Just a little heads up my lovely readers... in order to tell this chapter how I wanted to, I needed to split it between three perspectives: yours, Gaster's, and Frisk's. Look for the (insert name here POV) to find out who's in charge of each section.

More info about the chapter at the end... enjoy?

(Your POV)

You spun around, facing Gaster with strength in your heart and determination in your soul. A RESET was but one of two options, and based on what he said, it wasn't a solution. If anything, it was prolonging the inevitable. Sure you could keep trying and trying, over and over again as you RESET time and time again. But how long wouldn't it take you to find the good ending? The true one where in which you lived a long and happy life with the monster you loved. It wasn't fair to all your friends to keep doing this. To keep forcing them through the same few months while you tried to find your happy ending. No. This RESET function wasn't the solution. It was but the means to an end. One that led you to Gaster and the decision to find a better answer.

Gaster watched you with carefully cautious eyes, not speaking or moving as you decided to put your trust and future in his hands.

"What do I have to do?"

Gaster smiled, eyes brightening with hope and relief.

It was time to put an end to this endless game.

(Gaster's POV)

Gaster watched in silence, just as he always had. In solitude he'd wandered the void, unable to do anything but what the world move on without him from afar. And despite finding himself in company he found it easier to remain silent.

She stood just a few feet before him, the girl who finally broke through his eldest sons barriers. The impossible girl, who'd somehow gained enough determination to take the RESET function from Frisk, just as the child had taken it from Flowey. She was turned away from him, watching her final moments through the film that created a barrier between this desolate plane and reality. It was what hid them from Sans' view, kept them between reality and the void. Gaster had never quite understood what attracted her soul to this place, but every time she RESET, for the short time between the end of her life and when everything restarted, her soul retreated here. What was it that allowed her soul to so easily break the barrier between the world that existed and the one that didn't? It was a mystery Gaster had never been able to solve, despite the unending hours he spent wandering through the endless realm. He had a few theories, but nothing concrete. More research would need to be done before a conclusion could be drawn.

After he had explained his hypothesis, one that was more of a last ditch effort to change things, (y/n) had been hesitant. It sounded outlandish, he supposed, but he wanted to believe it would work. The only other option was to continue restarting time, following the same path over and over until something changed. No... not over and over. Quite unlike Frisk, she didn't follow any of the previous moments, no matter the timeline. In each one she followed different steps, taken risks in places and played it safe in others, each time following a different route in order to obtain a seemingly impossible ending. But quite unlike Frisk, Gaster had been able to make contact with (y/n). And through his observations of Frisk's timelines, he'd formulated a plan that could possibly end the cycle.

But as much as Gaster wanted to completely this task painlessly and without suffering, he knew that would not be the case. To enable this to work, more suffering was inherent. But perhaps it would be worth it in the end.

Gaster certainly hoped it would.

The time came to act, announced with the drone of the heart monitor flatlining. Gaster closed his eyes, listening to the anguished pleading of his son, almost wishing things could be different. Forcing his eyes back open Gaster focused on (y/n), watching her reaction as she watched herself die. Not many could claim to have witnessed such a sight. She stood with her eyes glued so Sans, tears streaking down her cheeks as she watched him break apart. This death was hitting Sans harder than usual. Perhaps it was because their relationship had been such a slow burn, and they hadn't had much time to explore the depths of what they could be together.

Gaster was vaguely aware he should feel worse about this than he did, his son was losing what could have been the love of his life. But thing such as complex emotions were... difficult for him. He suspected it was because of the place he resided in. Or perhaps he'd just seen so much suffering through the many timelines he'd become jaded to other's pain. He existed outside time, and thus was not affected by the SAVE, LOAD, and RESET functions. He doubted, in fact, he'd aged at all after being banished here.

Gaster glanced up when a doctor and nurse entered the room, pulling him from his somber thoughts and forcing him to pay attention again. Coming in after the nurse was Toriel and Asgore, and the previous royal couple paused in shock. The ex-queen recovered first, going to Sans' side in order to comfort him and lead him from the side of the bed. Gaster turned his attention back to girl before him, carefully watching her soul in order to gauge the time to act. The window would be short, and he would have but one chance. Though human souls could persist without a body to contain them, hers would not. She had but a few moments.

