to shove one down Snowy's throat, to no avail. His eyes then locked on to a ketchup bottle he had set on the table that had so far gone untouched, and thought that his chance had come. As Alphys was about to bite into one of her hot dogs, Sans reached onto the table, and held out the bottle at Alphys' general direction. “Ketchup, Alphys?”

Alphys, jaw still wide open, nervously stared at the bottle before setting her 'dog back down on her plate. “U-um, yes, thank you.” Of course her ego wouldn't allow her to decline. Sans placed the bottle in Alphys' shaking hand. When she tipped it over one the hot dog she was trying to eat, the bottle cap fell off, spilling the contents of the entire bottle onto her plate. A perfect execution, thought Sans, as the room very quickly went quiet until only little high-pitched breaths could be heard.

First, Sans looked at Papyrus, who was staring at Alphys, his usual smile and optimism gone. He then looked at Mrs. Drake, who had dropped her hot dog, her jaw shaking as Snowy looked around, generally confused. Finally, Sans looked at Alphys, who stared at her plate, her hands grabbing ahold of the table, eyes blinking rapidly, her shoulders going up and down with each sniffle. Suddenly, Sans felt a certain rottenness inside his soul.

Mrs. Drake very slowly turned her head towards Sans, nostrils flaring, her teeth rotating in her mouth like buzzsaws. Papyrus looked upon his brother with a very, very sad expression. However, before either had the chance to say anything, Alphys let out a raspy breath, which turned into a “Ha. Ha.” All eyes were on her once again as her snout quivered and her eyes watered. “C-c-clumsy me! Ha. Ha.” Sans sunk in his chair.

“UM, ALPHYS,” Papyrus said, smiling nervously. “THAT'S OKAY! YOU CAN JUST HAVE MINE.”

Alphys hiccuped. She then plunged her hands into the ketchup, grabbed a hot dog and chomped on it. Her nose wrinkled, her eyes shut tight, and she slightly gagged before forcefully swallowing. It was at this point that Mrs. Drake set Snowy down on the floor and quickly made her way around the table.

Snowy responded with an alarmed “Weh.”

“Now, then. First, let's make this right,” she began, in as calm a tone as she could manage. She swapped Sans and Alphys' plates, then looked Sans right in the eye with a stare that made his entire body waver. “Outside, Sans. Now.” He was compelled to follow.

Mrs. Drake shut the door behind herself. She and Sans stood on the porch for a moment, a cool wind blowing through. She then took a deep breath, composing herself. “Alright, Sans. What were you thinking?”

Sans had his arms crossed, and was slightly hunching over. He avoided the woman's eye, and felt very cold, despite not having skin. “Cool it, okay? It was just a joke.”

Mrs. Drake circled around Sans to keep her eyes on his. “Sans, don't make such a childish excuse. You know perfectly well that you weren't just joking.”

Sans stammered. “I wanted to teach her a lesson,” he finally managed to utter.

“And why is that?” The woman's voice was serious, yet somehow comforting.

Sans' hands balled into fists again, and he began to rant. “Because, some lousy rich kid from the capital just coming in like she owns the place and then she's the doctor's new apprentice, and then she and Papyrus are friends, and she does stuff I can't do, and...” His enthusiasm petered out, and he sighed desperately before sitting down on the doorstep. “I just don't like it.”

Mrs. Drake quickly placed her wing on Sans's shivering shoulder. “Sans, are you afraid that she's going to replace you?”

Sans' head sunk. "I guess."

“Sans, you're being very silly right now,” he heard her say. “I know your father's been very busy, but he still loves you very much. And I'm sure you know that, too.” Sans slowly nodded. “And as for your brother, well, he loves everybody. He won't be 'replacing' you anytime soon. After all, without you, who would read him his bedtime story?” He nodded again.

“And, as for Alphys...” Her voice was now much more somber. “Do you really think that she's 'some lousy rich kid'?”

“She said she lives in a big house,” Sans responded.

“And that doesn't seem strange to you, at all?” asked Mrs. Drake.

Sans thought about Alphys' torn dress, her broken glasses, the busted old machines Gaster had brought along, and how lightly she had packed, until finally having a thought. He opened his eyes, and looked up at Mrs. Drake, who was now standing right in front of him, both wings on his shoulders. “But why would she lie?” he asked, weakly.

“Hmm.” Mrs. Drake tilted her head. “Maybe she just wanted you to like her.”

Sans' eyes went blank, and his body creaked as he lurched downwards. “Oh.” Guilt crawled up his throat, he felt like his innards were freezing, and let out a hissing breath. Mrs. Drake wrapped both wings around him, and he leaned his head against her stomach. He felt a bit warmer.

They sat quietly in the cold Snowdin night for a while, until Sans finally began to try and break free. Mrs. Drake took a moment to let him go.

“You feeling alright, now?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he responded, rubbing the corner of his eye.

“Okay.” Mrs. Drake opened the door.

---

On the racecar bed to Sans' right, Papyrus slept soundly, head stuck in a pillow. On the bed to Sans' left, Alphys, now wearing one of his shirts, which covered her from neck to toe, was curled comfortably under the blanket. In the middle of the room was Sans, lying on an old futon, still having trouble getting to sleep, going over the list of errands Mrs. Drake had written out for him for the next day.

Eventually, Sans came to the conclusion that the only recourse to this situation was a midnight snack. After all, he had just gone to bed without dinner. With Doggo-eluding silence he picked himself up and sneaked out of the room. When Sans came downstairs, however, he saw a tall figure at the door. “Wait, doc,” he whispered.

Doctor Gaster turned around on the spot. A thin smile appeared on his skeletal face. “Sans, my boy, my pride. Did Alphys settle in nicely?”

Sans thought about what to say, and shrugged. “It was a hassle, but she seems pretty satisfied, now.” An awkward moment of silence. “Mrs. Drake said she'd call up everyone she can so we can find her some warm clothes and stuff. She was, uh.” Another. “Pretty mad that you didn't think of that.”

Gaster simply blinked in response. “Oh. Yes, yes, I see.” He rubbed his forehead with his index finger. “I suppose bringing her home was... It was somewhat of an impulse decision.”

Sans nodded. “I figured.” Again, they stood silently together in the dark living room. “When do you think the CORE will be fixed?” Sans spoke with a pleading voice.

Gaster stepped forward, and kneeled to Sans' level. “Won't be long, now. Not with this.” He held the boxy contraption that Alphys couldn't explain in his hands. “A magic-electric converter. Used to power surface electronics with manual magical energy. A primitive, pre-Semi design, built by hand.” He rotated it in his hands, eyeing every detail. “The girl is smart. With proper training, she'll be an asset.”

Sans looked at the converter, then at Gaster. “What's so special about this thing?”

Gaster's hands stopped. “Well. Nothing, really.” He wistfully faced the ceiling. “But it gave me inspiration. And that is good.”

The doctor's mind began to wander into itself, until Sans cut off his train of thought. "Where did you find her?” He asked.

Doctor Gaster's entire body froze for a moment. He then placed his hand on top of Sans' skull. “I'll tell you someday, but for now, I'm needed elsewhere.” He then stood up straight, and turned to the door. “Tell Papyrus I'm very sorry we couldn't talk." Sadness permeated from his voice.

Sans nodded weakly. “Okay.”

Gaster stepped outside, and took a shortcut. Sans closed the door behind him.