Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cassandra sighed as she finally dragged herself out of bed. She ignored the clock reading one o'clock P.M. and made her way to the bathroom to take care of her routine. She usually wasn't one for laying in bed, but that changed as the years passed; she no longer had the energy to do much of anything, and even when she had to work, she found it harder and harder to drag herself out of bed. She just didn't see the point of it all. She tried to seek out counselors to help with her growing depression, but they never helped; hell, she recalled sending once counselor into counseling when asked about her nightmares or thoughts. She knew that she had at least tried to seek help, but she knew that no one could. Her friends tried their hardest to help her, but she felt like she was holding them back. A dry laugh escaped her as she stared at her reflection; who was she to anyone, really? One day she would die, and then what? Everyone would go on with their lives and forget her, like they always did. Shaking her head, she got dressed and managed to convince herself to head outside to clear her head before her thoughts could get worse. Pulling out her iPod, she stuck her headphones in and hit shuffle as she ignored those passing her by. She felt the Autumn breeze brush across her face as she trekked on unsure of her own destination; all she knew was that her head was getting to loud for her and she needed some kind of distraction. She didn't particularly mind the month of September, but she didn't really like the winter months, or the fact that her depression became unbearable during that time. She shook her head and fidgeted with her long sleeve shirt to be sure that her arms were covered completely.

She took in the city as she walked, focusing on her music that calmed her mind and at least make her feel numb instead of the clawing anxiety and depression that threatened to climb at any given moment. Music was the one thing that she felt would help calm her when nothing else would; she secretly thanked her aunt had paid for her dance lessons when she was younger since dancing was sometimes an outlet when the music took over her. It was the only thing that kept her from losing her sanity, well, most days at least. Today was already proving to be one of her bad depression swings, and she was doing what she could to help delay her thoughts from swamping her already fragile mind. A sigh escaped as she stared at the ground, that was until the mountain's shadow loomed over her causing her to look at it. 'Mt. Ebott...' she thought as she slowed to a stop. 'The monsters' home before they came here... I wonder what it was like...'

The brunette stared as the music continued to play on. The mountain itself was rather beautiful, but there was also an air of mystery about it, especially with the rumors of the disappearing children years before the monsters emerged. She chuckled darkly to herself as a particularly nasty thought bombarded her mind; it would be so easy to climb that mountain and disappear from this life. Shaking her head once again she continued onward, the shadow of the thought staying in the back of her mind. She ignored the people she passed until she made it to the nearby park. Pulling out a book she brought with her, she sat against a tree and began focusing on her book, the music drowning out the sounds of others around her. The book she pulled out was well worn as it was one of her favorites, a book called And Then there were None by Agatha Christie. Reading was another hobby of hers that made her feel content when the world around her seemed grim; she sometimes wanted nothing more than to escape into the world of the books she read, with a few obvious exceptions. To keep the wind from blowing into her face, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, which she hated to do. She hated the scar that adorned it that reached from her forehead to her chin at an angle. It was another reminder of her past that she wanted to sweep under the rug. Her blue eyes danced across the pages as she continued to read her book.

Unknowing to her, she had caught the attention of a child around the age of ten. Children have a natural talent of sensing emotions from others, and Cassandra's loneliness wasn't an exception. The child was at the park playing frisbee with their monster friends when he noticed the young woman sit by a tree away from others, her eyes downcast as she pulled out a book. The kid blinked as they watched, something telling them that she could use a friend. "Is something the matter my child?" a soft voice spoke from a white goat-like monster.

The child shook their head before pointing at the oblivious twenty-seven year old. This caught the attention of the other monsters who were now all staring at the brunette, wondering why she of all people caught the attention of Frisk. However, Cassandra was getting the feeling of being watched and glanced up to see the monsters and the human child looking at her. The brunette froze before she quickly let her hair down and tried to cover the scar; quickly putting her book away she made to stand up only to find the child smiling at her. This caused the young woman to become perplexed and kind of curious. "Um, h-hello..." Cassandra said with uncertainty. The monsters slowly approaching didn't go unnoticed by her though.

"Hi," the child responded softly before handing holding the frisbee out to her. "Would you like to play?"

This caused Cassandra to blink, unsure how to answer as she removed the headphones from her ears. "it would be a real 'catch' if you did' a voice said from one of the monsters which caused a few snickers. 

The brunette stood up and took in the scene before her. On the right behind the child was a goat-like monster with very feminine features who was smiling patiently at her, next to her was a yellow lizard or dinosaur monster who seemed just as anxious as she was which was more relaxing to the young adult. Right by the dinosaur was a very muscular blue fish with fiery red hair that had a huge air of confidence about her that was also kind of unsettling. Next to the intimidating monster were two skeletons; one about a good five inches taller than the other. "I-I don't want to intrude on anything..." Cassandra stuttered out feeling more self-conscious than every before. 

"Nonsense!" the taller skeleton shouted which caused the young woman to jump.

"My name is Frisk," the child spoke softly before pointing to the monsters. "That one is Toriel, my mother, next to her is Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans."

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Cassandra," the young woman responded quietly. Her head began screaming at her to just leave since she didn't deserve new friends.

Frisk held out the frisbee once again and smiled expectantly. Chewing on her lip, Cassandra shyly took the frisbee causing Frisk to smile with delight which resulted in the young woman's lips to twitch with a small smile. "It's been a few years, so don't expect me to play that well," she said quietly before sloppily throwing it towards Toriel who caught it.

"tibia honest, that kinda sucked,' the skeleton known as Sans said with a wink.

Cassandra smirked a bit, a little confidence coming to her; she loved to make others laugh, so puns were usually her go to. She felt that if she were to have a purpose, it was to make those around her happy at her own expense. "Gee, I guess I'm kind of a bonehead," she chuckled.

"No! Not another corrupt person!" Papyrus exclaimed.

The day turned out better than Cassandra had expected, and eventually it was time to say her goodbyes before waving goodbye. She secretly thanked meeting Frisk and the others when she did, since it was sometimes hard for her to control her thoughts. As she continued to walk, however, her smile began to fall. She new she more than likely never run into them again, which was probably for their benefit. She was a burden after all. Shaking her head, she rubbed her arms as the chill started to get to her. She then grimaced as she remembered that she needed to work tomorrow. As she continued to walk, she peaked once again at Mt. Ebott as she walked passed it. 'Maybe I should...' she thought darkly.

Once she was home, she went ahead and took a hot shower before making herself dinner and falling back into routine so she didn't stress herself out before work the following day. She turned on her TV before putting on Star Wars, a movie she has seen about a thousand times and never got tired of. It was a sense of stability in her life when she had none. She continued to make herself a dinner as the movie played in the background. Eventually she sat on the couch with her food and ate as she focused on the classic. Her enjoyment, however, was drowned out by arguing above her in her apartment. She gave a look of distaste at the ceiling as the screaming match continued yet again. Uneasiness set in as her anxiety and panic spiked, even though she knew she was safe.

The day shortly came to an end as she finally laid down and curled into the comforts of her blanket; she grabbed hold of a stuffed dragon that was on her bed immediately began to calm down. She knew it was childish to sleep with a stuffed animal, but it was her comfort blanket, and it brought her a sense of familiarity and it calmed her enough to relax and sleep on most nights. It even sometimes fought off the night terrors she still had, so if it helped, she would be childish. No dream came to her that night, but the following morning, she felt more hollow than ever, she frowned as she stared at her phone before sighing loudly. She needed to go to work, and she knew she couldn't call out. She sat up only for her shoulders to sag as she stared at the blankets; she had no energy for people today.

Despite her brain's protests, she forced herself to get ready for the day and stepped out into the cold morning air. She kept her head down and she made her way to work; she worked at a nearby animal shelter, so that helped her a bit and she sometimes enjoyed her job. Today would not be one of those good days though. It started with a rude male shoving her out of the way on his way to work which caused her to land in a puddle; with a glare and a grumble she stood up and continued on her way. Much to her annoyance she got a few cat calls from people in their cars, and a scowl was on her face as she got some insults from people that she recognized from high school. Her bullies who she knew all too well. She scoffed as she continued on. When she got to work, she winced at the newest addition to the shelter: a starved and severely dehydrated puppy who also had a broken jaw.

Her work day continued on, but she couldn't get the dog out of her mind. Humanity was truly cruel, and she hated it. She sighed as she clocked out before walking to a nearby restaurant called Grillby's. She stared at it momentarily before making her way inside; needless to say she wasn't expecting what she saw. It was a monster bar from the looks of it. She sat down in one of the booths before looking outside momentarily. Someone walked up to the booth and she looked to see a fire monster looking at her. 'He must work her,' she thought to herself.

“What would you like?” he asked; she could barely make it out through the crackling of his fire? Face? Person? It honestly was kind of fascinating to her.

“Um, I haven't been here before, so surprise me,” Cassandra answered with a small smile.

He nodded before going in the back to make the order. The twenty-seven year old sighed as she stared out the window, paying no attention to the customers coming and going. She instead focused on the leaves falling before the mountain once again got her attention. 'Heh...go figure.. maybe it's fate's way of saying I should...' she pondered.

“isn't this place kinda hot,” she heard a familiar voice ask.

She turned her head to see none other than Sans standing there. She smiled slightly and nodded before looking back out the window; she wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone, and talking to strangers was definitely not on her priority list at the moment.

Sans just seemed to watch her for a moment before shrugging and walking away. Cassandra watched him leave out of the corner of her eye and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Grillby soon returned with her meal in hand and she ate it quietly, before a sudden feeling of dread overcame her. She froze mid bite before setting the burger down as the voices in her head grew louder and louder. 'Why bother eating? What's the point? You're just wasted space, don't make other's waste their energy on you,' her thoughts screamed at her.

She swallowed before different thoughts came up 'Finish a bit more before paying and leaving. No need to take up more space, but you shouldn't be rude. Don't just be selfish as always.'

Cassandra continued to eat until she had her fill before placing two twenties on the table and leaving without making contact with anyone. She knew she way overpaid, but he was nice, so she didn't mind. She held her forearms and scratched as the thoughts continued to bombard her; her feet were moving on their own accord as she began chewing on her lip. As she walked the occasional insult was thrown her way causing her mind to recluse further into the darkness until her feet stopped. She looked up and chuckled solemnly to see the mountain before her. 'Go figure...' she thought before clenching her fists.

She began to climb, unsure of why her body was telling her to, but she did so willingly. Maybe, if she were lucky, her brain and body would agree and she would have another chance at death. Maybe this time death would accept her. She shoved those thoughts aside as she continued to climb the mountainside. It was well into the night before she made it to the top, and she was not expecting what she saw. The stars seemed to shine so brightly which caused her to smile softly as she sat down on the ground to contemplate. Why was she here? She never knew her purpose, and she sure as hell didn't want to know what person made her to be some kind of cruel joke. She was agnostic, and she was bitter at the thought of a god that would send her here only to go through was she did. Maybe she didn't have a purpose. Sure, she had an aunt that loved her until she passed, and she did have friends, but other than that... what?

She wiped away tears that she didn't know she had from her cheeks before letting out a bitter laugh. She was selfish. She kept everyone around her for her own sanity and troubled them with her presence. Standing up shakily, she looked over the edge and noticed how far of a drop it was to the bottom. Definitely a one way stop if she were to jump. She heard footsteps and turned around to see Frisk, Papyrus, and Sans emerge from the trees. She silently cursed her luck before looking back at the sky. “Hello, human! What brings you here?!” Papyrus greeted loudly.

Cassandra shrugged as she continued to stare at the stars. “What brings you?” she asked in return; she mentally scolded herself for allowing her voice to come out as empty as it did.

“We enjoy looking at the stars when we can! Tonight they were said to be brighter since it is in the fall!” Papyrus replied.

“we just needed to lighten things up” sans joked causing Frisk to snicker and Papyrus to groan.

“I'll leave you alone then, I didn't mean to take your spot,” the brunette said before starting to walk off without looking at them.

“You can stay,” Frisk chimed in which caused the young woman to pause and look in their direction without making eye contact.

“if you stay you can hear more of my humerus jokes,' sans chimed in.

Cassandra paused before looking at them quizzically. Why did they want to her to stay? All she could do was nod before sitting back down on the ground only to be joined by the others. She didn't notice how Sans seemed to study her as she was occupied with listening to Frisk tell her the story of the Underground and why they enjoyed looking at the stars. Papyrus would occasionally chime in with his own part of events and sans would occasionally throw in a joke.

The brunette smiled to herself before standing up once again. “I should get going, it's getting relatively late,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

“Why don't you come over and I'll make you some friendship spaghetti?!” Papyrus exclaimed in excitement.

This caused Cassandra to freeze and stare. Friends? She slowly nodded and before she knew it the taller skeleton threw her his phone and practically demanded her to enter her number. She did so robotically as confusion continued to take hold. Why did he want to be friends? After returning the phone and waving goodbye, she began making her way back down the mountain, her thoughts scolding her for being selfish, but other thoughts wondering if fate was really as twisted as it seemed.

The day started out pretty nice, and Sans had the wonderful opportunity to sleep in since his brother had gone to drive in his car; Papyrus loved his car and it made him happy. Sans got out of his room and teleported over to Toriel's house since today everyone was going to be spending time with Frisk since they all had the day free. It was one of those rare moments. Amusement in his eyes, he knocked twice on the door. “Who's there?” Toriel asked from the other side of the door.

“orange,” Sans answered.

“Orange who?”

“orange you gonna let me in?” Sans responded only to be greeted with laughter from the other side of the door.

It opened up to reveal Toriel wiping a tear from her eye. Frisk smiled and waved from inside the house before picking up a frisbee and running over to hug the skeleton. “You ready to head out?” Toriel asked.

“ready as I can be fore a sansational time,” Sans threw in.

After another round of laughter, the three made their way to the park to meet up with the other monsters. Papyrus was happily chatting with Undyne and Alphys as the trio walked up. “Brother! You are late!” the taller skeleton scolded.

“i guess i need a time out,” Sans winked causing both Papyrus and Undyne to groan.

Frisk and Toriel laughed at the pun and soon the game of frisbee commenced. They were all having a good time. “Catch this one, punk!” Undyne shouted as aggressively through the frisby towards Papyrus.

The taller skeleton successfully caught it while letting out at triumphant 'Nyehehehe!!' and tossed it back to Frisk who caught it before feeling something weird. It felt as though someone needed help. Scanning the park, their eyes landed on a young woman who sat down by a tree and pulled out a book. Frisk blinked as she removed the hair from her face; the kid only barely noticed the scar that sat angrily on her features, and she looked like she was a war with something, but what they didn't know.

“Is something the matter my child?” Frisk heard Toriel ask.

Frisk shook their head before pointing at the young girl who hadn't seemed to notice them yet.

This caught Sans' attention, however. What was it about this human that made Frisk notice her? The scar didn't go unnoticed by him, and it made him wonder more. Then he decided to look at her soul; he wasn't expecting what he saw. Her soul was a very dull green and purple; it was so dim in fact it almost looked gray, and that wasn't including the dark spots and scars that littered her soul. Sans' eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He didn't trust a dark soul since his run in with Chara, but he was also quite curious. In previous timelines, this girl had never appeared in any of them. That was definitely something to look into at some point. Sans spaced back in, however, when he noticed the girl look back at them, and shock was evident on her features; he also noticed how she quickly recovered her face to try to hide the scar as fear flooded her soul as she started to put a worn book away.

'another human afraid of us,' Sans thought bitterly.

Frisk, however, didn't hesitate to approach the stranger which Sans found odd. He was more surprised when Frisk asked her to join them and began introducing everyone to the stranger. Her soul went from afraid to confused and unsure, but not about them as he then noticed self doubt as they approached. Sans concluded that he would need to keep a close eye on her in case she tried to hurt anyone. He watched a small smile pulled at her lips as she took the frisbee. “It's been a few years, so don't expect me to play well,” she said softly before throwing it rather horribly towards Toriel. He noticed a little color return to her soul at this.

“tibia honest, that kinda sucked,” Sans stated.

She smirked as a spark of a challenge shined ever so slightly in her eyes. “Gee, I guess I'm kind of a bonehead,” she joked back.

'huh, kid knows puns,' Sans mused as Papyrus voiced his disdain.

As the day progressed, he noticed her soul coloring getting brighter, but the scars remained there. Sans had seen scars on souls before, but this was a bit different and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. When she said goodbye, Sans approached Toriel and Frisk. “hey kid, why'd you invite her?” Sans questioned. There was no venom behind it, but he was curious.

Frisk shrugged and thought for a moment. “Something was telling me she needed a friend,” they finally replied.

“A new friend?! Wowie!!” Papyrus exclaimed.

Toriel thought quietly before looking at Sans. “Did you see?” She asked him.

Sans only nodded before winking, “don't worry, i'll keep an eye-socket out for her.”

And like that he teleported back home.

The following day he was a bit surprised to see Cassandra enter Grillby's, but his eyes narrowed as her soul seemed to be void of color completely, almost as if it were a gray shield of sorts blocking anyone from noticing it. He waited a moment before entering behind her; he noticed the female sitting in a booth as she stared at Mt. Ebott. He approached. “isn't this place kinda hot,” Sans said throwing in his signature wink.

He watched as she looked over at him, she nodded as she smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. His eyes narrowed as she went back to staring out the window. He shrugged it off though, giving her the benefit of the doubt of just not being chatty before heading to his usual seat, though he kept an eye on her as Grillby brought a burger over that she ate. Sans ordered only to freeze moments later at the sudden change of atmosphere; the skeleton looked over and his eye lights left his skull as her soul went a dark gray, slowly turning black as a sense of dread took over her soul. His eye lights reappeared moments later as she ate half of the burger, left money on the table, before making her way out of the bar.

Sans immediately got up to follow and watched as some humans spit out a few insults to her before she stopped at the base of the mountain. He didn't like the bitter laugh that escaped her as she started her climb. Deciding on what to do, he teleported back home in front of his brother. “sup bro?” he winked. “feel like doing some star gazing?”

Papyrus paused in his reading before looking at his brother curiously. After convincing him to tag along, the two went to Toriel's to get Frisk and the trio made their way to Mt. Ebott. At the top, Sans saw Cassandra standing at the edge of the top, looking below. Thankfully, it was Papyrus who spoke first. Sans noticed her puffy eyes and a few tear stains on her cheeks as she stared back up at the sky. The skeleton knew what she had been thinking about, and maybe that was why Frisk had the urge to befriend her. Eventually the four sat down and all looked at the stars before Cassandra got roped into Friendship Spaghetti by Papyrus which confused her. After saying goodbye, Sans couldn't help but notice the smile on Frisk's face. What did the kiddo know?

Chapter Text

Cassandra woke up the following day still feeling mostly perplexed. She wasn't feeling the sense of dread, but she was still relatively befuddled by the events that transpired last night. She did intend to take her own life, but she stopped; she didn't want to scar a child for life. Then something more curious... Papyrus had invited her over to his and Sans' house. It was not something she had expected to say the least. She ran a hand over her face as the last two days went through her head. She ran into the monsters and the ambassador of monsters two days in a row.. surely that wasn't a coincidence? Hell, if it was, maybe fate was taunting her once again. She got out of bed and began getting ready for work and while grabbing her phone, she saw she had two new messages from unknown numbers. Raising an eyebrow, she unlocked her phone and read the text. The brunette could practically feel Papyrus screaming through the phone.

“Hello Cassandra!! This is Papyrus! What would be a good time for your arrival?!” the text read.

Cassandra couldn't help but smile slightly at his eagerness. He seemed to still have much needed faith in the world, and she hoped that he never lost that spark about him. “Hey, I do have to work today, so how about 4:30-5? Also, are either of you allergic to animals? I work at an animal shelter,” she texted back before looking at the second message.

“knock knock” the text read.

“Who's there?” she shot back curiously

“dismay”

“Dismay who?”

“dismay be a bad joke, but I think it's funny. if you haven't guessed yet, this is sans”

The brunette looked at her phone for a minute as she laughed softly, her mood changing slightly for the better. “That was a real rib tickler,” she texted back. She went back to the other text and read the confirmation text from Papyrus. “That time works for me! And no, we are not allergic to anything!”

Cassandra nodded to herself as she packed a pair of backup clothes just in case; she didn't like socializing in her work clothes if she could help it; it was just a personal preference. Ignoring the sound of her phone receiving a notification, she began making her way down the street to her job. She shook her head as confusion finally started to wear off some into a feeling of... content. She didn't feel happy or sad, just.. there. She nodded to herself as today promised to be a better day than the previous to her relief, but she also knew that her mind played cruel tricks on her at times.

She got to work without delay and actually had a pretty decent day; quite a few animal adoptions took place which gave her a bit of hope. She didn't like to see the animals unhappy, they were true and kind, unlike most people in the world. The brunette ran back and forth helping to clean the animal cages while feeding them, giving them clean water, and even interacting with the animals to be sure that they had at least some human interaction until they found good homes. She enjoyed the company of the animals, and if she could afford it, she would consider putting down a pet deposit to become a foster parent for animals, but that was out of her reach for the moment.

Cassandra's work went by without any hitches, and thankfully she didn't have to witness yet another animal come in suffering; she didn't like to say anything, but with her being an empath, she sometimes could feel the sorrow of others, especially humans. She felt the emotions of anger and sadness to be the two that affect her in the worst way, so she always tried to be on guard if she felt any type of tension in the air. Once she clocked out, she looked at the address that Papyrus had sent her before pulling it up on her phone's GPS and making her way to her destination. She ignored the looks of people passing as she took her hair down to try to hide that scar despite knowing it was never fully covered.

She readjusted her messenger bag on her shoulder as that familiar burning sensation began creeping along her spine after a long day of work. Grateful for the next two days off, she looked at the sky with a small smile, today so far has turned out pretty decently. A slight frown appeared on her features, however when she thought about the two skeletons she was about to meet. 'Why burden them with—no, do not gown down that road today,' she scolded herself.

The brunette continued to make her way down town until she came across a two story house with two mailboxes... 'Strange,' she thought to herself before snickering at herself. 'Really, that's what you find strange?'

Cassandra chewed her bottom lip as she stood at the doorstep, her handing hovering in front of the door, hesitating to knock. This was always the hard part for her, making that step to socialize, especially after work. Finally caving in, she gave three knocks and took a step back; she was secretly hoping that no one would answer. Very shortly after she knocked, the door was flung open by Papyrus which caused the twenty-seven year old to flinch from the surprise. “Human, you have made it!” the taller skeleton shouted.

It was in that moment that she was able to really take in the skeleton's height, he had a good four inches on her, which made her feel small in that moment. Papyrus looked around as if expecting to see something which caused her to cautiously look behind her as well. “I-Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Where is your car?!” he asked.

The brunette looked at her feet, suddenly finding them very fascinating. “I don't have one, I live close to where I work so I have a tendency to walk everywhere,” she answered as embarrassment took over her.

“Then I will have the great pleasure of driving you back home!” he exclaimed causing the girl to jump from his outburst. She had a feeling she would need to get used to it. “Please, come in!” he said opening the door a bit wider to allow her to walk pass him.

Cassandra said a quiet thank you as she timidly entered the house; she blinked as she took in the rather simple house. She couldn't help but smile at the sock by the TV with multiple sticky notes attached to it. She just shook her head as she continued to take in her surroundings. Still smiling slightly, she looked towards Papyrus, but was still refusing to make eye contact. “Um, is there a bathroom I can change in real quick? I don't want to get any animal hair on anything,” she asked while fiddling with her messenger bag strap.

“ yeah, that may be a hairy situation,” Sans said as he grinned from the couch.

“Sans!” Papyrus scolded. The taller skeleton looked back towards his guest before pointing at the a door in the downstairs hallway. “You may change there!”

The brunette smiled a bit more before nodding in thanks and heading into the bathroom to change. She pulled out a pair of leggings and a simple black tunic top and quickly changing into it; she grimaced as she saw her reflection. She didn't like her figure. Sure, most girls would love to have a big chest, thick thighs, and an ass, but that was now. She despised her appearance thanks to bullies calling her 'burger bitch' or 'fat ass' when she had a relatively smaller waist. She had a slightly pudgy belly, and she hated the stretch marks she had on her body. Sending a glare at her reflection, Cassandra finished dressing and putting her work clothes in her bag and stepped out; she fidgeted as she stared at the wood paneled floor. “Where can I put my bag?” she asked.

“You can put it by the door!” she heard Papyrus respond from the kitchen.

With a nod, she set her bag by the door and stood, unsure of where to go or what to do. She couldn't help but be curious about the monsters the more she thought about them. Specifically the two skeletons; did they eat? Could they feel? Hell, how can they be so expressive in their faces? More questions started to flood her before Papyrus' shout from the kitchen caused her jump once again.

“Cassandra, I have all the ingredients for the Friendship Spaghetti!” he shouted. “Come join me!”

“careful not to jump out of your skin” sans said with a wink.

The brunette looked at the shorter skeleton on the couch and noticed that he was watching her. She just gave a short nod before making her way to the kitchen and stared at the ingredients. 'Bananas... what?' she blinked before laughing lightly.

“What is so funny?!” Papyrus questioned as enthusiastically as always.

“Bananas don't taste quite right in spaghetti. May I teach you one of my family recipes? It may help it turn out even better,” she shyly added as she made her way over to the box of noodles and turning on the stove to get the water to boil.

“Wowie!! A new recipe!” he exclaimed as he reached to the knob to turn up the heat further.

Cassandra noticed and stopped him, unaware she was being carefully watched by Sans. “Leave it on this setting, we don't actually want to burn the noodles,” she said quietly as she became more comfortable.

Papyrus nodded as he watched the young female move around the kitchen before she paused and shyly looked at his feet. “Where would you happen to have your herbs and spices?” she asked.

“We do not have any, why?!” he asked.

“Well, they usually help enhance the flavor, but we can save that for right now. Let's go ahead and get the sauce ready,” she answered.

Cassandra found what looked to be a cutting board from the counter and had grabbed a knife to start chopping the vegetables. That was when she felt a wave of tension hit her like a ton of bricks causing her eyes to go wide out of fear. She looked around for the source only to see Sans' eye sockets completely black other than a very faint glowing of blue in one eye. She immediately dropped the knife on the counter and began backing up as tears pricked the corners of her eyes as panic started to kick in. 'I need an exit, I need out.IneedoutIneedout!' her mind screamed as her hands started to shake.

“Sans!” Papyrus said loudly which snapped Sans back into reality.

Sans' eye lights returned as they landed on the now terrified guest. His eyes fell before he got up and left the room without saying anything; he just in that moment was reminded of that timeline...

Papyrus turned towards the human and waved a hand in front of her face to snap her back into reality. “Human, are you alright?! My brother didn't mean anything by it!” he tried to reason.

No words came to Cassandra in that situation as she looked at Papyrus before looking away ashamed. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin it...” she said with a shaky voice.

“Nonsense! Let us continue!” he said with encouragement.

His happy-go-lucky attitude broke the majority of the tension in the air as she hesitantly made her way back to the cutting board. “R-right... so what you do is finely dice the tomatoes before putting them in the pot,” she instructed quietly as she set to work.

The rest of the evening went by without a hitch, and soon, their Friendship Spaghetti was ready. “Sans! Dinner is ready!” Papyrus shouted as Cassandra began setting the table.

“thanks, buddy, it looks like you guys worked to the bone,” Sans replied as he appeared next to the dining room which caused the brunette to jump.

“Ugh! That was horrible!” Papyrus groaned.

“but you're smiling,” the shorter brother added with a wink.

A smile appeared slightly on the young woman's features as she couldn't help herself. “Well, bone-appatite,” she added.

The two brothers looked at her before she once again found the floor very interesting. She glanced as a chuckle came from Sans. The trio sat down to eat the meal that was created before them. “Wow! I never thought pasta could taste so good!” Papyrus exclaimed happily.

“not bad. I could ask you to pasta-nother round,” sans added.

Cassandra smiled at their creation, “And like I said, herbs and spices bring out the flavor that much more.”

“This has turned out to be a wonderful evening!” Papyrus exclaimed. “We are now great friends!”

The brunette couldn't help but smile warmly at Papyrus. He definitely had that younger brother energy about him, one who always saw the good and refused to see or acknowledge any type of negativity. Part of her was kind of jealous to still have that kind of innocence. Her eyes moved over to Sans who also held a warm smile towards his brother. Now he was much harder to read which did not sit well with the brunette since she never did trust wild cards since- she quickly averted her gaze to her plate as he met her gaze. She soon filled up before bringing her plate to the sink and collected the dishes to start washing them. “The guest should never do dishes!” Papyrus exclaimed as her gently pushed her away to take over.

The flinch at his touch didn't go unnoticed by Sans who continued to monitor her. “you could get washed up” he chimed in.

The twinkle in her eye returned as she shot Sans a kind of cocky smirk. “Well, water you up to? Surely you don't see any of this as fishy,” she stated before realization struck and she quickly looked away. 'Crap! Why would you do that?! Why start something with someone who looked like he would murder you previously?!' her head screamed.

“whale, you got me there,” Sans chuckled.

“Gaaahhhh! Enough with the puns!” Papyrus shouted.

A soft laugh sounded from Cassandra as she watched the interaction. She slightly shook her head at a sudden dark thought threatened to creep in, before making her way to the door. “I do appreciate you letting me come over, but I am rather tired and have at least a thirty minute walk ahead of me. I guess you can say I am a bit dead on my feet,” she added for her own amusement.

“Nonsense! Allow me to drive!” Papyrus had offered.

The brunette shook her head as she picked up her bag. “I appreciate the offer, but I enjoy walking home. It helps...” she said before waving and opening the door. “Thank you again.”

Before Papyrus could interject, she closed the door and began walking back to her house; she shuddered as she remembered that stare... something must have happened to make him react that way.. it reminded her of herself when she was around knives after that incident. That was the only thing she could think of. But other than that, the day went well, almost too well. It made the young woman wonder if something worse was going to happen, it seemed like something always would.

With a content sigh, she continued on her way back home, a little bit of hope filling her at the thought of maybe making some new friends. However, with new friends meant being more likely that her mind would want to shut down and recluse. The thought of that was just as uncomfortable, but she knew she would occasionally have to get uncomfortable to get anywhere. 'Not there is much of a point...' her mind added darkly.

“There is the debby downer...” she muttered to herself as she continued onward.

Her trip home went without a hitch, and she was super grateful to hop in the shower before curling up into her blankets where her dragon always sat to welcome her. “Today wasn't too bad after all..” she said quietly to herself.

Her phone buzzed and looked see a text from Papyrus. She opened the text up and couldn't help but smile softly at the message. “Please reply when you have returned home!”

She shook her head at his worried nature before bringing herself to reply. “I just got home, thank you again for your hospitality.”

“Of course! I, the Great Papyrus, am nothing short of being a gentleman!” was his reply.

She then pulled up the unread text from Sans from that morning. “you shook my core with that one. you could call it a knee slapper,” he had sent.

Cassandra debated about sending him a reply as she chewed her lip before sending “knock knock”.

Not expecting a reply, she turned off her light and crawled into bed. She jumped a bit when her phone buzzed again. She reached onto her nightstand to see that Sans had indeed replied. “who's there?”

“Nobel,” she shot back as she already started to grin.

“nobel who?”

“Nobel, that's why I knocked,” she couldn't help but snicker at her own dumb joke.

“that one may earn a no-bell prize.”

Satisfied with her own amount of socialization for the night, she set her phone on the nightstand and allowed sleep to take her.

She woke up with a violent shudder as sobs escaped her; she had yet another night terror. Tremors shook through her body as she fought for any amount of control; once her shaking calmed down she glanced at her clock which read three in the morning. She grimaced before sniffling before taking her blanket and her dragon to the living room and turning on the TV and selecting Netflix. She could never go back to sleep after nights like that even though she could never remember what happened in the dream. All she remembers is the fear, the cold-sweat, and the feeling of dread. She looked at her phone to see an unread message from Sans that simply said “knock knock”. Her best guess was it was sent before she had fallen asleep.

Chewing her lip and taking a long shot in the dark of him maybe being a night owl and with the fear of being alone, she shot back “Who's there?”

Minutes went by and she wasn't too surprised that she never heard anything from him. She sighed as she tried to drown everything out with the TV. That was the plan, at least, until Cassandra's phone buzzed. “dishes,” Sans had replied.

“Dishes who?” she answered as her sniffling started to quiet.

“dishes getting kinda late.”

She flinched at the joke, feeling guilty for either keeping him awake or causing him to wake up. “Sorry, I got carried away.. Have a good night...” she shot before groaning. She felt so childish in her inability to stay alone on nights like this. She blinked in surprise when her phone went off yet again.

“knock knock” Sans had sent again.

“Who's there?”

“i am.”

“I am who?”

“wait, you don't know who you are?”

Cassandra snickered, and she secretly thanked Sans for lightening up the mood. “so humor me; you don't seem like a night owl, so why are you hooting at this hour?”

The brunette thought for a moment before finally replying. “I'm just having a hard time sleeping.. I probably won't get any tonight, but that's okay since I'm not working tomorrow. You could say I don't have a skele-ton on my plate right now.”

“you feeling bone-ly?”

Cassandra smiled softly before sighing. She felt as if she were being rude for continuing to talk to him this early in the morning; she set her phone to the side as she turned to the TV once again. As the brunette focused on the TV she started to ponder about the previous night. She wanted to ask Sans about it and find out what she had done, but she didn't want to bring it up. The young woman had no desire to deal with that again; the tension was way too thick, and she thought she would suffocate in that moment.

The sun was peaking through and Cassandra sighed as she stood from the couch to get herself something to eat. Like she had predicted, she didn't fall back asleep for the remainder of the night since she had the night terror. With a stretch and a groan, she decided to clean her already tidy apartment and do some laundry once she had finished her bowl of cereal. Feeling in a pretty good mood, she turned on her music and began dancing and singing along as she cleaned; Cassandra knew it was good to just do something she enjoyed every now and again, especially after a bad depression wave.

The young woman finished her chores by the early afternoon, and she just had the urge to go back to the park to read. Grabbing her iPod and a book, she began her trek with a small smile as she watched the clouds on occasion; it truly was a beautiful day in her eyes. She saw a few people walking their dogs and she resisted the urge to go over to pet the fur babies; animals were definitely something special. She got to the park and sat under her favorite tree and pulled out the book Dragon Rider; she didn't worry about pulling the hair out of her face since it wasn't a very windy day that day. The book had the young woman completely mesmerized as she didn't pay attention to the day progressing. However, she did look up when she saw an adult female dog walking up to strangers who had food. She frowned as each person ignored the obviously hungry animal; the scowls from strangers adding to the outright ignoring of the dog made her sigh in annoyance.

Cassandra stood up from her spot on the ground and walked to a nearby pet store to buy a bowl and some dog food. When she got back to the park, she saw the dog still pacing around while panting heavily. 'Poor baby is so stressed...' she thought to herself.

Whistling softly, the brunette opened up the bag of dog food and poured it into the bowl. This seemed to get the dog's attention as it slowly started making it's way over to Cassandra with her head hanging low. “Come here girl,” Cassandra encouraged as she sat a short distance away from the food; she was sure to only pour a little of the food in the bowl at a time so the dog wouldn't eat too quickly and throw it all up.

The dog finally got to the bowl and hesitated before practically inhaling the contents of the bowl before looking at Cassandra for more, her tail slightly wagging. This caused the brunette to smile as she cautiously approached to pour more food into the bowl; her eyes widened a little as the dog nuzzled her hand graciously which brought a smile onto the brunette's face. “You're just a big sweetheart, aren't ya?” she asked while petting the dog's back.

The dog became alerted momentarily before quickly running off which caused the girl to pout momentarily. She sat back down by her tree and began reading again, the bag of dog food still sitting next to her as she picked up where she left off in her book; she heard quick footsteps approaching her as the dog had returned, with puppies no less. Resisting the urge to let out a squeal of delight, she poured more food into the bowl as some of her pups tried to get at their mom for some milk. Cassandra's smile had returned tenfold as two of the pups started playfully attacking her shoe laces. “Well aren't you two just the absolute most precious angels,” the brunette chuckled as she gently pet one. “I bet you're one proud mama. Though it isn't safe for you guys to remain on the streets...”

Cassandra thought a bit more as she looked at the mother and smiled softly as an idea came to mind; they needed a home, maybe it was time for her to start fostering. “One moment guys,” she said quietly before going to call her apartment manager, well, she was until the mother dog started to growl.

Her head snapped up to see two familiar people stop a bit of a distance away. “Well if it isn't Scarface,” one of the females spat. “Finally found someone willing to hang out with another reject?”

Cassandra's frown returned but she didn't do anything other than softly petting the mother dog; she knew the dog was only there to protect her pups. The brunette went back to her phone to look for the number of her manager as she had no intentions of starting anything with anyone; she was having too good of a day. This didn't sit too well with her high school bullies who scowled and got closer which caused the dog to snarl. “What's the matter, too stupid to respond?” the other added.

A glare appeared on the brunette's face as she scowled in return at the two. “No, I just don't argue with idiots; you'll just drag me down to your level and then beat me with experience,” Cassandra scoffed before mentally scolding herself.

“you could say that would be a drag,” no other than Sans said as he approached; but his joke was covering the fact that he had that tense air about him like back in the kitchen which caused Cassandra to tense up and the mother dog's tail to go between her legs while pushing her pups along.

The pups leaving caused the brunette's heart to sink every so slightly before a chill went down her spine at Sans next words. “if you don't leave, I have a feeling you're going to have a bad time,” he said in a low voice, his eye-lights leaving his sockets.

Cassandra was grateful in that moment that the look was not directed towards her. The two bullies quickly walked off wishing to avoid any type of conflict much the brunette's delight. She let out a breath as the tension started to lift. “guess they didn't have the time of day,” Sans said with a wink.

The twenty-seven year old laughed lightly before standing up; she looked around for the mother dog, but she didn't spot it which caused her shoulders to sag. “Sans! We still getting some ice cream?!” she heard Papyrus call.

“You guys have an ice time,” Cassandra said as she dusted herself out; she looked over at Papyrus and smiled as she noticed a laughing Frisk on Papyrus' shoulders.

“Would you like to join us, human?!” Papyrus asked.

Cassandra dusted herself off and noticed just how tired she felt all of a sudden. “I appreciate the offer, but-”

“Let's go, Cassandra!” Papyrus shouted as he marched on.

The brunette sighed in defeat before looking at Sans. “How do you handle his energy? Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, but he's so excited,” she said before a huge yawn escaped her.

“he's the coolest guy I know; if he's happy, i'm happy,” Sans replied, but the young woman didn't miss the slight tension returning.

“I didn't mean anything by it, I just get drained easily is all,” she tried to explain; she laughed lightly. “Guess you could say I'm all washed up.”

Sans chuckled but didn't respond; he was thinking about what he had seen while him, Papyrus, and Frisk watched the young woman interact with the dog. Her soul colors had been the brightest they had been in a long time before the two humans started to tease her; he still didn't trust Cassandra, but maybe she wasn't as bad as he initially thought. After all, she enjoyed making puns as much as he did.

Chapter Text

Cassandra blinked as she stared at the two skeletons eating ice cream. Surely the ice cream should have been running through them, right? She thought of yesterday as they ate spaghetti as it dawned on her that they had eaten then also. “you should take a picture, it'll last longer,” Sans winked.

A deep blush crossed over the young woman's face as she looked away. “I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I-I was just c-curious... it's not important,” she muttered to herself as she found the table extremely fascinating as she ate her own ice cream.

“Do you like going to the park?” Frisk had asked her as they enjoyed their ice cream.

The twenty-seven year old smiled and nodded, a light blush still on her cheeks. “Yeah, I enjoy reading there since it allows me to just appreciate nature as I'm absorbed into the world of books. They are truly fascinating and the stories are never ending it seems! I really enjoy fantasy and mystery books the most since-” her blush returned tenfold as she looked down; she had let herself get too excited again. “I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble...”

Frisk just smiled, “I like books also; sometimes Papyrus will read to me when him and Sans come over.”

“you could say we cover all the basics,” Sans chimed in which earned a groan from his brother.

“Sans! Enough with the puns you imbecile!” Papyrus shouted.

Cassandra laughed, her good mood fully returning; a huge grin adorned her face as she looked at the two skeleton's with adoration. “If you don't mind me asking, Papyrus, would you be the younger brother?” she asked; her shy voice was pushed in the back as her good mood made her a bit more confident.

“Indeed I am! How did you know?!” the taller skeleton replied.

The brunette's smile faded slightly before she lightly shook her head. “Well, if I had a younger brother, I'd just hop he'd be as cool and kind as you,” she answered softly before taking a few more bites of her ice cream.

“Of course! For I am the coolest!” he grinned.

“yeah, you're a real ice guy,” Sans chimed in.

“Uggghhhh!!”

