Raising Papyrus had never been easy. When Sans had escaped that particular night so many years ago, he didn't realize how transitioning from a rich, secluded lifestyle into one where he would be the sole provider would be a jarring change.

Before, things had never been difficult. He had so many family members to bring him presents, he had his parents to keep him safe. Sans had never left the property grounds until that night. All alone, in the Capital, with a baby was his situation. Walking the alleyways had been terrifying, entering into a world he had only seen on television.

It was around that time Sans had discovered his ability to teleport. It helped moving around quickly, especially when he had to take care of his baby bro.

However, what it really helped was evading his parents, his old "family". That's why he ran from the Capital as quickly as he could, because they knew the place, likely from hunting their victims. They were rich, had capabilities, had many hands. Sans was in a foreign world, alone, and just a kid with a baby. Logically, he shouldn't have made it.

He managed to, though, barely scrapping by. While they did have a hold over the Capital, they couldn't keep track of the entire Underground. The first few nights were rough, but Sans quickly learned to take advantage of his cuteness and magic. His parents were never lying when they had said he was adorable, because that came in handy. When monsters saw a cute child with a baby asking for food, they always gave him enough to get by.

He was smart, and determined, not to mention utterly terrified of getting caught by his parents. There were a good number of close calls. One time he recognized his parents car in a store parking lot, and had to dive under another car to avoid getting seen. He had sat under there, cradling Papyrus and holding a hand against his teeth as he watched their feet walk by. It was almost as if he could see the blood on their shoes from that night.

Another time was when one of his Uncles had spotted him on the street, forcing Sans to make a quick escape with his magic after he ducked behind a person.

However, his stay in the Hotland was short as he finally made his way out. Hotland was risky, too risky, he wanted to get farther. So he persisted into Waterfall.

The few years Sans did spend inside were nice. He liked the star gems on the roof of the cavern, and he liked the soft, comforting glow of the echo flowers. The water was nice, and everyone there was calm, comforting. Sans managed to take shelter in a small home, pretending his parents were away whenever an adult would ask so he wouldn't be taken away. The confusion from being placed Underground gave the perfect excuse. Everything was still being sorted out, he had an advantage. It wasn't too uncommon to have orphans roaming about on their own, either, as plenty of parents died in the war.

Papyrus was innocent, a little too innocent. Sans could never break to tell him about where they had come from, resorting to saying their parents were simply "gone". How could he explain it? He wasn't exactly sure how to put it into words. Only later did he learn what a cult was, and after looking over his life, realized that was what they were. A cult family.

But, in hindsight, he should of warned Papyrus about the people he should not ever talk to. Because he came home one day, excitedly talking about his new "Auntie Muffet" that had Sans grabbing their belongings and leaving the moment Papyrus uttered her name. Well, more of excitedly shouted, Papyrus always had that happy, upbeat energy. The best excuse Sans could come up with was that since she wasn't a skeleton, she wasn't their Aunt, so she was delusional and they should stay away from people like her.

That's when Snowdin happened. Sans had stumbled there, and on the first day, found out there was a job opening he could have a shot at. Despite his young age, Sans managed to convince them, and got the job. Papyrus got into a school in town, and everything settled down. Snowdin was the small town at the very edge of the Underground, it had taken him years to get there. Sans had no idea if they were even still searching for him or not, but he knew they wouldn't age, just as monsters didn't. And he watched over the T.V as the murder count continued, Asgore unsuccessful in finding the cult group Underground. They even got a nickname; the 'Sunny Family Cult'. Pretty accurate, if Sans was to judge.

Years passed, and the two grew older. The thought of his parents was pushed to the back of his mind, likely to retain his sanity. Though, Sans could never fully escape them, sometimes waking up to the smell of the fresh blood after a vivid nightmare, or look up in the mirror to see that same stupid mask on his own face. They faded overtime, naturally Sans would repress those memories to forget. He had more important things to worry about, like when his next paycheck was due, or how Papyrus wanted to get into the Royal Guard, causing the distress of Sans getting a third job just to keep their food on the table. He couldn't remember the last time he got a full night of sleep, overworking himself to the bone just to keep everything afloat.

Then, finally, came the last human.

Dear old Frisk, the human child had really come during a time they all needed. Sans was driving himself down a rabbit hole just to try and keep Papyrus happy, and maybe the escape to the surface was what he really needed.

Frisk was a curious child, and was a pacifist, through and through. Constantly trying to save people, to fix their problems. Sometimes, it was helpful. Undyne and Alphys finally got together (seriously, they were getting nowhere with their weird dance around the topic, finally), and even freed monsters! That was rather impressive.

Sans never did consider, in a moment of stupidity, that Frisk might also try to solve his problems.

"Welcome back!" Toriel had called out, "We brought some special guests!"

The front door thudded open with the two skeleton brothers, crinkling of paper bags filling the silence shortly afterwards from the kitchen. Not plastic, monsters were big about saving the environment.

