((Turtle Side Note- This is a very short chapter compared to the 3000 words I usually write, but eh, oh well))

Imagine.

Your muscles, tissues, cells, all being pulled apart into singular atoms, all at once, except your heart.

That's what teleportation felt like.

After having been killed in previous timelines, Sans could easily compare it to the feeling of crumbling to dust. Everything you are just exploding into millions of pieces, bursting away from your soul before that too shatters.

Sans jumped out of the time-hole, feeling everything suddenly come back together, reforming his shape. He looked up, seeing the entrance to Grillby's new restaurant on the surface. He puffed out a breath, composing himself, before pulling open the door with a cheerful smile.

The bell dinged announcing that he entered the building.

The regulars turned, their expression instantly lighting up seeing the comedian stroll in. All of them calling out greetings to him, even a few humans made a small gesture of greeting.

Sans shot back a few greetings combined with jokes before spinning around and hopping onto his stool, hearing laughter behind him. Laughter coming from everyone but the stoic bartender, and his good friend, Grillby. Instead, he just looked at him skeptically. He seemed to have a secret talent for knowing exactly how people were really feeling, no matter how good of a show they put on.

Sans propped his head on his hand, his feet dangling off the ground, "heya, grillbz. can i have the usual?" He winked at his friend, "just put it on my tab."

Grillby looked the monster in front of him up and down, nodding before heading towards the back room.

Sans rose a brow at that, Grillby usually had a bottle of ketchup ready under the counter. He shrugged it off, waiting for him to return while he shot empty jokes to the rest of the diner, receiving rather full laughter.

Grillby promptly returned, a bottle in his hand. He slide it across to Sans, rather slowly, before glancing between the skeleton and the bottom of the bottle, as if he was trying to tell him something without anyone else noticing. Sans gave him a curious expression, before the elemental was called across the room for another order of fries.

He quickly left, leaving the skeleton staring at the ketchup bottle confused.

He picked it up, before looking at the bottom of it to find a folded up piece of paper taped to the base of the ketchup bottle.

He laughed a little. seriously grillbz, still passing notes at twenty-eight?

He plucked off the piece of paper, unfolding it. The note was written in neat, cursive, handwriting that left Sans with absolutely no idea how anyone could possibly write like that. He leaned forward, resting his weight on the counter as he read the note.

'Sans, I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because I already know the answer to that. But you're really starting to make me worried. You've been coming here more and more and I know you only do that when you're upset about something. If you decide you need someone to talk to, please stop by my house whenever I'm home, I'll be glad to listen.'

Sans read over the note one more time, before folding it back up and putting it into his pocket with a sigh.

He watched Grillby walk back around the counter, standing in front of him like usual again. He spun the bottle on the counter repeatedly, watching it go in circle as he simply said, "i'll think about it..."

Grillby's flames flickered a little, his shoulders sagging a bit as he nodded.

*****

"What do you mean he left?" Toriel said, her arms crossed over her chest as she interrogated the skeleton in question's younger sibling. Frisk was still by her side, hiding partially behind her.

"W-WELL," Papyrus stammered, trying his best to defend his brother, "HE JUST... LEFT."

Toriel rose a brow, "And you let him?"

Papyrus nervously played with the scarf wrapped around his neck, "HE WAS UNDER STRESS... I BELIEVE IT WAS BETTER TO JUST LET HIM GO THEN TRY TO ARGUE WITH HIM."

Toriel let out an annoyed huff, already being over the edge with Sans' behavior lately, "He was under stress?" Toriel gestured to her child, "He was the one who attacked them! I know you're brothers, and I know you care about each other, but I don't see how you could possibly be on his side with this one."

Papyrus furrowed his brows at the goat, "YOUR MAJESTY, I HIGHLY RESPECT YOU AND YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT MY BROTHER DOESN'T DO THINGS UNLESS HE HAS A REASON. GRANTED, SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BEST REASONS, BUT HE DOESN'T DO THINGS UNLESS HE HAS ONE. AS MUCH AS I ALSO LOVE THE HUMAN, I BELIEVE THEY AREN'T TELLING US SOMETHING, BECAUSE IT IS NOT LIKE MY BROTHER TO ATTACK PEOPLE, MUCH LESS FOR NO REASON."

Frisk glanced to the side, not saying anything.

Toriel looked Papyrus up and down, "You're calling Frisk a liar?"

Papyrus eyes widened a little, waving his hands in front of himself as a form of self defense, "N-NO..." He began to sweat nervously, "I'M JUST SAYING THE HUMAN IS EITHER TOO SCARED OR EMBARRASSED, OR SOMETHING ELSE TO BE TELLING THE FULL STORY." He smiled, hoping he made that sound better.

Toriel rose a brow, "Child, that is the same thing as lying." Toriel puffed out a breath seeing that this conversation was just going to continue going in circles and not get them anywhere, "I will have a word with Sans when he returns. This behavior will stop." She grabbed Frisk's hand before walking out of the front hall and back into the kitchen to get them fed.

Papyrus watched them go, before letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at the ground sadly, holding his own arm with his other hand, wishing he could help his brother more.

He suddenly heard a knock at the door, his eyes brightening, hoping for it to be Sans. He ran to the door answering it, his smile dropping for a moment before immediately returning to find M.K. bouncing on their front step, looking up at him star-eyed.

"WOAH!" the little monster cried out, "It's you! You gave me this cool scarf to hold stuff in!" He proudly puffed out his chest, showing the scarf the was currently filled with what looked like comics.

Papyrus smiled, putting his hand on his hips proudly, "NYEH HEH HEH, OF COURSE IT'S I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

The small yellow monster jumped up and down excitedly, "DUDE! You're so cool!" he suddenly remembered why he was there, "Yo? Do you know if Frisk is home? I wanna go play with them!"

Papyrus froze in thought for a moment, before responding, "YES, THE HUMAN IS INDEED HOME, HOWEVER, I MUST ASK LADY TORIEL IF IT IS OKAY FOR THEM TO LEAVE. WAIT RIGHT HERE!" He quickly spun on his heels, jogging towards the kitchen.

He entered the kitchen, drawing the attention of the two beings in the room, "YOUR MAJESTY, M.K. IS AT THE DOOR AND WAS WONDERING IF HE COULD PLAY WITH FRISK!"

Toriel looked to the side thinking.

Frisk's eyes lit up, "Pleaaaase, Mom." They begged.

Toriel pursed her lips, "My child, I am sorry, but I don't believe I can let you go. You did just have a fight with Sans, I don't believe it's right to go let you have fun after that."

Frisk's brows knitted, as they looked down at their waffle on their plate, "But I didn't do anything wrong." They pouted, staring at their food.

Toriel glanced at Papyrus, who she could have sworn she just watched give Frisk a rather strange look, but shrugged it off as her imagination. "I suppose you didn't..." She sighed, "Fine, you may leave, but as soon as you come back I'm having a talk with both of you."

Frisk bounced on their feet, grabbing their waffle, "THANKS, MOM!" they yelled, before running out of the house, closing the front door behind them.

Papyrus gave the woman a look, as if he wanted to say something, just to then look to the side, walking away.