Cassandra busted up laughing and ended up snorting, covering her mouth as she blushed furiously as she continued to laugh and snort. She wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes as she started to calm down; she hadn't had a good laugh like that in years. “S-sorry,” she apologized as she fought off the rest of her giggles.

“No need to be,” Frisk smiled.

The brunette just smiled as she finished her ice cream before looking at the time. “Thank you for today,” she said with a small bow as she stood up. “I do need to head home; I have laundry I need to fold.”

“Would you want to come over tomorrow? We can watch movies and eat popcorn!” Frisk asked as they bounced slightly in their seat.

The young woman thought for a moment before looking at the table, still not making eye contact. “Maybe, but I may just stay at home tomorrow,” she started. She winced when she saw the disappointment on Frisk's face. “But I don't have any plans. I don't like making promises, but I will see how I'm feeling tomorrow, okay?”

The smile returned to the ten year old's face before they nodded enthusiastically. Cassandra waved goodbye and began making her way home with a sigh; she now felt inclined to go over tomorrow, even if she didn't necessarily want to. She blinked as she heard footsteps behind her and she turned around to see the trio walking with her. “We thought you might like the company!” Papyrus stated as he practically marched with Frisk on his shoulders.

Cassandra smiled slightly and shook her head, “It's not a very impressive walk, but I do appreciate the company.”

“just trying to walk it out?” Sans grinned.

“I just don't have any concrete plans,” she shot back with a smirk.

Frisk just laughed as Papyrus groaned. “No! We are not making puns!” he scowled.

The young woman just shrugged and ignored the glares that were shot at her. This didn't go without Sans taking notice. “so, why were those two humans picking on you earlier?” the shorter skeleton asked. “just had a bone to pick with you?”

Cassandra froze on the spot which caused Papyrus and Frisk to...frown? How could they frown? Shaking her head and trying to ignore the rising of anxiety that flooded her mind. “U-um, it's kind of a long story...” she answered quietly. “They have been bothering me since middle school for their own reasons.. I guess I was an easy target considering...” she trailed off while subconsciously pulling more of her hair in front of her scar.

The brunette looked to the left and frowned when she saw the two bullies and their friends sending glares and scowls her way. She naturally tensed up before speeding up her step. “It's nothing, so don't worry,” she quickly added.

Sans just watched Cassandra as she fidgeted with her long sleeve shirt and scratching at her arms; her anxiety was practically rolling off of her shoulders. “well, if they still mess with you after today, then they have a lot of spine,” Sans joked to try to lighten the mood.

“They would end up being rather boned,” the brunette laughed.

They continued walking down the road as Cassandra and Sans shot puns back and forth much to Papyrus' horror; after the twenty or so minute walk, they four arrived at the young woman's apartment. “Would you guys like to come in? It's not much, but it is home,” she said quietly.

“Of course!” Papyrus responded eagerly.

Cassandra just shook her head with a smile before she unlocked her door and pushed it open before stepping back. “Guests first,” she said.

“Thank you very much!” the taller skeleton shouted as he set Frisk down; soon the three had entered and Cassandra had followed suit.

The brunette mentally face-palmed when she saw her comforter and her dragon stuffed animal on the couch. She quickly tried to get to the couch before anyone took notice, but to her dismay, it was too late. “Do you not have a bed?” Papyrus asked.

“I-I do.. I just couldn't sleep last night so I moved to the couch,” she said as quickly as possible as she tried to hide her green dragon.

“we could make it dragon,” Sans winked.

Cassandra blushed in embarrassment as she looked down. 'Way to go.. way to let everyone know that you're absolutely childish,' she mentally scolded herself.

“What's your dragon's name?” Frisk asked as he looked at it excitedly.

This surprised the young woman. She blinked as she shyly looked at her favorite toy. “It's name is Puff; I named it when I was younger since my favorite song as a kid was Puff the Magic Dragon,” she answered quietly. “I-I know it's childish to still have a toy...”

“Nonsense! I used to have a race car bed before leaving the Underground!” Papyrus added encouragingly.

Tears started to prick the corner of her eyes as she smiled hopefully; maybe things really were starting to change. “Thank you,” she said softly. She cleared her throat and softly shook her head before pointing towards her three bookshelves and four stacks of books piled next to them. “Those are my books so far, but I'm going to put these away and change, so uh, make yourselves comfortable,” she said as she walked to her bedroom and shut the door; as soon as she did, she slid down to the floor and fought for control over her emotions.

She wasn't sure how to respond; things were happening way too suddenly. She hasn't known them for very long and here she was inviting them over, but they were very understanding which honestly kind of frightened her. Were they faking it? Did they genuinely want to be her friend? She just didn't know how to look for the answers, and all the socialization was starting to wear her out. Wiping her eyes, she stood up and put everything back on her bed before quickly changing into a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt before stepping back out. “Sorry about that,” she smiled before noticing the three of them staring at her arms.

Cassandra blinked before realization struck; she had on a short sleeved shirt since her long sleeves were still in the dryer, which meant her scars were exposed. She quickly hid her arms before looking down and making her way to the kitchen. “W-what would you guys like to drink? I have water, apple juice, orange juice?” she asked to try to get the attention off of her past.

“Orange juice, please!” she heard Frisk ask.

The brunette nodded before grabbing a cup and pouring some of that orange liquid into the green colored cup and handing it to the child. “Here you are,” she smiled softly. “Would either of you like anything?”

“have any ketchup?” Sans asked.

Cassandra scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion before nodded and handing him the bottle. He said his thanks before drinking straight up ketchup. She blinked before shaking her head before finally feeling brave enough to ask. “May I ask a question that may or may not be considered rude? I-I'm not meaning to be offensive, but how?” she asked gesturing to Sans. “How can you guys eat without it falling straight through you.”

“No offense taken! We have organs that are hidden by magic! Same way how we can taste with our tongues!” Papyrus answered. For emphasis he stuck out his tongue which was a light glowing orange... he had an orange tongue.

“That honestly makes more sense,” she said blinking, but words were escaping her. So they had organs that were invisible to the eye, which explains how they are able to eat. So did that mean they had lungs and other anatomy similar to that of a human? Her face went red as her train of thought continued.

“what's the matter, cat got your tongue?” Sans said with his signature wink and grin.

“Nah, I'm feline fine,” Cassandra smirked

The rest of the afternoon turned out well much to Cassandra's delight. They watched movies while Sans and the young woman shot the occasional pun back and forth until there was a sudden slam from a door in the upstairs apartment. Cassandra grimaced as she glared at the ceiling before sighing. “Things are about to get loud upstairs, so I think it would be safe to get Frisk home before it gets bad,” she started before groaning as the arguments started as she finished her statement.

“You have loud neighbors,” Papyrus pointed out.

“Yeah, and that's the landlord, so even if I were to make a noise complaint nothing would happen,” the brunette growled as she continued to glare at the ceiling; she was willing it to swallow them.

They said their goodbyes and the trio made their way back to Toriel's to drop off Frisk. Cassandra scowled at the ceiling before turning up the volume on her television to drown out the now screaming neighbors. It was almost ten at night as the screaming match continued upstairs which caused the brunette to hit her head on the pillow before grabbing her phone. She needed a distraction from the growing negative energy thanks to her landlord and his wife. She looked through her contacts until she saw Sans' name. Deciding it would probably be humorous to crack jokes until things got quiet, she shot him a text. “Knock knock,” she sent.

She sighed as she stared at the ceiling. She couldn't help but smile to herself when her phone went off. “who's there?” Sans replied.

“Mustache.”

“mustache who?”

“I mustache you a question, but I'll shave it for later,” Cassandra was proud of that one.

“that was a bad one, in a good way,” Sans had responded. “can't sleep, or are you neighbors still arguing.”

“I can't sleep because of the neighbors screaming. My pillow does not make a good spot to hit my head against.”

“maybe you should hit the road.”

“But my name isn't Jack, and I'm not a Jack of all trades.”

“you got some good jokes kid. good to know your funny bone isn't broken.”

“Can I ask you something? It's about the other night, and it's been bothering me.. Why did you tense up when I went to chop the vegetables?”

It was silent for a long time, and Cassandra knew she probably crossed a line, but she wanted to understand so she wouldn't make the same mistake again. She chewed her lip when her phone buzzed, and she exhaled as she opened the message. “i'm not about to say, but since we're asking personal questions, why were those kids picking on you? i specifically recall one of them calling you 'scarface'.”

Cassandra tensed as she read the text before slowly exhaling; she knew if she wanted answers, she'd need to give answers. “Because I was always the quiet kid, the goody two shoes, always kind to those around me, especially when they were being picked on. They turned on me when I helped, and then when I got the scar on my face... things only got worse. I was a freak who was unwanted...”

She shakily hit send before she hugged her dragon, hoping that he wouldn't open it, even though she knew otherwise. 'You're so stupid, why burden others? This isn't their problem, this is yours and yours only,' her brain scolded her.

Sans reply came quicker than she would have liked. “how did you get the scar?”

It was the question she absolutely did not want to answer; she was not ready to face that part of her past. “I can't say... not yet, at least.. I haven't recovered from when it happened still... it's not something I want to share until I know I won't be hurt again...” she answered. She sighed as she set her phone on her chest, hoping that he wouldn't press the topic.

Her phone buzzed again, and she smiled softly at the text. “knock knock.”

“Who's there?”

“avenue.”

“Avenue who?”

“avenue knocked on this door before?”

Cassandra smiled at the text before her eyes finally got heavy and she fell into a peaceful sleep. That Sunday she slept all the way through eleven in the morning causing her to jump out of bed. “Holy shit! I can't believe I slept in! Fuck!” she shouted as she hurried to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She didn't have any plans for the day, but sleeping in meant there was a chance that her insomnia would end up keeping her up. The other issue she faced when sleeping in was the fact she felt like she was in a rush for the remainder of the day which caused her anxiety to double. She grumbled at her carelessness as she got dressed for the day. Once she was ready, she checked her phone and blinked at the two new messages. “Human! We are having a movie night at Toriel's house! I will send you the address!” Papyrus had sent. He definitely didn't leave an option for a no.

She opened up the next message before grinning at Sans' text. “knock knock.”

“Who's there?”

“iva.”

“Iva who?”

“iva sore hand from knocking.”

Cassandra laughed lightly as she shook her head; she would have to dub him the king of bad jokes if he were to continue. She decided to shoot him a message as she took some ibuprofen. “Hardy har har. Let me know when to be over and I'll see you guys later. I have a few things to do,” she sent after a moment of contemplating.

With a smile, she left her apartment with her bag and made her way to town to buy groceries. It took about fifteen minutes for her to get to the store and about another twenty to get everything she knew she would need, and even got a few snacks to share with everyone for the movie night. Today seemed to be another good day for her, and she felt calm. Cassandra wasn't aware she was being followed as she juggled her bags, but when she saw the shadows of two females closing the distance behind her, fear and anxiety began to build in her stomach; she started to quicken her pace. 'Get home, get home, get home,' she thought to herself in urgency.

That's when she heard a run before her hair was yanked backwards causing Cassandra to drop her bags as she gasped from the pull. She had to stabilize herself to keep from falling over from the force of the pull. The brunette winced before glaring at the two girls. “What's the rush, don't you want to talk?” the taller brunette said with an obvious fake smile.

“No, Tiffany, now leave me alone,” Cassandra said trying to get her hair out of the bully's grip.

“But we thought you may like a new hair cut,” the blonde had grinned.

Absolute terror flickered over the twenty-seven year old's face as she desperately tried to break free. Cassandra choked back a sob as the blonde took out a pair of scissors and cut a huge chunk of her hair from the right side leaving it sticking out in horrible angles. The brunette then shoved the crying girl onto the ground. “Next time don't threaten us, loser,” Tiffany sneered before both the bullies left.

The brunette shakily stood up as other people continued about their day, not bothering to help the young woman as she collected her groceries and slowly began making her way home, tears falling down her face as she tried to ignore the negative thoughts starting to creep up. When she got home she quietly put away her groceries before hesitantly going to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. She flinched at seeing more of her scar exposed; her ear was also bleeding slightly thanks to the scissors scrapping them while she struggled. She wiped her bloodshot eyes as her hand shakily ran over her butchered hair. They had cut off almost half of the hair on that side, and it was on top, so there was no hiding it.

Cassandra sniffled as she pulled out her phone to see a text from Papyrus with the time and address of Toriel's home. She frowned when she noticed they wanted her over in about two hours. With a shaky sigh, she grabbed the snacks she had bought before going in her room to grab Puff, and then she was out the door. She got directions for a hair salon and bit back tears that threatened to fall yet again. The nearest salon was about fifteen minutes away, and when she arrived, she shakily opened the door.

Thankfully they had an opening, but to fix her hair, they had to shave down the right side of her hair down to a three; Cassandra looked at her hair in the mirror and frowned. She didn't like it, but she didn't have a choice. Half of her hair was short and sat close to her head, the other was shoulder length to help keep it from looking too awkward. They had to cut roughly six inches of hair. After she paid for the cut she did not want, she made her way over the address that was given to her. Dreading people seeing the new cut, she put on her hoodie and drew the strings tighter to hide her face more. The walk took about twenty minutes and she stood at the driveway, not sure what to do. She was scared. Not because of any other reason than her stupid scar being exposed further.

She was about to approach the door when Papyrus flung the door open and marched over to her only to pick her up into a tight hug which caused Cassandra to stiffen up. “Human, you have arrived!” he exclaimed.

“Y-yes, c-can you please put me down?” the young woman asked shakily.

The taller skeleton immediately obliged only to stare at the female who was looking at the ground. He could tell something was bothering her, but he didn't want to press it. “Come!” he said as he grabbed her by the hand and lead her inside.

Cassandra flinched when he first started to pull, but eased her distressed mind as she entered Toriel's home. “Hello, it is good to see you again,” the home owner said softly with a smile.

The house smelled of some sort of delicious pastry that consisted of butterscotch and cinnamon; it helped ease her mind a little bit from the events that played out earlier. “It's good to see you again as well,” Cassandra replied softly.

The twenty-seven year old was then hugged by none other than Frisk who had creeped up on her. She once again briefly tensed before patting the child on the head softly. “Hey kiddo,” she smiled.

“You can take your sweater off if you'd like,” Toriel smiled as she moved about the kitchen.

“N-no, it's okay. You could say that I'm in the hood,” the young woman quickly through in to distract Toriel from the fact she had no intentions of taking it off.

Frisk, Sans, and Toriel all started laughing from her bad joke while Papyrus had groaned. “No! We are not starting the bad jokes this early!” he exclaimed.

“I brought snacks,” Cassandra smiled as she set a bag on the counter filled with a variety of candies.

“Why thank you. I guess you bagged it,” Toriel snickered.

The brunette nodded before Frisk took her hand and lead her to the living room where he had her sit on the ground. The twenty-seven year old smiled, but as she sat she inhaled sharply at the new found pain. 'I guess I hit the ground harder than I thought...' she thought to herself. 'I'll need to see when I get home...'

“You okay?” Frisk asked when they noticed her face turn into that of pain.

Cassandra just let a fake smile form on her face before nodding. “Yeah, I just fell on my way home from the grocery store. I tripped on the curb while I was watching the clouds,” she replied.

This seemed to satisfy the kid as they then went up to go get crayons. The brunette jumped slightly, however, when she saw Sans squat in front of her before grabbing one of her hands as if he knew she wasn't exactly telling the truth. “good thing you didn't scrape your hands or hit your face on the pavement. that would have scraped the bottom,” he said as he let her hand go.

The brunette avoided eye contact knowing that he was subtly calling her out on her bullshit. “Guess I'm just that lucky,” she tried to play it off.

Thankfully Frisk had returned with crayons and some paper and had began coloring; she smiled as she joined in after she grabbed her stuffed dragon from her bag; she held Puff on her lap as she tuned out the movie and her thoughts that were threatening to close in on her. She didn't feel that she was occasionally being watched, but in that moment she was trying to control her anxiety by keeping her toy secured on her lap.

Frisk happily chatted about their day which helped keep Cassandra distracted. At this moment she was grateful to have come over. It was the middle of the second movie when the brunette need to stretch and relieve herself, and the once pinpricks in her back turned into a sharp burning sensation. Her face contorted into that of pain as she fought back a whimper of pain as tears threatened to fall. “Are you alright, child?” Toriel asked worriedly.

“Y-Yeah, I just have bad back pain, I just need to move around for a bit and adjust,” she answered through clenched teeth. “W-where is the bathroom at?”

“Down the hall on your left,” the home owner answered softly.

Cassandra nodded before slowly making her way down the hall. Once she took care of her needs, she stretched on her way back out to the living room while taking deep breaths. The movie night went by too quickly in Cassandra's opinion and she gave everyone a hug goodbye, well, everyone other than Sans she was currently walking home with him since he insisted.

An awkward silence hung over the two before he reached up and pulled back the girl's hood. A look of shock and horror came over Cassandra as she stared at Sans. “got a hair cut, huh?” he questioned.

“No, I got most of them cut,” she retorted trying to play it off.

“that's funny. from what i've observed these last few days, you wouldn't want to get one, especially one that shows off your scar,” he pointed out. “so let's cut to the chase; what really caused you to fall?”

Cassandra just kept staring away from Sans, a wave of guilt flooding through her. “I'm just clumsy...” she muttered.

“you know, i can't this about other monsters, but i can tell when someone is hiding something. in other words, i know you're lying.”

It was quiet for a moment before the brunette sighed. “I have a tendency to get picked on, and today was no exception. I'm different, and people don't like it. It's another reason why I see monsters get ostracized by most people...” she finally answered. “I've always been picked on, and unfortunately I don't see it stopping...”

A dry laugh escaped the girl before tears started to fall down her cheeks, “Well, I used to think that.. now.. now I wonder why people are trying to be my friend when I don't deserve it. I haven't done anything good in my life to deserve friends. And I'm not looking for pity, I just fight for control over my brain on a daily basis to keep my thoughts going in a certain direction. Not to harm others...”

“i knew the reason why you had climbed mt. ebott, but let me give you a little piece of advice. don't judge your own life, especially if you haven't looked at your own soul.”

Cassandra stared at the skeleton in confusion before wiping her eyes. “My soul..?” she asked. “What's so special about it?”

Sans just winked and turned his gaze ahead. “that is a conversation for another day. for now, let's find the soul reason to lighten the mood up.”

The brunette let out a light laugh. “Hey, knock knock,” she began.

“who's there?” he grinned.

“Interrupting cow.”

“Interrupti---”

“Mooo!” Cassandra cut him off before he could finish. She smiled at him before looking up at the night sky. “...Thank you.”

“hey, knock knock.”

“Who's there?”

“tank.”

“Tank who?”

“you're welcome,” Sans grinned.

Chapter Text

Cassandra woke up in the night with yet another night terror, which sent a protest through her back thanks to Tiffany and her friend Angela. With a whimper and a sniffle, she crawled out of her bed with her blanket and dragon in hand and carefully sat on her couch; she knew she had to work tomorrow, but she didn't want sleep at that point. She grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen and took three before chasing the pills down with water. Her back was going to be a huge issue today at work. She turned on the television and put on a nature documentary about big cats.

She stayed on the couch like that until it was time for her to get ready for work. Her burning back told her to call out of work, but she needed to make money so she could afford going to the doctor to figure out the source of her pain. She looked at the ground like she usually did on her way to work, but her hair cut earned her a few more stares from strangers which made her feel even more self-conscious. Sighing, the brunette clocked in, but she smiled when she saw a familiar mother dog and her pups. “Hey girl, good to see you're doing okay. I know it sucks right now, but you'll all find loving homes,” Cassandra encouraged as she gently gave the dog a few pats on the head just before setting to her tasks.

By the time her work day was done, Cassandra was struggling to walk back home from the pain that was shooting down her back that now caused her to have a pounding migraine. She squinted her eyes as she dragged her feet along the ground; her hip and shoulder were also bothering her, but her back was taking most of the focus. She walked past Grillby's as she trekked forward; she made it a little bit further until she tripped on the curb and started to fall forward. The brunette closed her eyes and braced for her reintroduction to the sidewalk, but blinked as she felt an arm around her midsection.

Pink slippers immediately caught her attention before she looked at Sans. She smiled tiredly and she moved to stand up. “Thank you,” she muttered as she continued on.

Sans shook his head and followed behind her; he noticed the dark circles around her eyes and her paler than usual face. “you sure are tripping; bet you can't step to it,” he grinned.

Cassandra started to laugh only to wince and hold her head from the throbbing. The two slowly made their way, and during that time, Sans couldn't help but notice the gray surrounding her soul was completely gone which exposed the full color of it, but the scars were more noticeable. On top of that, there was what looked to be a fresh scar that now adorned it. He continued to ponder about this information. So the gray may have been a shield, or something else. But, after watching her interact with the dog in the park.. he understood why part of her soul was green; this human was kind, even to those bullies who tried to instigate something with her. After she opened up yesterday, he also had theorized the purple was because she was pushing life and depression. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't falling down the path that Chara had, and it was possible she just felt lost.

Sans noticed that she started swaying and limping, so he walked next to her and swung an arm around his shoulder. He barely registered the quiet thank you that sounded from her; she looked exhausted as hell. Cassandra smiled weakly. “Guess you can say I'm a bit weak in the knees,” she tried to joke.

“you just couldn't help but fall for me,” he chuckled.

The brunette laughed before whimpering, her knees buckling slightly. “S-sorry,” she muttered.

The pair continued in silence before they got back to her apartment; Cassandra dug into her pockets to pull out her keys, and after a few moments of struggling with the lock, she was able to get in. “Thank you... I'm not feeling well enough to invite you in though...” she muttered. “I may not be going in to work tomorrow if this keeps up...”

Sans nodded before the brunette waved and closed and locked the door. Cassandra dropped her bag on the floor before heading to her room to shower and change. She grimaced at the bruising on her right hip and shoulder after she washed herself before putting on her pajamas and going back into the living room. With a sigh, she laid on the couch and closed her eyes trying to keep herself from throwing up from her growing migraine. She listened to her ceiling fan spin as she started to doze off for the day.

Another night terror woke her up. She shook and sobbed from both the pain and a dream she knew she wouldn't remember. Her head wouldn't stop pounding which resulted in her rushing as fast as she could to the bathroom to empty her stomach. She was tired, scared, alone, and in pain; it was times like this she was still able to go to her aunt for comfort, but she didn't have anyone to cling to, no one to tell her it was just a dream, or a way to easily calm herself down. She hated how needy she was. Grabbing her phone, she shot her boss a text that wouldn't be read until the morning explaining that she wouldn't be able to go into work.

Holding Puff, she let the tears roll down her cheeks as she took deep breaths to try to drown out anything she could. Her spine continued to burn and throb while her head pounded; she hated when she went through this. She wiped her eyes as she let music play softly in the background to help with her distraction. The hours drug on until she got a few texts. She opened her phone and winced as her eyes adjusted to the light. One was from her boss hoping for her to get better, and the other from Papyrus asking if she wanted to go to the park with them that afternoon. “Sorry, Papyrus. I'm not feeling too good today; you guys have fun though,” she replied before setting her phone aside.

Her phone started to buzz obnoxiously indicating an incoming call, but she just ignored it as she struggled to get up to use the restroom before laying back down on the couch. 'Just a day to yourself, just what you need...' she thought to herself. Part of that was true though, she had way too much socializing than what she was used to.

Cassandra continued to lay there on the couch and enjoying her solitude in misery until there was a knock on the door and a very loud “Human! I, the Great Papyrus, have volunteered to take care of you while you are ill!”

The brunette winced in pain from his loud voice before she shakily stood and made her way to the door. She didn't care about her clothing consisting of only a large t-shirt since she was in pain; comfort was the idea and he was bothering her on this Tuesday. Cassandra unlocked the door before cracking it open to only flinch at the light; she grimaced when she noticed both Sans and Papyrus standing outside. “I appreciate it, but it's not necessary,” she muttered quietly.

“Nonsense! You aren't feeling well!” Papyrus loudly disagreed which caused her to flinch away.

“Can you please keep your voice down then? I have a migraine so loud noises cause my head to hurt worse...” the brunette sighed before wobbling her way back to the couch where she promptly laid out.

Cassandra turned off the music before turning the television on at a low volume; she just put on Ferris Bueller's Day Off as distant noise as she cuddled her pillow. She became mildly irritated, however, when Sans decided to sit where her feet were. She weakly scowled at him before moving her feet to his lap, which surprisingly helped ease her back pain some. “Huma-” Papyrus started at his usual volume before quickly dropping it to a normal inside voice. “Cassandra, have you eaten anything?” he asked.

“No, I haven't been able to do much of anything...” she answered as her eyes closed once again.

“What do you eat when you are ill?” he pressed as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Soup... there is some chicken noodle soup in the cabinet... just read the instructions on the can and you shouldn't burn anything down...” Cassandra said before sighing in discomfort.

She didn't hear a reply, but did hear the skeleton move about the kitchen. The brunette was slightly grateful for the fact someone was able to make her food since she was a bit too weak to at the moment. “didn't sleep again last night?” Sans asked from his spot on the couch.

“No... but sometimes it just happens,” she tried to brush it off.

“after eating you should try to sleep; unless you're too thick skinned,” he joked.

Cassandra barely cracked a smile from her spot on the couch as she willed her head to just go ahead and explode. But having company... she felt more relaxed than she was while she was alone. A comfortable silence fell in the house as the scent of chicken broth filled the house. It wasn't long before Papyrus brought over a bowl of soup. “Here, human, eat,” he said; he was obviously straining to talk in a normal indoor voice.

The young woman winced as she slowly sat herself upright only for a wave of nausea to hit her because of her pounding head. Standing up as quickly as she could, a whimper of pain passed over her as she went around Papyrus to relieve her stomach yet again. When she returned and sat down, Papyrus handed her the bowl and sat on the floor to face the TV. “Thank you...” Cassandra said with a hoarse voice.

“so, where did you get the bruise on your hip?” Sans asked.

The brunette sighed, “I got it when I hit the sidewalk after buying groceries..”

Cassandra then blushed since that meant part of her underwear was exposed when she got up as quickly as she did. Apparently neither skeleton cared all that much since they didn't say anything. This eased her a bit as she started to eat the soup. “was it those two girls from the park?” he pressed.

The brunette tensed slightly which caused her to wince before she lightly nodded; her pain and tired state made her easier to talk to in a way. She was more honest since she didn't have energy to hold back the wall of emotions that threatened to shove her into a pit of black. Cassandra finished the soup before trying to stand up to put her bowl in the sink. “No, sit back down, I have got this!” Papyrus urged as he took the bowl from her hands.

Cassandra just nodded and winced as she forced herself to lay back down in the position she was in before. Silence once again took over the apartment, and eventually sleep once again took hold of the exhausted girl. Sans sighed as he leaned into the arm rest when he noticed her breathing went even and her face no longer looked contorted in pain. “So she was pushed before she went over to Toriel's? Is that also why she got a hair cut?” Papyrus asked.

“yeah, that is what i pieced together also,” Sans replied. “they are going to have a bad time if i see them again. those people are the kind that remind me why i hate humanity.”

“But we shouldn't act unless provoked,” the younger brother chimed.

“...sure buddy,” Sans said as they turned their attention back to the television.

“Brother, did you notice her soul? It's damaged..”

Sans looked at his younger brother before giving him a reassuring grin, “it'll probably heal, it'll just take some time.”

“And I, The Cool Brother, will help!” he said before quickly quieting himself.

Both brothers watched as she shifted slightly in her sleep before once again settling. Deciding it was time to be quiet, the two decided to just watch Netflix while Cassandra slept. Sans eventually nodded off himself when they got into the second movie.

As Sans slept, he felt despair and dread overcoming his being. He recognized that feeling; he had that feeling when he was fighting Chara, when that monster had killed him while he slept. He felt the panic rising, willing him to wake up, and he did. He snapped to attention on to hear the occasional whimper which confused him until he took in his surroundings. He wasn't fighting Chara, so why did he feel that fear so heavily? Sans then saw Papyrus gently shaking Cassandra who looked absolutely distressed. That was when he put two and two together: he was feeling her fear. Her soul was trembling from whatever nightmare she was having.

Sans blinked as she started to thrash in her sleep, the whimpering getting louder until she was borderline screaming in her sleep; he recognized this, it was a night terror. He had those from every time he took on Chara. “shit,” he swore before holding down her legs.

Papyrus shook her a bit more aggressively. “Cassandra!” he shouted.

The terrified girl shot up as a sob chocked out as her body shook; she trembled as she hugged her stuffed animal, her knees brought closely to her chest as she tried to get her breathing under control. “kid, you okay?” Sans asked as he watched her; he knew just how bad they could get, and he pitied her.

Cassandra continued to stare as tears fell from her eyes, her breathing heavy as she continued to shake. The shorter skeleton scooted a tad bit closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder which caused her to jump before recognition flashed in her eyes. In her panicked state, she latched onto Sans' torso and began to sob as she let out whatever was haunting her. Papyrus sat on the couch next to the girl and patted her back in a caring way only he knew how to do.

“I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry,” she said between the occasional quiver of her lips.

“it's nothing to get chocked up about,” Sans joked to try to ease her distress.

Cassandra chocked out a small laugh before coughing slightly. “Pap, can you please get me a glass of water?” she asked weakly.

“pap? guess we should all you cassie if you're gonna start giving us nicknames,” Sans chuckled.

The brunette smiled a bit before sitting up with a wince. She then scowled as she sniffled and heard the snot in her nose. “Fucking nose...” she growled before getting off the couch to head to the bathroom.

“Language!” Papyrus shouted from the kitchen.

Cassandra blew her nose and noticed that her headache had eased a little bit which she was thankful for. After taking three more ibuprofen, she returned to the couch where Papyrus sat waiting with the glass of water. “Thank you... and I'm sorry... I don't like others to worry about me,” she sighed after she took a few sips of water.

“It's no problem! I said I would take care of you!” Papyrus said.

“Indoor voice please..” Cassandra reminded as she gently patted the skeleton's head. “I-I'm sorry, I did it out of force of habit!” she said quickly.

Papyrus smiled, “That's quite alright, I do not mind.”

The brunette nodded as she looked at her hands. “I'm sorry, you didn't deserve to see that...” she said quietly.

“'salright,” Sans interjected. “but i'm curious, how long have you been having the night terrors?”

The young woman chewed her lip as she stared at the water. “I have been having them since I was thirteen... when I first got this scar...” she finally said after a long pause; her hand pointed at the scar that was a constant reminder of hate that sat on her face. Her blue eyes were looking almost teal thanks to the red that surrounded them from her tears. “...I lost everything that day, and I won't ever be normal again because of it... 'the girl that screams at night'... 'the girl with that ugly mark'...”

Papyrus and Sans just listened as she aggressively wiped the tears from her face. She then looked at the two brothers with such sorrow they almost recoiled. “Protect each other... don't ever forget each other... tell each other that you love them every day...” she said before she once again started to cry.

“...what was your brother like?” Sans asked; he had put the pieces together from her comment at the ice cream shop.

“He was brave, fearless, and he always vowed to be the one to save the day...” she smiled bitterly. “'Come be the damsel in distress so I can save you, sis!' and I would. My brother may have been younger, but I helped him since our parents didn't really want us around. We helped each others until we no longer could...”

“He sounds a lot like me!” Papyrus said before giving Cassandra a hug. “I, the Great Papyrus, will honor your brother!”

Cassandra just laughed as she cried before giving Papyrus the biggest hug she could. She also felt a type of... relief. She was able to open up a bit about her past, and it was like a weight off of her shoulders, like she was one step closer to healing. When she calmed back down, she went into the kitchen despite the protests from both Papyrus and her body to cook some popcorn. She sat back down with a bowl filled with two bags before selecting a new movie on Netflix. “Let's watch some movies to lighten the mood, yeah? I feel like I burdened you guys enough as it is,” she laughed lightly; the headache medicine and her disturbed nap had helped her head out a ton.

“sure you shouldn't weigh your options?” Sans said with a wink and grin.

“Well, I could tell you a short story,” she shot back with a more natural grin to match.

“No, we are not doing puns!” Papyrus argued.

“Okay. Hey Sans, knock knock,” Cassandra grinned.

Papyrus only groaned as Sans chuckled. “who's there?” Sans replied.

“Two-knee.” she grinned harder.

“two-knee who?”

“Two-knee fish!”

Sans chuckled and wiped away an invisible tear as Papyrus complained. “Why do you torture me?!”

“you're smiling,” Sans winked.

“I am, and I hate it!” the younger brother groaned.

Cassandra just watched the pair with a smile, grateful that she could at the very least interact with them. It was five o'clock in the afternoon when the two skeletons said their goodbye's. The young woman smiled at them as she stood in the doorway. “Thank you again, for all that you guys did,” she said.

“I did everything, Sans was being lazy as usual!” Papyrus said. “But, I can share credit!”

The brunette shook her head with a chuckle before hugging the two. “I mean it, thank you both. And tell Frisk I said thank you also, please,” she added.

“don't sweat it; and hey, if you find you can't sleep, send me a few knock knock jokes. they can be a real ringer,” Sans grinned.

Cassandra just laughed, “Go home you two, take care of yourselves. And don't worry about me, I can be a real bonehead.”

With one last laugh and groan, the two brothers got in Papyrus' red convertible and they drove home. Cassandra watched them as they drove off into the distance as she smiled to herself. She had made progress today, and she knew it was all because Frisk had asked her to join them in a game of frisbee. She laughed lightly as she went in and locked her door; maybe, just maybe, there was a reason she suffered in her past. She didn't want to believe she went through that for a reason, but she had hope now. She had a will to fight out of her depression, and she never had that before. Frisk had saved her life and they didn't even know.

Once she closed her apartment door, she pulled out her phone with a sigh; she dialed a familiar number before holding the phone up to her ear. The phone rang twice before the phone on the other end picked up. “Hello?” a familiar female voice asked.

“Hey, Aunt Tess,” Cassandra smiled softly. “I know it's been a while, but I wanted to check up on you.”

“Cassandra, it's been too long! I'm doing well, and I got a minor part in a musical!” Tess answered. “How are you? I know you didn't want to move with me, but you still live in the apartment? How's therapy?”

“Yeah, I still live in our apartment; thank you, for helping still that is. I've just been busy with work. I have some money saved up so I may be able to buy a bike soon until I can get a car. Therapy is going good, I think...” the brunette chewed her lip at her own lie about therapy; she just didn't have the heart to tell her aunt that she dropped out of it yet again.

“That's great, I'm happy to hear! Oh, any plans for Halloween? I know it's your favorite holiday, and it is next month.”

“I don't as of right now, but a few ideas have been playing in the back of my head. Oh, and I think I've made some new friends.”

“That's fantastic news! Oh you need to send a picture so I can work on the next photo album! I'm almost done with one that I've been working on for a while, and I think you'll like it!” her aunt said.

Cassandra smiled softly; she always enjoyed the photo albums, even though they sometimes left her feeling bittersweet. “Thanks. But yeah, I just wanted to check up on you; I do need to start getting ready for bed though. I didn't get much sleep the last couple of nights,” the brunette said as she made her way to the bathroom.

“I'm sorry, I wish there was a way to get rid of them... anyways, you get some sleep and remember to do something for yourself every once in a while,” Aunt Tess reminded.

This caused Cassandra to think for a moment. “Actually, Aunt Tess... I think I want to become a foster home for some animals.. I wanted to run it by you before talking to the landlord. Not to mention the rent increase...” she said hopefully.

“I think that's a wonderful idea! And I'll get it covered, so don't stress about it!” her aunt said excitedly. “You just need to promise me that you'll send pictures of the darlings!”

Cassandra couldn't help but laugh lightly at her aunt; she did miss her and hated that she moved six hours away, but her Aunt Tess was doing a lot better than when she was here in Ebott. “Maybe once I get that car I'll finally be able to visit since I know you've been busy with work yourself,” she said. “But you have a good night, Aunt Tess. I love you.”

“I love you, too. And you know if you ever need anything to just give me a call or shoot me a text. I know you're not a fan of socializing, so I never know when a good time to reach you is. But I am here for you, even if I'm far away,” her aunt clarified.

The two said their goodbyes before hanging up which left Cassandra smiling in her bathroom; she wasn't going to be along in the apartment for long. She was going to foster some animals. After she showered for the night, she looked at her phone to see a text from her landlord. “If you're wanting to have pets in the apartment, your aunt said she'd take care of the pet deposit. I just need you to come by the office in the morning to sign the documents,” he had sent.

The young woman smiled to herself before shooting back a quick okay. She knew her landlord wasn't a bad person, just overly stressed... and loud. The same couldn't be said about his wife. Cassandra had no intentions of running into his wife again. Just no. The young woman smiled to herself as she brushed her hair before getting her comforter and plush before going back to her room to let sleep claim her.

She woke up to her alarm which was a welcoming change from the last two nights; she smiled to herself as she got out of bed and got ready for work. Maybe today she could bring home an animal, that would be amazing. Cassandra finished getting ready with a pep in her step before heading over to the apartment offices. She knocked on the door and entered after hearing a tired 'come in'. As she entered, she noticed how tired Jake was; he had dark circles as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. It looked like he had another fight with his wife again. “Good morning, Sir. You said I had some paperwork to fill out?” Cassandra asked as she approached the desk.

Jake looked up before grunting in response as he dug out some papers. “Yes. So your aunt said that you wanted to foster animals?” he asked.

The brunette nodded her head, “Yes, Sir. I've been thinking about it for a while; I was also wondering, if there was an animal that needed fostering, would you mind if I brought it home?”

The forty-three year old male smiled before nodding. “Yeah, I don't see a problem with it. You've been one of my best tenants, so I don't have a problem with letting you do so. If anyone asks, you signed these papers three weeks ago,” he chuckled.

“Thank you!” Cassandra smiled as she tried to contain her excitement. “I really appreciate it.”

“It's no problem,” he said. “By the way, your haircut seems to suit you; good to see you starting to get out of your shell. You're a good kid so it's refreshing to see you actually smile.”

The brunette blinked at the comment; this wasn't something she was expecting. Was she really that obvious with her fake smiles? Apparently so. She just smiled as she finished signing all the paperwork before heading out to work. She stretched as she walked down the road; things were looking up.

“Hey guys,” Cassandra greeted as she walked into work.

Her coworkers did a double take; she rarely spoke to anyone, even at work. “Hey, Cas, how are ya?” her coworker Adam said with a wave; he was usually the social one at work and he was always extremely outgoing from what she remembered.

“Not too bad, actually. Um, I got everything set up so I can start learning how to be a foster parent for animals,” the young woman said as she looked at the counter.

Her coworker Samantha grinned, “Well, it's about time. It's not all that different from what we do here, but some require immediate medical attention. Each case is different. But yeah, you can trail behind me today and I'll show you the ropes!”

“Thank you,” Cassandra smiled as she went to clock in.

Sure enough, by the end of the day she was walking home with a little brown puppy that looked like a mix between a Pitbull and German Shepherd. A smile was gracing Cassandra's face as she happily started walking to the pet store with her foster in her arms. This was one of the puppies from the momma that she met in the park; this one was a runt and still had some minor health issues that needed to be looked after before she could be adopted, and Cassandra had wanted to look after the pup who was still slightly dehydrated, but no longer underweight. “Cassandra!” she heard a familiar voice yell.

The brunette looked around and saw Frisk waving at her from their spot next to Toriel and who she remembered to be Undyne. “Hey, kiddo,” she smiled as she approached the trio that were standing outside of the grocery store with their goods.

“You got a puppy!” Frisk said excitedly as they tried to reach up to pet it.

“I'm just fostering her for a little bit until she can be adopted. Her name is Valkyrie,” Cassandra said as she squatted so that they could pet the overly excited puppy.

“That is so sweet of you to do,” Toriel said with a smile.

The young woman nodded, “Her siblings got adopted since they were in good health; this little fighter is still getting healthy though. Her momma has a good home, too!”

Undyne just grinned as she watched Frisk. “Looks like there's another wimpy punk, huh kid?” she asked Frisk.

Frisk happily nodded in response as they continued to pet the dog. Cassandra wasn't sure if Undyne meant anything by it since she never interacted with her outside of that one time, but she had a feeling it was just how she was. “I have a soft spot for animals,” Cassandra admitted as she stood up.

“We're talking about doing another movie night this upcoming weekend,” Toriel said as she ruffled Frisk's hair. “Would you like to come over again?”

Cassandra blushed slightly before nodding, “I would like that, thank you.”

Toriel smiled, “Then we'll see you then, and feel free to bring Valkyrie with you; we do need to head home so our groceries won't spoil.”

The young woman nodded, “Of course! I'll see you guy this weekend; just text me a time and place!”

After they all said goodbye, Cassandra did her shopping at the pet store before heading home and puppy proofing her apartment.

