A few hours had passed since I had met Flowey.

'This is wonderful, mom! Thank you for the pie!' I signed happily, eating the butterscotch cinnamon pie and savoring the heavenly taste of homecooked pie with fire magic.

"You are very welcome, Reid," Toriel looked content after having dinner and a slice of her own. She did a great job on dinner, like always.

As I ate, I suddenly remembered Flowey. My heart quickly sank and I lowered my fork, my face crestfallen.

Toriel immediately noticed, her face concerned.

"What is it, my child? Is something wrong? Do you not like the pie?" She questioned, the motherly look in her eyes no one could match but another mother.

I looked at her with my left eye, a medical patch over the other, and gave a smile. I signed, 'nothing is wrong with your pie. It tastes great. It's just that...'

Toriel waited on my pause, not saying a word and paying attention. She was letting me speak. I looked just behind her, out the window. I saw a flash of yellow again. Snapping my attention back to Toriel, I tried to come up with something.

My hands shook a little, wondering if I should speak of Flowey. As far as I knew, Toriel knew nothing about him. If I told Toriel what Flowey told me, I don't know what he would do. He was just a flower, but...from what I learned, Travis and his gang were just kids. I can't underestimate him.

I decided, and signed, 'I wanted to know for a while now...what is in the basement...?'

Toriel gave a horrified look, but quickly hid it with an apologetic smile, "Ah...I knew you would ask sometime..."

She got up from the chair across from me and sat next to me in another chair, grasping onto my hand.

"Reid, my child," Toriel began, "I have the best of intentions to keep you from harm, you understand that right?"

I nodded, confused.

"What is down there..." She paused, gathering her bearings, "is the continuation of where all of the other monsters live. There isn't just me and the others here. There are hundreds of us down here, and to get there is through the basement."

Absorbing the information, I gripped her hand and released after a brief moment and signed, 'I would like to go and see the monsters down there.'

Toriel sighed and gently replied, "I cannot let you do that...but I can let you meet a friend of mine from there. We exchange jokes and tell stories. He is very likable."

I scrunched my eye brows at that. I signed, 'Why can't I go see them?'

"Because...because they will kill you." Toriel almost choked out, as if just thinking about me leaving was a slap to her face, "I told you before that they needed seven souls to break the barrier right? How Asgore called war on the humans? We have six souls right now...if they knew you were down here this whole time...they would..."

She stopped talking, took a deep breath, then continued, "they would take your soul. They would take your soul without question. They....we...have been waiting for years for another human to fall. You are the key to our freedom..."

I stared at Toriel in shock. Oh...thats why...

I finally knew my answer for Flowey. I noted in my head to tell him later.

'Thank you for telling me, Mom,' I signed with a smile, 'I was just curious...but I want to meet your friend still. Is he nice?'

"Definitely! I'm sure you'll like him!" Toriel clasped her hands together and smiled, "Actually, it's about time I meet him at the doors...come along."

Toriel got up and grasped my hand again, my hand almost swallowed by her large fluffy hand. For a second, I looked back at the window and saw a very annoyed Flowey, then he was gone. I followed her closely to the steps I was forbidden to go down, and walked down the stairs with Toriel.

It was colder the more we walked down the dark hall, my body shivering a bit at the temperature change. We ended up, after a minute or two of walking, in front of two big purple doors. She went and sat against the doorway pulling me down with her. I could feel the cold from under the door coming through.

Silently I watched her knock twice on the door. A voice from the other side could be heard. It sounded like a lazy guy.

"Who's there?"

Toriel smiled instantly, replying, "Tank."

"Tank who?"

"You're welcome!"

A low hearty laugh came from the other side of the door, and Toriel looked proud. She looked at me and I gave her a thumbs up. We both heard a knock from the other side of the door.

"Who's there?" Toriel answered, the smile never leaving her face.

"Cows go."

"Cows go who?"

"No, cows go moo, owls go who!"

Toriel laughed, holding her stomach like it was the best one she's heard. At the sight of Toriel so happy, I felt my heart and soul warm up and I couldn't help but grin the entire time bad jokes were made. Instantly I listed the guy behind the doors a friend.

After awhile of sitting there trading jokes and bad puns, Toriel made a loud yawn. There was the famous knock at the door again.

"Who's there?" Toriel answered.

"Pasture."

"Pasture who?"

"Pasture bedtime, isn't it?"

"I suppose...it was nice doing this again," Toriel sighed in content.

"Well, I have to go back and see Paps to bed anyway. You have a good night."

"You too," Toriel smiled. We heard shuffling, then crunching of footsteps away from the doors. Whoever it was, they had left to see whoever 'Paps' was to bed.

I signed to Toriel, 'who's Paps?'

Toriel made an 'oh' sound and explained, "He's talking about his bother, Papyrus. Papyrus apparently is a fan of spaghetti and loves puzzles, according to him."

I nodded in understanding. Toriel got up and stretched her back.

"Well, that was nice!" Goat mom commented, helping me up off the floor. I stretched too and held her hand again, letting he read me down the halls and up the stairs into the nice warm house again.

"It is probably a good idea to head to bed now to, my child," Toriel advised me, "do you want me to relax your mind again tonight?"

This time I shook my head and signed, 'I want to see if I don't have nightmares anymore.'

Toriel nodded after a brief moment of thinking, "If you desire. Though, if you have another terror, please come wake me. I do not want you to suffer."

I nodded and happily signed good night to her. She returned the gesture in sign language, both of us giggling at her attempt to sign the letters for my name.

We walked to our separate bedrooms and closed the doors almost simultaneously.

I pulled off my socks and my sweater, leaving me in my shorts and t-shirt, and promptly collapsed on the bed. I sighed to myself in content, relaxing on the plush cloud I call a bed. For about ten minutes I laid there, staring at the ceiling.

At this moment, Flowey crossed my mind. His irritated look made me wonder if I did something wrong to upset him. My stomach sunk a bit, thinking about leaving the goat/person that cared for me. Then, Flowey's words crossed my mind again.

"I can save you from her."

With a scoff, I pulled the blankets over me. What a joke, that flower.

.........

.....although....I did promise to meet him on the front lawn when Toriel went to bed. I groaned quietly, tossing the blankets off of me. I got out of bed and went to the dresser, pulling out a clean pair of black pants, a grey t-shirt and socks. I replaced my clothing and tossed the dirty clothes into the half full basket.

I went back to the dresser again and pulled out a hoodie, it being a simple red. I pulled it on, and quietly tip toed out of my room and into the dark hallway. I first went to Toriel's door, pressing an ear to it. I could hear light snoring from the other side. She's sleeping...that's good.

I tip toed down the hall and made my way to the front door, slipping on my trusty striped shoes.

With a deep breath, I opened the front door as quietly as I could and exited the house.