Sans shuffled after Papyrus into the kitchen, freezing after what he saw. Standing there with a knife, covered in red liquid, was none other than his Mother, giving a soft smile.

"And we found your parents!" Frisk said.

His what?

~~~~~~

Being on the surface was the best outcome Toriel could have ever dreamed of! She tilted her snout into the air, collecting the soft fragrance of the fresh produce in front of her. Tonight's dinner was going to be extraordinary, she just knew it.

A paw reached out, testing the lettuce. Perfect. Just like her life.

Frisk really was a determined little child, were they not? They were determined to make everyone happy, that was very clear. They had forced Toriel and Asgore to sit down, and while awkward, it did allow them to finally settle their issues and move on. Frisk also has been leading the front for monster acceptance, and that was going splendidly.

Speaking of the child, there they were beside Toriel, helping pick out some vegetables for dinner, sometimes snatching a fruit for their school lunch. It was rather silly how they could go from being in elementary school to solving societal problems. Rather impressive.

"Oh, that's a splendid choice, dear," Toriel hummed, rubbing the child's head. "Sans would love that tomato."

Toriel picked up the object, turning it around under the light. A good selection humans had, excellent for her superior cooking. Frisk was always a joy to shop with.

"I'm sorry."

A feminine voice spoke up, making Toriel and Frisk turn. Was that...

Another skeleton?

Indeed, there stood a skeleton monster, but a female one, quite opposite of the two Toriel had grown to know. Her face more resembled Sans', more rounder, less sharp than Papyrus'. A feature signature to female skeletons - transparent hair - clung to her skull. Her own cart of items she was purchasing was behind her, gripped in one hand to not forget it, but disinterested as she had found something far more important.

"Did you just say Sans?" She asked, "As in, a skeleton named Sans?"

"Are you... Are you related to him?" Toriel asked.

The woman in front of him chuckled, running a hand down the back of her neck. "Ah, well... I am, actually. I'm his Mother. I'm Jandle."

Toriel almost had to shield her eyes from how much Frisk had sparkled just from that information. Understandable, as Toriel was sure herself matched her child's expression quite well.

Perhaps it was just a Mother thing, but simply hearing about another parent just made her understand them a bit more. The struggles parents went through to keep their children safe, to keep them warm and happy. And to see the Mother of a man she held as a close friend, it was inspiring, really. Though, she had always assumed he and his brother were orphans from the war.

"I didn't know Sans and Papyrus had a Mom!" Frisk said.

"Oh, you must be the human ambassador. Hello!" The female skeleton gave a little wave to Frisk. "But they do, and a Father, too. Gaster will be back in a tad, he's grabbing some materials."

"Sans and Papyrus have parents?" Toriel asked, "I've known Sans for awhile, and he never talked about you two. How come?"

Jandle sighed, looking away. "When he was a young bones, Sans was distraught and ran away from his family, from us. That's why I'm speaking to you, because I heard your conversation."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Toriel said, "When did he run away?"

"He was born shortly after the barrier was formed, so when he did run, monsters were still getting used to the Underground," Jandle said, "That's how he managed to get out without us being able to stop him. It was awful, knowing my poor babies were out there all alone. Are they doing alright?"

"Yes, quite fine," Toriel said, "They're both healthy and very alive. I myself am a Mother, and I can understand what you've gone through."

"I'm so glad my boys are safe, my gems," Jandle sighed, pressing a hand against her chest. "You have no idea how many nights we've stayed up trying to find them."

"Of course," Toriel said, "Sans and Papyrus are both doing well."

"Jandle, who's this?"

This skeleton definitely looked more like Papyrus, but even he was more lean and tall, with sharper facial features. His voice was more firm, claiming the attention of anyone who heard it, much like Papyrus' voice did as well.

"Gaster, honey, they know Sans and Papyrus," Jandle said, clapping excitedly.

"They - You're kidding!" Gaster said, walking towards them and quickly extending his hand. "I'm W.D Gaster, ah, I'm their Father."

Frisk looked like they were actually glowing at this point, grin drawing back with utter happiness. After all, they were discovering something about the skeleton brothers they never knew before. It was exciting!

"Hello, I'm Toriel Dreemur," Toriel said, shaking his hand.

"Oh, your Majesty," Gaster quickly said, moving to bow. "I apologize, I didn't realize I was talking to royalty."

"Old royalty, no need to act like that," Toriel said, holding up her hand.

"Do you think we could possibly get Sans' and Papyrus' phone numbers? Or their house address?" Jandle asked, nervously playing with the cart.

"How about you guys come to dinner tonight?" Toriel asked, "We all share the same house due to problems relocating to the surface, and I was picking up some ingredients for dinner. You could join us and reconnect with your children."

"We wouldn't be intruding, would we?" Gaster asked.

"Nonsense!" Toriel said, offering a large smile. "I always make enough for plenty of leftovers, and everyone is welcoming to guests. I'm sure Sans and Papyrus would love to see you."

《》《》《》

Two uploads in one week because I feel a little bit weird leaving the book on just one chapter