Chapter Text

The rest of the week went by without incident much to Cassandra's delight. Valkyrie also was doing a lot better, and the young woman knew pretty soon the pup would be able to be put up for adoption. Friday had rolled around and she was grateful that while she wasn't at work she was left to her on devices at home while she trained the pup to sit and potty trained it. But for those accidents there were the life saving puppy pads. Picking the lovable puppy up, she locked the door and made her way to the animal shelter. The leaves were falling as they continued to turn those vibrant orange and reds in the autumn weather; this September was a relatively nice one she had to admit to herself.

Smiling, she gave Valkyrie a kiss on the head as she continued on with a pep in her step. She got the message from Toriel about the movie night being tonight; apparently Papyrus had given Toriel her number on Frisk's request. Cassandra thought the world of Frisk and was excited to spend more time with the kid. The work day went by as usual, and soon enough she was clocking out and walking over to Toriel's. “Today has been a good day, huh?” Cassandra asked Valkyrie while petting her head; her actions resulted in her finger being gently nipped.

The brunette laughed lightly at the pup's action before giving her a couple of kisses on the head much to the dog's protest. “Oh you silly thing,” she chuckled. “Who knows... I may end up adopting you if you get any more precious.”

Cassandra marched on until she got to Toriel's house; without hesitation, she knocked on her door, her smile still in place. “who's there?” she heard Sans ask from behind the door.

The puppy began barking in excitement at meeting new people. Cassandra laughed. “Hal,” she replied to Sans.

“hal who?”

“Hal will you know if you don't open the door?” the young woman snickered.

The door opened and she smiled at the grinning Sans. Valkyrie continued barking as her tail wagged furiously; she wanted to see the new person. “Why don't you throw the girl a bone and say hi?” Cassandra grinned.

Sans chuckled as he approached and allowed the pup to smell his hand. Valkyrie started aggressively licking his phalanges as she was wanting attention. Cassandra snickered as he pet the dog. “She's a bit of an attention whore,” the brunette smiled.

“i bet you spoil her to the bone,” Sans grinned.

Cassandra pouted before looking away, “I would do no such thing...”

Frisk went to the door and smiled when they saw Cassandra. The kid ran up and hugged her legs. “Hi! I see you brought Valkyrie! Can I play with her?” Frisk asked excitedly.

“Sure, but first let me make sure she's comfortable with everyone before I let her run lose. If she gets too excited she may end up peeing all over herself,” Cassandra answered as she made her way into the house.

“Hey, punk!” she heard Undyne call from the living room.

Cassandra smiled and noticed her and Alphys holding hands. 'Huh, I guess opposites attract. I ship it,' she thought as she made her way to the living after saying hello to Toriel. “Hey guys, how are ya?” Cassandra greeted as she sat on the floor with a very excited barking pup in her lap.

“G-good, how are you?” Alphys asked while watching the dog with a smile.

“I'm good, just got off work, so I do apologize if I smell like animals,” the brunette laughed.

“we could just smell you later,” Sans winked.

Papyrus who emerged from the kitchen groaned along with Undyne as the rest just snickered. “Hello, human! I see you brought the dog!” the taller skeleton said as he sat on a nearby loveseat.

Cassandra smiled and nodded, “Yeah, Toriel and Frisk said I could.”

Valkyrie started to squirm as the young woman tried to calm her down. “She is super excited,” Cassandra laughed.

After a moment of getting the pup used to everyone around her, she allowed the dog to explore her surroundings. “So what has everyone been up to?” Cassandra asked as she kept an eye on Valkyrie.

“Well, I'm a teacher, so I work throughout the week,” Toriel said as Frisk decided to get one of the dog toys that Cassandra brought with her to play with the pup.

“Oh? Do you enjoy doing so?” the brunette asked looking up at her host.

“Indeed I do, I have always wanted to be a teacher,” she replied as she put a movie in.

“I honestly thought about it, but I like animals better than people. That's just me though,” Cassandra said honestly. “I guess I should say humans, otherwise that could be considered rude.. Undyne, what is it that you do?”

“I got a job as a personal trainer at the gym,” she replied with a grin. “Someone has to teach people how to be tough, and I'm their best bet!”

The brunette smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I can see that; you honestly look really intimidating and tough. Alphys, what about you?”

“O-Oh, I still work in a lab to look into the ailments that bother humans,” she replied timidly.

Cassandra nodded, “Yeah, humans are pretty weak, but the human body in itself is fascinating. I mean, if needed to, humans can live off of one kidney but are born with two; not to mention there is an organ that human body can technically live without, though I forget what it is called...”

“the appendix,” Sans answered. “i borrowed a book about human anatomy from alphys for some reading.”

The brunette blinked at the shorter skeleton. “You read a book on human anatomy for fun?” she questioned.

“i sometimes help alphys out,” he answered. “we also work in physics.”

“I honestly was not expecting that. But yeah, some theories can be fascinating. I don't know much about physics, but I know there are quite a few theories about the earth. I personally favor the multiverse theory and the theory that we live our lives in a hologram,” Cassandra said before blushing and looking down. “Sorry, I got carried away...”

“Why do you favor those two?” Alphys asked a bit more confidently.

“Well, why not? Think about it, if there were multiple universes, in one I could be a six foot tall basketball player, another a super confident babe with a harem. Hell, I could be an absolutely disgusting short troll that sleeps under bridges! It leaves so much open for the imagination! I may even be a fire breathing dragon with pink and purple polka dots!” the brunette answered getting more excited before clearing her throat in embarrassment. “As for the hologram principle... I just find it interesting; what if it was just one elaborate play and Earth was the biggest stage of them all?”

“would you be able to play all the stages?” Sans mused.

Cassandra grinned at the shorter skeleton, “Nah, I'd suck on so many levels.”

She heard Toriel laughing as she came in with both hands holding a small plate with a slice of pie on them. “Here, I made some butterscotch cinnamon pie,” she said handing a piece to Cassandra and Frisk.

Toriel made her way back to the kitchen until each of her guests had a slice of pie. The brunette smiled as she took a bite; it was definitely one of her new favorite pies. She practically inhaled the entire thing. “So good!” she said between bites.

“You may want to slow down,” Toriel encouraged.

Cassandra blushed but did so anyways, “Sorry, I haven't eaten since lunch so I was kinda hungry...”

“No need to apologize, child. I'm glad you like it,” the hostess smiled.

Silence fell over the group as they watched the movie. Occasional barks from the puppy were heard as Frisk laughed. Soon Valkyrie did fall asleep on Frisk's lap as they pet her. Cassandra smiled softly at the kid as the movie ended. “I should get her home,” the brunette started. “I need to feed her and give her a bath.”

“Thank you for bringing her over!” Frisk said as they handed Valkyrie back to the brunette.

“It's no problem at all. She'll be ready for adoption in a few days, so I may not have her next time we run into each other. But, she'll be in a permanent home and happy. Who knows, maybe next time I'll have a different friend,” Cassandra smiled as she gently scooped the pup back into her arms. “It was good seeing everyone again, maybe I'll invite everyone over sometime.”

“That would be fun,” Toriel smiled.

Cassandra gave everyone a small hug while being careful of the sleeping fur ball in her other arm. “i'll walk ya home,” Sans offered as she made her way to the door.

“I'll join you!” Papyrus added.

The brunette smiled before shrugging. “Be my guest, but can your feet run as fast as your mouth,” she grinned.

“nah, if they did i'd walk all over you,” Sans shot back.

“Hey, did you hear about the mathematician who is afraid of negative numbers? He'll stop at nothing to avoid them.”

“huh, no wonder why nothing ever adds up. why do we tell actors to break a leg? because every play has a cast.”

Cassandra started laughing so hard she snorted. “That's so bad, but so good!” she exclaimed between her laughs before calming down some.

“No, no more bad jokes!” Papyrus chimed in after several groans.

The brunette mentally scolded herself when Valkyrie started to move briefly. She watched the dog until it finally settled back down. “Whoops, kinda forgot to be quiet,” she laughed.

“yeah, you're having quiet the time,” Sans winked.

Papyrus shot his brother a glare.

Cassandra kissed the puppy's head as she gave her head two loving pats. The brunette flinched when a drop of water smacked her face; she looked up only for another rain drop to hit her forehead. “Welp, time for me to pick up the pace. You guys can turn around and head home, I don't need you guys to get soaked on my behalf,” Cassandra noted as she stuck a grumpy puppy in her hoodie to try to keep her as dry as possible as the sprinkles continued.

“you sure? we don't want to rain on your parade,” Sans stated.

“Yeah, you two should get going,” the brunette encouraged as she started to jog. “Don't worry about me! Have a good night!”

The two brothers shrugged before they started to head home themselves. After stopping a few times under different building overhangs, she finally was on the last sprint by her apartment, but she was soaked along with Valkyrie. “Sorry girl, but we're almost there,” she sighed as she felt the pup shiver slightly next to her chest.

With determination, she began sprinting until she finally reached her doorstep where she quickly unlocked the door and entered the safety of her home. “Well, that was fun, no?” she asked the pup as she removed her from her hoodie to remove her soaked clothes with a shiver.

After putting her clothes in the wash, Cassandra gave Valkyrie a warm bath before drying her off. Once she was fed, the brunette hopped in the shower before settling in bed with the now warm bundle of fur for sleep.

The following morning, Cassandra woke up and got dressed in jeans and long sleeved shirt before making her way to the animal shelter with Valkyrie so they could arrange a vet visit with one final check up. “You'll need to stay until you're checked, but if all goes well, you'll have a loving home before you know it!” the brunette encouraged.

The pup didn't understand what was said, but still proceeded to lick the young woman's face which earned Valkyrie a light laugh. “You silly goofball,”the brunette laughed.

Once Cassandra dropped the pup off at the shelter and knew that the vet would come by in a few hours, the young woman made her way down the street as she googled where to buy a bike; she grimaced when she saw it was about an hour walk. “Well, it's better to go ahead and go...” she muttered as she began her long trek.

She paused outside of Grillby's before smiling and walking back in. She laughed to herself when she saw Sans. “Yeah, you were right, the place is kinda hot,” she joked as she walked up to the counter where he sat.

“yeah, the place will make you sizzle,” he grinned and winked. “so what brings you in?”

“I wanted to get a burger before walking to get a bike while I wait to hear from the vet,” she shrugged.

“is it a far walk?”

Cassandra shrugged as she sat on one of the stools, “It's about an hour depending on my pace.”

Sans closed his eyes as he sighed before picking up his phone. Cassandra stared at him in confusion before realizing he had called Papyrus. “hey pal, would you mind doing cassie a favor and drive her to the bike shop? she'll be stuck in a cycle if you don't,” Sans spoke into the phone.

Cassandra wasn't sure if she should feel guilty or laugh at Papyrus' shout of disgust at the pun before agreeing to take her. He spoke so loudly.. “thanks, buddy, we'll be at grillby's,” Sans said as he hung up.

The brunette shook her head, “You didn't need to do that, I'm used to walking everywhere.”

“don't sweat it. walking can sometimes be dangerous, especially long ones,” Sans shrugged.

“Thank you,” the young woman said as the pair waited.

They didn't have to wait long when Papyrus pulled up in his red sports car. After saying goodbye to Grillby, they stepped outside and piled into the car. “I really do appreciate you, Papyrus, you didn't have to,” Cassandra said as she got into the backseat.

“Nonsense! It is no problem at all, and I am happy to help!” Papyrus said.

The brunette just laughed as they made their way to the bike shop. Once there, Cassandra just stared at the wide variety to choose from. With new found determination, she started looking at some of the more sturdy bikes she knew she'd get longer wear and tear out of. She didn't see Papyrus or Sans as she browsed, so she figured they were doing their own things. “Let's see....” she said to herself.

“stuck on a cycle?” she heard Sans from her left side as she jumped.

“Geez, you scared me!” Cassandra exclaimed. “I think I'm going to get a mountain bike since if needed I can used them off-road, but I'm stuck on a color... I can't decide between the blue, purple, or the green...”

“are you green with envy?” the skeleton joked.

The brunette laughed before shaking her head, “No, those are just my three favorite colors.”

“feeling kinda blue?”

“Uggh, Sans!” Papyrus scolded from another isle.

The young woman just snickered as she continued staring at her options. “I think I'll go with blue,” she finally decided.

“oh?” Sans asked.

“Yeah,” she smiled after sneaking a glance at his blue zip up. That definitely wasn't part of the determining factor.

With decision in mind, she approached the counter to complete the sale. After dropping half her bank account, the trio left the store with the brand new bike with a purple basket that she bought separately that the worker had attached. “Thank you again for the ride,” she smiled at the two brothers.

“You're most welcome!” Papyrus said as he loaded the bike into the back seat.

Cassandra laughed, “I can ride the bike home; I don't want to trouble you guys.”

“we're heading to the same place,” Sans countered.

Sighing in defeat, Cassandra hopped in the back seat of the car and the three headed back home. On the drive, the brunette's phone started to ring. “Hello?” she answered.

“Hey, Cassandra, it's Samantha; we have some good news!” her coworker began. “Valkyrie is good to be put up for adoption, and there already are a few people families who are interested!”

“Really, that's great news! So she'll hopefully be adopted soon! That's fantastic!” Cassandra smiled.

“I just wanted to let you know; she can stay here to speed up the adoption process,” Samantha said.

“That would be great, the sooner she gets a home the better!” the brunette smiled. “Thank you so much!”

After she hung up, she felt bittersweet at no longer being the one taking care of Valkyrie, but she knew this was what she was going to be doing the second she said that she wanted to be a foster home. Smiling she stuck her head between the passenger and driver seats. “So, good news, Valkyrie is going to be getting a new home very soon. She is perfectly healthy and was able to get spayed,” Cassandra smiled.

“'s good kid; congratulations. i'm sure that she'll get a home in no time,” Sans grinned.

“That is indeed wonderful news!” Papyrus chimed in.

The brunette nodded happily as she sat back and looked out the window; rain droplets started to hit the window, and Cassandra saw her reflection. She stared and flinched slightly at seeing her scar; a scowl formed on her face as she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. A smile slowly returning to her face as she thought about helping the pup. “I guess I did do good, huh?” she said quietly to herself. “I helped someone in need...”

Cassandra wasn't meaning for her words to be heard by anyone, but the two brothers had heard her mutter to herself; and Sans did notice that her soul seemed to glow just slightly brighter. But it previously had dimmed when she saw herself in the window; he mentally noted to find out about that since he noticed that most humans enjoyed looking at their own reflections for various reasons. The brunette smiled before sticking her head back between the seats. “Hey, how about tomorrow you guys come over to play a few board games?” the brunette asked.

“This sounds like fun! Maybe we can play a few puzzles!” Papyrus encouraged.

Cassandra laughed lightly as she smiled at the taller skeleton. “Of course, I don't see why not. I can try to find a few; do you want puzzle pieces, or do you prefer games that make you think?” she asked for clarification.

“Let us try both!” Papyrus decided as he continued on their trek.

The young woman smiled fondly before sitting back; today was very nice she had to admit to herself. 'Thank you guys,' she thought to herself as the rain started to pour.

It wasn't long until she was back at her apartment with her new bike. After waving goodbye, she set to work on tidying her house up for receiving company the following day; she didn't know why, but she was feeling more excited about it. She laughed at herself being overly sentimental. But this would be good for her, and she knew it.

The following morning, she got on her new bike and rode to a game store; she didn't have any at the house since it was just her and her aunt, so this was going to be a learning curve for her. “Hello,” she was greeted as she entered the store.

“Hey,” she replied as she picked up a hand basket. “Where would I find board games?”

The employee smiled. “It would be on isle four; any type of board game you need help finding specifically?” he asked.

Cassandra shook her head as she approached the fourth isle. “I'll be good. If I do need any help I'll let you know,” the brunette smiled before looking at the wide variety of games before her.

“Welp, guess I'll just pick what looks interesting,” she hummed to herself.

The young woman had Clue, Sequence, Imagine If, Jenga, and Sorry in her basket before making her way over to the puzzle section. She picked out a few thousand piece puzzles before picking out a rubix cube; she believed that Papyrus would greatly appreciate it. After making her purchase, she put her goods in her basket and began cycling back to her apartment. Cassandra smiled to herself on her drive, even feeling good enough to smile at the occasional person in passing. She dropped off the games before then proceeding to go to the store to grab a couple of snacks for their game night. Once at the store, she hummed as she looked at a couple of different candies ranging from Snickers to Twizzlers, before grabbing a variety of chips and sodas; she needed to be sure that her guests were well taken care of. Passing by the wine section, she blinked before shrugging and heading down the isle; it had been a while since since she's had a drink, and she felt like she was passed due for a drink. After choosing a sweet red, she proceeded to head to the checkout. 'This should just about cover everything I need,' she thought to herself as she loaded up her bike and headed back home.

She made it back home and began to get a few trays to put a few snacks on before setting up a spot on the floor by the television to get ready for company. Cassandra smiled as she looked over everything that she had accomplished. She yawned before pulling out her phone and nodded at the time; she got everything done in about two hours. “I have everything set up, would around three work?” she texted Papyrus.

Cassandra smirked as she then shot a text Sans, “It would sure be ice of you to drop by later.”

Her phone buzzed and smiled when she read Papyrus' excited response. The young woman couldn't help but laugh at his consistent energy; he was definitely precious. She proceeded to read the text from Sans. “nah, i think i'd rather chill at home,” he had sent.

She snickered at his pun before plopping on the couch. “I asked Papyrus if three would work, so you can chillax until then,” she replied. “Oh, would it bother you if I were to get a few pictures of you guys? My aunt likes to make photo albums and wanted to make one of my new friends.”

Her finger hovered over the the send button before finally hitting it. Cassandra was secretly hoping that she didn't just offend him; she knew that some people wanted to take a picture because they were different. She grew increasingly nervous as she waited for a reply, until finally her phone buzzed once again. “trying to capture my good side?” he had sent.

Cassandra laughed and smiled, “Nah, just picturing your reaction.”

Soon the two hours had passed and sure enough there was a knock on the door. Snickering she stood behind it. “Who's there?” she asked trying to cover her mouth as she contained her laughter.

“dozen,” Sans said from the other side of the door.

“Dozen who?” Cassandra snickered.

“dozen anyone want to let me in?” he replied.

While laughing and snorting, the brunette opened the door to see Sans grinning and Papyrus glaring, but he was still smiling while trying to hid his amusement. “Oh my god, you guys are too much; come in, come in,” she snickered as she stepped out of the doorway.

“thanks,” Sans winked as he and his brother entered.

“Wowie! You have a lot of games!” Papyrus said excitedly when he spotted them on the floor.

“Yeah, I picked up a few to play since I wasn't sure what would be of interest,” Cassandra smiled as she headed to the kitchen. “I also got a good variety of snacks and such to go with the games. I wasn't sure what everyone would like.”

“You are very kind, human!” Papyrus exclaimed as he sat and studied the games to choose from.

“you could say that the game is afoot,” sans smirked.

“Oh definitely,” Cassandra chuckled as she opened up the bottle of wine.

Sans raised an eyebrow as the scent of alcohol wafted passed his nose. The brunette looked at him and smiled slightly. “Would you like to try some?” she asked.

“What is it?” Papyrus asked.

“It's alcohol called wine; I don't know if monsters drink, but I figured I'd offer to let you guys try some,” she offered.

“well, wine not,” the shorter skeleton smirked.

Cassandra chuckled as she got out two other glasses; tonight was going to be a lot of fun and she absolutely knew it.

Chapter Text

“I've got it!” Papyrus shouted. “It was Professor Plum with a rope in the study!”

Cassandra groaned as she lost another game. Taking yet another drink of her wine, she started resetting the board. “So another round of Clue, or would you want to try something else?”

“i could clue you in,” Sans winked as he drank some of his glass.

The brunette only smiled and shook her head at the joke; Indiana Jones was playing in the background as they prepared for another game. Seeing Sans in the moment smiling at his younger brother who looked super concentrated while resetting everything, Cassandra pulled out her phone and took a picture. Both of them looked at her with what looked to be surprised faces before she blushed lightly. “Sorry, it looked like the perfect moment to capture the brotherly love,” she muttered. “I can send it to you, or delete it if it bothers you.”

“Will you send it to me?! I would like to see it!” Papyrus immediately cut in.

Cassandra smiled as she sent the picture to both the brothers; she then stood up to get herself another glass of wine. She returned with a plate full of snacks and set them near the board as they began round two. “so your aunt likes to make photo albums?” Sans asked as he looked at his cards.

“Yeah, it's one of her many hobbies,” Cassandra replied eyeing hers. “She sends me some from when we lived together in this apartment. Well, before she moved. She's an actor and is trying to get a major role in a Broadway musical.”

“How long have you lived here?” Papyrus asked.

“I have been here for about thirteen years or so?” the brunette said as she thought. “Yeah, that sounds about right. My aunt moved about six hours away, so I haven't had a chance to visit her in a long while.”

“so you grew up in this town, huh?” Sans hummed as he took another sip of the alcohol; it wasn't bad, but it was weak in comparison to monster liquor.

“Yeah, my parents used to live in this area, but it's in a different part of town...” she sighed as she drank more. “Anyways, enough about the past otherwise I'm gonna go down the dark rabbit hole that is my depression.”

“What is depression?” Papyrus asked.

“It's different for every person; for me, it's like I'm a shell, I don't recognize most emotions, and it feels like there is a cloud over my head that will not leave me alone. I have days where I feel content, and I do have good days like everyone else, but I don't recognize the feeling when I'm happy, but I know that I must be when I smile. It feels like there is a dark shadow in my mind and heart,” she answered. “I have voices telling me that I'm not good enough, I don't deserve happiness, and so on, so I battle to keep all that negativity away every day. Sometimes I lose, like the day I climbed the mountain...But, that's just because I'm my own worst enemy on most days. Cheers!” she grinned before chugging down her second glass.

Sans just watched as she drank her glass before going to refill hers. He finally got the answer as to why her soul was occasionally darkened; it was because of her depression. He honestly felt kind of guilty for assuming that she was going to eventually harm those he cared about, but knowing that his brother was safe, the skeleton figured that it was one of those necessary evils. Sans could finally let his guard down around her.

Cassandra returned and they continued to play; well, until giggles could be heard coming from the brunette. Sans raised an eye ridge as she occasionally snickering that came from their host. “you alright there? you should grab a snickers,” the older brother teased.

The brunette cackled as she showed her Mrs. Peacock card, “She has cock in her name.”

The two skeletons blushed at the sudden crudeness that was taking over their friend. “See? Cock!” she giggled as she braced herself with her hand.

“Cassandra, I believe you shouldn't have anymore alcohol,” Papyrus said.

“Shhh! Don't you say that, das not very nice,” the young woman said as she held her cup closely. “Is mine, and I shall drink it.”

“sure you want to wine about it,” Sans winked.

“You hush your adorable face,” Cassandra slurred; she missed the skeleton's cheeks dust a faint blue as he looked away.

Papyrus reached over to take away her glass of wine only for the brunette to turn with it and take another drink. “No, my precious,” she growled playfully.

“Please hand me the alcohol before I take it away forcibly,” the taller skeleton warned.

Cassandra grinned before drinking the rest of the glass and cackling, “Point for Cassandra.”

“A challenge, aye?” Papyrus asked before finishing his second. “I shall out drink you, human!”

Sans stared at his brother before looking at the intoxicated female. “i blame you for what might transpire,” he deadpanned.

The twenty-seven year old just chuckled as she got up and to refill her glass. “You are so going down,” she said as she approached Papyrus.

After yet again refilling her glass, she made her way back to the game spot; she took another sip of her drink as Papyrus also joined them on the floor. “Since Cassandra flashed one of her cards, how about we play something else?” Papyrus suggested.

“Yes! I got a few jigsaw puzzles I thought we could put together!” the brunette said excitedly. “Look, this one has a dragon!” Sure enough, she was holding up a thousand piece puzzle that made a dragon.

This seemed to amuse the two brothers who agreed to help the drunk female put the puzzle together. Cassandra grinned as she opened up the box of puzzle pieces, clapping her hands after she poured all thousand parts on the floor. “Let us begin!” she exclaimed as she looked for the end pieces.

“These pieces are quite small. These all form the picture on the box?” Papyrus asked.

“Indeed so! Each piece fits specifically with another!” Cassandra replied as she immediately got a few fitting together.

“you sure pieced that together,” Sans winked as he set to work putting a few of his own pieces together.

Papyrus had gotten some of his own together at a faster pace as he focused on the puzzle before him. He drank more from his glass on occasion despite his concentration. The brunette hummed along to the Indiana Jones theme song as the Raiders of the Lost Ark finished playing. As the song progressed, the brunette got increasingly louder and more obnoxious with her fanfare. “bet you can't play the trombone,” Sans winked.

Cassandra started to laugh harder than ever as she fell onto her back; she was stuck between laughing and snorting which caused tears to form in the corner of her eyes. “I can't, I can't breath!” she said in between her laughs and her snorts.

“It wasn't that funny!” Papyrus stated; he was completely amused with her current giggle fit.

Sans just grinned as she tried to regain control of her laughter, only to fail and start laughing harder than before. The brunette grabbed her sides as her giggles seemed to slow. “hey, you don't want to be the laughing stock, now do ya?” Sans encouraged.

Papyrus groaned at the pun but was smiling at the once again laughing female who started to hit her fist on the floor. “Y-you're too much,” she struggled to get out as she continued to laugh.

Cassandra suddenly got super serious as she got in Papyrus' face; Sans tensed slightly as he carefully watched what she would do. Papyrus glanced awkwardly between her and Sans unsure of what to do. “...Are you a super hero?” she sudden asked. “You have a cape and everything!”

Sans chuckled as the female threw her hands up in her hair for emphasis. “I may be!” Papyrus said. “I am rather cool!”

“The absolute coolest!” Cassandra agreed before turning her attention to Sans.

Sans started to look around nervously as she then got in his face. She again stared at him before grinning, “You always look comfortable. I wish I could get away with wearing a parka and gym shorts.”

“uh, thanks,” Sans said uncertainly as she moved back to her space, focusing back on her puzzle.

Cassandra took another sip of her wine as she continued working on the section of the puzzle that she had. She hit play on the Temple of Doom before staring at the different puzzle pieces around her. “you must like these movies a lot,” Sans commented.

“I do! Raiders and Temple are my favorite two; they're fun. They have action, adventure, and a little romance that doesn't make you want to crinkle your nose. Indiana Jones is a womanizer, so it makes sense that there would be some amount of romance,” she answered as she got a few more pieces together.

“Does romance relate to dating?” Papyrus asked.

“I guess you can say that. Not everyone is romantic though with dating. I have only been on a couple of dates, so I don't have much experience. Most girls like to be swept off their feet, so the better the atmosphere and such, the more romantic it feels. I just like dates like going to an arcade, gaming, going to the park, and just doing stuff that I like, ya know?” Cassandra answered before taking another sip of wine.

“humans are complicated,” Sans had concluded; he somehow had only managed to put three pieces together. Cassandra had a feeling it was intentional.

“Cassandra, may I ask you a personal question?” Papyrus asked.

“Shoot,” she replied.

“bang,” Sans interjected which earned him a scowl from Papyrus.

“Do humans evolve from skeletons?” he asked.

Cassandra blinked before laughing slightly and scooting closer to him and holding out her own had. “No, but skeletons are part of the human structure; they are what hold us up. Our skeletons are covered with muscles, nerves, cartilage, and more to help us stay together and keep us in motion. You can actually feel the bones, feel my fingers,” she offered as she held her hand out to him.

Papyrus hesitated before gently grabbing her pointer on either side. “Wowie! You can feel the joints!” he exclaimed excitedly. “That is very interesting! We are the same but very different!”

The brunette smiled before going back to where she was, “Yup!”

Hours passed and Papyrus had taken over the rest of the bottle and he had also gotten drunk. Sans wasn't very pleased, but since Papyrus was supposed to drive, they ended up agreeing to crash at her apartment instead. The following morning, Cassandra woke up on the couch. The brunette blinked as she took in her surroundings; her eyebrows scrunched up when she noticed she had fallen asleep on the couch and blinked at Sans who was sleeping at the other end of it. The brunette smiled as she looked at a snoring Papyrus who was sprawled on the floor next to a completed dragon puzzle.

Being as quiet as possible, she made her way to the kitchen and began pulling out ingredients to make French Toast. She grabbed one of her portable small speakers and went on her YouTube playlist to shuffle her songs while she cooked. It didn't take her long to mix the eggs, milk, and cinnamon in the pan she had out, and she waited patiently as the pan started to heat up on the stove. A few songs passed, and as they continued, Cassandra would sing along and would sway her hips slightly. She smirked as Blood in the Cut started to play. She moved her shoulders to the beat as she sang along unaware that the brothers had started to wake in the other room.

“I need noise, I need the buzz of a sub, need the crack of a whip, need some blood in the cut. I need noise, I need the buzz of a sub, need the crack of a whip, need some blood in the cut. I need blood in the cut, I need blood in the cut,” Cassandra sang along as she continued to cook.

“What are you listening to?” Papyrus asked in confusion as the song played.

The brunette paused as she stared at the brothers who were looking at her; well, Sans kinda glared since he wasn't really a morning person, and Papyrus was just confused. “Uh, it's a song called Blood in the Cut; I like weird music...” Cassandra explained quickly as she focused on her task at hand. “I am making breakfast for everyone though as an apology for last night; I tend to get.... weird... while drinking.

“'salright; if anything it was amusing,” Sans said with a grumble.

The brunette stepped away and handed him a cup, “Here, it's coffee; this stuff has saved my life on more than one occasion. I've had a cup which is why I'm able to socialize.”

Sans nodded as he took the cup full of the hot liquid. Cassandra smiled softly as she headed back to the kitchen; Cassandra's phone started to ring, so she paused her playlist before answering. “Hello?” she asked as she flipped a piece of toast over.

“Hey, I have some great news!” the familiar voice of her aunt came through the phone.

Cassandra smiled, “Oh? Do tell the good news.”

“I finished the photo album and it should be there tomorrow! But, even better news, I got a major part in a musical!” she exclaimed in excitement.

“No way?! Congrats Aunt Tess! I know how hard you've been trying to get a part!” the brunette smiled. “You'll need to text me the details; I have some guests over and I'm currently cooking breakfast.”

“Oh? Is it some of your new friends?” she pressed.

“Yep! We were playing board games last night while drinking wine.”

“You better have gotten a picture! But I'll let you go so you can go back to being a good host. I love you!”

Cassandra said goodbye before hanging up and pressing play on her playlist again. “My aunt just finished up a photo album, and she just got a part in a musical,” she explained at the two brothers' questioning glances.

“So your aunt is famous?!” Papyrus asked.

“Not really? At least not in a major way; she has only played minor rolls until this one. She may get famous after her major roll though that she just landed,” the young woman shrugged.

Breakfast was soon made, and the three sat down to eat as they woke up after the long night last night. “Thank you guys for coming over, I had a lot of fun,” Cassandra said as she ate.

“no problem; we had a puzzling time,” Sans winked.

“It is too early for puns!” Papyrus scolded.

The brunette just smiled at the two skeletons as she continued to eat; she was feeling more comfortable around them, and she was okay with that. She thought for a moment about her other friends and thought maybe she should introduce the skeletons to them. She became amused at the thought of her best friend conversing with the two, especially since she wasn't a fan of puns. “Thank you for breakfast!” Papyrus said as he finished his breakfast.

“It's not a problem, the least I could do, really,” the brunette smiled as she finished and began cleaning up.

Sans was the last to finish breakfast and was starting to wake up as he brought his plate to the sink which Cassandra promptly removed from his hand as she washed the dishes; her back was starting to irritate her slightly thanks to sitting on the floor last night, the awkward position she slept in, and the fact she made breakfast. Thankfully she had every intention to take it easier for the rest of the day once she had time to clean up; once she finished with the dishes she smiled at the puzzle on the floor and smiled, she knew what she wanted to do with it. The brothers soon said their goodbyes as they headed back home.

With a stretch, Cassandra headed back to her room to get dressed before getting on her bike and peddling to the nearest craft store; she was wanting to get a board to display the completed puzzle on. The brunette smiled as she locked her bike to the bike rack and headed inside to find the perfect board and frame. As she walked up and down the isle, the occasional scowl or curious glance appeared on the young woman's features as she explored the store. “No, this isn't quite right...” she muttered as she walked past another.

After a few moments of searching, she finally saw an isle with a bunch of different boards. “Aha!” she exclaimed as she marched into the isle. “Hmm...”

Eventually she did find the board and frame that she was looking for and she made her way out with her goodies in hand. Then she frowned as she stared at her bike. 'Shit... the fuck am I supposed to do this..?' she thought.

She contemplated for a moment before unlocking her bike chain and got on her bike and began slowly peddling back to her house while juggling the board and frame. Scowling when she almost dropped them both for the fifth time, she muttered in irritation and thought about making two trips and just come back for her bike. “D-do you need help?” she head a familiar voice ask.

Cassandra looked up and saw Alphys parked by the curb. “Oh, hey Alphys. I honestly could use some help; would you mind giving me a ride to my place?” the brunette asked sheepishly.

“S-sure thing, you can put everything in the back,” she replied.

The young woman nodded before setting her bike and other good in the back before getting in the front seat. “No worries, my place isn't too far from here; I do appreciate it. I was going to glue the puzzle to the board that Papyrus, Sans, and I all put together last night; was thinking about watching anime as I did so,” Cassandra said rubbing the back of her head.

“You watch anime?” Alyphys asked; she was definitely interested.

“Of course! I wouldn't be a good nerd if I didn't. Would you want to maybe join me? I was thinking about having Overlord on in the background,” the brunette said excitedly.

“I-I haven't seen that one.”

Cassandra blinked at the yellow monster. “We are fixing this. Overlord is so well written, and not to mention you get the feels. I mean holy hell! You totally end up shipping Lord Ainz and Albedo!” she said.

Before long, they made it back to Cassandra's home where she let the scientist in. “Welcome to my abode,” Cassandra smiled softly. “I'm sure I have plenty of snacks left over from yesterday, so make yourself comfortable.”

Alphys said a quiet thank you before grabbing a place on the couch as the brunette placed her board, glue, and frame on the floor. “Alrighty, Overlord, here we come!” She exclaimed as she logged onto Crunchyroll. “If you don't have it, I one hundred percent recommend getting it; all the anime you can watch whenever you want. Though it can get you rather distracted...”

“I will need to look into it,” the yellow monster smiled.

The two watched anime as Cassandra started setting the puzzle on the board to make it able to be displayed on her wall. The brunette caught herself being distracted by the show more often than not and would occasionally scold herself for getting caught up in the show again. “Lord Ainz is Bae,” Cassandra sighed wistfully as she stared at his perfection.

“I-I see what you meant when you said about him and Albedo. I will join the ship,” she said in amusement.

“Yes! Another person to join in on one of my favorite wannabe couples!” the brunette cheered; she looked at her progress on the puzzle board and noted she was about halfway done with it. “I need to get you to watch more with me. I think you may really like Ancient Magus Bride...”

Alphys nodded, “S-sure, I'd like that! Maybe Undyne can join us sometime.”

“That would be cool; you guys are a couple, right?”

The yellow monster turned bright right before nodding and hiding her face. Cassandra just smiled, “That's awesome. You guys are polar opposites, but I can see it. But yeah, we can totally do an anime night; or I may introduce you to a Korean Drama. Oooohhhh.... I have an idea now... I have to get you to watch Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon.”

“What's it about?” Alphys asked; she was happy the subject got changed.

“It's about a girl that has a family secret that only affects the women of the family: super human strength. She can't use her abilities for selfish reasons or she'll lose her power and she can't tell anyone about it so she ends up helping those who need it in secret. There is action, romance, comedy, and a very good plot. I don't want to spoil too much,” Cassandra grinned.

“Sounds good; if the human is super strong, Undyne may end up liking it also,” the scientist thought as another episode of Overlord started.

“Cool beans; want to make it a Saturday sleep over thing? We can make a blanket fort in front of the television and just camp there once we get tired enough, and that way if we pull an all nighter we have Sunday for napping so Monday we are good to go for work,” Cassandra suggested.

“Let me just confirm that with Undyne, but it should be fine,” Alphys smiled.

The brunette returned the smile before returning to the now almost finished task. “So you guys put the puzzle together last night?” Alphys asked.

“Yeah, Papyrus and Sans ended up staying the night since Papyrus got drunk; I apparently challenged him while drinking wine. Sans wasn't too happy about it. I may owe him an apology since Papyrus and I kind of annoyed him,” Cassandra replied sheepishly.

The scientist snickered, “What did you guys do?”

“I may have convinced Papyrus to do karaoke with me...” the brunette blushed as she scratched her head. “Not my finest moment...”

Alphys laughed before shaking her head, “I wish I was there to see it.”

Cassandra just shook her head as she put the last few pieces of the puzzle on the board. “And done! Now to frame it and display it!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

With the help of Alphys, Cassandra had successfully hung the puzzle on the wall not too far from the TV. The brunette grinned as she admired her work. “It looks good, thank you again for your help, Alphys,” she said with a smile.

“I-It's not a problem,” the scientist replied with a soft blush.

“Still, I appreciate it.”

Cassandra looked at the time before stretching, “Oh boy, time has definitely escaped me today. I do need to start getting ready to unwind for work tomorrow, but I did enjoy your company. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.”

“Y-yeah! I'll bring some snacks over for our sleepover,” Alphys smiled.

The two waved goodbye as Alphys got back into her car and drove off to head back home. Cassandra closed the door with a sigh before plopping on the couch and turning her attention to the anime playing; she had too much socialization and needed to use the rest of the time to take a break. The remainder of the four hours went by fast, and the brunette was soon showered and laying in bed. 'I wonder how many good days I'll have...' she thought to herself before sleep took over.

Friday had rolled around relatively quickly, and with it came a not so nice visitor. Hiding her face in embarrassment, Cassandra mentally cursed her luck as she waited in the break room as her coworker went off to get her a few necessities. 'Fucking period...' she thought as she scowled.

She had an obvious red stain on her work scrubs from when she started and she gave her coworker, Samantha, her card to get her a clean pair of underwear and a box of pads; Cassandra said a quick thank you as Samantha returned and handed her a bag of what she had requested. After a quick change, the brunette put her dirty underwear in the plastic bag before tying it and putting it in her messenger bag. She then tied her hoodie around her waist to hide the stain before getting back to work. The day progressed, and soon enough, the animal control brought in a severely dehydrated and underweight terrier mix. Cassandra frowned as her coworkers talked about what to do; there wasn't much chance that the dog would survive since it was all skin and bones. “I'll foster her and try to get her back to help,” Cassandra chimed in after a moment of thought. “I don't want to put her down unless we've tried everything. She deserves a fair chance.”

“I'll get you some equipment that you'll need then,” Adam said with a small smile. “I appreciate you taking her; I have my hands full with two litters of kittens.”

“It's no problem at all,” Cassandra said with a small smile as she slowly approached the shaking dog. “Poor girl...”

“Unfortunately we get cases like this far too often,” Samantha sighed. “She's very weak..”

The black and white terrier just laid on the table, unable to lift her head or hardly move as she just watched everyone around her; Cassandra softly pet the dog's head with a small smile. “I have hope you can pull through,” she said quietly.

Adam returned with an IV and other necessities, “As you know, you need to inject her with fluids every hour without over doing it; once she's okay on that and can hold liquid foods you can start transferring her to soft food and then solid food. Give her a week or so and see if she has made any progress. If not, we shouldn't let her suffer.”

“Thank you,” Cassandra said.

“Go ahead and take off; you'll have a lot on your plate and caring for her will be a full time job in itself,” Samantha said. “If you need I can fix the schedule and still put you on PTO and let you just care for her; I'd rather you not move her more than you have to.”

The brunette smiled, “Thank you, I may take you up on that so my attention isn't split.”

“Then it's settled. Now get going, and I do recommend getting some flea shampoo; it seems like she has quite a few,” Adam said.

Cassandra waved goodbye as she scooped the dog up in her arms and headed out. “It'll be okay, baby,” she cooed as she placed the weak dog in the basket on her bike.

She made her way to the pet store to get a list of things she would need to care for the dog before heading to the grocery store to get things for herself and for tomorrow night. In the store, she saw four familiar faces and she was about to say hi, but then remembered her current predicament. As quickly as she could, she darted to the candy isle and got herself some black licorice.
“Cassandra!” the voice she knew as Frisks' called out.

The brunette flinched before turning to see the kid running up and hugging her; they frowned, however, when they saw the dog in her arms. “Is she okay?” they asked.

“Yeah, I'm going to be taking care of her; she's very weak so I'm getting what I can before heading home,” Cassandra smiled.

Frisk seemed satisfied before something else caught their eye. “Did you have an injured animal at work?”