So Gaster let her grieve and watch in silence, observing when his younger son walked through the door in order to comfort Sans as best he could. Papyrus headed straight for hi brother, faltering only slightly when he caught sight of (y/n)'s bed. He quickly averted his gaze to the floor, pulling Sans into a quick and tight hug before leading him from the room with a gently hand on his back. (y/n) watched in silence, her eyes no doubt following Sans as he left the room.

As Gaster suspected, the strain on her soul was too much without her body to tether her to the world. Her soul turned completely white, and the imprint of her former body began to fade. Without the connection, her soul could not sustain the form, and due to its weakness it would quickly be absorbed by the void. Gaster lurched forwards, reaching out with his remaining magic and his hands. He wrapped the soul in a bubble of magic similar to that which Sans used to manipulate souls, and drew it towards him, careful not to accidently absorb it. He didn't know what effect that would have, but he was unwilling to risk it. The white glow of the soul became tainted with a dark red, and he could feel the soul resisting his hold. It was so weak, her soul, and now it wanted nothing more than to break apart and disappear into the void. Though Gaster was granted some semblance of existence within the void, it was the end and beginning of everything, and all souls returned to it eventually. Hers would be no exception. But it was not her time.

Soul safely cradled between his hands, Gaster took one last look on the scene in reality, the nurse beginning to unhook (y/n)'s body from the various machines, going about recording time of death. Knowing there was nothing more to be done, Gaster turned back to the void space, pulling her soul away from reality. Moving into the welcoming hands of the void, Gaster turned his mind to his goal and once again left his family to grieve.

(Frisk's POV)

She couldn't believe it. (y/n) was gone. Frisk had been so convinced... so sure she'd reset. Just as she had before. Frisk still wasn't sure how (y/n) managed to take the RESET from her, just as she had from Flowey in the past, but she suspected it had something to do with Sans. When she first came into the picture, Frisk had been surprised by how fast Sans and her had gotten together. They just clicked. Like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. It was the first time Frisk had seen Sans truly relax. He'd always been tense, even after Frisk set the monsters free from the Underground. He'd been nervous she'd RESET, even though she was completely happy. Then she strode into their lives, striking a fabulous pose with Mettaton and capturing Sans' attention. All of their attentions.

With little to no effort, (y/n) became a permanent fixture in all their lives.

But then she died.

In every other timeline, Sans and (y/n) seemed to fall hard and fast for each other. They became inseparable. Of course after the first RESET or so, Frisk became a little wary of their relationship... but she could never bring herself to get in the way. (y/n) just made Sans so happy. She made him forget about what could have happened in previous timelines. Her presence allowed him to finally relax. To finally think everything was going to be okay.

So why did something always have to get in the way? If it wasn't that jerk... Mitchell, it was something else. An accident that ruined everything. Caused everything to RESET.

And like she gave Sans hope for a better future, he gave (y/n) determination. Her determination to stay with him was great enough that it allowed her to take the RESET function from Frisk. Allowed her to go back to try to make things work; to make things right.

But what had changed? What made this timeline so different? As far as Frisk could tell, (y/n) didn't remember the timelines, which was odd, but it was also just like the others. Even Sans didn't remember. He only ever knew what was happening because of his research and because he was exceptionally good at reading Frisk's expressions. Through that he knew when she was doing something over. But no one else could do this, no one else could remember. Well, except for Flowey, but he believed it was because he once possessed the RESET, SAVE, and LOAD functions.

Even so, this had never stopped (y/n) from using the RESET before.

So why hadn't she RESET this time?

Why...?

Sniffling again and rubbing at her tired eyes, Frisk sat in the crook of Undyne's elbow, taking comfort in her big-fish sister's' presence. They'd been at the hospital for three hours, and though Frisk thought she had no more tears to shed she guessed wrong. When the doctor and nurse rushed by a minute ago, those waiting in the hall for news knew what it meant. But while Toriel and Asgore went to the room, the rest of those waiting had stayed in the hall to grieve. They had already said their goodbyes, and had chosen not to see you like that again. But that didn't stop any of them from crying.

