Part Three


"So.... what now?" Ink asks.

"I've never taken care of a baby before," Dream shrugs, "Should we have asked Sci for some tips?"

"No, no, I think he was a bit annoyed in the beginning since we came unannounced. I don't think Sci would be happy to give us a whole class on it," Ink says, "Do you think Blue knows anything about babies?"

"Oh, right! I'm sure he does, or he'll know someone who is." Dream opens a portal to Underswap, but Ink hesitates.

"Actually, you'll have to go without me. I've gotta go......" Ink fiddles with his empty sash, not wanting to voice his thoughts. He hands off Vestige's bunny toy.

"Yeah, okay. I'll meet up with you later then." Dream understands that Ink has been fighting against his lack of a soul for a very long time. Recently, Ink's finally gotten his bipolar mood swings under control. Dream won't get in the way of that just because he's feeling a little rattled about Vestige's sudden existence. Ink can also become fairly creepy when he doesn't feel anything.

Still holding Vestige, Dream walks into Underswap alone. The AU resets in Underswap have always been oddly spaced apart. This gives Blue, and his brother Honey, an unusual amount of freedom. Blue will even join Ink and Dream on missions occasionally. Blue stayed home today to work on chores around the house. Dream feels a little bad for disturbing him, but knows Blue well enough to guess that he would want to meet Vestige.

Vestige looks around in curiosity at the snow falling gently from the sky. He's been very calm and quiet for a baby so young. He reaches out and makes grabby hands at the snowflakes.

"Do you like the snow, Vestige?" Dream asks as he walks down the road, "Fluffy snow?"

"Souw?" Vestige repeats, turning his head to look at Dream.

"Yeah! Snow!" Dream coos at him. He nuzzles Vestige, making the smaller monster squeal.

Now arriving at Blue's front door, Dream pulls Vestige up a little higher before knocking. There is no sudden crash of surprise like what happened at Sci's house. Instead, after a moment, Dream hears pounding footsteps as someone inside the house races to the door. Blue appears as he opens the door and smiles upon seeing Dream.

"Hi Blue! I'm sorry for bugging you when you're busy cleaning the house, but I was wondering if-" Dream is quickly cut off when Blue sees what Dream is caring.

"Babyyyyyyy!" Blue cries happily. He reaches out to hold them, and Dream hands Vestige over without a fuss. Blue lets Dream inside as he talks to Vestige in a sweet voice. "Hi little guy! Just look at you! So small."

"His name is Vestige," Dream says.

"Vestige," Blue coos, "And just where have you been hiding?" He's still talking to Vestige, but Dream answers the questions. To Vestige's credit, he babbles and replies to Blue even if it's incomprehensible.

"Well, he's my nephew," Dream answers sheepishly. It takes Blue a moment to process the implications. When he does, Blue looks up at Dream and then back down to the baby in shock.

"You stole a baby!" Blue gasps.

"No! No, why does everybody think that?" Dream groans. "Nightmare doesn't even know Vestige exists. Ink accidentally brought some of Nightmare's goop to life." Nightmare is really the only parent in this situation. Ink's magic has brought most of the Multiverse to life. Ink is no more of a parent to Vestige than the rest of them.

"That sounds........ complicated." Blue is calming down to his more usual level of energy. He sets Vestige down on a kitchen counter before moving to rummage through a cabinet.

"I don't know much about babies, but Ink thought you might." Dream walks into the kitchen to stand closer to Vestige.

"I babysit all the time around Snowdin! The parents always mention that they like something about me and the kids both having 'bottomless energy'. I'm not sure why they say that," Blue shrugs obliviously. He turns around and shoves a plate into Dream's hands. "Mash that up."

"W-What?" Dream blinks confusedly down at the plate. Blue dumps a fork and a ripe banana onto it.

"I feed everyone who comes to my house, and a baby goop monster is no exception!" Blue laughs.

With sudden understanding, Dream obeys. He sets the plate down and starts mashing up the banana while keeping an eye on Vestige so he doesn't fall off the counter. Blue meanwhile starts setting out ingredients for tacos. He has some leftover meat still in the fridge. Vestige has become attached to the toy bunny Ink made him. Vestige hugs it to his chest and simply watches Blue move around, content.

"What do I do now?" Dream asks once he's reduced the banana to mush.

"I'm almost done with the tacos. You can start feeding Vestige," Blue says distractedly as he assembles the tacos.

"....... How do I do that again?"

"It's not that hard."

Blue opens a drawer and grabs a spoon, one noticeably smaller than normal, and walks over to stand at Dream's side. Blue offers a spoonful of the banana to Vestige. This time, Vestige needs no convincing. He opens his mouth right away to let Blue feed him.

"Wow, Blue. I didn't know you were so good with babies," Dream comments.

"Why are you surprised? Do you think I'm too irresponsible?" A bitterness enters Blue's voice as he turns to face Dream.