Papyrus, Sans, and Toriel all got extremely uncomfortable as they stared at the kid; they were about to say hi as well when Frisk asked his question. Cassandra's face went a deep crimson from her embarrassment. “Oh, uh, hey! Look at the time! I gotta get this girl home and get ready for girl's night with Alphys and Undyne tomorrow! Bye!” the brunette said as she quickly started to walk away.

“Can I come over to see your dog soon?!” Frisk called after her.

“Yeah, talk to you later!” her voice was heard before she left the store and headed home to care for the little angel whose life was racing the clock.

Chapter Text

Cassandra set the Terrier she had named Hope on the couch beside her after giving the dog her hourly fluids; she knew now why they had agreed to give her a week off. All night long she'd wake up every hour to make sure the dog was taken care of. Cassandra didn't mind, she knew it was for a good cause. Satisfied for the time being, the brunette got to work pulling out all her blankets to set up a fort of sorts while she struggled with her cramps. She took took a few of her kitchen bar chairs and stacked them to get height for the top of her fort. The young woman kept up her work until her hourly alarm went off. She sighed as she sat back on the couch with IV in hand. “Come here, Hope. I know it sucks, but I am determined to get you up and moving,” Cassandra said as she scooped the dog onto her lap.

Once she finished, she took her time until the fort was complete. It honestly looked more like a half tent than a fort, but she didn't complain. Nodding in satisfaction, she laid a bunch more blankets and pillows in a big pile on the floor that almost resembled a nest. Soon the fort was complete, and she sat on the couch before sprawling out with the Terrier on her lap. The scent of the flea shampoo still clung slightly to the dog from the flea bath yesterday; Cassandra smiled as she gently pet Hope to help encourage her to hang on. The brunette blinked when she heard her phone buzz. She opened it to see a text from an unknown number. “Hey, this is Alphys. I got your number from Undyne who got it from Papyrus. I realized we didn't set a time, but we were thinking that maybe around three or four we could come over?” the text read.

“Yeah, that will be great! I have everything set up on my end!” Cassandra replied.

“Cool. We'll see you then.” Alphys replied.

The brunette smiled to herself before her phone's alarm went off. “Alright, Hope, another round,” she sighed as she sat up.

Hope was starting to look slightly better then she did the previous day, but that wasn't much considering how severely underweight she was. Cassandra just pet her calmly as she gave the Terrier another round of fluids. Once that was done, the young woman laid back down; eventually she nodded off to catch up on her interrupted sleep schedule. The time passed by between napping and taking care of the dog, and soon enough three o'clock rolled around; Cassandra remained in her sweatpants and over-sized t-shirt since it was getting near the end of September, so the chill tended to linger a bit longer than she would have liked. There was a knock on the door and the young woman stretched and yawned before gently setting Hope aside to make her way to the door. She grinned when she opened the door to see Alphys and Undyne standing their in their pajamas. Alphys was wearing a modest black pajama set with white polka dots while Undyne wore sweatpants and tank top. “Hey guys, come on in!” Cassandra smiled as she stepped back in.

“Hey punk! Long time no see!” Undyne grinned as she passed by with bags full of snack in her hands.

“H-Hi Cassandra,” Alphys smiled.

The brunette smiled as she helped Undyne with the bags, “It's good to see you guys again. Also, don't move to quickly to the couch just yet; I'm fostering another dog who is in need of constant supervision currently so she can't defend herself if she feels scared. She needs to stay as relaxed as possible.”

“Oh yeah? What's wrong with her?” the blue scaled monster asked as she finished dumping the contents of the bag on the counter.

“She is severely malnourished; she still can't pick her head up or move hardly, but she has a spark in her eyes now. I named her Hope,” Cassandra smiled as she got a few plates and cups out. “I'll go get her and introduce you guys really quick.”

The young woman dipped behind the fort before returning with the short haired dog in her arms. A look of pity could be seen from Alphys as Cassandra walked up to her. “She was found like this, but I'm hoping I can bring her back to health. If not... she'll have to be put down. I'm determined to help her fight!” the brunette smiled as she looked at the bundle of fur in her arms.

Alphys just smiled in return as she held out her hand for Hope to sniff. After a moment, the scientist gently pet the dog to show it that the yellow monster didn't mean it any harm. Undyne approached and scoffed as she let the pup sniff her next, “Humans are trash... if I ever meet who got her like this I'll kick their ass!”

Cassandra just smiled as Undyne gently pet the pup. The young woman put the dog back on the couch and grabbed herself a plate of different snacks before grabbing a Dr Pepper. The three moved to the nest of blankets on the floor once they had everything; once situated, Cassandra pulled up Netflix and looked for the Korean Drama. “Oh, just a fair warning, I do have to administer fluids every hour to make sure that Hope stays hydrated without overdoing it,” the brunette said before pressing play.

“T-that's understandable,” Alphys said with a nod.

“So what's this about? It looks so girly,” Undyne said with a raised eyebrow.

“Just watch, I think you'll really like it,” Cassandra grinned as she leaned against the couch.

The fish monster just grumbled as she just turned her attention back to the television. As they watched the show, Cassandra just grinned when she saw how into it both Alphys and Undyne were by the fourth episode. “I ship Bong-Soon and An,” the scientist said.

“For sure! I'd love to see who was stronger though, me or Bong-Soon!” Undyne grinned.

“No offense, but I'm pretty sure Bong-Soon would win,” Cassandra snickered.

The brunette's phone buzzed after a bit and she grinned at the text. “knock knock,” Sans had sent.

“Who's texting?” Undyne asked.

“Sans, he's sending me knock knock jokes,” Cassandra grinned before replying to Sans. “Who's there?”

“Him and his bad jokes,” she muttered.

“H-hey, would you want to sign up for the Undernet?” Alphys asked.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. “Undernet?” she asked before snickering at the text Sans sent.

“It's the monster's underground social network. You interested?” the scientist clarified.

“That sounds like fun, sure!” Cassandra grinned.

“Let me see your phone,” Alphys smiled as she reached her hand out.

With a smirk, she handed the scientist her phone who then took a picture of her human friend who started to blush. “H-Hey, why'd you do that?!” the brunette asked.

“For your profile picture, of course!” Undyne grinned slinging an arm around the young woman's shoulders. “What better picture than one of you than at a slumber party with some friends?”

“I-I suppose...” Cassandra said before her alarm went off. “Ah, one second.”

She pulled Hope back into her lap to once again take care of the dog. She didn't notice Alphys taking another picture of her to make that her profile pic instead. Cassandra gently kissed Hope's head as the dog started to fall asleep on her lap. “Poor dear... she's such a sweetie...” the brunette said.

“Alright, you are set up,” Alphys said returning her phone to Cassandra. “You got another text from Sans.”

“You sure spend a lot of time with him and Papyrus,” Undyne smirked.

“Yeah, they're my friends, and I enjoy Sans' puns. How can you not? Dude is like my own personal comedian,” the brunette shrugged.

“Wouldn't your boyfriend be jealous?” the taller monster said with a mischievous grin.

The brunette blinked in confusion, “No..? I don't have one..? Anyways, want to be friends on the Undernet, Undyne? Alphys and I already are!”

Once Cassandra added Undyne as a friend, the brunette took a picture of her two friends with a grin before posting it online with the caption 'Girl's night~ ;)'. The three just laughed slightly as they continued to watch Bong-Soon. “Have you thought about dating again?” Undyne asked after another hour of hearing Cassandra's phone buzz.

The brunette shook her head, “Nah, no one has caught my attention in that way yet in a long time, plus I really should work on overcoming my depression before even considering looking. Besides, I know almost everyone on this side of the city, and no one would be interested in me since I went to school with the majority. I don't mind though, I'm better suited to be around animals. Well, now that I'm making more friends, I can focus on all my friends! Why do you keep asking?”

“No reason,” Undyne said after a moment; she couldn't believe that her questions kept going over the human's head.

Cassandra shrugged as she readjusted herself on the nest of blankets. “As much as I enjoy your jokes and you making me laugh, I do need to get back to my guests; I don't need to be rude,” she sent to Sans.

“i guest i am keeping your attention, huh?” Sans replied.

The brunette snickered to herself, “Stop, lol, you're making it hard for me to say goodbye.”

“then don't. our chats get rather punny,” he sent.

The young woman didn't notice the looks she was getting from both Alphys and Undyne giving her their own set of grins as she continued to text Sans. “Oh geez, Papyrus just texted me and asked why he wasn't invited to our sleepover,” Cassandra laughed.

“It's girl's night, they can stay over another time,” Undyne stated.

“I told him that it was for us to bond, and that maybe next time we can invite him,” the brunette laughed. Her phone buzzed again and she let out a sigh. “Oh geez, Papyrus said him and Sans are going to be coming over to bond with us as well. Apparently he thought it was a good idea.”

Undyne scowled before sighing, “He thinks everything is a good idea. Oh well, guess we should pause this and make some more room.”

“Yeah, that would probably be a good idea,” Cassandra nodded as she paused the show and gently put Hope on the couch.

Her and Undyne moved the bar chairs further apart to create a bigger space for everyone to sprawl out of the floor. Cassandra readjusted the brooms she had wedged in the couch cushions to help hold up the blankets before spreading out the blankets that formed their 'nest'. “Think that should be enough room?” Cassandra asked as she looked over their work.

“Maybe, we won't know until everyone gets here,” Undyne shrugged. “But they were late to the party, so who cares?”

The brunette chuckled as a knock was heard on the door. Cassandra opened the door to see the two brothers standing on the front porch. “Hello-”

“Shh, try to keep your voice down; I don't want you to accidentally startle my newest rescue,” the brunette said before Papyrus could continue his overenthusiastic shout of greetings.

Cassandra opened the door to allow the two to enter her home. “thanks for letting us voice our opinion,”Sans winked.

The young woman chuckled as her phone's alarm went off. “Oh, Papyrus, would you mind closing the door behind you? I gotta take care of Hope,” Cassandra said as she went into the fort to care for the dog.

Sans followed behind the brunette with a raised eye ridge. “hope?” he asked.

Cassandra nodded as she got the dog on her lap and got the IV in. “Yeah, I figured the name was fitting since she's fighting for her life right now,”she replied while she focused.

“hopefully that works,” Sans grinned.

The brunette snickered before removing the IV and placing a kiss on the dog's head. “You're such a good girl, yes you are,” Cassandra said. “We have snacks on the counter if you guys want to grab some.”

“Thank you!” Papyrus said.

Sans held his hand out in front of the dog so she could sniff it before gently petting the fur ball. “what are you guys watching?” he asked as he sat on the ground.

“Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon,” Cassandra asked as she slid to the floor gently with Hope on her lap.

Papyrus soon emerged with some snacks and a drink and sat on the floor on the other side of Undyne. “Can we start over?” he asked with interest.

“No, not our fault you decided to join in late, “Undyne growled as she hit play on the remote again.

Cassandra just snickered as she pet the sleeping dog. “Sorry Papyrus, but if you wanted you can use my account to watch it from the beginning whenever you want,” she offered.

“Really? That would be so nice of you!” the younger brother smiled.

“I'll text you the information tomorrow, for now, watch the show,” the brunette smiled.

Even though Cassandra had watch the show twice already, she still got so entranced by it; it truly was well written in her eyes. As the show continued, she sat in a very concentrated way as she fidgeted while watching the reactions of others. On episode eight, Cassandra got up to use the restroom only for a familiar scent to hit her nose which caused her to blush and grimace. “Shit,” she muttered. “I'll be right back guys, I'm sorry.”

“Everything oka-- oh...” Alphys said. “Take your time; I forget female humans go through that.”

“Thanks, sorry,” the brunette blushed as she rushed to her room, grabbed a change of clothes, then headed to the bathroom.

Cassandra returned shortly after in a pair of shorts and a tank top before grabbing a zip up sweater and throwing it on. “Sorry guys, didn't mean to ditch you; I just fidgeted too much,” she said as she pulled Hope back onto her lap; the dog made a good heating pad.

“Why do females go through that? From what I remember overhearing it is a monthly occurrence,” Papyrus asked curiously.

The brunette cleared her throat, “While it is natural, it is sometimes uncomfortable to talk about. In basic terms, it has to do with the human female reproductive organs. If you wish to learn more about it, I'd recommend reading a few books on anatomy. I just don't want to be the one having the full in depth conversation.”

Undyne started cracking up laughing by how uncomfortable Cassandra got in her brief explanation. “This is too good,” she chuckled.

“he would naturally be curious,” Sans winked. “it does happen periodically.”

Cassandra scowled as she blushed a bit harder, “It's not nice to make fun of people who suffer.”

The group fell quiet again as they continued watching Bong-Soon, while every hour the brunette would grab the IV to help Hope out. As the night progressed, Cassandra started to nod off on occasion from the lack of sleep the previous night. She would catch herself leaning either forward or backwards on the couch as her eyes grew heavier. The young woman would jump on occasion from Undyne's laughter at some parts in the show that she found amusing. Cassandra finally decided it was time to stretch a bit to keep herself awake, and seeing that everyone was getting more and more wrapped up in the story unfolding, the brunette decided to take a quick picture of her friends.

Cassandra's attention went back to the television as episode thirteen rolled around and ended. “No! Tell me she gets her powers back!” Undyne exclaimed. “How was she supposed to know that there was an innocent person?!”

“I'm not spoiling anything,” Cassandra smirked. “You'll need to find out for yourself. However, I'll give you a fair warning, I always cry during the next episode. At least you got your Bong-Soon ship, right?”

“Yes, but now she isn't strong!” the blue monster growled.

“What happens next episode?” Papyrus asked.

“You'll see,” the brunette answered.

Sure enough, as episode fourteen neared the end, Cassandra had tears running down her face as Bong-Soon tried to tell An to leave and to save himself so he also wouldn't die. “They can't die,” Alphys sniffled.

“Get your power back!” Undyne yelled.

The brunette could hear Papyrus sniffling also while Sans just watched everyone else in amusement. There was loud cheering from Undyne and Papyrus when Bong-Soon regained her strength and threw the bomb that was attached to her into the air. “I knew she would do it!” Undyne grinned.

“Remind me to get her to watch My Hero Academia,” Cassandra said quietly to Sans who chuckled.

“thanks for letting pap come over; he was just too excited for all of us to get closer,” the elder brother said.

“It's not a problem. You're brother is too nice to say no to; besides, I'm sure Undyne didn't mind either. Plus you guys are helping me stay awake, so all of it is a bonus,” the brunette replied.

“do you have to give her fluids every hour today, too?” Sans asked looking at the sleeping dog.

“Nah, it was just for the first forty-eight hours. Now it'll be on every three hours and giving her more food while maintaining the small amounts. If I don't then she'll eat too much too quickly and throw it all up.”

“you have a kind soul, y' know?”

“I'm more selfish though.. but that's a conversation for another day,” Cassandra grinned before yawning again.

Eventually the young woman did end up dozing off only to be woken up by her alarm for her hourly task. Cassandra rubbed her eyes before helping Hope; once she finished, she laid down with her head next to Sans thigh so she could keep an eye on everyone. She felt her eyes growing heavier as she started to fight sleep as the last episode started to play. Cassandra couldn't keep herself awake and eventually did once again fall asleep. Undyne looked at the brunette with a grin, “She almost made it too.”

“F-from my understanding she was up every hour to help Hope out, so she's probably overly exhausted,” Alphys chimed in.

“She's alright by human standard,” Undyne decided as she turned her attention back to the television.

When the show came to an end, Alphys, Papyrus, and Undyne were all grinning since Bong-Soon and An got married and had a set of twins. “That was a pretty good show, I wonder if she knows of others,” Undyne said as she stretched.

The red haired monster picked up the remote and began scrolling through Netflix. “One Small Hitch?” she asked when she noticed the recently watched.

Through the variety of shows that were considered either comedy, action, or a musical, this was one of the only romantic comedies that was shown under that category. Alphys read the description, “I think we should watch it.”

Undyne just shrugged before clicking play; she did enjoy making her girlfriend happy. At some point, Sans had also fallen asleep since his nightmares had kept him up the previous night. The two slept until Cassandra's alarm went off once again, and the brunette stretched before sitting up to do her task. She blushed slightly, however, when she noticed the movie they were watching. “Uh, I didn't picture you guys to be the romantic comedy types,” she muttered.

“They're fun, also, are human mating rituals usually so aggressive? How come they did it on the bed and on the door earlier on in the movie?” Undyne asked.

Cassandra flushed as she looked at the blankets. “It's all based on personal taste,” she answered. “But what about monsters? What are your, as you put it, mating ritual?”

“It just depends on the monster, but the most common is a bonding of the souls,” the red head fish shrugged. “Why are you blushing though?”

“I don't like watching sex scenes with people, it makes me uncomfortable. And while it is considered natural, there are quite a few cultures that encourage people to wait until marriage. But, there are also some cultures where it's normal to have multiple partners, or even some relationships that are open so they have multiple partners. I know that I personally couldn't do a relationship with more than one partner because I have too self-conscious and I know my self doubt wouldn't allow for me to. I will say that people can make it work with more than one, but it takes a lot of trust to do so,” Cassandra answered. “It's another one of those complicated human things.”

“Why are you self-conscious?” Undyne asked leaning back on her elbows.

“Oh boy, where to begin...” the brunette sighed; the main actress was shown on screen wearing lingerie as she went to seduce the main male lead. “That's one example. That actress' body is what's considered beautiful by human standards. I may have curves, but I have some body fat and stretchmarks; I'm not attractive by 'social standards', and even though I wear a size twelve, that's considered obese. Having curves comes with it's own problems from grabbing unwanted attention from people who are looking for a one night stand to back issues. My other issues come from my childhood, but I'm not ready to open up about that just yet.”

Alphys just continued to watch the movie before shaking her head. “I-I know it's hypocritical, but you shouldn't doubt yourself, from what I've gathered by hanging out, you're a good person, and that far outweighs any of what you humans call physical flaws,” the scientist said.

Tears started to prick the corners of Cassandra's eyes who blinked to fight them back. “I'm tired, and being tired makes it easier for me to get emotional. Ugghh, don't go giving me compliments, I can't handle it, especially right now. I'm nothing special,” the brunette said. “Oh! I should make everyone some breakfast!”

Cassandra quickly got up after gently putting Hope on the couch to start working on breakfast to get the subject changed. She got out everything she would need so she and began mixing the batter to make some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Something was telling her that the group would eat quite a bit. The brunette moved around the kitchen as she grabbed some apples to stew once she was done cooking the pancakes and bacon. “Can I help?!” Papyrus asked in excitement.

“Sure, I wouldn't mind having some company,” the brunette smiled as she opened the pack of bacon.

The younger brother got up and went in the kitchen only for Undyne to also follow. “I'll join in, too,” the fish grinned.

Cassandra smiled and began giving them pointers as she mixed the pancake batter. “Shouldn't you stir it with more aggression?” Undyne asked.

“No, if you did the ingredients would go all over the place. It's alright to make a little bit of a mess, but if you do too much it's counter productive. To make sure that you get everything tasting right you need to have a balance of all the ingredients,” the brunette answered.

Breakfast was ready by around eight in the morning when the sun started to rise high in the sky. Cassandra smiled at the pile of pancakes that they had made along with the rest of the cooked goods. “Alright everyone, time to dig in!” she said with a grin.

The group enjoyed breakfast together as mostly everyone chatted or listened about the different movies they watched after the Korean Drama, and Cassandra ended up recommending a few more for the couple to watch in their own time. “Oh, I got Undyne to watch Overlord,” Alphys said once they started to talk about anime.

“Isn't it absolutely fantastic?!” Cassandra asked excitedly. “I said it to Alphys, but Lord Ainz is Bae, and he is the bone daddy.”

A disturbed look came across both Sans and Papyrus' faces as they stared at the brunette. “What? He's a bad ass skeleton, and hot damn. Albedo is kinda hot, too,” Cassandra said with a shrug.

“You have the anime hots,” Undyne snickered. “But yeah, the show was bad ass!”

“See?! You understand. I would recommend watching Ancient Magus Bride next. Elias is also amazing. He's such a cutie patootie,” the brunette sighed wistfully. “And so is Todoroki from My Hero Academia..”

The rest of breakfast went by relatively quickly, and Cassandra started clean up. “So what's the plan now?” Undyne asked.

“Whatever you guys want to do. I have board games, puzzles, we can watch more movies, or if you want to leave you can do that, too,” the brunette said with a yawn before wincing slightly from her irritated back.

“Wowie!” she heard Papyrus exclaimed. “You displayed the last puzzle we made together!”

“Of course! I enjoyed our time together and I didn't want to take the puzzle apart to put it back in the box. Which reminds me, Papyrus, I got a puzzle specifically for you, it's on the entertainment center that the TV is sitting on,” Cassandra said as she continued to wash the dishes.

“Let's play a few games,” Undyne grinned as she looked through some of the board games.

Papyrus looked over at the media center before his eyes landed on the Rubix Cube. “What puzzle is this?” he asked.

“So you're supposed to turn it so all the colors are mixed up; afterwards you have to make sure that it looks like that again with all the same color on one side,” Cassandra explained.

“Thank you for the gift!” Papyrus exclaimed as he started to mess with the puzzle.

Once Casandra finished cleaning up after breakfast, the rest of the day consisted of a variety of board games while movies played in the background. It turned into another sleep over since everyone happened to be off the following Monday; things just worked out for the better, and Cassandra felt that she was growing closer to the monsters. She was grateful to have good friends; she definitely needed to think about introducing her best friend to them.

Chapter Text

The rest of September passed by quickly, and it seemed October was flying by just as quickly as Cassandra got more and more excited about Halloween; it was her favorite holiday after all. The Terrier that she fostered ended up being adopted by the young woman since she got so attached to Hope, and Frisk was always excited to see the dog when Cassie either visited or they went over with usually Papyrus and Sans. The brunette found herself growing more fond of the skeleton brothers and would actually look forward to seeing them again more often than not. Alphys and Undyne also spent quite a bit of time with the twenty-seven year old, and the three usually got together to watch anime. Cassandra smiled as she looked at her the clock at work; today she was going to be over to Toriel's once she got off work, and she was excited to see Frisk again.

Time was going by too slowly in Cassandra's opinion as she went about her work tasks until she was finally able to clock out for the day. Grabbing her bag and getting on her bike, the brunette began making her way to Toriel's house with Hope in the basket on her bike. Cassandra smiled as she peddled, occasionally looking at the sky and looking at Hope who sat staring ahead with her ears up. The brunette's smiled began to fall, however, when she noticed Tiffany and Angela walking on the sidewalk heading towards her. 'Don't panic, don't look at them, don't acknowledge them,' she told herself as she looked straight ahead.

“Where are you heading, freak?!” Tiffany called out as the brunette passed the bullies.

“I'm going to a friend's house! How about you start caring about your own business, cunt!” Cassandra shouted back; needless to say she surprised herself from her little outburst.

The brunette blinked as she processed what she had just said. 'Why would you say that, that was rude. I mean, it's true, but why did you have to be rude?!' she scolded herself. 'All you're going to do is fan a fire, so who knows what will happen now that you pissed her off.. but, the look on her face was priceless...'

When she got to Toriel's house, she set Hope on the ground who immediately went up to the door and started to bark excitedly; the dog especially loved Frisk, and knew that she would get a ton of attention from the kid. The door opened to reveal a grinning Frisk who scooped Hope up in their arms and they giggled as they got doggy slobber kisses all over their face. “Hey, Cassie,” the kid greeted in between giggles.

“Hey, kiddo. How are ya?” the brunette asked as she approached the kid and ruffled their hair.

“I'm good! Ready for game night?!” they asked.

“Of course! Everyone inside?” Cassandra asked as she stepped into the house.

“Hello, human!” Papyrus greeted.

“hey,” Sans grinned with a wave.

“Hi, punk!” Undyne said just as Alphys said a quiet hello.

“Hey everyone! So, before we get started, I actually have a question. As you may or may not know, Halloween is coming up, and it is my favorite holiday! So, I was thinking about inviting everyone over to carve pumpkins, and have a spooktacular time!” Cassandra said as she grew more and more excited. “S-sorry, I got carried away, but yeah.. I wanted to invite everyone over for a costume party.”

“That sounds like fun!” Frisk chimed in.

Toriel smiled at the child before nodding, “I think I'd have joining in.”

“I will join! I can dress up as someone spectacular!” Papyrus exclaimed.

“I request that you dress up as Skeletor, please,” Cassandra asked.

“if pap wants to go, i may as well,” Sans shrugged.

“Count me in!” Undyne grinned.

“S-Sure, I don't see why not,” Alphys replied.

The brunette smiled and nodded, “Okay, cool; I'll see you guys on Halloween then! There are no rules when it comes to costumes, so just dress up as whatever!”

Everyone started to go back to what they were doing as Frisk played with Hope, but the encounter with her bully was nagging at the back of her head. “Hey, Sans, can I talk to you in private real quick?” she asked once she got close enough to where he was sitting.

Sans raised an eye ridge before getting up and following Cassandra outside. “what's up?” he asked. “other than the sky that is.”

“I said something mean to one of my bullies on my way here, and I feel bad for saying it... She asked where I was going while calling me a freak, and I told her to mind her own business before calling her a....” the brunette paused before quietly adding. “a cunt. It's just not like me to say something so mean, and while she has been picking on me most of my life, I don't think that was right of me...”

“so why talk to me about it?” he asked. “look, kid, 's natural to lash out at people who have done you wrong, and there's nothing wrong with defending yourself. just gotta be careful not to get on their level and trip up.”

Cassandra smiled at the skeleton softly, “Yeah... I just.. I feel bad for saying it. I wanted to talk to you about it since you picked up on them bullying me, and you're just easy to talk to. I get the feeling you've seen some shit and are like me in a way, just with a lot more confidence.”

Sans looked at the young woman for a moment before staring ahead, “you do have a good soul, kid, and like i said, you did what you did in defense. you're right though, i have seen some shit.”

Silence fell upon the pair before Cassandra sighed. “I want to open up, but I'm not ready to just yet, but how about we make a deal. When I am ready to answer your questions, will you answer mine? I promise I will keep it between us, and I also promise I won't press if it bothers you,” she said.

“...i really hate makin' promises, but you have an integrity i can't say 'no' to, not with you likin' bad jokes like you do,” he answered after a moment.

“I won't make you promise then; I understand. I don't like making them because they can be broken so easily... I don't know why, but I'd trust you and your brother more than just about anyone I know. I literally owe you two and Frisk my life.”

“i wouldn't be so trustin' of me. i've been suspicious of you since we met to be honest; that's why i don't let papyrus near you without me close by. i've seen your soul go dark, and i don't trust it, even though your soul traits are kindness and perseverance.”

“...What do you mean by soul traits?”

Sans just grinned, “i forget humans can't see souls. your soul is green and purple.”

Cassandra just blinked as her hand rested on her heart, “You can see it?”

“most monsters can; i just have knack for it though.”

“You said my soul has gone dark.. do you know what causes it?”

The skeleton just watched the brunette for a moment before shrugging, “i think it has somethin' to do with your depression, and i only say that since it's been a month since it's gone gray. it was black by the time we were at the top of the mountain.”

The young woman nodded in understanding, “I guess that makes sense; I've been doing a lot better since Hope has been around, and you guys have been keeping me occupied as well. I'm in the worst spot if I'm left alone for too long as childish as that sounds.”

“since we're askin' questions, let me ask this, why don't you like looking at your reflection? i made the observation a couple of times.”

“...I don't like what I see... My scar is a constant reminder of hate and anger, and I see it when I see my reflection.”

Sans just frowned slightly as he looked at the young woman's downcast eyes. “i get one more question,” he started. “how did you get the scar. you don't gotta go into specifics, i just want to know how.”

Cassandra for the first time looked Sans directly in the eyes as they turned cold from a memory that Sans couldn't see. “I got the scar on my face and my arms as I was attacked with a knife, before my brother jumped in to save me,” the brunette answered before looking back down. “It took me so long to control my emotions around knives without have a panic attack.. I can cook with them, but I still don't like seeing people hold them...”

“...you asked me a month ago why i got tense when you were chopping the tomatoes when you were over... because of somethin' that happened in the past, i tense when someone goes near pap with a knife.”

“I understand. I was afraid when I felt that tension, but if I was in your shoes, I would have done the same thing. I wish I wasn't scared when I got my scar, I wish I could have fought back somehow. Anyways, we should head in before anyone checks on us,” Cassandra laughed lightly. “Sans, thank you, for everything you have done. Didn't mean to go down a rabbit hole again.”

“you could say we were hopping along,” Sans winked.

“I thought you didn't carrot all,” the brunette retorted as they entered the house.

“lettuce play a few games.”

“Sans!” Papyrus and Undyne both scowled.

The group ended up playing games until around nine o'clock and Cassandra put Hope in her basket before peddling home. She was feeling a little better after talking with Sans about her insult; her guilt was still gnawing at her, but it wasn't like it was previously. She gave Hope a few pats on the head as she continued down the road back to her house. Once there, she went in and got in the shower to get ready for bed.

The following morning, Cassandra got out of bed with a smile as she decided that today she was going to go looking for a Halloween costume; it was the seventeenth, so she was running out of time for decorating and such. “I'll be back later, Hope! Be a good girl and watch the house for me!” she said as she locked the door, got on her bike, and headed to the nearest store that she knew carried Halloween decor.

Cassandra began grabbing anything that she thought would be fun to decorate her house with that ranged from fake pumpkins to those fake spiderwebs and headed to the check out with the next destination in mind. After she left, she got on her bike and googled where to find a costume store; she chewed her lip as she searched, and just then a small voice in her head was telling her to get moving. She ignored it since she was determined to find her destination first and foremost. The second that voice got louder, she mentally cursed her stubborn nature. Cassandra looked up just in time to be aggressively shoved off of her bike by Tiffany. “You have some nerve, you know that? Since when did you get so fucking brave?” she spat as she yanked away the bike.

“Just leave me alone, I don't want you in my life anymore,” the young woman said as she winced; she knew she was going to bruise.

“Did I ask what you wanted? I don't want to see you around town anymore, yet you haven't bothered getting the fuck out,” Tiffany pressed.

Cassandra looked behind Tiffany to see her bike being passed to Angela and two boys that were with them. “I'm not leaving my home for a narcissist who doesn't have a heart,” the brunette shot back; she flinched at the glare that the bully shot her in response.

“You little bitch,” Tiffany growled. “Destroy her bike, she seems to have gotten a mouth since she got it.”

“No!” Cassandra exclaimed as she tried to push past the two females. “Don't!”

Despite her cries, the two boys started stomping on the wheels to dent them while cutting up the seat. “Stop! I worked hard to pay for that bike!” Cassandra cried before she was once again shoved to the ground, her head smacking against the concrete.

“Just shut up!” Angela said as she decided to stomp on the brunette's arm that was over the curb.

A sickening snap was heard just before Cassandra screamed in pain at the sound of her upper arm being broken. “Shit! Angela, what the fuck?!” Tiffany asked.

“I-I didn't mean to! I honestly didn't mean to break it!” she replied as she started shaking.

“Let's just go!” one of the boys called before they started to rush off.

Cassandra was in too much pain to move; all she could do was keep her eyes shut as tears fell from her eyes, whimpers and moans of pain leaving her. “Are you okay?!” she heard someone ask.

No words came to her mouth as she struggled to just stay conscious from the pain. She didn't process anything as she was carefully brought to her feet. “I-It hurts,” Cassandra whimpered out.

“It'll be okay, I'm getting you to the doctor,” the stranger answered.

“M-My bike..” the brunette chocked out.

“My friend has it, don't worry. It's okay, you'll be okay,” the man said.

The brunette vaguely remembered them checking her in at the hospital, and then the adrenaline was finally starting to wear off. She looked at the man that now sat beside her in the waiting room. “T-Thank you...” she muttered as she wiped her eyes.

“It's not a problem. I called the police so they'll be here to ask question. Do you have anyone you need to call?” he asked.

Cassandra thought for a moment before nodding and pulling out her phone with a wince; she avoided looking at the damage to her left arm that was throbbing. She shakily scrolled through her contacts before finding the one she was looking for. With a sniffle, she pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear. “Hello, this is Toriel,” a very welcoming voice spoke.

The brunette once again began to cry, “T-Tori, I-I'm in the hospital, I-I-I was attacked.”

“Oh my goodness, are you okay?!” Toriel asked urgently.

“I-I don't know, I think my arm is broken,” Cassandra sniffled.

“I'll be there right away, don't fret. It'll be okay,” the white furred monster replied before hanging up.

Cassandra started to sob into her right hand as the stranger rubbed her back comfortingly. “It's okay. Are they heading over?” the man asked.

The brunette nodded shakily. The hospital door opened up and two cops entered and began speaking to them. “You said she was assaulted?” the first cop asked.

“Yeah, I just saw the end of it where the blonde girl stomped on her arm while she was trying to stop the two boys from destroying her bike,” the stranger said from beside her.

“Do you know who it was?” the cop asked while looking at the crying girl.

The young woman nodded, “I-It was A-Angela C-Cummings and Tiffany F-Forest. I went to hi-high school with them.”

The second cop turned to the stranger. “You said you saw them break her arm?” she asked.

“Yeah, I couldn't get there to stop them in time,” he repeated.

“Do you want to press charges?” the first cop asked Cassandra.

The brunette thought for a moment before nodding, “Y-Yeah, I'm going to be missing work because of them.”

“We need the whole story as to what had happened,” the first male cop stated.

Cassandra nodded as she began telling them what had happened from the very beginning. As she finished up her side of what happened, a familiar kid with a head of brown hair came running at her before carefully hugging the crying brunette. Cassandra sniffled as she gently returned the hug, “Hey Frisk, I didn't mean to worry you...” she said.

Frisk shook their head as tears pricked the corner of their eyes, “Why were you hurt?”

Toriel appeared a moment later followed by the two skeleton brothers. “I didn't mean to bring everyone, but they were over playing games when you called,” Toriel explained as she approached the young woman and promptly embraced her.

Cassandra whimpered in pain as her arm was accidentally touched by the monster. Toriel quickly pulled away and started looking for signs of injury. “Sorry, ma'am but we have to take pictures for our case file,” the female cop stated as she put an arm out.

“I-It's okay, they're doing their jobs,” the brunette sniffed.

“Which arm is broken?” the male cop asked.

“M-My left,” Cassandra choked out.

The first cop nodded before going to the receptionist and getting a pair of scissors and returning. “I'm going to have to remove your sleeve so I can take pictures of your arm, is that okay?” he asked as he squatted in front of the distressed woman.

Cassandra just nodded as the cop gently started to cut at the seam of the shoulder; he carefully maneuvered the scissors around her arm until he cut the last of it. Toriel winced when she saw the dark bruising that was already formed around the swollen arm. The male cop snapped a couple of pictures before going behind the girl's head. “I'll also need to take a picture of your head; would you mind holding up your hair?” he asked.

The brunette nodded before scooping her hair up in her right hand and moving it away from where she felt the bump. Once the cops finished, they got Cassandra's information along with the witnesses (who she heard say his name was Paul) and they left to go file the paperwork. Tears kept falling from the brunette's eyes as her arm throbbed; she would just occasionally wipe at her face as she internally struggled with the thoughts bombarding her mind. “You going to be okay now that you have your friends here?” Paul had asked.

“Y-Yes, thank you again.. Sorry for the trouble...” Cassandra said.

“Thank you for bringing her here,” Toriel thanked the man.

“It's no problem. I gotta get going to pick my kid up from school, but do you mind if I leave my number with one of you? I want to be sure that she's okay,” the man replied.

Toriel was quick to agree and had entered the man's number in her phone before he left to go get his kid. Frisk immediately took the seat that the man had been previously occupying it and leaned on Cassandra to try to comfort her. “I-I'm sorry for bothering you guys, I know you were having fun...” the brunette said.

“You're not bothering us,” Toriel interjected as she pet the girl's head.

“Why would anyone hurt you?” Papyrus asked.

Cassandra just looked away refusing to answer. Sans, however, was trying to contain his anger. “was it those kids again?” he practically growled.

The brunette slowly nodded, “I'm pressing assault charges though.. And I'm suing them... I'm going to have lost wages, and the hospital bill isn't going to be fun... I'm also getting a restraining order... I'm tired of them...”

When her name was called to go in the back, she stood up shakily before the nurse helped her to the back. Hours passed until Cassandra finally returned from the back with a purple cast that started at her shoulder and ended at her wrist; her arm was in a sling to help keep the pressure off of the muscles surrounding her broken bone. “Hey guys... sorry again,” she said as she pet Frisk's head; they had hugged her when she reemerged.

“It's no trouble at all; I'll give you a ride home so you're not walking with a serious injury,” Toriel said as she led the young woman out of the hospital.

“I-I do need to go by the pharmacy to drop off my prescription for pain medication, and I need to go by the shelter to drop off the doctor's note,” Cassandra said while looking down. “And I may need help taking care of Hope...”

“I'm sure everyone wouldn't mind helping you out, child, there's no reason to fret,” the furred monster smiled.

The brunette sniffled as she wiped away more tears. “Papyrus, Sans, can I ask for a huge favor..?” she asked.

“Of course, human! I'll happily do anything to help ease your distress!” Papyrus answered.

Cassandra laughed a little and shook her head. “Can you stay at my place tonight? I-I'm worried that I'll end up with night terror tonight...” she said looking away.

“sure kid, we'll stay at your place,” Sans said after a moment of silence.

“Thank you.”

They all got in Toriel's car and strapped the damaged bike onto the roof before they drove to the necessary locations where the motherly monster took care of dropping everything off so Cassandra could take it easy. The brunette looked at her bags of Halloween decorations and sighed. “I like the items you picked out. Maybe I can help you decorate your house!” Frisk said during the drive.

“And I, too, shall help!” Papyrus quickly agreed.

Silence overcame the car for a moment as the group occasionally shot worried glances at the brunette. “Cassandra, what causes a human's arm to break?” Papyrus asked.

The brunette sighed as she looked at her cast. “Despite our skeletons being strong, with enough force the bones can break, hence the term 'broken arm'. In these case, my humerus is what broke,” she answered.

“guess you can say you broke your sense of humor,” Sans said to try to lighten the mood.

Three out of the five occupants in the car laughed while Papyrus just groaned. “That was bad,” the brunette chuckled.

“You need to drink plenty of milk to try to strengthen your bones!” Papyrus declared.

Toriel soon pulled into the driveway and helped Cassandra out as Papyrus and Sans unloaded the bike and her Halloween decorations. After another hug, Toriel and Frisk said goodbye and Cassandra let the two brothers in her apartment. Hope immediately ran up before sniffing the cast and letting out a whimper. “I know baby, but momma will be okay,” the brunette said petting the Terrier's head lovingly.

“You should sit down, we can get you what you'll need!” Papyrus said once he closed the door behind everyone.

“I-I don't want to be more of a burden,” Cassandra said heading to the kitchen to get the other half of the wet dog food out of the fridge.

“Nonsense! You are never a burden! Friends help each other!” the younger brother said before gently guiding her to the couch.

The brunette sighed before sitting on the couch in compliance. “just let us help. 's no problem, really,” Sans shrugged as he turned the television on.

Cassandra just sighed as she kicked her feet on the couch next to her to try to get more comfortable as she walked Papyrus through what to do to feed Hope. The brunette looked at Sans in between struggling with the blanket that was draped on the back of the couch; she was cold and wanted to get warm. “What are you wanting to watch?” she asked as she scowled at the offending blanket that would not cooperate.

Sans shook his head before helping spread out the blanket before shrugging, “dunno yet. sas thinkin' we could browse Netflix.”

The brunette nodded as Papyrus sat on the floor in front of the couch. “Let's watch something that will cheer everyone up!” he suggested.

“Have you guys seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail?” Cassandra asked.

After hearing two 'no's, the young woman instructed Papyrus on where to find her collector's edition of the film and she hit play. “This is considered a huge classic,” she said. “It's always been a personal favorite of mine.”

About an hour into the film Cassandra got a call from the pharmacist saying that her medication was ready. “Alright, I gotta go get my meds,” she said after hanging up.

“we'll go with ya in case anyone tries to do anything,” Sans said they all stood up.

“Thanks,” Cassandra sighed as she got a jacket.

She frowned at her predicament and decided to just wear the sweater on her shoulders and hold it closed with her hands. “Stupid broken arm..” she growled as they left the home.

It was another hour before the three returned to the apartment; Cassandra laid down and got out her muscle relaxers and pain killers before taking them. They had gotten a few burgers on their way home from Grillby's much to Papyrus' horror. They resumed the movie and the brunette found herself nodding off due to the side affects of the medication.