Papyrus was the first to break off from the group, heading towards the room in silence. None of them moved to stop him. They knew his brother would need him. A few moments after entering the room, Papyrus came out of the room with Sans, guiding his sobbing brother with a gentle hand on his back. She knew Sans always broke down after (y/n)'s death... but this was the only time he'd have to live past it. Every other time she had RESET within minutes of taking her final breath. But this time was different.

Wiggling free from Undyne's grip, Frisk ran towards Sans and Papyrus, saying nothing as she threw her arms around the shorter skeleton's neck. As much as he might like to deny it, Frisk knew he needed the closeness of friends and family right now. She couldn't let him shut himself away. Sans didn't move for a moment, simply cried silently. But then he uncurled from his shell, wrapping his arms around Frisk's back and holding her tightly as he broke down. Papyrus knelt beside them, joining in on the hug without a word, also knowing his brother needed him without the need for words.

As they stood in the hall grieving, Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton, who was carrying Flowey joined them. They offered their own forms of comfort for the one who was taking this the hardest, all remaining silent as if they knew no words would fix this. Frisk reached out to her soul, to the SAVE and LOAD functions, seeking out the missing RESET. She knew it was stupid. If she RESET she'd bring things back to when she fell Underground. But if it would bring her back... if there was a chance for Sans to be happy... then wasn't it worth it? Even if she had to give up everything she had now. She could win back the friendships of the monsters, she'd done so before. She would do anything to see her family happy. All of them.

But it wasn't there.

She remembered Flowey once speculating that once it'd been taken, it could never return.

Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the pain. But she couldn't. There was too much. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to fix this.

And for once, she didn't know it she could.

So she did the only thing she could... she continued.

(Gaster's POV)

Gaster pulled himself through the void, keeping his mind on a single goal. He could feel the shift in the void as it pulled and pushed against him, a constant presence and yeat at the same time, not. The void was made of great magic that no monster had been able to access before. He theorized that it was rather connected to the RESET, SAVE, LOAD and CONTINUE functions that Frisk and (y/n), since every time one of those functions were used Gaster noted changes within the void. Perhaps that is why Gaster could not leave or manipulate anything within it. As a monster he simply didn't possess enough determination to do so. Now that he thought about it, perhaps that was why your soul was drawn to it. By coming into contact with the powerful magic, perhaps it had given your soul what it needed to take the RESET function from Frisk, who wasn't quite as determined as she once had been.

But enough of his pondering. Gaster had a task to accomplish, and simply wandering around in the void was no way to get anything of use done.

Fixing his mind on the specific time and place he wished to travel to, Gaster let all other thoughts drain away. It was the only way to get anywhere in this void, but as long as he'd been to the location during his lifetime, the "when" did not exactly matter. As he pulled himself through the void, more gliding against the "floor" than anything, he continued to feel the push of your soul against the magic holding it. He knew it wished to return to the void, but he wouldn't let it. And though he did not know what kind of affects this transfer would have on her soul, or even reality, but he would not let that deter him.

Everything would work out for the best.

He had to believe that.

(Frisk's POV)

Frisk woke up feeling drowsy and confused. She couldn't quite remember how she got home last night after the New Year's concert, and when she opened her eyes the light was rather glaring. Sighing out a breath, she rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes before looking over to her bedside clock. 11am. Way later than she usually slept. Again she could blame it on how late she stayed up. Ignoring the black space in her memories that made up last night, she she stretched her arms above her head, she threw off the covers and slid from her bed, heading for the calendar that hung over her desk. She finally got to change it over from last years calendar for next years. Toriel let her pick out a calendar with adorable baby pigs on each page. Who didn't like piglets?

Switching out the calendars, Frisk grabbed the red pen from her desk, pulling off the cap and pressing the tip to the paper and crossing a large X over the day. She always liked switching over to a new calendar. It meant she was another year away from everything that happened in the Underground. Another year forwards into the future.

And she just knew this was going to be a good year.

So how was that?

Now before you hunt me down with torches and pitchforks, this chapter is only meant to transition everything into the next part. Can You Hear Me? is far from over, but a major shift is about to happen in order for the story to progress how I want. This is just leading up to that. I'm not going to say anything else, cause I don't want to give away any spoilers. So please don't hunt me down...

Next update will be on Saturday Feb 25th!

Author out! *jumps out of window Papyrus style*