"Blue..... that's not what I meant," Dream winces.

When the original Underswap opened up to the rest of the Multiverse, Blue was actually nicknamed 'Blueberry'. He's one of the shortest monsters out there, and his positivity was mistaken for naivety. Blue was seen as too childish to rely on. Only his brother knew differently. For a long time, Blue was too insecure to admit how he felt.

"Sorry. I know you didn't mean it," Blue sighs, a little guilty. "I've started to snap occasionally when people are surprised by what I can do. It's not your fault."

"You don't ever have to apologize about that."

Their moment of understanding is broken when mashed banana is flung against the sides of their faces. Vestige laughs at their twin expressions of surprise. He's managed to get a large amount of banana all over his face and hands. Vestige slams his hands down on the plate again and giggles.

"I'll go get a towel," Blue covers his mouth as he cracks up laughing.

"How can one so tiny make such a mess?" Dream snorts.

Dream stays with Vestige as Blue rushes to the bathroom for a towel. As Dream watches, he notices something strange. Vestige is still bringing food up to his mouth and eating, but the mess on his face is actually disappearing. It almost looks like it's soaking into...... Vestige's skin. Not for the first time, Dream is momentarily creeped out by his nephew.

"Got the towel," Blue says as he returns.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Dream mumbles back, "Remind me to never pick up Vestige if my hands are sticky." Blue is confused by that comment, but Dream holds him back for a moment to see Vestige absorb the food on his face. Even his 'clothes' are just made from the same goopy corruption as the rest of him.

"That's a lame attempt to avoid a bath," Blue deadpans.

This breaks Dream out of his surprised state, and he laughs. "I guess I'll have to be careful about him eating random objects." Vestige smiles since everyone else is, but he almost falls over as a huge yawn overtakes him.

"Nap time," Blue decides.

Blue's race car bed has raised sides. There's no way for Vestige to accidentally roll off the bed. Blue tears all the sheets and pillows off of his bed and unceremoniously stuffs them into a closet. Dream sets Vestige down on his belly atop the bed before the two adults slip out of the room.

"Most babies as little as Vestige sleep for most of the day, but I'm not sure if animated goop monsters actually sleep, so.....," Blue trails off in a sheepish giggle.

"A baby that's awake twenty four hours a day? That would be a nightmare to deal with," Dream quips. He and Blue both burst out laughing, but a shadow quickly crosses Dream's face and ends his goofy mood.

"Dream? What's wrong?" Blue asks. He sets his hand on the taller monster's shoulder and leads him back into the living room.

"What do you think I should do about Nightmare?" Dream blurts out. "Doesn't..... Doesn't he have a right to know? Do you think he'd want to know Vestige?"

"....... I don't know. I'd like to think that any monster would want to know their child, but I don't know Nightmare," Blue frowns.

"I wish there was some way I could introduce the idea to him and figure out what he'd think. I used to be able to read Night like a book, but he hates me now. I wish I could trust him without a doubt, but I can't. Not over Vestige's life."

"I don't think Nightmare would kill off his own kid!"

"Maybe not, but Vestige is going to die, or go crazy at the very least, if Nightmare won't cooperate with Ink." Dream briefly explains Vestige's failing soul. Blue quietly thinks for a moment before speaking.

"If you had a chance to let Nightmare see Vestige, would you take it?"

"......... Yes."

The room falls into contemplative silence. The tacos are getting cold on the counter, but neither Dream nor Blue are very hungry anymore. Both of their minds are consumed with concern for the tiny being in the other room. With a start, Dream flinches as his ambient aura picks up a dark echo.

Blue looks over in concern as Dream abruptly stands up. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know...." Dream trails off distractedly, but shakes his head a little before turning to Blue to explain more thoroughly. "Positivity and negativity are always shifting around in the Multiverse, and I can always feel it distantly. Something just happened to tip the scales a bit further to negatively then I'm comfortable. It's probably nothing, but......"

"Why don't you leave Vestige here for a while so you can go check it out?" Blue pipes up. He's spoken before considering the thought, a plan abruptly popping into his head.

"I couldn't do that to you! Today is supposed to be your day off!" Dream protests.

"It'll be fine! Vestige is sleeping, anyways. I'm sure you'll be back before he even wakes up."

"If you're sure," Dream says with uncertainty.

"He'll be no trouble."

With a last apprehensive glance upstairs, Dream opens up a portal. He's not worried that Blue can't watch Vistage for a few hours. What he's really concerned about is pushing the burden onto his friend. Dream is also reluctant to be any distance away from Vestige. Still, his duty beckons.

As soon as Dream is gone, Blue pulls out his phone and scrolls through his contacts for a moment until he can find the one he's looking for.

"Hello? Yeah, would you mind doing me a favor?"

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Tags: #undertale