Chapter Text

The week leading up to Halloween had been frustrating for Cassandra thanks to her broken arm; the night terrors were almost a nightly occurrence thanks to the assault, and thankfully her and her bullies were able to settle outside of court. The brunette was thankful that she could now put her bullies aside and no longer had to worry that they'd get angry if she just so happened to be in the same place as them. However, taking care of her basic needs was proving to be a struggle in a way. Cassandra found that she had no way to bathe on her own without getting her cast wet since she couldn't reach to well with her right hand to wrap the thing with saran wrap.

Cassandra was grateful for all the help she was getting from her monster friends and Frisk, but that was one thing she wasn't comfortable asking for. Finally deciding it would be beneficial, she called up her best friend and had asked her to head over so that she didn't need to bother her new friends with an inconvenience. Her friend, Shadow, had quickly agreed and said that her mom would drop her off sometime in the afternoon before scolding her friend about not calling her sooner. Cassandra just rolled her eyes with a smile knowing that she just cared. Papyrus was currently over with Sans to keep her company while Cassandra took many pictures of the lovable ball of fur that was sleeping on her stomach. “got enough pictures?” Sans joked after the twentieth picture.

“No, there is never enough pictures of this beautiful creature. She is absolutely adorable and she deserves all of the glory,” Cassandra countered before grinning and taking a picture of an amused Sans.

The elder brother just shook his head at the brunette's antics. “Knock knock,” the young woman grinned; Papyrus paused in his cleaning as he mentally prepared himself for the bad jokes that were about to come.

“who's there?” Sans replied.

“Boo.”

“boo who?”

“Aw, don't cry, it's just a joke!” Cassandra chuckled.

Papyrus groaned as he went back to cleaning as Sans chuckled.

“yesterday i saw a guy spill all his scrabble letters on the road. i asked him, 'what's the word on the street?'” the elder brother said with a wink.

“Did you hear about the actor who fell through the floorboards? He was just going through a stage,” the brunette snickered.

Papyrus at this point was just trying to ignore the bad jokes while he did his best to clean the tidy house.

“that one was bad,” Sans chuckled. “did you hear about the claustrophobic astronaut? he just needed some space.”

“Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything,” Cassandra said.

“well, do you now where average things are manufactured? the satisfactory.”

“What sits at the bottom of the sea and twitches? A nervous wreck.”

“what kind of exercise do lazy people do? diddly-squats.”

“That is enough! No more bad jokes!” Papyrus finally shouted; he was glaring while grinning at them from the kitchen.

Cassandra was laughing from her spot on the couch as she pet Hope. “One day I'll beat you at jokes, good sir,” she said.

“you can try, but i doubt it,” Sans winked.

“Challenge accepted,” she said with a mischievous smirk.

“You better not do it around me!” Papyrus grumbled.

“Don't worry, Pap, I will try to control myself. Your brother is a wild card though, you're on your own with him,” she snickered knowing full well Sans would keep saying bad jokes.

“so what time is your friend coming over?” the older brother asked wearily.

Cassandra pulled out her phone to look at the time. “Shadow said she'll be here around two, but depending on traffic it may take a bit longer. She lives not far from the house I grew up in,” the young woman replied.

“How come we never met your friend before?” Papyrus asked.

“Well, mostly because she doesn't drive; she panics behind the wheel of a car. Her mom needed to have knee surgery last month and is now mostly recovered. Then there is online college.. she's just had no way to come over for a while. She usually is my rock and visits when she can, but I knew last month and this month would be an exception. We still text everyday, but as far as visits.. it's been a while,” Cassandra replied.

“Did you tell her what happened?” the younger brother asked.

The young woman looked at the dog. “Not everything.. not yet at least... the second I do she'll want to find the two that broke my arm. She's kinda protective of me; she has been ever since we became best friends,” she replied.

Sans' eyes narrowed at the fact that her friend would seek vengeance, but he needed to find out if it was for her own personal gain, or if maybe it was just because her friend was hurt. Regardless, he would just have to wait to find out for himself when she arrived. The hours continued to pass on by until two o'clock rolled around, and not too long after there was a knock at the door. Papyrus began walking to the door to greet whoever knocked before Cassandra got his attention. “Papyrus, before I forget, do not hug her. She does not like being touched, especially by people she does not know,” Cassandra warned.

“I will try to refrain!” the younger brother said before opening the door.

On the doorstep stood a stocky young woman with a shaved head wearing a sleeveless tank top and shorts. “Uh, hi. I'm Shadow,” she introduced herself.

“Hello, Shadow, I am the Great Papyrus! I believe Cassandra has been expecting you!” he said as he stepped aside to let the woman in.

“Hey, Weirdo, how are ya?” Shadow asked when she spotted Cassandra on the couch.

“I've been better, but still hanging in there like a hair in a biscuit,” the brunette responded with a sigh.

“Uh-huh. So, you gonna tell me what happened, or am I gonna ask your friends? I'm going to find out,” she said as she placed her backpack on the ground.

“Our high school bullies happened,” Cassandra answered after a moment.

There was a pause as Shadow just stared before an aggravated sigh escaped her. “I'll kick their asses next time I see them. No one hurts my weirdo, and I mean no one,” she growled as she sat on the floor by her best friend.

Sans just blinked as he looked at the newcomer's soul; her friend Shadow had a soul that was both a cyan and yellow mixture, but it was almost white. The yellow made a lot more sense when Cassandra had said that Shadow would want to find out who; Shadow had a soul of both patience and justice. “wanting to throw some shade?” Sans asked.

Shadow groaned, “No, not another pun lover. Why, why do you do this to me?”

“Because I love you,” Cassandra grinned petting the top of her friend's head.

“Yeah yeah. So what's your name?” Shadow asked the shorter skeleton on the couch.

“name's sans, pleasure to meet cha,” he replied with his signature wink and grin.

“You, too. So, Weirdo, can I sit where your legs are, or am I going to sit on them?” Shadow smirked.

“You're so mean,” the brunette whined before moving her feet with a grin.

“Damn straight,” the black haired female smirked.

Papyrus entered the living room and handed Cassandra a glass of water. “Why do you call her 'Weirdo'?” the taller skeleton asked.

“Because she is my Weirdo,” Shadow shrugged. “I found her when she was in need, I stood up for her in school, and I basically adopted her.”

“I'm not a dog!” the brunette laughed. “We just clicked and have been friends ever since.”

The black haired female playfully stuck her tongue out at her best friend. “But back to the subject that is your broken arm, please tell me you didn't just take it again,” Shadow said in a serious tone. “I know you, you don't like fighting back, even if you need to.”

“I actually sued them for any lost wages and for the hospital bill; not to mention I gave them a restraining order so if they get too close to me I can call the cops and report them,” Cassandra answered before drinking a glass of water.

“Good girl,” the black haired female nodded. “By the way, do you have any-”

“I have pizza rolls in the freezer and some mountain dew in the fridge along with some sweet tea since you hate water,” the brunette smirked.

“You know me so well,” Shadow said as she pulled a bottle of Gatorade from her bag.

“But of course!” Cassandra mock bowed before grinning mischievously. “Hey, Shadow, knock knock.”

Sans grinned as he watched the black haired female scowl. After groaning, Shadow finally answered. “Who's there..?”

“Euripides,” the brunette said already snickering.

“Oh no...Euripides who?”

“Euripides clothes, you pay for them,” Cassandra smiled.

Sans laughed while Papyrus groaned. Shadow sighed, “No, bad Cassandra, not funny.”

Hope moved from Cassandra's lap to smell the visiting new friend. “She's looking so much better; I think it's funny that you adopted her though. You're not supposed to adopt when you're fostering. That's how you end up with a household full of pets,” Shadow grinned.

“afraid the shadows will creep up on you,” Sans winked.

“Why, just why?” the black haired female asked as she pet the dog.

Cassandra snickered, “Because puns are fun, especially making them to people who don't like them.”

“it's a sanssation,” the older brother added.

“I've decided I hate you both,” Shadow said after a moment.

“No you don't, you love me,” the brunette dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Besides, you're smiling.”

“That's beside the point,” the twenty-six year old countered. “I don't know why you like puns, they're so bad.”

“They are hilarious, and you can't change my mind,” Cassandra nodded before going on Netflix and pressing play on Jurassic Park. “Now watch the dinosaurs with me.”

“I do like dinosaurs,” Shadow nodded.

“they're dinomite,” Sans said.

“Oh dear god,” the black haired female groaned.

“Brother, enough! You and Cassandra are too bad with puns!” Papyrus scolded.

“He's so loud..”Shadow groaned.

Sans frowned at the new guest. “He means well, and you get used to it,” Cassandra shrugged. “He's also super cool. I'm sure they'll understand if you gotta get control of yourself; I know you don't like loud noises too much. I'm not as jumpy now though.”

“I hate my sensitive ears...” Shadow sighed.

“come ear often?” a certain skeleton through in.

Shadow smacked her forehead, “I swear I'm in hell.”

Cassandra just smiled and leaned on her best friend. “If you are, at least you have me,” she grinned.

The black haired female sighed and hung her head, “I give up.”

“Since Shadow is here, you guys don't have to stay tonight. I do appreciate you staying the last few days, but I don't want to be anymore trouble,” Cassandra said after a little bit.

“It has been no trouble at all, human! We've quite enjoyed your company, even though Sans is a pile of lazybones!” Papyrus replied.

“what's the problem, bud, got a bone to pick with me?” Sans winked.

“Sans!” the younger brother scolded.

Cassandra just smiled at the brothers before Shadow pat the girl's head. “It's been a long time since I've seen you this happy, Weirdo. I'm glad,” the black haired woman said. “But can you please stop leaning on me?”

The brunette sheepishly sat upright, “Sorry, I forget sometimes.”

“It's alright; I can tolerate you touching me,” Shadow shrugged.

“Cause I'm awesome!” Cassandra grinned.

The brothers soon said goodbye once the movie was over, and after Shadow helped her wrap her arm, she helped the girl get in the tub to bathe before helping her out again when she was finished. As Halloween approached, Shadow helped lay out the fake cobwebs and skeleton streamers around the house before setting up little ghost light streamers hung around doorways. The two young women had went to a store to buy Halloween costumes shortly after Shadow had started staying at Cassandra's. The day of Halloween was finally upon them, and the brunette was setting out snacks into spooky themed dishes. “I probably won't be too sociable if there are going to be a bunch of people,” Shadow said. “I don't like crowds as you know.”

“I understand, and I'll be sure to check on you frequently so you're not too bored,” Cassandra smirked.

“Hardy har,” the black haired female said as she helped set everything up.

The majority of the afternoon they were listening to Halloween music as they set up both the living room for movies and games and the patio up for pumpkin carving. Cassandra had Shadow help her into her pirate costume since she had to maneuver her corset and such around her cast. “I wonder if Sans knows any Halloween puns?” Cassandra thought as the evening approached.

“I sincerely hope not, but he probably does judging from what you've told me about him and my short interaction with him,” Shadow sighed.

The brunette smiled as she carried her carving tools outside, “I can't wait to hear them, I love jokes. Oh, do you mind bringing the pumpkins out since I can't...”

“You know I don't mind, so shush.”

“Yeah, yeah. I still feel bad for asking you to help.”

“Well it's not your fault, so don't.”

Cassandra just shook her head as she set two big bowls aside for the pumpkin guts on the porch before going back inside to get out sharpies for everyone to use to draw their designs on the pumpkins. Shadow brought one pumpkin out at a time since they were relatively big, and once the two were outside she brought out a few smaller pumpkins to decorate the front port with. “That should cover everything,” Cassandra hummed as she sat down on her porch. “Can you grab me the speaker so we can play some Halloween music while we carve?”

“Sure,” Shadow answered as she went back inside.

“Thank you!” the brunette called after her friend as she stared at the pumpkin that she picked out.

Pretty soon a familiar car pulled into the driveway and Cassandra smiled as Frisk left the back seat and ran up to hug the young woman. “Hey, kiddo,” she smiled. “You ready to have fun?”

“Yeah!” Frisk exclaimed; he was wearing a skeleton costume which made the brunette want to squeal from the adorableness.

Toriel got out of the driver's side and approached the seated female with a smile, “I like your costume.”

“Thank you! I like yours!” Cassandra complimented; it looked like Toriel was dressed as a vampire.

Shadow returned from the house and blinked at the new visitors. “Hi,” she said before handing Cassandra the speaker. “I'm Shadow.”

“I am Toriel, it is a pleasure to meet you,” the motherly monster replied.

Sans and Papyrus had made their way up to the porch, and Cassandra laughed; Papyrus did dress up as Skeletor while Sans looked like a very short grim reaper. “I love the costumes,” Cassandra grinned.

“thanks, i guess your ship has sailed,” Sans winked.

There was a mixture of snickers and groans from the bad joke as the brunette shook her head. “Are Alphys and Undyne joining us?” Cassandra asked as she hit play on her Halloween playlist.

“Unfortunately not; Alphys had to work late so Undyne is going to keep her company when she gets home,” Toriel answered.

Shadow sat down next to her best friend before setting the brunette's pumpkin between Cassandra's legs. “Here you go,” she said before grabbing her own.

“Thank you,” the brunette smiled as she thought. “Hm... what to carve...”

Shadow had already set to work on drawing out a face on the pumpkin before carving a circle at the top. The twenty-seven year old raised an eyebrow at Sans who didn't have a pumpkin; Toriel was currently helping Frisk with theirs as Papyrus seemed to be working on drawing his own face on the pumpkin. Smiling, Cassandra knew what she was going to draw on her pumpkin and set to work. Occasionally the brunette's tongue would stick out as she struggled to keep the pumpkin from moving with her feet. Shadow looked at her friend in amusement. “Having trouble?” she asked.

“No, not at all. I'm perfectly fine,” Cassandra said as she continued to draw; once she finished she nodded to herself and grabbed a carving tool to start carving off the top of the pumpkin.

Sans just watched everyone with amusement, especially Cassandra who was struggling to keep control over her pumpkin as she started to scoop out the guts with her right hand. Shadow scowled at the brunette. “You do realize I'm the one that has to help you clean up your mess, right?” the black haired female said; there was no bite in her voice, just a friend teasing someone she was close with.

“Yep! I'll be sure to get extra dirty just to mess with you!” Cassandra grinned.

“I could make someone else do it, or just not at all, then you'd be out of luck,” Shadow retorted.

The brunette mock gasped, “You wouldn't! I am a perfect little angel.”

“Yeah, and I'm royalty,” her friend said sarcastically.

Cassandra just laughed, “Okay okay, I'll try not to make too much of a mess; I will need help rinsing off my hand once I'm done scooping out the guts. I need all the traction I can get since I'm down a hand.”

“gotta hand it to you, you're doing better than i thought,” Sans joked.

“I will throw the pumpkin guts on you,” Shadow warned.

Sans chuckled as everyone went back to focusing on the pumpkin carving. Once satisfied with the amount of guts, Cassandra scooted away from the pumpkin before moving to her knees to stand up. “Okay, Shadow, you ready to help me wash my hand?” the brunette asked.

Shadow sighed before standing up, “Yeah, I got you.”

The two females went back inside to get washed up before they returned. Cassandra smiled as she sat back down next her pumpkin. “Alright, time to turn you into a spooktacular creation,” the brunette grinned.

“What did you decide on?” Shadow asked as she carved at hers.

“You'll see, I don't want to spoil anything,” Cassandra winked.

The black haired female just shook her head; it wasn't long until Frisk happily clapped their hands at the face they had carved on their pumpkin. “Tada!” they said turning it around.

Cassandra smiled at the silly face that was now on the pumpkin. “I love it!” the brunette declared with a smile.

The kid smiled happily in response as they watched Toriel start on her own pumpkin now that she finished helping Frisk out. “I am falling behind!” Papyrus exclaimed when he saw that two people were done.

“It's not a race you silly goose,” Cassandra snickered. “I wouldn't worry about it anyways, everyone will beat me since I'm working with one arm.”

“Want me to help you?” Shadow asked.

Cassandra paused for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, I guess I could ask for you to hold the pumpkin steady for me while I carve it.”

The twenty-six year old nodded before sitting in front of her friend and held the pumpkin in place. The brunette said a quiet 'thank you' as she continued to attack the pumpkin with her tools while being careful not to mess up her already slightly crooked looking drawing. “You know, you're not the best at drawing on pumpkins,” Shadow mused.

“Shut up,” Cassandra laughed. “I'm not the best at drawing anyways.”

Shadow just smirked as the brunette continued with her carving. Like Cassandra had predicted, everyone else had finished with theirs while she was still working on hers. “hey, cas, why do pumpkins do so bad in school? because they had their brains scooped out,” Sans winked.

Without warning, Shadow turned around, grabbed a handful of the pumpkin guts, and threw them at Sans which hit his chest; his cloak was now covered with pumpkin mush. “I warned you that I would,” the black haired female said.

Cassandra tried to keep herself from cracking up as Sans just stared for a moment. “looks like i've been gutted,” Sans winked before picking some guts up and throwing them right back at Shadow.

The black haired young woman wrinkled her nose before grinning and throwing it at Papyrus. Cassandra started laughing, “I don't care if you make a mess, just leave me out of it; I can't get my cast wet or have any type of damp items touch it or it'll ruin it.”

Papyrus gasped in shock when the bit of pumpkin guts hit his face. “This means war!” he shouted with a grin before throwing some guts at Frisk who was laughing.

Pretty soon all of Cassandra's guests were throwing pumpkin guts at each other and were laughing as the brunette would occasionally watch as she finished up her carving. “And done!” Cassandra said turning her pumpkin around.

The pumpkin had a crooked face that was carved to look like Sans'. “You carved my brother!” Papyrus said with a smile.

“Of course! I saw you carving yourself, and I didn't think it would be good to have one brother and not the other. My carving isn't the best, but it works,” Cassandra shrugged.

“Uh huh,” Shadow said as she stood up. “Let's go inside and get cleaned up.”

Sans saw an opportunity before throwing more pumpkin guts that hit the black haired female in the back. Shadow looked behind her to stare at Sans. “That was a cheap shot, but I guess I'll accept it,” she said before heading inside.

Cassandra just shook her head with a chuckle as she began to attempt to carefully lining up the carved pumpkins on her doorway. Sans just shook his head before helping the brunette place them in the order that she wanted. “your friend is very interestin',” Sans pointed out.

“Yeah, she's just as quirky as I am, and I love her for it,” Cassandra smiled. “Thank you for helping me with the pumpkins while everyone went to clean up a little.

“heh, 's no problem kid,” the skeleton chuckled.

“You know I'm not a kid right?” the brunette laughed lightly.

“yeah, just force of habit is all,” he shrugged.

Cassandra smiled before holding a hand up to measure him. “Looks like I have a good two inches an ya,” she grinned.

“you're still short, cas,” Sans winked. “c'mon, let's head in.”

The brunette nodded as they headed inside; the rest of the day consisted of playing Halloween movies that were kid friendly while playing some board games. Shadow would occasionally dip in and out of the area everyone was in to get away from the amount of socialization that was happening; she was very much so a hermit and would rather not be around too many people at one time, but her friend needed her. Ten soon enough rolled around and Toriel needed to get Frisk home for school the next morning, so they all said goodbye. Cassandra and Shadow both smiled as they chatted about the events that had transpired that evening as they cleaned up the remainder of the mess that was both inside and outside. It had been a fun Halloween, and the two girls continued to watch the holiday themed movies until they both ended up crashing on the couch.

Chapter Text

Cassandra sighed as she laid in bed; it had been six weeks since Halloween and her arm was now in a brace and sling instead of a cast; according to her doctor it would be another five weeks until her arms was completely healed. Her friend Shadow had to go home to complete her school work and to help out her family that didn't seem to know how to watch kids without her help, and her mom was missing her. The brunette was able to get back to work, but wasn't able to do much of anything since she was still restricted to one hand until she had her free movements again. Sleeveless tube top shirts were her go to at the moment since she couldn't properly wear sleeves or bras due to her injured arm. The young woman looked at the white sky in December as the rain hit the window, a frown pulling on her lips as she moved to her back while being careful of her arm. Cassandra heard her phone buzz again, so she picked it up and noted the four unread text messages.

With hesitation, she placed her phone beside her without even reading the messages. The young woman stared at her ceiling as she listened to the rain; she had no plans today, and she didn't want company either. Today she wanted to be alone, she didn't want to trouble others with her state of mind. 'You only bother everyone anyways,' her thoughts told her. 'Just let everyone go about their day without bothering them, they're probably having fun.'

Sighing, she finally dragged herself out of bed and headed to the kitchen to feed Hope who was following behind the girl very closely. Cassandra fed her companion before going to the couch and laying down on it; after a moment of staring at the television, she turned it on and put on a movie she had seen a thousand times. Her phone buzzed again before looking at it to see one from her best friend, two from Papyrus, one from Toriel, and one from Sans. She quickly replied to both her friend and Toriel saying she was doing great and not to worry before looking at Papyrus'. “Human! I wanted to check on you! Since your friend isn't there I wanted to see if I could be of some assistance!” he had sent.

“No, Papyrus, I'm okay today, thank you. Have a good one,” she replied with a sigh before looking at the text from Sans.

“what did one hat say to the other? you wait here, i'll go on a head,” the older brother had sent.

Cassandra just sent an 'lol' to the jokester and went back to watching TV; she didn't want to be a burden. Her phone buzzed again to see a text from Papyrus. With a sigh, she opened the message. “I don't mind helping! Do you need a grocery run?” he had sent.

The brunette blinked before setting her phone down yet again. She pet Hope who had jumped onto her stomach and curled into a ball to try to act as a comfort blanket. Her phone buzzed again, but she just turned the device off; she didn't want to talk. 'Hopefully you won't burden them today. They deserve a better friend than you..' the thoughts continued. 'You're useless...'

Cassandra curled into a tighter ball as the thoughts continued to taunt her. Movie after movie played until there was a very urgent knock on the door. Raising her eyebrow, she sat up slowly to be careful of her arm and Hope only to pause, sudden exhaustion going over her. The knock came again. “Cassandra, please open the door! We are worried!” Papyrus said from the other side.

The brunette frowned but didn't move from the couch; she was thinking that maybe if she remained quiet he would leave. She pet Hope who was growling at the door; the dog was trying to protect the young woman since she was feeling down. It was quiet for a moment, and Cassandra had been hoping that he figured she wasn't home. That was proven wrong, however, when Sans somehow stepped through the door; the brunette just stared as her mind tried to comprehend what just happened. Before she could stop the older brother, however, the skeleton unlocked the front door and let Papyrus in who marched over to the couch and looked down at the young woman with his hands on his hips. “I have been trying to call you human! You didn't answer any of my texts, and when your phone kept going straight to voicemail I got worried!” Papyrus began. “What is the matter?”

Cassandra just held the growling ball of fur in her lap as she pet the dog to try to soothe her. “I'm okay..” she said.

“if you were okay your soul wouldn't be gray right now,” Sans interjected.

The brunette shrunk away slightly as she stared at her blanket. “I'm fine,” she said again.

“cas, if you were fine, you would have been shootin' bad jokes back at me,” the older brother said. “what's got ya down?”

“We really do worry about you, will you please tell us what's bothering you?” Papyrus added.

The young woman looked at something on the media center before looking at her cup of water. “...I sometimes just deal with a lot of self doubt.. I want to be alone, not to burden others... I feel useless, like a wasted space, like I'm good for nothing... not worth anything... and the worst bit, I feel alone, even though I have friends...”

Sans sighed squatting in front of the young woman. “listen, life ain't easy, no one said it would be, but you do have friends; if we didn't care, paps and i wouldn't be here right now. you have a good head on your shoulders, and we may not know what you're fightin', but we will help in any way you can, and that's a promise,” he said.

Cassandra just avoided eye contact as she listened to him speak. “My brother is right! We do care about you! You have shown us great kindness that we are always happy to repay!” Papyrus added.

The brunette looked at her hands for a second before looking at Sans. “...How were you able to phase through my door..?” she asked.

“teleportation is a simple way to say it; more accurately, i can open up rifts in time and space and move through them at my own will,” Sans answered after a moment. “what question are you wanting to answer?”

Shaking slightly, she pointed to a cloth covered book that sat on the media center, “Papyrus, can you please bring the photo album over..?” Cassandra then scooted to the center of the couch and motioned for Sans to take a seat next to her.

Nodding, Sans to the spot on her right as his younger brother silently got the album and sat on her left. “This is the photo album that my aunt recently sent over.. I opened it after Shadow left since I wanted to be alone..” she said before opening the cover.

The first picture was of her when she was around eight years old smiling at the camera with her younger brother grinning widely from his sister's lap. Tears started to prick the corner of the brunette's eyes. “That was me and my brother.. I was tickling him at the time before this picture was taken,” she said softly.

She flipped the page and it showed more pictures of her and her brother laughing and smiling both indoor and outdoors; as she continued to flip through the album, her hand started to shake more and more as the sorrow started to feel like it was strangling her. One picture stood out more than the others, however. “Who are they?” Papyrus asked.

Cassandra ran a finger over the face of the male in the picture that was smiling next to a woman with a straight face. “That's my dad... I just told myself we weren't important to him since he was always busy with work, but that wasn't true.. we were his world when we were younger... That woman... she is my birth parent..” the brunette spit out with so much venom that it shocked the two brothers. “..You asked me how I got my scars... she is why.. she never wanted kids, and she outright rejected us on multiple occasions.. I can't tell you how many times she just outright refused to even join us as a family for dinner.. She began to stay out later and later, but that stopped suddenly.. Dad had said she probably was out with another man...”

Sans and Papyrus silently listened as the brunette spoke, the anger and hurt in her voice never leaving. “Then one day, she snapped... while we were sleeping, she killed our father with a knife from the kitchen... the police report said that she stabbed him over one hundred times... then she made her way to me and my brother's room.. I woke up to the feeling of the knife going across my face as she slashed at me... I was on the top bunk, so I was just out of reach... my younger brother woke up and shoved my mother a way before telling me to run and get help...” tears began to hit the photo album as she let all of that sorrow out. “If it wasn't for me running away, maybe my brother could have lived... It's my fault he's gone, and I can't take that back...”

Sans reached out and grabbed the girl's hand and squeezed gently as Papyrus gently patted her back. “it wasn't your fault though, and you shouldn't blame yourself,” the older brother said. “...i know i blame myself for a lot of things i had no control over, but you need to understand that your brother did love you.”

Cassandra nodded as she sniffled, “I'm sorry, I don't mean to burden you..”

“You are never a burden, and you don't need to apologize for everything. We are friends!” Papyrus said.

The brunette nodded before closing the album and pushing it away from her, “I-I can't look at the pictures anymore...”

“Thank you for sharing about your past, I know it wasn't easy,” the younger brother said.

Cassandra nodded as she pulled her hand from Sans' to wipe away the tears that fell. “Other than Shadow and my aunt, no one else knows about the full story...” she said. “I just feel like I can trust you two...”

“hey, papyrus, why don't ya go get a few groceries for cas, i'm sure she'll appreciate it,” Sans said after a moment of silence.

“Of course!” Papyrus said.

The younger brother made a short list of things to get that he thought the brunette would like before heading out to his car and heading to the store. Cassandra and Sans sat in silence for a moment before the skeleton broke the silence. “i've seen papyrus die,” he started; the brunette looked at him in shock. “in a timeline, when frisk went to the underground, he was possessed by a demon named chara... she killed pap, undyne, toriel, me, and asgore...i get night terrors from that timeline..”

“So multiverse is real?” Cassandra asked for a moment.

“in a way, yes. you could say it was more of a reset... frisk kept resetting the timeline somehow, or somehow they were able to manipulate different universes.. who knows why,” Sans shrugged. “i'm the only one outside of frisk that knows of the different timelines..”

“have we met, in previous timelines?” the brunette asked.

“no, we never have, and that's why i was so suspicious of ya when we met. i will say that this is the farthest we've gone without a reset in the timeline. i don't know why things changed, but they're different, and it give me hope that we'll stay on the surface this time.”

“I wonder why we haven't met before... any ideas?

“none, your guess is as good as mine... only time will tell.”

“Thank you, Sans, for telling me.. I know it's hard to open up, especially when you can't talk about it.. if it's any consultation, I can always lend an ear.. I shouldn't complain next to you though or any of the monsters though... you have had to fight for your freedom time and time again from the sound of it. I am blessed in comparison..”

Sans just stared at the brunette beside him; he couldn't believe just how accepting she was of his past, especially since he always beat himself up over it. Then she was being humble when she had suffered just like he had, only her brother was gone while he still had his. He couldn't wrap his head around this woman. “don't sell yourself short,” he said after another moment. “you have a big heart, and you are somethin' special. never let yourself tell you otherwise.”

“But I'm n-”

“don't try arguin', you won't get far,” Sans cut her off before she could deny it.

Cassandra just smiled softly to herself before setting Hope aside to put the photo album back on the media center. She returned to her seat and pulled the blanket back on her lap before yawning and leaning on Sans; she tended to need a type of physical contact to help her relax after an emotional time. “Thank you again,” she said quietly.

“'s no problem, you don't gotta keep apologizin',” Sans stated despite feeling a little awkward.

“Hey, how do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie into it,” the brunette said after a moment.

The skeleton chuckled, “what do you call a pony with a cough? a little horse.”

The brunette laughed lightly as she sniffled. “I have a question,” she said after a moment of silence. “Would there be anyway for me to see my own soul?”

“yes, but the only times you could is if you were to enter combat with a monster or someone with magic, or if you were to ask a monster to pull out your soul,” he replied once he found the words. “but know if you were to ask, it is somethin' that is only done for bondin', or if the monster intends to absorb your soul.”

“So unless in combat it is a very private affair,” Cassandra summed up.

“'xactly,” Sans confirmed.

“...I do wish to see my soul for myself, but knowing the implications, I won't ask,” the brunette decided.

The two decided to just watch movies and enjoy each other's company as the mood slowly lifted. “I have returned!” Papyrus said as he entered the door; he dumped the bags in the kitchen and put everything away before sitting back on the couch next to Cassandra.

When she heard the door open, the brunette had sat up quickly to keep Papyrus from asking any questions. “So, would you guys want to watch a movie? I can show you my favorite movie of all time,” Cassandra said.

“I would quite enjoy that!” Papyrus declared.

The brunette smiled at him before turning on the DVD player and putting the movie in. During the movie, she did end up leaning on Sans again since her back and arm were bother her, and she apologized as such for doing so. The brunette also noticed something that she hadn't before; the brothers were actually radiating an amount of body heat. She took a mental note to ask about that later, but right now she was sitting and enjoying the warmth and their company. Hours and movies went by and Cassandra chatted with the two brothers about anything and everything, the conversations being light and nothing serious. As evening approached, the brunette's mind started to go down a dark path again. “C-can I ask a silly favor..?” she asked quietly.

“Of course!” Papyrus replied.

“Will you two stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone right now,” the brunette said.

“yeah, we'll stay, so don't sweat it,” Sans grinned.

“Thank you, for everything you guys have done for me, I truly mean in,” Cassandra said before yawning. “I'll get some blankets and lay them out on the floor; I'll stay on the couch. It'll be like our sleepover we had a few months ago.” The brunette then started laughing lightly. “It's hard to believe that we've known each other for three months...”

“huh, i guess it has been that long, huh?” Sans hummed in thought.

“I feel like I need to get everyone something for our friendship,” the brunette hummed in thought.

“Maybe we can just make something together!” Papyrus decided.

“That's a great idea, Pap, thank you,” Cassandra smiled. “I am friends with the two coolest people in the world.”

Both brothers blushed slightly at the compliment and a comfortable silence fell over the group as they picked another movie to watch. The brunette eventually grabbed her phone and turned it back on to only wince at the number of texts and calls she missed; the majority of the texts were from the two brothers while all the phone calls were from Papyrus. “I guess me being vague did worry you guys, I'm sorry,” she said before opening her texts. She laughed at the one from Shadow who was calling her out on her bullshit.

Sans read the text over her shoulder since she was still leaning on him. “that actually reminds me,” the older brother started. “your friend's soul had a white light to it. know why that is?”

“Well, her mom calls her a 'lighthouse'. I can't remember, but someone in her family placed a lot of protective spells around her as an infant to keep evil spirits away from her,” Cassandra replied. “It's also why I feel so safe around her I think. Negativity just seems to leave when I'm around her.”

“There is still magic in this world?” Papyrus asked.

“Kinda? I honestly don't know much about it. The main one I know of is Wicca, but I don't know how to explain it. Some people believe that rocks and stones have healing qualities while others believe that the sun or moon is the source of their power. I've personally never experienced it though,” Casandra shrugged. “I've not seen lightning shoot out of anyone's hands if that's what you're asking.”

“It seems things have changed quite a bit since we've been to the surface. Humans used to have powerful magic,” the younger brother said.

“Honestly that sounds interesting... You don't hear about magic like that except in myths and legends. Well, unless you're playing a video game or Dungeons and Dragons or whatnot,” Cassandra chuckled. “Point is that it is all fantasy.”

“so the war between humans and monsters was basically erased from human history,” Sans said after a moment.

The brunette frowned before looking down, “I didn't mean to insult you if I did.. I personally never heard about it, only rumors.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Cassandra! We do not blame you for not teaching history! This happened a long time ago!” Papyrus said.

“I want to know more, honestly. Talking with you guys makes me want to know more about you and other monsters. You seem much kinder than humans as a whole, and I'm wanting to learn about why it all happened,” the brunette said. “Well, once I get this arm taken care of...”

“if they happen to get too close to ya again, give me a call,” Sans said; the brunette noticed the tone in his voice change.

“I don't need you in trouble, but I do appreciate the offer of you willing to do something about it. They should leave me alone though, if not I can call the cops and get them arrested,” the young woman shrugged. “Hopefully this taught them a lesson.”

“still, if they do, i'll make them regret it,” he said seriously.

Papyrus watched the two in amusement before taking a picture of Cassandra leaning on Sans and sending it to Undyne. The brunette was too focused on the TV and chatting with Sans to notice, but the older brother was perceptive and knew that his brother took a picture. Cassandra eventually stood up to stretch before heading to the kitchen to grab some saran wrap; she had learned to get in and out of the tub by herself, but wrapping her sling was still an issue. “Can I have one of you wrap my sling in plastic wrap really quick? I need to get cleaned for the day,” the young woman said.

“I, the Great Papyrus, will gladly help!” the taller brother exclaimed.

Cassandra shook her head with a small smile before standing still as Papyrus approached. “I'll walk you through how to do it; I just can't get my brace or sling wet,” she said as the skeleton took the wrap from her hand.

The brunette coached Papyrus on how to carefully cover the brace so that water wouldn't go through before she said a quiet thank you and headed to the bathroom. “What if you were to slip and fall?!” Papyrus called out as she closed the door.

“I'll be fine!” she shouted back as she turned on the tub. “If I need you I'll yell for you!”

The younger brother sighed before sitting back on the couch. “Sans, why does she act so fearless?” he asked after a moment.

The older brother shrugged, “dunno, but she does still live in fear, bud. she's gotten more courage though, and i think you may be helpin' her with that.”

“Wowie! You think so?!”

“'s possible; i mean, you are really cool. i think she looks up to ya in a way.”

Papyrus was about to say something before he frowned. “That was a pun!” he declared.

“yup,” Sans winked.

“You know, I have a feeling you're helping her, too,” the taller brother said after a moment. “And it also seems like she's helping you. I've noticed you've been sleeping a little easier, and your nightmares aren't as frequent.”

Sans just sighed as he looked at his brother. “i dunno about that, but thanks for lookin' out for me,” he said.

“Of course! That's what brothers are for!”

It wasn't long before Cassandra emerged from the bathroom wearing a tube top and pajama pants while her hair was sitting wet and unbrushed; she smiled to herself before going to the closet to pull out a few blankets to make a sleeping spot on the on the floor by the television. The brunette tried to open the blankets up with one hand only to scowl at them for not cooperating. “Allow me assist!” Papyrus said as he got up from the couch.

It wasn't long until the nest was complete, and the brunette laid down on the floor with a content sigh. “I have the best people in the world in my life, and there are no words to express how grateful I am,” the brunette said after a moment. The brothers just smiled softly at the young woman before sitting on the ground with her. The brunette only smiled to herself before she yawned, sleep soon taking hold of the three.

The next few days had been uneventful which gave Cassandra room to try to clear her mind from any negative thoughts that kept trying to rush in. The brunette struggled at work, but her job understood and had allowed her to work the front desk. 'Just got to make it to January,' she thought to herself.

With Christmas about to roll around, she began decorating her house where she could with one arm. She took extra care in the gifts she had purchased for her friends that she wrapped the best she could (they were an absolute disaster as far as she could tell). Christmas day came too quickly, and Cassandra found herself putting her gifts for her friends in a large tote to make her way over to Toriel's where everyone was gathering. The brunette hummed as she walked down the street; she was smiling to herself as she saw how happy the people walking home were. Today she forgot about her troubles as she thought of her friends that awaited her, and she felt at peace. She took her time walking down the road until she found herself standing at the door to Toriel's. Smiling, she knocked on the motherly monster's door, and it opened too long after by Frisk who hugged the young woman's legs. “You made it!” they said happily.

“Of course!” Cassandra smiled. “Merry Christmas. Is everyone inside?”

“Yeah!” they answered before leading her in.

A chorus of cheery 'hellos' was heard as she smiled at all of her friends. “Merry Christmas everyone!” she said as she set her tote by the Christmas tree.

“Merry Christmas!” Papyrus said enthusiastically.

“Can we open presents now?!” Frisk asked while jumping up and down.

“Okay, okay,” Toriel laughed lightly as she moved towards the tree to hand out gifts.

Cassandra sat on the floor by the couch that was occupied by Sans, Papyrus, and Undyne; the brunette smiled as she pulled her tote in her lap and began passing the presents out. “You got us gifts?!” Papyrus asked excitedly.

“Of course, you guys are my friends, and it wouldn't have been right for me not to,” the young woman smiled.

“Where did you learn how to wrap? It's horrible,” Undyne teased.

“well, that's a wrap,” Sans winked; he was mildly surprised when Cassandra handed him a present.

“Well, I did have only one hand to wrap with, so just deal with it,” she chuckled.

Frisk wasted no time from opening their gift from the brunette; inside the wrapping was a coloring book with an art supply kit that had a wide variety of crayons, colored pencils, and markers. “Thank you!” they said happily.

Cassandra smiled from her spot on the ground at the excited kid who opened their gifts from everyone else also. The kid had unwrapped a good variety of puzzles and a bike that Toriel had gotten them. “Thank you everyone!” they exclaimed.

Undyne and Alphys received a wide variety of boxed anime and other shows to watch, and they had given each other a few cosplay items so they could dress up for anime conventions. Papyrus opened his and received nothing but puzzles much to his delight, well, minus a few boxes of noodles so he could make spaghetti; Cassandra had even thrown in a cook book so he could refine his cooking skills. Toriel opened her gifts and smiled; she had received a book of knock knock jokes from Sans, Papyrus had given her a few cooking ingredients and books, Undyne and Alphys gave her a book of puns, and the brunette had given the mother a purple scarf to match her tunic. She said her thanks with a smile at all the gifts. Sans chuckled at his gifts as he opened them; he got a good variety of joke books, and one science book from Alphys while Cassandra had gotten him a prank kit, a pair of blue slippers, and a detailed book of the world. “You are truly kind,” Toriel said. “We also got you something. We all teamed up on it since we knew it was expensive.”

The furred monster dipped out of sight before returning with her fixed bike. “They were able to repair it, so you don't have to worry about walking everywhere again,” she said softly.

Cassandra wiped away the tears that started to run down her face as joy flooded through her. “Thank you guys, thank you..” she sniffled as she stood up before promptly hugging Toriel; she quickly gave everyone a hug as she said thank you. “You guys are too nice to me.” Christmas had been a good day, and Cassandra was laughing as they played games and watched Christmas movies. This is what the brunette wanted, the feeling of a home surrounded by friends.

Chapter Text

Today she was finally free of the brace. Cassandra grinned as she walked out of the doctor's with a stride in her step; today she could finally wear bundled up clothes just in time for the snow storm that the weatherman said would hit by nightfall. Papyrus was sad that it hadn't snowed on his birthday, so Cassandra knew he would be excited that it was now going to. It was mid January, so she wasn't too surprised by the threat of snow, though she wasn't a fan of the cold. The brunette continued to walk down the street, and soon she started to frown as her teeth chattered despite her many layers of warm clothing. She chose not to ride her bike since she knew that the wind would chill her faster. Cassandra's phone began to ring, and she quickly fought her longer layers to get to her pocket to answer her phone. “Hello?” she asked.

“Sup nerd?!” Undyne asked.

“Not much walking home from the doctor's; my arm is healed!” Cassandra replied.

“That's good to hear! We need to celebrate!” the fish monster declared. “Alphys and I will come and get you!”

“If you insist. I'm almost home, so just head over whenever you feel like it!” the brunette smiled despite her chill.

“Cool! We'll be there before you know it!” Undyne said before hanging up.

Cassandra was soon home and she headed into her room to change just in case her friends were wanting to go out. The brunette threw on a pair of black leggings and a black long sleeved mock turtleneck shirt. Looking in her closet, she pulled out an olive colored short-sleeved hoodie dress that she put on before going into her dresser to pull out a pair of socks; when she went back into the living room, the heard a knock in which Hope started to bark happily at. “Coming!” Cassandra called before going to the door and opening it.

“Hey, you ready?” Undyne asked; Alphys was waiting in the car.

“Yeah! Let me just get my boots on!” the brunette replied before going to the couch to put said shoes on.

Shortly after she got her shoes on, she was out the door and was in the back seat of the scientist's car. “So what did you guys have in mind?” Cassandra asked.

“W-well, Undyne wanted to go shopping, and we thought it would be good to invite you to have some more girl time,” Alphys answered.

“I appreciate it! It's been a good bit since we've had a chance to bond,” the brunette hummed in thought.

“Especially since you've been spending a lot of time with Sans and Papyrus,” Undyne smirked.

“Well yeah, we're good friends, and not to mention that Papyrus is a worry wart,” the twenty-seven year old said fondly. “Even if I said not to worry about me he insisted.”

“Yeah, that's Papyrus,” the fish grinned. “But his brother doesn't have to tag along. Any reason as to why Sans would tag along?”

Cassandra thought for a moment before finally answering, “Well, he did tell me at one point he doesn't trust me enough to let me spend time with Papyrus alone, so that's the only thing I can think of that makes sense. That and we enjoy our bad jokes.”

“I-is that the only reason?” Alphys asked.

The brunette looked between the two in confusion. “Yes? Is it important if there is another reason?” she asked.

“You seriously don't know why we are asking?” Undyne asked; she thought she was making her teasing obvious.

“No? If there is something you want to know, just ask. I've never been good with reading between the lines,” Cassandra said with a raised eyebrow.

“W-we were wanting to know if you had a thing for Sans,” Alphys blurted out.

The young woman blinked, unaware of the light blush that crept on her. “Not that I know of? Why? I mean, we haven't known each other for that long, just what, about five months?” she answered; her eyebrows started to scrunch up.

Undyne then showed the young woman the picture of her leaning on Sans that Papyrus had sent. “Want to explain this then?” she grinned.

Cassandra's face went red before she groaned and hung her face in her hands, “That day was an emotional wreck for me, and I tend to get clingy when I get emotional...”

“Well, we ship it!” Undyne declared.

“There is nothing to ship! Besides, even if I did have feelings for someone I'd have to clear a lot of shit up first. Can we please change the subject?” the brunette grumbled.

“We'll let you off the hook for right now,” the fish decided. “Before you ask, no, that isn't the only reason that we wanted to hang out. We did have fun last time and did want to hang out again.

The young woman just shook her head, “I had fun also; wait, is that also why you had asked if I had a boyfriend, Undyne?”

Said monster just cackled in amusement, “Man you are slow!”

“I'm oblivious okay... Besides, people usually don't take an attraction to me in that way; I don't mind though, it keeps away unwanted attention. Sure, I guess every girl wants to be swept off their feet deep down, but I just don't have an interest right now,” the brunette shrugged. “That satisfy you?”

“Nope, not until our ship sails,” Undyne retorted.

“W-we don't mean anything by it, but you two just get along so well,” Alphys chimed in.

Cassandra sighed, “I know, I know. Dating in general is a sensitive subject for me, so don't mind me getting too defensive.”

The two female monsters just accepted her answer as they continued to the nearest mall. When they arrived, they piled out and headed in; Cassandra was grateful that it was an indoor mall instead of an outdoor one. “What did you guys have in mind in terms of shopping?” the young woman asked.

“We were just going to look and see what we could find,” Undyne answered.

“Sounds fun,” the brunette hummed as they passed by a jewelry store.

They walked by a few stores that didn't particularly interest them, but one in particular caught Cassandra's attention. She paused and gazed inside, the familiar longing and hidden passion for dancing coming back to her. Undyne paused and looked behind when she noticed their friend had stopped. “You okay?” the fish monster asked.

“Uh, yeah...” Cassandra answered before following behind the couple again; her gaze occasionally drifted back to the store.

“W-what was in the store?” Alphys asked.

“It's a store that specializes in dance equipment that ranges from clothes to tap and clog shoes,” the brunette answered. “I used to take dance lessons, and I honestly kind of miss it.”

“Why not go back to taking lessons if you miss it?” Undyne questioned. “If you're passionate about something you shouldn't stop.”

“I stopped when the bullying got worse,” Cassandra answered, “but you do have a point...”

Alphys and Undyne continued to lead the way while occasionally going into a store that caught their attention. “Let's go in here!” Undyne said as the three entered Hottopic.

“I get in so much trouble in this store,” Cassandra snickered as she started to look around.

“Your favorite store?” Alphys asked as she looked at their pop culture items.

“One of them, but my favorites tend to be bookstores. I have a weak spot the the smell of paper,” Cassandra answered as she started to look through the clothing.

Undyne paused to look quizzically at the brunette. “The smell of paper?” she pressed uncertainly.

The young woman smiled, “Yeah, I like the smell of books, it helps pull me into the world of the story that is written. It's relaxing.”

“You know, you're pretty weird,” the red head grinned.

“Yep! And I'm pretty proud of it, too,” Cassandra beamed.

“They have a lot of clothing with skulls on it,” Alphys pointed out.

“Yeah, that's on par for them. Their clothing is catered to more of the goth or punk scene, and skulls are most common among the cliques. Well, from what I've seen. Items of the occult and weird oddities are a better example of what goths are primarily attracted to,” Cassandra answered. “Depending who you ask that is. Everyone is different and each has their own primary style. Some is a combination of different groups. As an example, there is such thing as a Pastel Goth that dresses in pastels instead of darker colors.”

“Humans are complicated, very complicated,” Undyne decided.

“Yeah, and because there are so many differences in how people dress, people are judged if they don't fit into their own clique. Everyone judges everyone whether they intend to or not,” the brunette shrugged.

“You don't seem like a judgy type,” Alphys pointed out.

“I can be unintentionally though; I try not to since it's not my place to judge, but I mostly am judgmental to rich snotty people, or towards people who thing they are better than everyone else,” the young woman shrugged.

“Well, at least you're honest,” Undyne shrugged.

The trio continued to shop, and eventually they had made their way back to the car with their hands full of bags. Cassandra kept her purchases next to her in the back seat while Alphys and Undyne put their goods in the trunk of the car before driving back to the brunette's house. “Thank you again for inviting me along, I am truly grateful,” the young woman smiled.

“It's no problem at all, like I said, we needed to celebrate your arm being healed!” Undyne grinned.

“It is seriously a huge relief that it is,” Cassandra smiled. “I get to shower normally again without the use of plastic wrap!”

The fish monster laughed, “I guess it's the small things that you miss, huh?”

“You have no idea! I can be independent again!” the brunette laughed.

A comfortable silence fell over the trio and soon the young woman was back in her apartment where she put her bags in the bedroom before getting in the shower to wash off the dead skin on her freed arm. Once she finished with that, she crawled into bed after feeding Hope and allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep.

The following morning, Cassandra looked outside to see big snowflakes falling as a good foot of snow sat on the ground. The brunette grinned before shivering and closing the door only to promptly open up the blinds in her apartment so she could enjoy the snow while in the comfort of her own home. With a little hum, she lit candles around her house since she didn't have a fireplace before heating up some water to make a cup of tea. It wasn't long until the young woman was bundled up on her couch with a blanket, a book, and her cup of tea. She enjoyed her peace for a moment before her phone started to ring. Raising an eyebrow she looked at the offending device before chuckling at seeing who was calling. “Hey, Paps, what's up?” Cassandra asked.

“Nothing much! I was calling because it is snowing, and I was wondering if you wanted to come over to play in the snow?!” he replied.

“Nah, tibia honest I just want to chill at home. I don't want to turn into a human popsicle; I'd invite you over, but you probably don't have the guts,” the brunette chuckled.

“No! Why do you have to say so many bad puns?! You're as bad as my lazy brother! But if you insist, I'll be over shortly!” Papyrus declared.

“Uh, it was a joke, pal. You don't have to come over, it's too cold and I'd rather you not drive,” Cassandra tried to quickly dismiss.

“Nonsense! I don't get cold!” he said. “I will see you shortly!”

Before the young woman could protest, he hung up. She sighed before looking at her dog. “I swear that guy doesn't listen sometimes,” Cassandra told Hope.

The adorable Terrier looked at the brunette before once again laying her head back down on the blanket next to the young woman. The brunette turned her attention back to her book and continued to read while occasionally looking up to glance at the snow falling outside. She was about halfway through her book when she heard a knock on the door. With a sigh, she marked the spot before going to the door to see Frisk, Papyrus, and Sans all smiling at her. “Come in, I don't want Frisk to catch a cold!” Cassandra exclaimed worriedly as she ushered them in.

“Don't worry about me, I enjoy the cold!” Frisk grinned.

“I don't care; I don't want Toriel to get all mother hen and upset because her kid got sick,” the brunette tried to reason as she closed the door.

“nice puns, by the way,” Sans winked. “i heard while you were on the phone with paps.”

“They were not nice!” Papyrus quickly disagreed.

“I saw who was calling and I couldn't help myself,” Cassandra chuckled before grabbing her now empty tea cup and going to the kitchen. “Would you guys like any tea or anything?”

“I'm good!” Frisk smiled.

Sans picked up the book that was on the couch and raised an eyebrow at the young woman. “the hound of the baskervilles?” he asked.

“Yeah, It's a mystery book; Sherlock Holmes is a fun character,” Cassandra shrugged. “I've read it twice already, if you want to borrow it you can.”

The older brother picked up the book and flipped to the first page to see if it caught his interest at all. “So, you want to play in the snow?!” Frisk asked.

The young woman looked down at her pajamas before laughing slightly, “I suppose, I just gotta change really quick. I'll get you another coat though so you don't your own clothes wet; or if you do I'll just check with Toriel to see if you can stay over so you don't have to walk home with wet clothes.”

“Okay!” Frisk quickly agreed before bounding over to Papyrus happily.

“Most excellent!” the younger brother cheered.

Cassandra just shook her head with a smile before heading into her room and shutting the door. She layered up with a long sleeve shirt under a short sleeved with a pair of thermals and jeans before throwing on a pair of socks, snow boots, and lastly a coat. She reemerged from her bedroom with a smile before blowing out the candles. “You guys ready?” she had asked.

With a chorus of 'yes' the four headed outside where Frisk promptly scooped up some snow and threw the now snowball at Cassandra which hit her back. “Oi!” she barked out before grinning and scooping snow up in her hands; she threw hers right back at the giggling child.

“Never fear, I shall fight with you!” Papyrus declared as he scooped up snow to launch at the young woman.

“This means war!” Cassandra laughed as she ran and scooped up snow to throw at the taller skeleton.

“Brother! Whose side will you choose?!” Papyrus asked as he launched another snowball that missed.

“i think i'll sit this one out,” Sans decided as he leaned against the door.

Frisk smirked before launching their snowball at the older brother before hiding behind Papyrus. Sans sighed before scooping snow up in his hands and forming tow separate snowballs. “okay, i see how it is,” he chuckled; he pegged both his brother and the kid before teleporting away.

Cassandra had managed to make a kind of barrier to hide behind where she launched snowballs from; after each throw she would duck behind her protective barrier. “looks like we're on the same team,” Sans said as he suddenly popped up behind her.

The young woman yelped from being startled before she turned her attention back to the opposing team. “Cool; they are splitting up to try to get around to us, so we gotta act fast,” Cassandra said as she split her efforts in building another barrier and making snowballs to throw at Papyrus who had split from Frisk to go around her side.

“heh, i take it you've had a fair amount of experience with snowball fights?” the older brother asked.

“Not in a long time, but it seems that I haven't lost my touch,” the brunette smirked as she continued in her multitasking.

She saw the younger brother creeping up on her left, so she quickly launched another snowball at him; she hit her target in the arm. “Boom!” Cassandra exclaimed.

“I will get you back!” Papyrus declared as he threw his own snowball; the brunette had ducked behind her barrier before his ammo had hit her.

The match continued for a good twenty minutes before Cassandra and Sans surrendered. The brunette was trying to get her breathing under control as she laughed; Sans was just grinning at his younger brother who was laying in the snow. “We did it, Frisk!” Papyrus exclaimed.

“We just gave up because I can't go anymore,” the young woman laughed. “We hit you more then you had hit us.”

“So, we still won!” Frisk stuck their tongue out.

With a smile, the brunette tackled the kid into the snow before tickling the now giggling child who squealed in delight. Cassandra laughed as she continued until Papyrus once again decided to help his little buddy out. The taller skeleton had quickly turned the tables and began to tickle the twenty-seven year old who yelped and fell to the ground to try to get away. “No! I give!” she exclaimed as she laughed and squirmed violently.

Frisk decided to be a little turd and had joined in tickling the young woman as she flailed around and tried to push them away. Sans eventually stood over the group with a grin. “i'd guess there's snow way out,” he winked.

“Sans!” Papyrus scolded as he looked at his brother. “Do not make any more snow puns!”

While Papyrus was distracted, the young woman got up and scurried away to try to catch her breath. She coughed slightly since her throat had become irritated from her laughing. “You guys are too much for me,” she said once calmed herself.

“But we're having fun!” Frisk smiled before starting to roll snow. “Let's make a snowman!”

Cassandra smiled as she went over to help the kid with the snowman as Papyrus began to make a snowman in the shape of himself; Sans just seemed content watching everyone else. Once Cassandra and Frisk had the three spheres stacked, she went back inside and came out with a hat and scarf. “These will have to do!” she said as she handed them to Frisk.

The kid smiled before they put the two items on the snowman. Once finished, they smiled proudly, “It's done!”

“looks good, kid,” Sans smiled before ruffling Frisk's hair.

A chill reminded Cassandra that it was cold outside and her clothes had gotten damp from the snow. “I'd say it's time to head inside, what do you think?” the young woman asked Frisk.

Frisk pouted but nodded; the brunette smiled before leading the four back inside where she lead Frisk to the bathroom to have them remove their wet clothes before handing them one of her big long sleeved shirts to change into so she could dry their clothes. “I'll make everyone some hot chocolate really fast,” Cassandra said as she removed her snow shoes and coat before going in the kitchen.

The kid smiled as they emerged from the bathroom with the shirt that basically swallowed them. Frisk sat on Papyrus' lap before yawning slightly from all of the excitement. Cassandra moved around the kitchen with ease as she got the hot chocolate made in the pot on the stove before using a ladle to scoop the contents into three cups; she handed one to Frisk and Papyrus first before going back to the third to hand one to Sans. “It should help fight the chill, even if the cold doesn't affect you,” she smiled.

Cassandra then made her way to the bedroom to get out of her freezing cold clothes and into her pajamas. When she returned to the living room, she sat down between the two brothers after grabbing her own cup of hot chocolate. “Look, the snow is coming down harder,” Cassandra pointed out.

“I think it's best if we call Toriel and tell her we'll be staying the night,” Papyrus decided noting that Frisk was shivering.

The young woman stood up before once again heading to her room and returning with her comforter which she spread out over the four of them to try to fight off the cold. “There we go, nice and cozy,” Cassandra smiled before pulling out her phone to call Toriel and inform the mother that Frisk would be staying the night.

“Alright, now that that's taken care of, what would you like to do kiddo?” the brunette asked.

“Can we watch Quest for Camelot?” Frisk asked with a tired yawn.

Cassandra smiled gently at the child before going on Netflix to turn on the movie. “I like that movie, too,” the young woman said.

Not even halfway through the movie and Frisk had fallen asleep on Papyrus who looked like he wasn't too far behind. Cassandra just smiled at the pair as the younger brother had finally nodded off. “I thought he hated naps?” the brunette said quietly.

“usually, but he did play rather hard outside,” Sans chuckled.

“I suppose that's fair. I honestly thought your brother had an endless amount of energy,” she said with a smile. “But that reminds me; yesterday I hung out with Alphys and Undyne, and apparently they have an impression because of a picture that your brother sent them. Just figured I'd warn you.”

“what kind of impression?” the older brother pressed.

Cassandra's cheeks became dusted with a light blush before she scratched the back of her head. “You know what, it's not important. Wow I should have thought of that before saying anything. But know that they will probably get your brother to ask you questions. No, I'm not going to elaborate.”

Sans just shrugged with indifference as he turned his attention back to the television. “what did you guys end up doing yesterday?” he asked after a moment.

“We went shopping in celebration of me no longer needing a sling. I have sweet freedom, and I can finally go back to doing things normally,” she answered. “I honestly have thought about going back to taking dance lessons.”

“if you want to, you should.”

“Well, I won't look at classes until after the snow melts; I'm not a fan of the cold since it irritates my back that much more.”

Sans raised an eyebrow, “how so?”

“My back sometimes will lock on me to the point I cannot move. When I had that migraine you had seen a minor effect of my back being dumb,” Cassandra answered with a shrug.

“hopefully that doesn't happen.”

“I know it will, happens every year. You get used to it though so it's no biggie.”

Eventually the sun had set and Cassandra had moved Frisk from Papyrus' lap and tucked him into her bed before she laid blankets on the floor so she could sleep since the other three were. When morning rolled around, the brunette noted that she was shivering with an ongoing headache and dry feeling in the back of her throat; silently hoping she wasn't about to come down with a cold, she went to the kitchen to make everyone some creamy vegetable soup to warm the three for their walk home.

After saying goodbye to the group, she sighed and plopped onto the couch to rest. As the day progressed, Cassandra found herself unable to get rid of the body chills as she coughed and sniffed. With a groan she moved to her bedroom and turned on the TV in there to watch so she could stay comfortable while in misery. Half way through the week, she got a text from Papyrus asking if they wanted to play in a new batch of snow that had fallen, in which Cassandra informed him of her cold. She immediately regretted telling him. “Human, do you need me to bring you over some soup?!” he sent.

“No, Papyrus, I don't need to transfer the germs to you and potentially get Frisk sick; it's best that you stay home,” she answered.

The young woman could practically hear the worry coming from Papyrus' text, and she was hoping that he had listened to her; she groaned as she got up to make sure that Hope had water and was fed before reheating some soup and going back to her bed. The brunette set her bowl on the nightstand before crawling back into bed. “gee, you look like hell.”

Cassandra jumped to glare at Sans. “For fuck's sake, how'd you...right.. never mind..” she sighed. “Papyrus here too then?”

“actually no, just me this time. pap was nervous, but when i said i'd check on ya he felt a little better,” he shrugged before sitting on the other side of her queen sized mattress.

“He is such a mother hen,” the brunette said before sheepishly eyeing the discarded tissues on the floor. “Just ignore the mess... I'll clean in it.. I'm normally not this disgusting.”

“sometimes you have to take it easy,” the skeleton said.

Cassandra shook her head as she moved the soup to her lap to eat it. “I'm not going to be a gracious host, and just don't get too close, I don't want to get Frisk sick..” the brunette said.

“don't worry, you're stuck with me til you're better upon Papyrus' request,” Sans winked.

The young woman shook her head in exasperation; when she finished her soup she set the bowl next to her and sunk further into the blankets with a shiver and groan. “Since you're here, tell me a little about yourself. You know, like hobbies and such. I know you like bad jokes like me,” Cassandra said.

“i obviously like science since we've talked about that before,” Sans began. “i enjoy playing pranks, science fiction, and playing my trombone.

“Huh, I didn't know you could play any instruments,” the brunette blinked. “I'll definitely need to have you play for me sometime.”

“don't count on it,” Sans chuckled.

“Fine, but you can count on me,” Cassandra joked before coughing.

“get some sleep, cas,” the skeleton said with a chuckle.

Chapter Text

Cassandra scowled when Sans jumped her last checker piece on the board. “Why did I insist on playing checkers with you? I haven't won a single game yet,” the brunette grumbled before blowing her nose and sanitizing her hands afterwards.

“you could say you checked out,” Sans winked.

“Yeah, well I'm board now, how about we pick something else that I can lose at,” Cassandra laughed lightly just before coughing.

“what you have in mind?” the skeleton asked as he started to put away the checkers.

“Want to play a video game? I feel like that may be more my speed right now since my brain isn't wanting to function really and senseless fun seems like a good idea,” the young woman replied after a moment.

“sure, i don't see why not,” he shrugged. “it may level the playing field.”

“It will since it isn't very competitive,” Cassandra said as she got up to hook up her Playstation 2 to the television. “Well, not exactly. But anyways, do you want to be player one or player two? It doesn't matter, but I figured I'd at least ask.”

“i can be player two since i don't know the game we're playing,” Sans answered as he picked up the second controller.

The brunette nodded before turning on the system and sitting down on her side of the bed as Champions of Norrath was displayed on the TV. “So we play as heroes in this game to help fight off orcs and such to save the realm. It's a pretty fun game in my opinion,” she said as she started the game up.

Once they got through the character selection and creation screen, Sans opened his inventory to look at his character before frowning at the spell page; his eye lights started to dim slightly at the different spells depending on LV. “Uh, you okay?” Cassandra asked.

“what does the LV stand for?” he asked after a moment; he didn't want to assume.

“It stands for 'level'; you get level based on your experience points, or exp. You get those from killing the enemies which are trying to take over and kill everyone else,” the brunette answered.

Sans seemed to sigh in relief slightly before exiting his inventory as they made their way to the point where they could progress the story. They continued to play for a few hours until Cassandra's stomach decided to growl. “Heh, I guess I should make some lunch real quick,” she said a bit sheepishly before pausing the game and heading into the kitchen.

Sans followed behind before he sat on the couch in the living room to continue where he left off in The Hound of the Baskervilles; he had to admit that he did quite enjoy the book so far and was curious as to how the book played out. The young woman moved about the kitchen as started to heat up some tomato soup and started to cook some grilled cheese to go with it; she had a sneaking suspicion that Sans would enjoy it since ketchup is made from tomatoes. Once lunch was done, they headed back to the room to continue their game. “If I remember correctly, once we beat the vampire we end up getting washed up on the beach... it's been a long time since I've played,” Cassandra hummed as they made their way through the castle.

“sounds like a bit of a beach,” Sans chuckled.

“Depending? The worst bit that I remember is when we go fight the giants,” the brunette shrugged. “But we won't come across that for a while. Maybe we can have Papyrus and Frisk join us eventually since this game is four player.”

“that sounds like it could be fun,” the skeleton agreed. “pap would be amused with playin' the hero.”

“That was my thought. There is a second game to this one that takes place after this one, but you can choose to be either good or evil; I usually play good, but every now and again it's fun to play the bad guy.”

Sans chuckled in amusement. As they reached the end of the second act in the game, the two decided they were at a good stopping point for the day and turned off the television once they reached a save point. “think we can beat the game before you get better?” Sans asked; he was genuinely enjoying himself.

“I think so; we got pretty far in the story so far, and I believe there are only five or six acts? I don't recall to be honest,” she answered. “But yeah, I think we can. Colds usually last a week.”

“that reminds me, the other day you said that undyne would have paps ask me a question, what would it be?” the skeleton mused.

“I really don't want to get into that; it's a very embarrassing question that I don't want to talk about in detail,” the brunette said as she found her hands to be fascinating suddenly.

“...they think there is somethin' between us, huh?” Sans asked after a moment of silence.

“I wish you weren't as perceptive as you are...” Cassandra groaned. “Yes, that's exactly what Alphys and Undyne think, especially since Papyrus sent them a picture after I had told you guys about my past... That does remind me though... after we talked, I wanted to see if my mother was even still alive, and she is. On top of that, I know which prison she is staying in.”

The skeleton watched the young woman as she spoke, unsure where she was going with the conversation. “I don't say this to seek revenge before that thought crosses your mind, I've just been doing some thinking, but I need to talk to Shadow about it first. I may ask your opinion also though since you have a better reading with people than I do,” she continued. “But like I said, right now it's just a thought so it's nothing to worry about. But enough of that, I'm gonna read for a bit if you wanted to also read.”

“sounds like a real page turner,” Sans joked.

Cassandra reached over to her night stand and grabbed The Silver Wolf with a chuckle. When she set the book on the bed to adjust herself, Sans picked up the book to read the back. “I don't think you'd like that book, it's a fantasy romance,” the brunette said in amusement.

“you assume i wouldn't,” the skeleton grinned. “you know what they say about assumin'.”

“You are an ass, but that's beside the point,” she snickered.

“that's rude,” he feigned being hurt, “and here i thought we were friends.”

Cassandra just laughed lightly as she shook her head, “Oh my goodness. Just read your book silly.”

“if you insist, though i don't know if i can cover the basics of readin',” Sans grinned.

“Then if you cannot, I shall read to you. You should be warned that this book contains smut, cursing, and a very good plot. It's glorious!” Cassandra said as she opened her book; she was amused when Sans laughed lightly and got more comfortable. With a small smile, the brunette began to read, “The sun was going down. The fiery circle shone past the acanthus-crowned columns of a ruined temple...”

Sans found himself drawn into the book as she read softly despite her congested nose that made it a bit more of a challenge for her to read. As the story continued to progress, he found himself hoping that the young woman woman in the story would be free of her uncle and cousin. About half way through the book, however, the skeleton had nodded of. Cassandra smiled to herself before marking the spot in the book and closing it. A yawn escaped her before she laid down to sleep as well, the two had a fun day after all despite her cold. As the week progressed, Cassandra had finished reading The Silver Wolf to Sans, and the two also had managed to beat the Champions of Norath. Of course, they would shoot the occasional joke back at one another, but the majority of the time spent together was very calm and quiet which was a nice break for the pair. Sans had to admit that he did miss his brother, but it was nice to not have to worry about him too much since he was staying with Frisk and Toriel. His brother was in good hands.

When the brunette did get better, Sans headed back home to his place leaving Cassandra alone to go about her daily life, and by the end of January the brunette had started up taking dance classes again. It was a breath of fresh air to finally going back to something she was extremely passionate about. Papyrus had asked to see her practice a few times, but Cassandra would just shake her head and say she wasn't ready to show anyone just yet. The months flew by very quickly, and her friend Shadow had told her that Spring break was coming up. Cassandra was excited to see her best friend again, and she was happy to get to tell her the good news about her dancing.

“I don't like the fact it's already Spring,” Shadow grumbled as her and Cassandra walked down the street. “Why couldn't the cold stick around more.”

“Because that's how seasons work, duh,” the brunette snickered. “At least you have a break from college again.”

“True, but it also means Summer is right around the corner. I hate Summer... worst season in existence,” the black haired female grumbled.

“Don't be like that, just think about the beach, swimming pools, and all that other good shit.”

“I don't care, it sucks. Especially August. Let's just abandon the month.”

Cassandra laughed, “You can't just kick a month out, silly. Besides, my birthday is in August.”

“Doesn't matter, it needs to happen,” Shadow protested.

The two made their way to the park where they sat on the bridge that went over a river. “I did want to talk to you about something though,” Cassandra said. “I didn't text you about it because this was something that I needed to say in person.”

“Okay, shoot,” the black haired female shrugged.

“I told Papyrus and Sans about my past. This happened in December, and like I said, this was something that I had to tell you in person.”

“Well, congrats on opening up about it a bit more. Hopefully you'll be able to talk about it freely. I know that won't happen any time soon, but progress is still progress.”

“Thank you... I also wanted to talk to you about something else that's just as serious. I want to confront my mother sometime in the future. I want to know why, and I want to hear it from her. I want to see if she's changed, if she has any hope of being a good person...”

Shadow stared at her friend for a moment as she carefully thought about what she was just told. “Listen, Cassie, I get that you want answers, but I don't think you can handle it. This woman scares you, and you have every right to hate her with your being. If you want to do it, the only thing that I ask is that you really think it through. I highly doubt she could have changed, and even if she did she was sentenced to life without a chance at parole. I personally think that it's a bad idea,” she said.

“I will promise to think it through.. but this has been on my mind since January, and I feel like I'll be ready to confront her at some point. Like I said, I have questions she has the answers to, and I know it will take all that I am to be brave enough to do it,” Cassandra stated. “I'll let you know of my decision when I make it, but I thought I should tell you.”

“That's what best friends are for, no? Besides, you know you can always count on me. I may not be there physically, but I'm there in spirit,” the black haired female smirked. “But enough about that, how's life been treating you.”

“It's definitely been taking some turns for the better. Frisk and the others are super nice and are doing good. I fostered a litter of kittens three weeks ago, so they all recently got adopted. I've just been kept occupied between work and my friends. Especially Sans and Papyrus. Oh my lord those two message me all the time; don't get me wrong, I enjoy conversing with them, but if Papyrus has a mind to come over, they both come over, even if I don't necessarily want any company over. What bothers me about it is the fact that it doesn't bother me. Does that make sense?” the brunette asked.

“No, you don't make sense. You're finding things to stress out about and you need to stop before you end up with another panic attack. Instead of stressing out about having friends that want to spend time with you, look at how you've grown in the last seven months. Granted you still can't look people in the eyes without looking away and you still have a list of other problems, but you stood up to your bullies back in October. Past you wouldn't have dared to do so, but you did. From what I've noticed, you've been a lot happier also. There are a lot of things that have happened, and you just need to accept it.”

“See, this is why we needed to hang out again, I needed my best friend to talk some sense into me before I get too stressed out,” Cassandra said leaning on her friend.

Shadow sighed and hung her head despite the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Why do you have to lean on me?” she asked.

“Because I need to shower you with love and affection,” the brunette snickered.

“You don't have to, you choose to. So you're obviously stuck with me for a week almost, what did you have in mind that you wanted to do?”

“I actually wanted to ask if you wanted to have a movie night so I can introduce you to Alphys and Undyne.”

Shadow groaned, “I don't really want to; you know I'm not a people person. Can't we just do anything else?”

“I suppose we could... Since beaches are open, want to see if we can find any cool looking sea shells?”

“You're just asking because I have a knack for finding the coolest looking ones. I call abuse on my ability to do so.”

Cassandra just laughed, “Well damn, called out already. Oh well. Hey, you up for trying something new?”

“Not really, but what did you have in mind,” Shadow looked at her friend skeptically.

“There's a monster bar called Grillby's and they actually have some decent food. I just recalled I haven't really sat down and ate there in a bit...” the brunette answered.

“Uh, sure, I guess,” the black haired female sighed.

Cassandra got up and held a hand out to her friend. “I do have dance practice first, so it won't be for a bit,” she said with a smile.

“I'm happy that you got back into dancing. I know you enjoyed it quite a bit,” Shadow said as the two stood up.

“Yeah, not to mention I haven't been nearly as stressed out since joining. Oh, if anyone asks, you haven't seen me dance. Papyrus keeps asking to see me dance and I have to keep turning him down.”

“Why? You're not bad at it, and you have no reason to be embarrassed by something you are passionate about.”

“You know me, I get embarrassed by almost anything I do. Granted I'm getting more comfortable and not as easily flustered, but still. I don't have the confidence to show off to people I know, not yet at least. I still make too many mistakes and the last thing I need is to fall on my face in front of people that I know.”

“You're human, you're going to make mistakes, get over it. If there was such thing as perfect the world would be boring and a lot quieter.”

Cassandra just nodded at how her friend had worded it. The two continued on their trek through town as they headed to the dance studio. “Have you run into Tiffany and Angela since they broke your arm?” Shadow asked after a moment.

“Nope, those two have been actively avoiding me. There have been a few times when I see them walking down the sidewalk towards me only for them to immediately turn and go in the other direction; I sometimes like to fuck with them and reach for my phone if they get a little too close to me. I enjoy messing with people if I know I can get away with it,” Cassandra replied with a grin.

“That's just mean, but they deserve it. Sometimes you have to get a little payback, even if it's only in a little way,” the black haired female said.

Pretty soon they were at the dance academy, and Cassandra opened the door for her and her friend to go into. The dance practice lasted about two hours before they made their way to Grillby's. Shadow blinked when they entered the establishment as she took in the amount of monsters that were in the place. “This place is kinda lit. It is a hot topic,” the brunette grinned.

“Why are you—oh my god. Cassie, why? Just why?” Shadow groaned when she saw Grillby.

“Because I can,” the young woman snickered.

“what brings you into this atmosfire?” Sans grinned from his usual seat at the bar.

“Oh hell,” Shadow groaned. “You did this on purpose, didn't you?” she asked her friend.

“Actually no; it is Sans' favorite food place, but I didn't know he would be here right now,” Cassandra smiled. “Hey, Sans. I was just going to introduce my friend to Grillby's since it has some good food.”

“you two can join me; don't worry, i'll put it on my tab,” the skeleton stated.

The black haired female just shook her head as she went up to the bar and sat down; she deadpanned when the sound of flatulence was heard. Moving slightly to grab the whoopee cushion, she held it out towards Sans with an unamused expression. “yeah, be careful, some real weirdos like to put them on the seats,” he grinned while playing innocent.

“Yeah, in this case you,” Shadow accused.

“i would never do such a thing,” the skeleton denied.

Cassandra just laughed as she walked up to the bar and sat next to her friend. “I forgot to tell you that he is a bit of a prankster on top of a punster,” the brunette snickered.

“You just enjoy watching me suffer,” Shadow grumbled.

“What can I get you?” Grillby asked; the crackling of his fire almost drowned out his question.

“Uh, what's good?” the black haired female asked.

“Feel like you can eat a burger? He makes the best damn burger I've had period,” Cassandra remarked.

“Let's do that,” Shadow agreed.

“so three burgers, Grill,” Sans said.

The three enjoyed their lunch as they chatted and laughed as they ate lunch. Cassandra gave Sans a goodbye hug before she and Shadow began making their way back the brunette's apartment. “So I can see why you like it there, the food is really good,” Shadow stated as they walked.

“Right? So filling; I feel like I'm about to pop from how much I ate,” Cassandra laughed.

“It was nice of Sans to pay for it,” the black haired female commented.

The brunette laughed, “According to Sans he has a tab that Grillby emails him about daily to remind him to pay; I don't know how much the tab is, but Sans just grins and says he gets sentimental sometimes when he gets those emails.”

“Why does this not surprise me. I swear he is just lazy,” the black haired female stated.

“Maybe, but from my understanding he does have two jobs. He does sleep a lot on the job though, not that I blame him. He told me he gets night terrors like I do from something that happened in his past,” Cassandra stated.

Shadow just nodded as they walked. Pretty soon they were in the cool air conditioning of the apartment and the pair collapsed on the couch. “Let's just take it easy for the rest of the day since we did just do a lot of walking,” Cassandra stated.

“Yes, and I hate you for it. I am not a fan of long walks,” Shadow said as she grabbed her computer from her bag.

The brunette smiled as she turned on the TV and clicked on Netflix. She browsed around for a moment before sighing, “I don't know what I want to watch...”

“Why not a Disney movie, we both love those,” the black haired female said with a shrug.

“Great idea! Though which one? There are so many to choose from!”

“Lion King; it's a favorite of both of ours.”

“Excellent choice my friend,” Cassandra declared before grabbing the movie from her movie shelf.

Shadow grabbed the remote and hit play on the menu as she waited for her computer to load. “So I have a question for you,” she said. “Just how close are you and the two skeletons?”

The brunette looked at her friend for a moment before looking back at the movie. “I think of Papyrus like my brother, and I get the feeling he also may feel the same, though I'm not sure. He's a mother hen and sometimes treats me the same why he does his brother in the sense that he deeply cares about us. As for Sans, I honestly still don't know where I stand with him. Don't get me wrong, we do get along well, but I don't know...” she replied.

A knowing smirk formed on the other woman's face. “You don't know as in you're trying to figure it out for yourself, or as in you just don't want to say?” Shadow asked for clarification.

“I just don't know. I'm just as comfortable around him as around you, if not more so. I just, don't know how to say it? I know I think of him as a great friend and someone I can rely on..”

“From what you're telling me, you may be forming a bit of a crush on him. I'm not gonna judge, but I would just do some soul searching and really think about how you feel about him instead of just beating around the bush. If you don't confront those feelings you may miss out on something you shouldn't.”

“But that's the thing, I don't want to confront the feelings; I'm not ready to face those feelings... at least not yet. My last relationships crashed and burned, and if I do have feelings for Sans, I don't want to ruin our friendship by doing something stupid since I always do stupid things. Plus, it feels too soon?”

Shadow hummed in thought for a moment before shrugging. “My dad got married again to his fifth wife after only knowing her for sixth months, so I think that maybe it is too soon, but in comparison, not really. It all just depends on the person. Some people get attached quickly, others not so much. Take me for example, I've only had two relationships, and the only serious one I had moved very slowly at a snails pace according to most who were on the outside looking in. To me though, it seemed to move a bit fast, but I was still comfortable with it,” she said. “You go with whatever you're comfortable with and don't let anyone push you to address anything at a pace you aren't comfortable with.”

“Thank you for understanding, and that did help me out a bit. I will take my time figuring it out right now though; I still don't feel like I'm ready for something other than friends. At least I don't think so.. This is so complicated.”

“It is complicated, but things will work out in the end. They always do, don't they? Besides, who knows, maybe you don't have a crush and you're just fond of Sans since he and Papyrus have both helped you out with depression. Human emotions are weird.”

“You're telling me. Anyways, I'm going to heat up some pizza pockets while we watch the movie,” Cassandra said as she stood to head to the kitchen. The rest of the day the two watched movies and just chatted about dumb topics and ridiculous 'what if' scenarios to pass the time. The brunette also had started making plans about what the two would be doing tomorrow since she was insisting on playing the perfect best friend week while Shadow was in town.

Chapter Text

Cassandra smiled to herself as she got ready for her day; she put on her simple black bikini and a navy blue sarong wrap that she had tied around her waist. She looked at her reflection and frowned slightly at the sight of her stretch marks around her belly button and the small muffin top that peaked slightly over the wrap; shaking her head, she went into the living room where Shadow sat wearing a pair of green men's swim shorts and a gray sleeveless t-shirt. “You ready to go?” Cassandra asked as she put on a pair of sandals.

“Yeah, ready when you are,” Shadow replied as she stood up; her shoes already on her feet.

With a smile, the two began making their way down the street. Cassandra felt a little self conscious as the pair walked, but she slowly started to ignore it the more they chatted. “Okay, so what if you had to choose between allowing the world to end or had to be stuck as a giant ant for five years?” the brunette asked as they walked.

“Uh, hmmm... I'd choose the ant and live in Mom's house cause she always has sweet tea,” the black haired female answered. “Okay, so would you rather transport to your favorite fictional world, or bring characters from your favorite fictional world to ours?”

“I'd have to say it would depend on the world since I have too many favorites... For example, Warhammer 40k I'd want them to come here. The Emperor of Man needs to fix our shit like something fierce to an extent. So long as the monsters aren't hurt and the warp demons and such don't come with it. But if it was Naruto, I'd go into the Narutoverse because who doesn't want to be a ninja?” the twenty-seven year old answered. “Okay, so you get a million dollars, but the second you take it you can only spend it as a separate identity that you choose and you manifest as when you go to spend the money. Would you take it?”

“Hell yes. I could be a Native American Shaman that is in touch with today's technology, and if I had the knowledge, maybe I could come up with a cure for cancer!” Shadow replied. “Would you rather know all the world's languages, or speak with animals?”

“Ohhh... Hmmm... I think I'd rather speak with animals; granted I'd get a lot of weird looks, but being able to would mean that I would basically be a non doctor Doctor Do Little. Would you rather be stuck in an elevator, or stuck on a sky lift?”

“I hate you. I'd choose a sky lift because then at least I'd have a nice view... So, would you rather be able to communicate with others solely through song lyrics or only with TV show dialogue quotes? I feel like that would be just as bad or worse than puns though....”

“I'd choose song lyrics since I listen to a lot of music, though both would be good,” Cassandra hummed as they passed the park. “Would you rather have the ability to breathe under water or to have the sight and hearing of a cat?”

“I'd choose the cat without hesitation! I'd never have to wear glasses again! Partial colorblind or not! Would you rather pass invisible but deadly gas or an odorless gas that leaves rainbows in your wake?” Shadow asked.

“Odorless with rainbows; I'd love to have little rainbows coming out of my ass. Not only would it be amusing as all hell, but it would make people question things. It would be glorious. Would you rather forget who you are every time it rains or never be able to remember why you walked into a room?”

“Rain for sure, I'd just move somewhere so cold that it only ever snows or hails. Would you rather always say what you are thinking or never say anything again?”

“I'd be mute; I'd get in too much trouble with my mouth, either that or I'd scare some people. Would you rather constantly have to sneeze, but it never comes out, or would you rather have hiccups that last for four hours every day?”

“Hiccups. Despite the pain at least they’d end. Would you rather stub your toes once a week, or lose a finger of your choice?”

Cassandra laughed for a moment, “I’d stub my toe once a week, it would be an improvement from my almost daily stubbing.”

A comfortable silence fell over the pair as they grew closer to their destination. The brunette would occasionally hum to herself as they walked while the black haired female would watch people and occasionally scowl when she saw litter or something else that bothered her. Cassandra held her head up high as she walked, a small smile tugging at her lips; she felt complete with her best friend, and she was grateful that she had her to help her when she had something that bothered or needed someone to confide in. “And we are at the beach!” the twenty-seven year old declared as her feet hit the sand.

“No, I thought we were at a volcano,” Shadow said sarcastically.

Cassandra gently hit her friends arm as they continued along the beach until she found the spot that she deemed as perfect. With a determined look, she began digging at a spot to set up the umbrella to make sure that they had shade if they decided to be by the ocean for a long period of time. Once that was taken care of, the brunette laid out a towel on the sand before stretching with a huge grin. “You ready to hunt for some shells?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess. Any type you want me to look for specifically?” Shadow asked as the two made their way to the edge of the water.

“Just any that look cool!” Cassandra replied as they walked along the water.

Shadow shook her head in amusement as she avoided getting her feet in the water. With a smirk, Cassandra turned towards her friend and bent down to reach the water she was standing in before splashing her friend who then scowled. Before Shadow could get revenge, Cassandra looked to Undyne approaching after the fish monster had called her name. “Hey, Undyne, what's up?” the brunette asked with a smile.

“Who's your friend?” she asked while looking at the twenty-six year old.

“This is Shadow, she's my best friend; Shadow, this is Undyne. Is Alphys here?” Cassandra asked as she looked around; she noted the surfboard in the ex Royal Guard's hands.

“Yeah, she's parking the car currently. Want to surf with me?” the monster asked.

“Nah, I'll pass,” the brunette said quickly. “I don't like getting in the ocean very much. I almost drowned as a kid so I don't get in water that I can't touch the ground at. As far as the ocean goes I can't go past knee deep or I start to panic.”

“The ocean hates me too, so I don't get in the water either,” Shadow chimed in.

“You guys are wimps,” Undyne said with affection before heading into the water with the board in hand.

“That's who I was going to introduce you to. She is very competitive, but she's a good person. Don't let her intimidate you too much,” Cassandra smiled as they continued to walk.

“That's good to know. She has similar energy to Papyrus,” the younger woman pointed out.

“Kinda, she did train him; she's more aggressive in certain ways. You should have seen how Papyrus made spaghetti; such a mess. Undyne apparently taught him how to cook and Sans said that it wasn't ever edible.”

“I feel like this should surprise me, but it doesn't. You have made a variety of friends with a wide range of personalities. Hey, look at this shell,” Shadow said as she picked a a spiraled pink and white shell. “It kinda looks like a broken claw.”

Cassandra examined the shell for a moment before her eyes lit up, “I see a tower! Look, you can see the stairs and everything!”

“Huh, yeah, it does kinda look like a tower,” the black haired female said as she looked closer.

The two continued to look at the shells, and eventually found a few others that looked rather cool before heading back over to their umbrella. Cassandra sprawled out on her towel after removing her wrap with a content sigh as she closed her eyes. “It is so nice out today; I don't know if today could be any more perfect..” the brunette sighed.

“When's the last time we were able to just relax like this? I can't even remember..” Shadow said as she sat in the shade.

The young woman thought for a moment before shrugging, “It's been a while; I don't count Halloween since you were taking care of me and since you also had to worry about homework.”

“That was my thought. It's nice to just have a week off.”

The two just chatted for a bit as the brunette laid in the sun to try to tan a little bit. Shadow smiled when something caught her attention. “So you still think today couldn't get anymore perfect?” the twenty-six year old asked.

“Nope, today is good; it's the best lazy day,” Cassandra answered. “Why do you ask?”

“You'll see,” her friend answered as she watched a familiar pair approach Undyne and Alphys who were building a sandcastle a little ways away.

“I shall make the biggest sandcastle of them all!” the voice of Papyrus carried over to them.

Cassandra opened her eyes and sat up; her eyes scanned over the beach and smiled softly when she saw the two brothers. Her smile fell slightly when she caught it; it was an automatic reaction, and it made the young woman pause and consider the words that Shadow said the following day. Shaking her head softly the brunette laid back down on her towel and rolled onto her stomach so her front wouldn't burn. “Not in the mood to socialize with everyone?” Shadow asked.

“I'm actually not wanting to socialize with too many people; I'm good with just you,” Cassandra answered.

“Or is it you don't want to be seen wearing a bikini in front of guys that you know?” her friend pressed.

The brunette scowled at her friend, “How is it you can read my mind? Seriously, you know me too well and it's sometimes scary.”

“Because I know you. We've known each other for years, you should expect me to know you,” the black haired female pointed out in amusement.

“Shadow! It is good to see you again!” Papyrus shouted from where he was on the beach.

“Hi, good to see you also,” Shadow called back. “How much you want to bet he will come over? I bet that Undyne told him that you were here.”

“I bet that Undyne told him because Sans was there... here and Alphys are trying to get, and I quote, 'their ship to sail'. I don't know handle that..” Cassandra sighed.

Sure enough, footsteps in the sand were heard followed by the taller skeleton's excited voice. “Cassandra! Undyne told us that you were here also!” he said as he got closer.

The young woman sat up quickly as her cheeks started to turn red from the fact that her body was mostly exposed because of her black bikini. “H-Hi. How are you?” she asked as she used her wrap to make a halter dress; her face got a bit darker when she spotted Sans right next to his brother. “Shadow, why didn't you say they were approaching?”

“Because I thought it would be amusing,” she grinned. “I was right.”

“I am well, how are you?!” the younger brother asked.

“i was gonna wave, but i wasn't sure if you'd catch my drift,” Sans smirked.

Cassandra quietly groaned before standing up, the blush still dusting her cheeks. “I'm doing alright; I wasn't expecting you guys to come over here,” she said now sitting on her towel.

“Why are your cheeks red? Are you sunburned?” Papyrus asked as he sat down on the sand.

“N-no, just embarrassed that you saw me in my bathing suit...” the brunette answered.

“Cassie doesn't like people she knows to see her in her bathing suit; she feels like she's too chunky to be considered attractive in one,” Shadow shrugged.

“But you look wonderful! You have no reason to be embarrassed!” the younger brother exclaimed.

“paps is right, you have nothin' to be ashamed about. 'sides, we currently are just relaxing,” Sans winked.

“Enough of the puns!” Papyrus scolded.

“Yes, enough of the puns,” Shadow agreed.

Cassandra's had her face in her hands to hide her growing blush before she stood up. “I'm, uh, going to look for seashells again! I'll catch up with you later!” she said before quickly walking off by herself.

Both brothers watching her quizzically before Papyrus followed suit; Sans just raised an eye ridge at Shadow before sitting down on the towel that was previously occupied by Cassandra. “what was that all about?” he asked.

“That isn't for me to say, but I promise you that you just made her day despite making her blush from the compliment,” Shadow mused. “You didn't do anything wrong, so don't worry. She just has a lot of things to work through.”

Sans looked at the young woman for a moment before looking out at the ocean. “is it somethin' that is troubling her?”

“Kind of; she's just confused mostly. I can tell you that she thinks very highly of both you and Papyrus. Like I said, she'll have to be the one to tell you since it's not my business to do so.”

The older brother just shrugged as he watched Cassandra and Papyrus walk along the beach, her eyes scrunched up as she spoke to him.

“Why did you take the picture of me leaning on Sans back in December?” she asked the skeleton as they walked.

“Because I found it very amusing,” Papyrus replied. “I sent it to Undyne and she believes that there is something going on between you and my brother.”

Cassandra was surprised when he kept his voice slightly quieter than he usually did. “That's what she and Alphys told me.. I'm sorry for walking off, but I never could handle compliments well.. And hearing one from your brother...” she said. “Papyrus, what is your opinion of me?”

“I think that you are a very wonderful person!” he answered. “I honestly thought for a moment that I was starting to feel something towards you back in December, but when you got sick in January I figured out that I just thought of you like an older sister and I was wanting to make sure you were taken care of.”

The brunette smiled as she watched where she walked, “I think of you as a brother, so the feeling is mutual.. your brother though... I don't see him as a brother...”

“Do you not like my brother?!” Papyrus asked as his eye sockets widened.

“No, that's not what I meant.. I think I'm starting to get a crush on him.. at least I think.. I don't really know,” she sighed. “I can't put it into words... when heard you guys on the beach before you came over it felt like my world in the moment was complete; and getting the compliment from Sans just made my stomach do something that hasn't happened since middle school when I had my very first crush...”

“So you do like my brother!” he said excitedly, his voice raising slightly.

“Shh!” Cassandra quickly shushed. “Not so loud, I don't want anyone to know, not yet at least.. I'm not ready to confront those feelings.. I want you to promise not to tell anyone, especially not Alphys and Undyne.”

The younger brother rubbed the back of his head, “I'm not the best at keeping promises, but I will do my best!”

The brunette wearily looked at the skeleton before sighing, “I hope that you can... I've been trying to sort these feelings out for a while, but I still don't want this information out there.”

The two eventually turned around and made their way back to where Shadow and Sans were. “Hey, sorry about that,” Cassandra smiled. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed that Shadow had moved the towels around so that she wouldn't burn.

“It's okay. See any cool shells again?” Shadow asked.

“Nah, I think we grabbed the best ones,” the brunette shrugged. “So what were you guys talking about?”

“Nothing really, just chatting. He makes way more puns than you do.. I have tried not to groan too many times to count,” the younger female said. “What were you and Papyrus chatting about?”

Papyrus was about to open his mouth, but Cassandra cut in before he could say anything. “We were just chatting about movies,” the brunette lied; Sans mentally noted to ask his brother about it later.

Shadow raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. “Since there is more people, would you rather wear stilettos to bed every night or have to wear slippers wherever you go?” the black haired female asked.

“Slippers,” Cassandra answered immediately. “I can't walk in heels, not to mention I hate wearing anything on my feet in bed. Fuck wearing shoes in bed.”

“i mean, i already do that; you can slip into town,” Sans grinned.

“I would risk the stilettos! I will not be lazy like my brother!” Papyrus decided.

Cassandra just smiled and shook her head. “Okay, would you rather break out in uncontrollable dance every time someone hums, or never be able to sing again?” the brunette asked.

“Never be able to sing again,” Shadow answered immediately.

“i don't sing, so i'd second that. it's not very note worthy,” Sans answered.

“I like to sing in the shower, so I wouldn't mind breaking out into dance when someone hums!” the younger brother concluded. “I want to try.. Would you rather be a super hero for a year or would you rather be a villain for a year?”

“Ooooh... Hmm.. I think I'd be a villain if it's just a year, then when it is up I would use what I gained to help those I care about out,” the twenty-six year old decided.

“I'd be a hero, but I don't know how much I would be able to help others,” Cassandra hummed. “I'd probably help out animals and kids mostly.”

“i'd be the hero of sleep,” the older brother grinned; his answer caused Papyrus to scowl. “let's see.. would you rather have the power to rewind time, or have to power to pause time?”

“I'd want the power to rewind time to relive my favorite moments!” Papyrus said.

“I'd say pause time. Sometimes I get too excited or start running my mouth; if I could pause time I'd be able to hold off on my response until I really think it through without the other person knowing I was struggling internally,” the brunette answered.

“Pause time so I can catch up on all my favorite TV shows,” Shadow said. “Okay, would you rather always be able to tell when someone is lying or be able to lie without anyone knowing?”

“i can already tell when someone is lying; in fact, most monsters can,” Sans mused.

“My brother is correct, so we will sit this one out!” Papyrus chimed in.

“Huh, that's both cool and kinda crappy for anyone that's lying,” Shadow smirked.

“U-Uh... I guess I'd want to be able to tell when someone is lying, it would come in handy. It would honestly be a very handy skill to have,” Cassandra pointed out. “Would you rather your whole body turn blue when you are nervous or sweat profusely all over until you are no longer nervous?”

“I'd turn blue,” the other female replied.

“I don't get nervous often, but I suppose I'd choose to sweat!” Papyrus said.

“i'd turn blue,” the older brother chimed in.

“You guys can sweat?” Shadow asked before Cassandra chimed in.

“Yes! It is rare, but we do!” the younger skeleton smiled. “Now, would you rather be a moderately successful radio personality or be the star of a prime time sitcom that got canceled after one season?”

“Radio host,” the two humans answered at the same time before laughing.

“i'd agree with them,” the other skeleton chuckled. “would you rather be able to see ultra violet light or be able to hear frequencies that no one else can?”

“The frequencies would annoy the shit out of me, so I'd say ultra violet light,” Cassandra said.

“Seconded,” Shadow nodded.

“I would like to hear the frequencies!” Papyrus declared.

The four continued their game until it was well into the afternoon; thankfully Cassandra had been smart enough to join Shadow in the shade before too long so she wouldn't burn. When the two girls packed up and left, Sans looked at his younger brother as they also started to head home. “That was fun today, brother!” Papyrus said. “I hope we will run into Cassandra and Shadow again soon!”

“they definitely are a pair. speaking of cas, what were you two talkin' about on the beach earlier today?” the older brother asked; he was wanting to find out since he knew that Cassandra had been lying.

“She asked me not to tell, sorry brother! I must do my best to refrain from saying!” his brother said.

“maybe so, but she did lie,” Sans pointed out.

“W-well yes, but only because she made me promise to try to keep a secret!”

Sans watched his brother for a moment in silence before grinning; he knew how he would be able to find out, and he was determined to. He wasn't too sure about why he was as curious as he was, but he needed to be sure that his brother was safe. That's what he told himself anyways. “she didn't threaten you, did she?” Sans asked.

“No! She would never do such a thing! Cassie said that she thinks of me as a brother! She just had some concerns with...” Papyrus caught himself before he said part of the reason. “With someone else who isn't you.”

Sans raised an eye ridge at his brother; he knew that his brother lied at the last bit. 'cas has concerns 'bout me?' he thought to himself. “what concerns does she have with this person that isn't me?” the older brother asked.

“I cannot tell you brother! She said she isn't ready for anyone to know outside of me and Shadow!”

“what if she needs help though? maybe an outsider's perspective could help?”

Papyrus looked at his older brother for a moment before sighing. “Cassie is questioning the extent of her feelings towards... this person she has concerns about. She isn't quite sure what it is, but y-this person makes her feel like she likes them more than a friend,” he said slowly. “You cannot say that I told you about it or she will be mad!”

Sans froze in his step as his eye lights went out when Papyrus said what he did.

“Brother..?” Papyrus asked.

When Cassandra and Shadow got back to the house, the brunette immediately went to go take a shower before getting in her pajamas and sitting on the couch. Her friend used the shower afterwards before joining Cassandra on the sofa. “So, what was it that you and Papyrus talked about?” Shadow asked.

“I told him that I may be developing feelings for his brother....” the brunette sighed. “I asked what he thought of me and it came out from there. I just couldn't not tell him that his brother is a person of interest for me. I made him promise not to tell Sans though... that's when I found out he cannot keep a secret very well. What if he were to tell Sans?”

“Then he tells Sans. If nothing else, you will find out if he just views you as a friend. Just don't get your hopes up about him returning the feelings. It's okay to have some hope, but I don't want you to crush yourself because you had too much of it. And if Papyrus does tell him, then you won't have to. Less stress on you,” Shadow reasoned.

“I suppose you're right... but after today, I know that I think of Sans as more than a friend.. I actually felt.. The last time I felt any type of emotion like that was in middle school. Hell, middle school was the last time I felt anything.”

“I know, Weirdo, I know. But, this is a sign of progress, so even it it's not meant to be it is a good sign.”

“Thank you for listening like you always do. I love you,” Cassandra sighed as she leaned on her friend.

“I know I know,” Shadow patted her head.

Chapter Text

Sans sat in his usual spot on the couch in his house while his brother watched the Mettaton episodes over once again. He looked on ahead as he continued to contemplate what his brother had told him the previous day. Cassandra had feelings for him. Why? He sighed softly as he continued to dwell on the events. When Papyrus told him that, his mind went blank without able to actually form any thoughts; when Papyrus checked on him, he just started walking again without saying much of anything. As they walked though, a curious feeling of relief overcame him. He didn't know why that was either. This wasn't exactly a common occurrence for him, and Sans could almost guarantee that it was a first that anyone had any type of romantic feelings towards him. The older brother looked at a picture that he got of her while she was helping Hope before the dog was adopted.

He didn't know why she liked him. Sans was a pile of lazy bones, and he had given up hope of staying on the surface too many times to count. Now that they are approaching three years on the surface, Sans had a feeling that there wouldn't be any more resets which was odd. But that raised the question, what did the brunette have to do with the ceasing of the resets? The skeleton sighed as his mind went back to the young female. Putting away his phone, he stared back at the television as he continued to dwell. There was a sense of unease as he thought about how to deal with it. For the first time there was a lingering of 'I don't know' that flooded over him. Sans knew about timelines, he was extremely intelligent and was even able to read a physics book without any trouble, but this stumped him. The more he thought about it, the more questions popped up. The skeleton exhaled slowly as he continued to look at the TV. He needed to look at it like he would a theory or a math problem. Every equation had a solution.

Cassandra was just one part of the equation that he needed to solve, he knew he had to look at his own person for the other part of the equation for the solution. Why did he continue to spend time with her even though he knew she wasn't a threat? Sans told him self he continued to spend time with the young woman to keep an eye out for his brother, but now he realized that it wasn't exactly true anymore. He quite enjoyed their conversations, jokes, and even her company as a whole. He knew he thought of her of at least a friend because of that information. Was it possible there was more? Sans took out his phone again to look at the messages; he caught himself smiling slightly more at the sight of the puns, knock knock jokes, and other bad jokes that they sent back and forth. Could it be that he felt happy for finding another person who liked bad jokes like he did? He thought about his friendship with Toriel for comparison since he felt happy when finding her as another equal lover of jokes. He thought about his reactions between the two. No, it was slightly different, but different in what way?

Sans once again put his phone away as he pondered the what could be different. Moving on, he thought about how her and Papyrus got along. The older brother was glad that the two got along that they thought each other as siblings, but why was he as happy as he was about it? He felt like the answer was getting a bit closer to him. Why wasn't it obvious? Back to the questions, the skeleton thought of his brother and Cassandra's relationship. What would happen if he were to reject the female's feelings? He grimaced slightly at the thought as an uncomfortable and feeling of sadness overcame him. Why though, why would that thought bother him? The answer had hit him after that thought crossed his mind: he had feelings for the brunette also.

More questions began to flood his mind. When did he start to have feelings for her? The immediate answer came to him as the spent time together when she was ill back in January. He didn't know as to why the feelings developed, but he was concerned about it. What would happen if there was a reset just waiting to happen? Did he want to risk it knowing that Frisk may decide to send them back to the Underground to do it all over again? He wasn't sure of how to answer those questions that came to mind. One thing was for sure, he needed to confront the kid about the resets and find out why this time was an exception. This was yet another essential part of the equation because he knew that it would determine his decision of to not say anything or possibly talk to the young woman. Sans frowned as he rested his head on his hand. Why was this so complicated? Was he making it as such? This was far more complicated then he would have even liked to admit. Unsure of how to proceed, he deemed his conclusion to be a sound one despite the amount of questions he still had.

Sans caught himself starting to nod off; last night he had a dreamless sleep, but the previous night he had yet another night terror. He was tired of seeing Chara in his nightmares. He was done with seeing everyone die again. When would it end? The answer to that question seemed far out of reach, but he had a sense of hope; his nightmares were no longer a nightly occurrence. It was a good sign for him, but they were still frequent and it was uncertain if they would ever stop entirely. “Brother, it is too early to go back to sleep!” Papyrus stated as he caught his brother's eyes shutting again.

“sorry, paps, guess you can say i'm bone tired,” Sans said.

The younger brother glared at his brother before shaking his head, “You have been very quiet today, are you okay?”

“yeah, just didn't sleep too well again last night..” the shorter skeleton said; it wasn't the full truth, but it was enough not to worry his brother.

“That's not the full reason. You know better than anyone that a monster can tell when someone is lying!” Papyrus said; he was concerned.

“'s nothin' to worry about,” Sans shrugged.

“But I do!” his younger brother stated.

Sans looked ahead before standing up. “i'll be back in a bit, paps, i'm gonna head to grillby's,” he said before taking a short cut to actually going to Toriel's house. It was a Saturday so he knew that Frisk would be home.

As he got to the front door he knocked and patiently waited for the door opened. Frisk smiled as they pulled open the door. “Hey Sans! What brings you here?” the kid asked.

“want to go out for some nice cream?” the skeleton asked with his usual grin.

“Sure, let me just go ask Mom real quick!” they said before running back inside.

Once the kid had the go ahead, Frisk and Sans began making their way down the street. “So what's on your mind? Last time it was just us was when we went to the restaurant in MTT resort in the Underground you ended up telling me about the promise you made to my mom,” Frisk pointed out.

“heh, saw through that already did ya? i wanted to ask you why you haven't reset the timeline again,” Sans said.

Frisk looked on ahead as he debated about that internally. “..it has to do with Cassandra,” they replied. “I don't know if I should tell you without her being present though.. or even if I should tell her. But I can guarantee that I'm no longer interested in resetting the timeline.”

Sans looked at the kid quizzically, “what does she have to do with the resets? i pieced together she had somethin' to do with it, but i want to know why.”

Silence fell over the two as they continued to walk. “what makes you nervous about tellin' her whatever it is that you know?” Sans asked after watching the kid fidget nervously.

“Because I don't think she'd believe me if I were to tell her...” Frisk answered.

“I hear it, I hear the stupid Taco, but I can't find it,” Cassandra scowled as she moved the dinosaur on her computer.

“I got it, don't worry,” Shadow said as she killed the AI.

“I hate night time in the Isle, seriously..” the brunette huffed as she made her Utahraptor go to Shadow's.

“Yeah, though it should be day soon; we've been lucky so far that no one else has come here. Do we want to go to the radio tower? Last time we did though there was a group of Carnos,” the black haired female said.

“That was yesterday afternoon though, for all we know they could have moved on. I say we should check out the tower whenever morning hits.”

“It's possible. I mean if nothing else we lose our raptors and can respond. Since they grow fast I don't care all that much if we lost them.”

“Fair. If we do I think I want to go Para. I like having that bass.”

“You would, you weirdo. They are so loud though...”

“Yes, yes they are. But they are majestic as fuck and their babies are too cute. Raptor babies are too; they are little fleas.”

“Uh huh,” Shadow said as took a drink of her gatorade.

The two sat around until day started to approach in the game. “You ready?” Cassandra asked. “I just gotta fill up on water before we move just in case worst case scenario happens.”

“Yeah, I gotta do the same,” her friend stated as the two made their raptors go to the lake.

Once they topped off their water and hunted another Taco for the road, the two made their way to the radio tower. “Oh crap,” Shadow muttered when she heard a familiar sound coming from just ahead of them; she made her character crouch. “Carnos are still here; sounds like there are also some fellow Utahs.”

“Let's just turn around; want to head to the swamp instead?” Cassandra asked.

“We can, but there are going to be a lot of predators out and about.”

With destination in mind, the two began making their way down to the swamp. All was going well in their game play until the two heard the cries of Allos. “Shit,” Cassandra swore. “I can't remember, can we outrun Allos?”

“I think their sprint is faster, but we have better stam. Our best bet is to just hide and hope we don't get sniffed out since they can kill us in two bites. If we do get sniffed out we just need to dodge and try not to die until they are out of stam,” Shadow replied.

“Hiding it is,” the brunette sighed as she found a particularly dense set of bushes. “Fingers crossed.”

Her friend also hid in the same bush and the two sat just as quietly as their raptors. When Cassandra spotted one of the Allos, however, she started to grin and snicker. “No, don't do it,” Shadow warned.

“I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not doing anything,” the brunette smiled.

“Uh-huh, you better not,” her friend scolded.

With her grin widening, Cassandra pressed the '1' key to let out a broadcast bark before she controlled her raptor to stand up and run away as the three Allosauruses gave chase. Laughing and occasionally yelping when one bit a little to close, the brunette tried to get her pursuer stuck on a tree as the other two chased Shadow's raptor. “Why?!” the black haired female asked as she dodged trees.

“Because it's funny!” the brunette replied as she continued to laugh.

“No, no it is not—and I'm dead,” Shadow sighed.

Cassandra lasted a little bit long, but she had also lost her raptor thanks to her need to give away their position. “You do this all the time; I can't believe you did this yet again,” Shadow sighed despite her smile.

“Yeah, but it keeps things interesting! Besides, now we can be annoying loud mouths!” Cassandra said excitedly.

“You already are,” her friend teased.

“So rude.. we may not be Paras for long though; our luck as herbivores isn't very good..”

“You're not wrong. Plus being an herbie is boring as hell.”

“True true.. and I spawned in. Okay, where the fuck did I spawn?”

“I don't know, what looks familiar around you?”

“No clue, guess I'll head to the mountain to find out!”

“Just be careful, you don't need to be--”

“And I'm dead. Welp, take two!”

The two continued to play the computer game for a while until they called it quits for the day. The following day, Cassandra woke up to her alarm before grinning happily and shaking the sleeping female sharing her bed. “Shadow, Shadow! Wake up! We going to the fucking zoo!” the brunette said excitedly.

“Why in the hell are you this excited this early in the morning..?” the black haired female grumbled as she glared at her friend.

“Because it's the zoo and I'm excited!” Cassandra said as if it was the most obviously thing in the world. “We get to see all the animals!”

“While I am also excited, you just have way too much energy for right now...”

Cassandra just shrugged before hopping out of bed to get dressed for their day at the zoo. Shadow followed behind sluggishly without nearly as much energy. Once she finished getting dressed, the brunette headed to the kitchen to get coffee brewing so they had their caffeine for the day. Cassandra smiled as she got on her socks and tennis shoes before grabbing two cups from her cabinet for her and her friend. As soon as the coffee finished brewing, the young woman poured herself a cup; to let it cool off a bit, Cassandra went into the bathroom to throw her hair up in a ponytail and began applying sunscreen while going over everything so she wouldn't forget to bring anything. “Coffee is done,” she told Shadow as she passed in the hallway.

“Cool. Also, I am ready when you are,” Shadow said as she fixed up her coffee with cream and sugar. “Well, once I drink the coffee.”

“Awesome. I have plenty of snacks and waters set in our backpack for our day today in case we aren't hungry enough to eat there,” Cassandra pointed out. She went into the kitchen to drink her coffee that had cooled off just enough to drink relatively fast. “It's been years since we've been to the zoo, so I know we gonna have fun.”

“You already are,” the black haired female mused before drinking her coffee.

“That's beside the point.”

“No, that is the point.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, let's go!” Cassandra declared as she grabbed her backpack and opened the front door.

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” Shadow sighed as she followed behind.

Once the front door was locked, the two began walking down the road. Every now and again the brunette would start to hum a song while grinning. Shadow would just shake her head with a smile as her friend would continue. “Why are you humming Disney songs?” the twenty-six year old finally asked.

“Why not? I only have shame when I'm not excited about something,” Cassandra shrugged before continuing to hum her tunes.

“You're such a weirdo.”

The two continued to walk as they ignored the occasional looks they got from strangers from the brunette's antics. It took them about forty-five minutes roughly to reach the zoo as they headed deeper into the city away from the direction that they usually walked. Cassandra grinned widely as they reached it where she took a picture before standing next to Shadow and taking a selfie with her. “Why? You know I hate having my picture taken,” Shadow scowled.

“So do I, but I am posting this on the Undernet! All my friends need to know that I'm having the best day with my best friend!” the brunette grinned; sure enough she uploaded both pictures to the Undernet before heading to the ticket booth.

The black haired female just shook her head before following her friend. Once they purchased their tickets, they made their way to the entrance; at this point both women were grinning as they actually entered the zoo. “What should we go see first?” Cassandra asked as she pulled out the map.

“Why not hit the African animals first?” Shadow suggested. “If you look it seems as if this loops around to the other side of the park.”

“That will work. Lead the way, oh fearless leader!” the brunette grinned while pointing towards their path.

The two marched onward as they made their way to the elephant exhibit that was first on their journey. When they got to the enclosure, the brunette looked like she was wanting to jump up and down in excitement. “Shadow, look at the precious babies!” Cassandra said excitedly as she took at least five pictures of the different elephants before uploading them online. She then took a picture of the information plaque and uploaded it as well. “Gah! This is so exciting!”

“Yes, yes it is,” Shadow mused as she also took some pictures. The second she put her phone away, however, she noticed that her friend wasn't in sight. “Of course... I need one of those kid leashes for her..” she sighed as she moved on.

Shadow spotted her friend taking pictures of the zebras with a huge grin. “Cassandra, do not run off!” the black haired female scolded.

“But animals!” Cassandra replied as she continued on snapping pictures of the animals and information plaques. “I gotta see them all!”

“We will, there is no reason to worry that you won't,” her friend shook her head. “If you disappear too many times I will make you leave the zoo, okay?”

The brunette pouted, “Fine, I'll try not to disappear.. I just get too excited.”

“I know, and it's okay to be excited, but don't run off,” Shadow said as they continued on.

Cassandra's phone started to ring and the brunette raised an eyebrow at seeing Papyrus' name. “Yellow?” she answered.

“How come you didn't tell me you were going to the zoo?! I would have loved to come!” the skeleton said.

“Sorry, Pap. I wanted to spend some quality time with Shadow before she has to worry about online classes again,” the brunette said with a sigh.

“I wish you would have invited me.. Will you promise to take me next time?!” he asked.

“Yes, I would love to take you, though we'd have to bring your brother along also since I would not be a good zoo partner... I have a tendency to get too excited,” she snickered. “But I'm going to let you go. We have a lot to look at before we leave around three.”

“Then it is settled! Since you didn't invite me with you, I will come over later and we can play games!”

Cassandra sighed as Papyrus hung up before she could interject. “Welp, guess that the skeleton brothers will be coming over later,” the brunette said as she put her phone back in her pocket.

“Of course they would. Wasn't that only Papyrus though?” Shadow asked.

“Yes, but anytime Papyrus comes over Sans is with him. I've never had just Papyrus over before. It doesn't bother me or anything, but it's just what's normal, you know?” Cassandra replied as they continued to move through the zoo.

Shadow just shrugged in response as their feet carried them to the next exhibit. As they continued on, the brunette had managed to disappear another four times which she quickly apologized for. It took them quite a few hours to go through the entirety of the zoo, but they had fun in the process. Cassandra eventually had to delete some pictures off of her camera roll in order to take more since she was overly enthusiastic about taking pictures. Once they finished their adventure through the zoo, they made their way into the gift shop. Cassandra's face lit up like a Christmas Tree as she moved around the shop filled with all kinds of goods. Shadow just shook her head as she followed her friend; the younger female would occasionally examine something that caught her attention, but would then put it down to be sure that her friend wouldn't just disappear. Again.

Pretty soon the pair were heading back to Cassandra's apartment with a bag of purchased good. To make it up for Papyrus, she had gotten him a few goodies to cheer him up after finding out he hadn't gone to the zoo with the two females. The two friends were walking down the street, and each had a headband on that had a set of animal ears attached. They were amused by them and couldn't resist buying them. Shadow wore a a gray headband with wolf ears while the brunette wore fox ears. Both were extremely happy with their decision to buy them. As they turned onto the street and could start to make out the apartment, two figures standing in the doorway made Cassandra both happy and nervous. Papyrus looked to be pouting as he sat on the doorstep while Sans seemed to try to comfort him. The two females just smiled as they got closer. “Hey, Pap,” Cassandra said.

“You're home!” Papyrus said jumping up. He blinked when he noticed the ears. “You both seem to have grown a pair of ears since the last time we met!”

Shadow just chuckled, “No, they're just headbands. Look, we got you and Sans a set also.”

Sure enough, Cassandra held out a pair of giraffe ears along with a pair of bear ears. “I will wear them with pride!” Papyrus decided as he grabbed the giraffe headband and put it on.

Sans just chuckled before he took the bear one and put it on to amuse his brother; he needed to make sure that his brother was done pouting for the day. Cassandra unlocked her door before ushering everyone inside. Shadow raised an eyebrow as she noticed the awkward air between Sans and the brunette; something told her that he knew that her friend had a thing for him. Shrugging, Shadow closed the door behind everyone before sitting on the couch. Cassandra sat next her friend in the middle as Sans also sat on the sofa. “I also got you some other goodies,” the brunette said as she scooted a tad bit closer to her friend.

“Really?!” Papyrus asked excitedly as he sat in front of his friend eagerly.

“Yes!” she smiled; she pulled out a wolf stuffed animal before handing it to the younger brother. “I know how much you like Hope, so I wanted to get you a little guy to keep you company!”

The taller skeleton stood up and immediately pulled the young woman into a tight embrace. “Thank you! I will treasure your gifts!” Papyrus exclaimed.

Cassandra returned the hug with a small laugh, “You're welcome, can you please put me down now?”

After obliging, the skeleton looked at the media center and pulled out Clue. “Can we play again?” he asked.

“Of course, I need to make up for the last time we played,” the brunette said as she moved to the floor.

“What happened last time?” Shadow asked with a raised eyebrow.

“ wine not tell her about it,” Sans winked.

Shadow introduced the palm of her hand to her forehead. “Considering the pun I guess you drank. Did you get drunk?” the black haired female asked.

Cassandra avoided eye contact as she set up the board. “I did no such thing. I was a good girl,” the brunette denied.

“....You totally got drunk. Please tell me you weren't seeing shit on the ceiling again,” Shadow sighed.

“I didn't, I just pointed out that Mrs. Peacock had... a dirty part in her name,” the brunette stuck her tongue out.

“This isn't surprising. At least you didn't get a hangover, though I said you shouldn't get drunk unless I'm there to prevent you from getting too drunk. I remember when you were at my dad's with me and you started to yell at the preacher next door; Mom had to call to tell you to be quiet since she heard you also,” Shadow mused.

“how far away did your mom and dad live from each other?” Sans questioned; he was only slightly amused by this story.

“They lived next to each other for a while. It got annoying with the amount of family that went in and out of the two houses,” the black haired female replied.

“You're not supposed to throw me under the bus,” Cassandra pouted.

“You'll be okay. I may have to read the directions again, it's been a long time since I've played Clue,” Shadow pointed out.

Cassandra fidgeted for a moment as she continued to feel slightly awkward before going to the kitchen to get herself a drink. Shadow watched her friend for a moment before shaking her head. The brunette poured a bit of Crown Royal Vanilla in a cup before adding in some Pepsi; once her drink was mixed, she joined the others back on the floor. “I wanted to make a drink,” Cassandra grinned.

“Oh no...” Shadow sighed.

Despite the atmosphere starting awkward, eventually it died off halfway through the first game thanks to the alcohol relaxing the brunette. Cassandra stretched a bit before standing up and getting the leash. “I'll be right back, I'm gonna walk Hope really quick,” the brunette said.

“i'll join ya,” Sans said as he also stood up; he hadn't planned on it, but Shadow had looked at him and nodded in the direction of her friend.

Cassandra just nodded as he joined her; the awkward tension returned as the two walked along the grass. “Um, I don't know why things are so awkward..” Cassandra started.

It was quiet for a moment before Sans sighed. “paps told me what you two talked about on the beach,” he said. “he did try to keep it a secret, but after a few minutes he told me.”

The brunette tensed as she blushed; she found her feet interesting as words escaped her. If she had looked, she would have noticed that Sans had a blue dusting on his cheeks from being just as uncomfortable. “i wanna know why,” he said after a moment.

“I-I don't know why.. I'm just as confused about my own feelings as you are.. I just know I'm happy with you in a different way when I spend time with your brother. I like our conversations, our jokes.. you're witty, crazy smart, and you're patient with me despite my fuck ups...” she sighed. “It just happened.. geez this is embarrassing...”

Sans listened and remained quiet after a moment of her saying as such. “i was dwellin' on it, and i came to the conclusion that the feelin' is mutual, but right now that's where i stand with it,” he said. “this is new to me, and i'm a grade a mess. personally, i'd ask you have a talk with frisk before we decide whether we just stay as friends or not.”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow before looking at the skeleton quizzically. “Frisk? Why do I need to talk with him about this..?” she asked.

“not 'bout this, but you just need to talk with them. trust me,” Sans said.

A more comfortable silence fell over the two before they finished walking Hope and returned back inside to go back to playing Clue.

Chapter Text

Cassandra didn't know why she was as nervous as she was since she had spent a good amount of time with Frisk. She had a sneaking suspicion it was because of what Sans had said to her a few days ago. Shadow was sitting on the couch watching the brunette fidget anxiously as she got ready; today they were going to the park with Toriel and Frisk. Cassandra sighed as she got on her socks and shoes. “You think I do need to talk with Frisk about whatever Sans said I should talk about?” the brunette asked.

“That's up to you. At least you found out what you wanted to know in regards to him having feelings for you and all that jazz,” Shadow said. “I personally think you should, especially if Sans recommends it. He doesn't seem like the type to suggest something without a reason to.”

The brunette just sighed; she knew her friend was correct. Thanks to the unease about the situation, she didn't sleep too well the previous night. The lack of sleep didn't help with her levels of stress and the lingering question as to why she needed to talk to Frisk was raising her anxiety levels. 'Did I do something wrong? Did I upset them somehow? What if they don't like me anymore and don't really want to be my friend?' Cassandra thought to herself as she chewed her lip.

“Stop it. No negative thoughts,” Shadow said recognizing her friend's distressed facial expression. “You're going to give yourself a panic or anxiety attack if you keep listening to your negative thoughts. I'm sure everything is fine. They are close to some of the monsters, right?”

Cassandra only nodded in response.

“Then it's possible that Sans may want to be sure that it won't bother anyone. He may be worried about potential negative reactions from humans in regards to a monster/human relationship. There is a chance some humans won't like the idea and may become aggressive towards monsters as a whole. He more than likely wants to be sure that the ambassador of monsters is aware of any potential consequences. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with you dating Sans, but you also need to be ready for any backlash. I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to be aware in case something does happen,” the black haired female stated. “If you're lucky no one will care and nothing will happen.”

“I really hate that you're right... Uggh, why do things have to be so complicated?” the brunette groaned.

“Because they are complicated. Now c'mon, there's no point in delaying going to the park any further.”

“I know I know,” Cassandra said as she finished getting ready.

Pretty soon the pair were out the door and making their way to the park. “Do you think that Sans and Papyrus will also be there?” Cassandra asked.

“I don't know, I guess we'll find out,” Shadow answered.

Cassandra had the answer to her question when they got there. Alphys, Frisk, Papyrus, Sans, Toriel, and Undyne were all playing what looked like a game of freeze tag. “Oh boy,” Shadow sighed. “I am not ready for this amount of socializing.”

“You and me both,” Cassandra murmured as they approached the group. “Hey guys!” the brunette called out. “Sorry we're late!”

Frisk smiled before running up to the brunette and hugging her legs. “You made it!” they said excitedly.

“Of course we did,” the brunette smiled. “So what are you guys playing?”

“Frisk wanted to play freeze tag! I am currently 'it'!” Papyrus answered.

“Oh yeah? Who is the person who 'unfreezes' everyone?” Cassandra asked walking up to the group with a reluctant Shadow in tow.

“I am! We wanted to make a challenge, and who would be better than me?” Undyne grinned.

“I see this getting very competitive very quickly, or aggressive,” Shadow sighed.

“Do you guys want to join in?” Frisk asked hopefully.

“I'm going to sit this one out; I don't run and I hate exercise,” the black haired female said as she sat down by a tree. “I'll watch though and poke fun.”

Cassandra shook her head in amusement at her friend. “I'll join in. Are we going to be continuing the current round?” she asked.

“You bet! Right now Papyrus can't even keep anyone frozen for too long!” Undyne grinned.

The twenty-seven year old raised an eyebrow; something was telling her that this match has been going on for a good bit. “Well, then let's get started,” Cassandra said as she stood slightly away from the group.

The second the words left her mouth, Papyrus charged towards the group; he was aiming for where Alphys, Toriel and his brother were. The taller skeleton knew that he could easily tag his brother since he rarely even tried to get away; Sans would just occasionally step to the side of where Papyrus was reaching. The older brother had very good reflexes despite his tendency to be lazy, but he would allow his brother to 'tag' him to help him out. Cassandra was good at dodging also, but her reflexes weren't up to par with some of the monsters. Undyne was the pro in terms of dodging and maneuvering around Papyrus to unfreeze his victims while continuing to stay out of his reach. The brunette watched as she was currently 'frozen' next to Sans. “So why doesn't Pap go after Undyne? If he tagged her then there wouldn't be anyone else to stop him from catching everyone,” the brunette pointed out as she watched Pap go after Frisk as Undyne approached Sans with a grin.

“he's probably enjoyin' the challenge; once he feels like he can catch her by surprise he'll get her,” Sans shrugged.

“Man, you guys need to get better!” Undyne grinned as she 'unfroze them'.

“what can i say, we froze up,” Sans winked.

“Keep making puns and I'll make sure you stay froze,” the fish monster threatened.

Cassandra just laughed a bit before jogging off to keep Papyrus in her sights. The game continued for a while before Papyrus finally found his opening and tagged Undyne who started to threaten the skeleton for besting her. Freeze tag ended shortly after once everyone else was bested by the taller skeleton. The brunette just shook her head while smiling as the game came to an end when he caught Frisk. The kid smiled as they went up to Cassandra. “Looks like we were bested this time, huh?” the brunette asked as she pat their head.

“Yeah, but it's okay. The sun will shine again tomorrow, little dragon,” Frisk smiled up at her.

Cassandra froze, shock plain as day on her face. Shadow noticed her face and immediately began making her way over to the two. “W-what did you just say..?” the brunette asked as her breathing started to quicken slightly.

“The sun will shine again tomorrow, little dragon,” they repeated; their smile fell slightly as they watched her.

The brunette's hands started to shake as her breathing picked up; that was the phrase her younger brother had always said when things got bad at home, or when he bested her in a game. Cassandra had never told anyone other than Shadow of her nickname her brother gave her. Panic clawed at her as she saw her brother once again shoving their mom away from the brunette. Her breathing came in quick short breaths as she collapsed onto the ground, her eyes wide as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Shadow quickly approached as everyone else did in worry. “Don't get near her right now, she'll only panic worse,” the black haired female stated as she slowed down to sit in front of her friend.

Everyone watched while frowning; they didn't know the significance of the phrase that Frisk said. “Cas, breathe with me, okay? In, and out. Focus on me, don't think, just listen,” Shadow instructed. She then pulled out a piece of fabric that was rough on one side and super soft on the other. “Here, take this and tell me about it's texture.”

Cassandra flinched before reaching out to take the fabric from her friend; as it got silent her breathing started to pick up again as she stopped rubbing the strip of fabric. “No, don't think,” her friend said again. “Breath. Feel the fabric.”

The brunette listened as Shadow continued to talk and instruct to keep her calm. Eventually, Cassandra ended up crying, but she was no longer having an episode which was a good sign. Shadow sighed as her friend clung to her; the black haired female turned to look at Frisk. She heard them the second time. “Why did you say that?” Shadow asked. It wasn't spiteful, but she needed to know if it was just a coincidence.

Frisk just watched the pair deciding on how to answer before sighing. “I was hoping to say this with just Cassandra around, but I was Benjamin,” they said.

The brunette's head snapped up, her eyes wide. She wasn't able to form any thoughts; doubt and hope were both fighting over her when she took in what they just said. “frisk is tellin' the truth,” Sans chimed in. “i can't sense a lie.”

Cassandra stood up and took a step back as doubt started to win over. “T-that's no possible...” she muttered more to herself.

Shadow sighed and stood up before looking her friend dead in the eye. “Cas, if a monster says they're not lying, then you have every reason to believe it. As your friend, I usually can pick up on when someone is lying through body language, but I'm not picking up on it. Hear them out,” she said.

The brunette looked at Frisk as questions started to form in her mind. Frisk slowly walked up to the brunette before grabbing her hand and leading her away from the group. Shadow watched with narrow eyes, but settled on watching them at a distance; she needed to be sure that she was there in case Cassandra started to panic again. When Frisk and Cassandra were a safe distance away, the two sat on a nearby bench; everyone was watching from a distance to make sure that they were okay. There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment before Frisk spoke up. “After I died I didn't expect to be reborn as Frisk, but I was. My family didn't want me so I was put up for adoption at the orphanage that sits near the base of the mountain. When I was old enough to explore, I decided that when I could I would try to find you. When I had fallen into the Underground, I found out I could reset the timeline to the point just before falling down again. I abused that power once I got back to the surface. The first few times I helped the monsters return, you were found either dead from suicide or were murdered; some happened while I was trying to free the monsters, other times it was just days after we got to the surface. I eventually decided I wouldn't stop until I made sure you were living still. After twenty resets or so, I remember feeling so angry and frustrated, that's when I got possessed by a spirit named Chara,” they said.

Cassandra had silently listened as they spoke. At the mention of Chara, she sighed. “Sans mentioned her to me also.. Said that she used you to kill everyone in the Underground,” she said.

Frisk nodded, “Yeah, thankfully I was able to reset, but not before I killed King Asgore and someone by the name of Flowey. But to finally end up in a timeline where you were alive... it was worth every single reset. I lost track of the amount of resets I did...”

“...I had asked Sans if we had met in previous timelines... I guess now I know why...” the brunette said. “...Were you really Benjamin?”

“Yeah. I remember we shared a bunk bed in the two story house further in the city. If you need me to prove it, I can give you the address of where we lived, and I can tell you which prison your mom is being held in,” they answered; they were feeling hopeful that she would believe them. “And I'm glad I was able to keep you alive. I don't want you to beat yourself up for not trying to save me; I wanted you to live, especially when I tried to wake up Dad..”

Tears once again started to fall down her cheeks as she shakily reached out to touch them. “You really were Benji... my brother...” she said softly before she started to cry; she quickly pulled him into a hug as she started to cry hard. “Benji... I've missed you so much..!”

Frisk sniffled as they held the brunette. Sensing it was okay, everyone began to approach the two who were hugging each other. “Cas, you okay?” Shadow asked as she walked closer.

“Shadow, they were my brother...” Cassandra sniffled.

The black haired female sighed before patting her friend on the head, “I know, Weirdo, I know. You okay right now?”

“Yeah, just a bit shocked is all... I don't know what to say right now,” the brunette said as she laughed lightly between sniffles.

“It'll be okay,” her friend soothed.

“How come you didn't tell me, child?” Toriel asked curiously.

“I wasn't sure how everyone would react knowing that I'm the reincarnation of a murdered child,” Frisk replied.

“That's horrible, but it is good to see a form of reunion,” the goat mom answered.

“Makes for a cool story, too!” Undyne grinned; she was trying to ease the atmosphere a bit.

Cassandra stood up before sighing softly, “I'm going to take a moment to breathe.. I need to clear my head.”

As she started to walk off, Shadow followed behind leaving the monsters and the kid to themselves. A comfortable silence hung over the two as they walked along the path at the park. “So I guess in a way you can say that your brother is still alive,” Shadow said after a moment.

“Yeah, I believe Frisk, but it's still hard for me to process. I'm just shocked...” Cassandra stated. “But I also feel relieved that they don't hold it against me that they died while I lived..”

“Don't start thinking like that or you'll end up going into depression again,” her friend warned. “You have no reason to feel guilty about surviving.”

“As many times as you tell me that, I still can't help but feel guilty,” the brunette muttered. “...One thing is cleared up though, I know why Sans wanted me to talk to Frisk. They were resetting the timeline because I apparently have died in other timelines; my death was the reason for the resets...”

“Huh.. You know, I don't know what to say to that. I didn't know there was a timeline or anything like that. It does make sense though. I guess that means you now need to talk to Sans and find out where you guys stand now.”

“I wonder if Frisk was worried that the information would be a shock and that it may trigger my depression further resulting in me trying to end my life again.”

“And I'm changing the subject before that rabbit hole continues,” Shadow interrupted. “I have only a couple more days til my mom picks me up, what do you want to do the rest of the time?”

Cassandra shrugged, “I'm not really sure. Honestly I just want to take it easy after these last few days. I need to distract my brain for a few days after this sudden amount of information.”

“That sounds like a good idea. You need a break again. How about we just watch some anime, draw, or just game like we did the other day? This way you are distracted and are not socializing to the point where you're exhausted anymore,” the black haired female said.

“Works for me. Man, while I do enjoy spending time with the monsters, it's like they bring out a side of me I don't like most to see.”

“Yeah, but it's a good thing. It means you're opening up and healing. The process sucks, but it's progress.”

The two continued their walk before returning back to the others. “Sorry about that guys,” Cassandra said. “I didn't mean to just run off like that.”

“'s alright,” Sans shrugged.

“We are here for you!” Papyrus chimed in.

“Thank you guys, it means the world to me. Shadow and I are going to head home though. We had fun though,” Cassandra smiled.

“We'll see you again soon sometime!” Undyne grinned.

“Yeah. I just need to clear my head and spend time with Shadow before she goes home; Spring break is almost over and she'll be heading back shortly,” the brunette shrugged.

After they all said goodbye, the two human females made their way back to the apartment where they were happily greeted by Hope. The rest of Shadow's stay was uneventful, and soon her mom had picked her up leaving Cassandra alone. The brunette was walking back home from work as she enjoyed the Spring air. She was feeling a bit more at peace with herself, and it was a nice change of pace. The young woman still tried to hide her scar on occasion, but it wasn't on her mind like it had been in the past. It was a few days after her friend left, so Cassandra had been busy with work and hadn't had time to hang out with any of the monsters. The brunette was kind of grateful though at the same time since it allowed her to think for herself, but she knew eventually her friends would get worried and insist on checking on her. Right now though she was just texting them back and forth when she had the time to.

Cassandra's work week went by quickly, and Saturday rolled around relatively quickly; she was nervously pacing the living room as she debated about hitting send on her phone. She needed to talk to Sans in person, and she knew it would awkward as all hell. With a sigh, she finally got the courage to hit send on the message that asked Sans to come over to talk. The brunette continued pacing for about five minutes as she chewed on her lip. “gee, you should pace yourself,”a familiar voice said; the sudden appearance of Sans caused Cassandra to jump slightly.

“Sans, you scared me,” the brunette sighed placing a hand over her heart.

“sorry bout that,” he shrugged. “what did ya wanna talk about?”

A very awkward atmostphere hung over the two as both of them knew what needed to be discussed. Cassandra had gotten them both a bottle of water before the two continued to stand in the living room waiting for the other to start. It felt like hours had gone by as they looked around the room and avoiding eye contact with each other. “I wanted to first of all thank you for suggesting I talk to Frisk.. I understand as to why you were hesitant to even consider getting into anything as far as the resets go. Did you talk to Frisk before I did?” the young woman asked finally breaking the silence.

“yeah, i talked to frisk two days before you and your friend went to the zoo,” Sans started as he sat on the couch. “i needed to ask them about the resets before decidin' on somethin'. now that you have, i think it's safe to talk.”

“I think Frisk was worried about telling me because I was at risk for suicide.. Had they told me before I got to know everyone and without Shadow here, I honestly think I may have,” Cassandra commented as she also sat on the couch. “As far as things go between the two of us, I know I still have feelings for you. When it comes to being a mess, I also have my own things that I still struggle with, but we have been open about our conversations more recently than when we first became friends. The more we talk, the more I want to know about you, and in return it makes me want to spent more time with you. It's a scary feeling for me. I've been in relationships before, but this is a different level than anything I've experienced. Part of me thinks it is because I rushed my past relationships and I never bothered telling them about my past if I could help it. I've told you and Papyrus something that I never let anyone else know outside of two other people, and it makes me feel vulnerable... This is what scares me.”

Sans listened and waited for a moment before chiming in. “i have no experience with any of it, and outside of frisk, you're the only one that knows of chara and the genocide timeline, so i know what ya mean in terms of not opening up. i'm not sure how i feel when it comes to me..” he started as a cyan blue started to dust his cheeks. “i know i have feelings for you, and part of me wants to be more than friends, but i'm nervous and a bit worried bout it.”

Cassandra let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. “How about this: instead of going into a traditional relationship, we start a trial run. Like an alpha test of sorts,” the brunette blushed as she continued. “Geez, that sounds nerdy as shit.. way to go me... but we try say a month or two of just a dating phase, and if we feel like it is working out or not working out, we talk about it at the end of the trial period. If there are any problems or bugs that need worked out that are minor, we can report those also.”

The skeleton chuckled, “that actually is a viable solution. i can agree to that. since you work throughout the week, why not set either saturdays or sundays as days we can hang out while the other is reserved to include paps?”

“I can agree to that, and if I have days off we can kind of wing it? Obviously there will be days throughout the week where we hang out with everyone, but the weekend with just you guys works better for me. How about Saturdays it will just be you and me, and then Sundays will be with Papyrus? Saturdays I usually have lower energy due to work, and I'll need the higher energy to keep up with your brother,” the brunette said. “As far as physical contact like hand holding, I get uncomfortable doing things like that in front of people, so I suggest we set that out until we know where we stand at the end of the trial run unless we are comfortable with it.”

“that works. how about we talk about any potential issues durin' the trial every two weeks, therefor if there are any problems we can discuss them more regularly?”

“I'm good with that. So, now that we are on the same page, when would you want to start the trial? Do we go ahead and start the trial today, or wait til next week?”

“since we already agreed on it, wouldn't it make sense for the trial start today?”

“You do have a fair point... man, I thought this would get less awkward, but it still is..”

Sans chuckled as he stood up to grab the TV remote before returning to the couch and sitting back down next to Cassandra. “what do you feel like watchin'?” he asked; he knew if nothing else the atmosphere would leave once they got distracted by something.

“Do you like documentaries? There are a couple that seem to be very interesting, and I especially want to check out the World's Most Wanted,” Cassandra replied; the awkward atmosphere was leaving already.

Chapter Text

Once the two finished the five episodes of World's Most Wanted, Cassandra and Sans decided to watch City of Fear: New York VS the Mafia. “I may not like violent shows too often, I enjoy watching shows like this; it's fascinating to try to understand how the human mind works. Take serial killers for example: I want to know what is going through their mind, why they would do it, and so on. I could never do it, but it's definitely a morbid curiosity,” Cassandra said. There was a couple of times where she'd look away and focus on Hope, however, if she saw something that got a little too close to home for her in terms of violence.

“the history behind some of this is both disturbing and fascinatin'. have most humans always had a violent past?” Sans asked.

“Oh for sure. As an example, in Rome they used to put gladiators up against each other for entertainment. People would cheer on who would win in the Colosseums as men were slaughtered. Usually the ones who died for the entertainment were slaves who were trying to earn a higher social status and gain honor. I'd recommend doing some research on it, I personally love the history of Roman civilization along with the mythology that surrounds it,” she replied. “I like history because it allows me to learn from the past.”

“that makes sense. you don't wanna repeat history,” he hummed in thought. “i figured you'd hate these kinds of shows honestly.”

“On the contrary, I like seeing how investigators work. I like seeing how they put the evidence together while also hearing how it was done. It's like a puzzle in a way. A very aggressive puzzle, mind you, but a puzzle none the less. Humans can be aggressive, but you also have those that have an air of kindness about them.”

Sans took a mental note as they continued to watch Netflix. “I'm going to get a drink, would you like anything?” Cassandra asked as she stood up and headed to the kitchen.

“sure, just surprise me,” the skeleton replied as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

Humming slightly to herself, the brunette grabbed two wine glasses before filling the two with the red alcohol. She sat on the couch next to Sans and handed him a glass. “I figured that the wine would help take the rest of the unease from the atmosphere,” Cassandra explained when she saw his raised eye ridge.

“just don't get drunk again,” Sans winked.

“I'm just having the one glass, so no worries,” the brunette shrugged. “Don't get me wrong, I'm having fun, but I still feel an amount of awkwardness.” She smiled a bit before taking a sip of her wine.

“i feel like it'll be there for a couple of days before it goes naturally,” he said as he also took a sip.

“Probably. Since we're back on the subject, do you have any dating preferences? From the amount of time we've talked and interacted I gathered that you're a very laid back person.”

“i don't have experience with that, so i'll probably be takin' pointers from others.”

“Makes sense, I recommend staying away from magazines like Cosmopolitan because they have very bad advice, especially in regards to 'pleasing men' in the bedroom. Some of their shit is just flat out bad advice. If you are looking for pointers, I'd recommend asking people who you know who dated. Me, for example, this is nice. It allows for me to talk to get to know you while also being comfortable and not worrying about social pressure from strangers. Most women like being taken to a restaurant, but I'd rather have a meal at home and relax. You may not think it, but dating in public is stressful for some people because you're being watched by other couples and are expected to meet a certain standard,” Cassandra scratched her head and blushed slightly after she finished her rant. “Sorry, I got carried away there... I don't mean to run my mouth..”

“cas, you're fine, ya don't gotta apologize. i'll keep that in mind though,” Sans said.

The brunette nodded as she took another sip of her wine. “I'll try to stop apologizing when I voice my opinion or get passionate. It's one of the many things I need to fix,” she said.

“i'd like to get ya more comfortable with lookin' people in the eye,” he said also.

The young woman frowned as she looked at the skeleton. “I don't know if I can do that... I still feel too vulnerable to do so....” she sighed.

“you should try though, you have a nice eye color,” he said as he blushed slightly.

Cassandra's cheeks flushed before taking another sip. “Not that nice of an eye color...” she muttered more towards herself.

Sans didn't push the compliment as he recalled Shadow saying she never could handle compliments from others. A comfortable atmosphere came over the two as they watched television and occasionally chatted or made a joke. “So the question is, do we tell the others? I have a feeling that Papyrus will find out at some point, and once he does the others will know shortly after...” Cassandra said.

“i'm indifferent. if it comes up there's no harm in sayin' anythin', but otherwise i'd be okay not talkin' about it,” Sans answered; his phone began ringing and he shook his head at seeing his brother's name. “sup bro?” he answered.

“Brother, I have been looking for you! Where are you?!” Cassandra heard Papyrus through the phone.

“i'm at cas' place; we needed to talk 'bout somethin',” the older brother answered.

“Oh! I will be right over!” the taller skeleton declared before hanging up.

“i guess we'll have company shortly,” Sans chuckled.

Cassandra smiled and shook her head, “I guess he'll be finding out today about our little conversation. I'll put on something a little more appropriate for Papyrus.”

The brunette reached around Sans to pick up the remote before browsing Netflix for something else to watch. “Think he'd like a documentary on animals? Or would he like something else like an action movie?” she asked as she browsed.

“knowin' paps he'll want to play a game like we usually do when we come over,” Sans answered.

“That's fair. How much you want to bet things will get awkward again initially?” the brunette asked as she went to the kitchen to start prepping snack foods.

“it probably will, but it won't last long I don't think,” he replied as he followed her to the kitchen to watch as he finished his glass of wine.

“Yeah, you're probably right. I tend to be a worry wart, I'm sorry,” Cassandra said as she pulled out celery to chop into bite sized pieces; she then got peanut butter to put in the crevice of the celery stick.

Sans leaned on the counter near Cassandra so he could look at her face as she focused on setting crackers and pepperoni on a plate before chopping some cheese to go with the snack. “you don't need to apologize,” Sans pressed.

The brunette blushed slightly as she continued to focus on cutting the cheese. She took the sliced cheese and put them on the same plate as the crackers and pepperoni slices. It wasn't long until Papyrus arrived and knocked on the door. Cassandra walked to the door and opened it with a smile, “Hey Pap, sorry about not telling you that Sans came over.”

“It's quite alright, human! But I am curious as to why you needed to talk to my brother!” Papyrus said as he walked in the opened door.

The young woman looked at Sans as she blushed slightly. “Well... I needed to talk to him about something before we agreed to kinda sorta start dating?” Cassandra said as she looked at the ground and fidgeted with her hands.

Papyrus snapped his attention at the young woman before looking at his brother who was also blushing. The younger brother began looking between the two quickly as he processed that information. “You are dating?!” he exclaimed after a moment.

“I-In a way.. we are going through a trial period before deciding if we want to be boyfriend/girlfriend or whatever. It's just something we want to take easy to be sure that we are comfortable with,” the young woman clarified as she moved the snacks to the side table by the couch.

“Wowie! This is exciting!” Papyrus said; he immediately pulled out his phone presumably to tell someone else the news.

“I called it,” Cassandra said as she went back to the kitchen to pour herself more wine. “More awkward atmosphere, but it should go away soon.”

Sans only chuckled as he moved back to the couch, “'salright, at least we can now distract ourselves with games. shall we level the playin' field?”

The brunette laughed a bit before finding a seat on the ground, “Alright, now that that's out of the way, what game shall we play?”

“Can we play Sequence?” Papyrus asked as he joined the brunette on the ground.

The three spent the rest of the day playing board games before the late evening rolled around. The brothers stood at her doorway as she smiled fondly at them. After giving each a hug, they waved goodbye before getting in Papyrus' car and heading home. The brunette watched them drive away before she pulled out her phone to call her best friend. “Hello?” her friend answered after the second ring.

“Hey, Shadow. So I have some news for you,” Cassandra started.

“Okay..?”

“So, you know how I needed to talk to Sans since I talked to Frisk?”

“Yeah, did you guys finally get to chat?”

“Yeah... and now we are going through a dating trial thing.”

“Congrats, I know you are really excited about that.”

“Hush. But I wanted to let you know. We're giving it a month or so before we decide anything though.”

“Well that's good, you don't want to rush into anything. I do have a quiz I'm about to take though, so I have to let you go. Bye, Weirdo!”

Cassandra smiled as she hung up. Now alone with her thoughts, she sat down on the couch as her smile started to fade. She wasn't upset or anything, she was just embracing the calm. She still had a few doubts about Frisk really being her brother, but only because it was too good to be true. On top of that, she was fortunate enough to be able to date someone who was patient with her and not wanting to rush into things. The brunette pulled Hope into her lap and pet her lovingly as she flipped through Netflix to try to find something to watch. She stayed on the couch for a bit until it was time for her to go shower before going to bed. “Thank you for coming over to talk. Have a good night, Sans,” she texted the skeleton before attaching her phone to the charger once she showered and walked Hope.

“'s no problem. sleep well, cas,” he replied.

She smiled to herself as she crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling with the dog on her lap. Things were getting better, and she was super grateful. She thought about Frisk and of them claiming to be the reincarnation of Benjamin and sighed. She now had more questions, and she knew that if Frisk was being honest, then they and her mother were the only ones who could answer them. Shadow was correct though about one thing: she had every reason to hate her mom. Part of Cassandra did despise that woman with every fiber of her being, while the other wanted to show her pity. She didn't know which she should lean towards. Sure, she wanted to forgive, but why should she forgive someone who was filled with anger and hate? Her birth parent took away her brother. That caused Cassandra to pause though. If Frisk was her brother, then if her brother would have lived would the monsters be free? It was definitely something that was impossible to answer. Sighing, she closed her eyes and allowed her drowsiness to overcome and let her sleep.

Cassandra frowned when she recognized the room she was standing in; she knew it all too well. Fear started to claw at her heart as she stared at the two sleeping forms on the bunk bed that sat against the dark blue wall; the walls looked to be mostly plain other than a few sun and moon wall hangings. “Wake up!” she called to them, but they continued to sleep. “Get out of bed! Run!”

It was no use, they didn't budge from their slumber. The brunette choked back a sob as she tried to wake the sleeping form of her brother, but her hands phased through him. She continued to try to wake the pair until a familiar figure opened the door and stepped through. Her mother's pajamas were covered in blood along with the chef knife that the woman gripped tightly in her hand, her knuckles white as her green eyes narrowed in disgust at the two sleeping figures. “No... Please.. No...” Cassandra cried as she watched her mother approach the bunk bed.

Her mother got on the ladder and reached for the sleeping thirteen year old on the top, the knife outstretched before she aggressively slashed at her face. The teenage Cassandra sat up startled before shielding herself with her arms as her mother continued to attack her. The teenager screamed and cried, begging for her mother to stop. Her cries woke up Benjamin from his sleep, snapping him on high alert before taking in scene of their mother attacking his sister. The boy scrambled out of bed before shoving his mother to the ground before looking at Cassandra from his spot on the carpet. “Run! Go get help!” he exclaimed as their mother got up again.

The teenager nodded as she jumped from the top bunk; she scrambled to her feet as she cried in pain, blood running down her face and hands. Dream Cassandra chocked back a sob when she saw her mom swing at her brother, and the twenty-seven year old screamed and sobbed as she was pulled away from her brother as the teenager ran to their neighbor's.

A bite on the wrist woke the young woman up who was now sitting up and trying to get her breathing under control; Hope let go of the girl's wrist before she gently nudged the girl's hand and licked it to let the distressed human know that she wasn't alone. Cassandra grabbed her pillow before placing her head against the fabric and screaming all the sorrow away that she could as she sobbed. She usually never remembered her night terrors, but this one was clear as day. She continued to scream and sob into her pillow until it was just a silent fall of tears that fell. Sorrow was all she could feel in that moment, and she was feeling more alone than ever before. Cassandra sniffled as she pet Hope's head, “Good girl, good girl...”

The dog just softly wagged her tail at the praise before going back to licking the girl's hand; Hope didn't draw blood when she bit the girl's hand, but it would definitely leave a light bruise. The young woman removed the blankets from the bed after gently picking up the Terrier, and she grabbed her pillow before moving to the couch and turned on the television. She went back to her room to pick up her phone before returning to the couch where she promptly laid down. The brunette went to her contacts before finding the person she wanted to talk to. “You awake?” she sent to Shadow; she figured it would be a 'no' since it was two o'clock in the morning.

Cassandra flipped through Netflix until she settled on watching The Croods. When she didn't hear back from her friend, she went to someone else in her contacts that she hoped to hear from. “Knock knock,” the brunette sent to Sans.

The young woman was watching movies and shows until it was eight in the morning. Cassandra got off the couch to take Hope on another walk before feeding the Terrier. When she sat back down, she looked at her phone to see a few messages. “Sorry, I was asleep. Did you have another night terror?” Shadow had replied.

“Yeah, only this time I remember it... I don't want to think about it though since it was a replay of...that...” Cassandra answered.

The brunette opened up the second message. “who's there?” Sans had responded.

“Alien,” she responded to Sans as she went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

“alien who?”

“Um, how many aliens do you know?” Cassandra's phone buzzed after her reply to Sans, and she opened a text from Shadow. “Geez... You gonna be okay? Want me to send someone over to keep you company for the day?” her friend had sent.

“I'll be okay, thank you though. Hope woke me up from my sleep by biting my wrist, so I'm giving her extra attention today,” the brunette responded.

Another phone buzz caught the young woman's attention, and she opened up another text from Sans. “i take it you didn't sleep too well considering the time stamp on your message,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but it's okay. I just gotta keep myself occupied and stay away from anything that is potentially negative. I may go by the dance studio later to see if that helps,” Cassandra answered.

“do you need for me and pap to come over?” he asked.

“Nah, I'll be alright, don't worry about me; I look like hell anyways and I'd rather you guys do what you like to do without me getting in the way,” she replied.

“it wouldn't be a problem, so get that out of your head, and ya wouldn't be in the way.”

Cassandra felt a bit guilty at that but sighed as she started to put on yoga pants, sports bra, and a tank top so she could go to the dance studio to burn off some stress. “I'm sorry. I will be okay though; I'm about to head out so I'll talk at ya later. Adios Amigo!” she sent.

Once the brunette put her phone in her pocket that was along the side of her pants and grabbed her duffel bag filled with bottle water, she locked up her apartment and started walk down the street. She had noticed that last week the fighting in the upstairs apartment was no longer going on, so she mentally noted to investigate that later. She made it to her dance studio unaware that she had been followed by Sans who was slightly worried. Before she had mentioned that she was heading out, the skeleton had decided to take a shortcut to Cassandra's place; when she had opened the door he dipped out of sight to silently follow behind. The brunette had never let anyone see her dance just yet, and he was curious enough to tag along in silence to find out what took place in the dance studio.

Sans watched as she opened the door to the dance studio to greet another young woman with blonde hair that was in the building. After chatting for a bit, the brunette entered a doorway where she stood on a flat tiled floor. The skeleton quietly opened to door and sat in the side room that had chairs where he could watch while the young woman stretched her muscles. Once she finished her warm up, she waited as her dance instructor went over to the stereo. “You remember what you learned last week?” she asked.

“For which dance? Ready or Coco?” Cassandra asked; she hadn't noticed the monster in the seating area, or the fact that Papyrus and Undyne walked into the side room also. Sans had to quickly tell them to be quiet.

“Ready by Charmes,” the instructor confirmed.

“Yeah, I'm good to go,” the brunette responded as she took position.

The blonde hit play on the stereo as the song started to play through the studio, the giant mirror reflecting the brunette as she mentally counted until the end of the second eight count. The young woman moved her feet in a way that looked like she was gliding along the floor as her arms were out to help keep her balance as she watched her feet as they pointed and flattened against the floor as she positioned them. Cassandra controlled some body isolations as the beat continued to build. The instructor watched as the brunette kept in time to both the rhythm and the beat, growing more confident as the beat dropped. Sans watched in surprise at the look the brunette had on her face as she danced; each movement was precise, powerful, and there was an air of confidence that she never had before as she owned the floor. Once the beat drop ended, the instructor clapped and turned off the music. Papyrus and Undyne joined in the clapping which caused Cassandra's head to snap in their direction, a blush forming across her cheeks as that confidence completely deflated.

“Wowie! I didn't know you were so talented!” Papyrus exclaimed.

The brunette blushed further and she dug her toes into the ground, “I'm not that talented.. what brings you three here?”

“Papyrus told me that you and Sans started dating, so I needed to find out for myself. Papyrus saw Sans here once we started looking for him since he wouldn't answer his phone, and that led us here,” Undyne answered.

“O-Oh...Well, I guess me dancing is out of the bag now...” she sighed. “I wasn't sure if I was ready for anyone to see other than Shadow, but that's out in the open now.”

“ya got some real talent there, cas. like i say, don't sell yourself short,” Sans encouraged.

“But is it true, are you two dating?!” the fish monster pressed.

“Kinda. We're in a trial phase right now and see how things are in a month. We want to be sure that we are comfortable with each other before deciding on a relationship,” Cassandra answered.

Undyne seemed to accept this as she pulled out her phone to text Alphys the confirmation. The brunette grabbed a bottle of water that she brought with her and started to drink before wiping some sweat off her forehead with a hand towel. “My dance practice is going on for about an hour, so you guys can do whatever. I don't want you to get bored,” Cassandra said as she put her water bottle down.

“Actually if anything it looks like fun!” Papyrus said. “I want to watch another dance!”

The brunette blushed slightly before returning to the room with the mirrors. The dance instructor was amused by the interaction between the group, and had watched until the brunette returned to the floor. “Okay, we'll see what you remember with the other one now,” the blonde said.

With a nod, Cassandra took position as she got ready to dance to the song Coco by Black Caviar. The trio in the room watched as she danced in a suggestive manner to the song (not a surprise considering the song). Papyrus was too innocent to understand the meaning of the lyrics and dance moves, but Sans picked up on it, and a light blush was covering his cheek bones as he watched the young woman dance around with the confidence that made her shine like never before. Undyne honestly looked really into the dance also, but she was viewing it as a way to be competitive. Once she finished that one, she took another breather to take a few more sips of her water before returning. The instructor then came back to teach another section for both dances. The hour was soon up, and the four began walking down the street. “That seemed fun! Do you get anything out of dancing?” Undyne asked.

“Well, it's a good way to stay fit, but they do hold dance competitions if you choose to enter. If your scores are high enough you can win a trophy depending on your score,” Cassandra answered.

“That actually sounds pretty cool!” the fish monster said. “Do you compete?”

“Nope, and I have no intentions to. I competed in the past, and that is a whole different world in terms of stress. With everything I currently struggle with, that would send me into overload. I use it as a stress reliever to try to relax my mind,” the brunette answered.

“Sans said you had another night terror last night. You going to be okay?” Papyrus asked.

Cassandra nodded as she stared at her feet, “Yeah, they will be a random occurrence for the rest of my life; well, if you listen to my past psychiatrists...”

“It is settled! Sans and I will stay with you tonight to be sure you are okay!” the taller skeleton declared.

The brunette shook her head with a small smile as they all headed to the ice cream shop. Today was shaping up to be another good day.

Chapter Text

Cassandra was having a bad day. She started off irritated just because she was tired of hearing the alarm, and one thing lead to another as it progressively got worse. From breaking a dish on accident to being late for work due to having to clean it up and people not paying attention while driving thanks to the traffic lights out. While she was at work, she wound up getting cussed at by a lady who thought that she wasn't doing her job well enough; Cassandra at the time was examining a cat that the woman had brought in. Despite doing her best to check before getting the feline to the vet, the entitled woman proceeded to swear at the brunette for not being skilled enough to give diagnostics on the feline right there and then. The woman was asked to leave for her attitude, and Cassandra took it upon herself to get a vet appointment for the ill cat. Once she was off work, she had to ride home in a downpour causing the brunette to have to book it which got her cussed at since she wasn't paying too much mind to traffic. It was stupid on her part, but she didn't want to be out in the rain longer than she had to.

The young woman quickly removed her soaked clothing before going to the bathroom to get in the shower to get rid of shivers that had started to rake through her body. Once she was cleaned, she wrapped a towel around herself before returning to the living room to lay her wallet and other objects out to allow them to dry since her bag got soaked as well. The brunette scowled as she stared at the inanimate objects as she allowed them to dry. As she made her way to her room to get dressed, she stubbed her toe before falling on the floor in her attempt to get off of her foot that suffered the hit. She was fed up with the day at this point. With a very loud groan she got up to get dressed; the young woman ignored her buzzing phone since she didn't want to spread her negative energy to anyone else. On top of the negative that happened, she kept getting phone calls from the same random number all day despite her always ignoring the stupid call. Whoever it was never bothered to leave a message either. Wanting to forget about the day, Cassandra had taken care of Hope before laying down. She felt bad for not really chatting with Sans, but she was in a sour mood and had no intentions of putting that mood on others.

As the week progressed, things got worse for the young woman. By the time Thursday rolled around, Cassandra was already done and was looking forward to the weekend. She just vented to Sans that she was having a bad week and would tell him about it come Saturday. He was still concerned, but he accepted the response. The brunette had stopped at her mailbox before heading into her apartment. Once she set the mail on the counter, she went to the bathroom to remove her muddy work clothes. After she showered she returned to the mail only to see something from her landlord. Raising an eyebrow, she opened the letter to see a notice of a late payment. “Oh for fucks sake! Of course I would forget!” she growled as she went to her wallet to write a check. “God I'm such an idiot!”

Cassandra immediately sealed the check in the envelope to be sure to deliver the payment to the main office first thing in the morning since she knew the office was closed. With newly added frustration, the young woman looked at the rest of the mail. Most of it was junk mail, minus one that came from Ebott Prison. The brunette blinked at the envelope before slowly opening it. It was the first time that she had received anything from them, and she didn't know if it was in regards to her mother passing in jail or what. Chewing on her lip, she stopped what she was doing before pulling out her phone to call her friend just in case. After dialing, she held the phone up to her ear patiently until Shadow answered. “Hello?” her friend said after a couple rings.

“Hey, so I just got a letter in the mail from Ebott Prison...” Cassandra began. “I'm honestly nervous to open it up, especially since I've been having a very shit week. With how things have been I'm half expecting a demon to crawl out of the envelope.”

“Geez...Well, I'll be here to try to help calm you down or call someone in case it's something that is that bad,” Shadow said. “How come you didn't call me since you've been having a bad week?”

“I didn't want to be a burden and spread my negative energy,” the brunette answered as she continued to open up the letter. “You know how...I.. am....”

“What's wrong?” the black haired female immediately asked when her friend slowed down in her speech. The only thing that Shadow could recognize was the sound of the phone being dropped on the other end. “Cas? Hello? Cas?! Shit...”

Cassandra had dropped the phone and the letter as she stared ahead, her mind processing what she had just read. She shook her head before shakily picking up the letter to re read the words. She honestly wish she hadn't confirmed. A familiar churning of both panic and nausea flooded her system as she stared and read the letter in her hand. Her phone was forgotten as horror proceeded to wash over the young woman. Cassandra's breathing began to pick up, and her shaking was progressively getting worse because of the fear. She didn't register that she had backed away from the letter as she sat in the corner of the living room beside the bookshelf that was behind the couch. She was on the same side of the door and in her eyes she was safe and away from the sight of others as she fell apart. As she struggled to control her breath, she began clawing at the sides of her head, as she clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to disappear in that moment. Unknown to the brunette, Shadow had shot Sans a text telling him that something was wrong. The black haired female continued to try to shout to reach her friend.

The brunette couldn't hear her friend though, her mind was too loud and the darkness was threatening to suffocate her. She see the figure of Sans as he stepped into the living room from one of his “shortcuts” since her eyes were clenched shut. Sans winced when he saw the young woman trying to fight off the intense amount of panic that surrounded her soul that was dangerously close to becoming black. One scar in particular that adorned her soul (in the same way the scar on her face did) was becoming more distinct, as if it was reopening. The skeleton saw the phone on the floor before picking it up. “Cas? You okay?” Shadow asked after hearing the phone move.

“'s not cas; i just got here, and she's in the corner of the livin' room,” Sans answered as he also noticed the paper on the floor.

“What is she doing on the floor? Are her eyes opened or closed?” the black haired female immediately asked.

“nah, they're shut tight, she's grippin' her hair, rockin' back and forth, and she has shallow short breaths,” the skeleton answered as he approached Cassandra.

“Shit, snap her out of it. If you don't she'll actually start scratching her head more than she probably already has which will make her scalp bleed from her breaking skin. Sit by her, tell her to take deep breaths, hand her Hope since she's home, instruct her to focus on petting her,” the brunette's friend instructed.

Sans sighed as he looked around the room to find Hope; he saw the Terrier on the couch asleep unaware of the situation. The skeleton gently picked up the dog before approaching Cassandra and sat in front of her. “cas, breath slowly, okay? with me, in and out,” Sans said as he mimicked what Shadow had done in the park that day.

Cassandra's eyes opened at hearing the sound of Sans close to her. She looked into his eyes before looking at Hope. Noticing where her gaze fell, the skeleton handed Hope to the terrified young woman. “shadow says to pet her, focus on her,” he instructed.

Eventually the brunette start to cry as she hugged Hope; the dog happily licked her owner's face which got a soft laugh from the young woman. “she's cryin' now,” Sans said into the phone.

“Good, that means she's clear right now for panicking. She was reading a letter that came in when she started to panic, if you can I want you to read it to me,” Shadow said.

Cassandra saw Sans hold up the paper that was in his hand as he started to adjust the paper to read. The brunette shook her head before taking the paper away. The skeleton frowned, “shadow asked me to read it to her, cas.”

The young woman once again shook her head and held her hand out for her phone. Understanding, Sans nodded before handing the device to Cassandra. The brunette put the phone on speaker before sighing shakily. “I-I'm sorry about that, Shadow...” she said.

“It's okay, Weirdo, nothing to apologize for. What did the letter say that caused you to panic?” Shadow asked.

Cassandra sniffled and wiped at her eyes before looking at the paper. “I'll try to read it.. Just be patient with me in case I can't finish it...” she began before clearing her throat. “Dear Cassandra, you probably don't remember me considering you never bothered to write. I wanted to apologize for whatever pain I may have caused, and I guess writing will have to do since you never answer your phone. But I've been granted more freedom on account of good behavior, and I would love to see you again. Why not come by and visit your d-d-d-”

The young woman shuddered as she started to shake again, her voice straining as she suppressed the venom that threatened to leave her in the sentence she was stuck on. “It's okay, take a breath,” Shadow said; she was currently trying not to yell in anger at the fact her friend's mother had the gal to write to her weirdo.

Cassandra took a deep breath before continuing to read the letter, “Why not come by and visit your dear mother? I never got the chance to spend time with you, and spending time in prison has made me realize the amount of wrong I have done. I do have some more good news, if I continue my good behavior, I can be let out on parole in about a year or less. Isn't that great? I can be back in your life. Please come and visit and see for yourself how much I've changed. Love, your mother.”

Silence overcame the three as she finished reading the letter. “Cas, I know I previously said that you shouldn't visit, but now I think you need to figure out what the hell is going on. I feel like there is a silent threat in that letter,” Shadow warned after she processed what her friend said.

Sans' head snapped towards the phone as he glared slightly, “won't that only add to her stress?”

“Yes, but if she's out on parole, she may go after Cassandra. If she can talk to her mom and get a real answer, maybe the guards will see she is still dangerous and shouldn't be able to go on parole. I highly doubt that the bitch has changed so I feel like this was sent to intentionally antagonize,” the black haired female explained.

The skeleton listened as he carefully watched the young woman in front of him as she tried to control her shaking hands. “S-Shadow is right.. out of how long I've known her, my mother would never try to make amends... she has an agenda, and I need to figure out what it is...” the brunette said quietly. “I've been wanting to confront her anyways, to get some answers...”

Sans frowned as he looked at the young woman, “cas, you sure you want to? this ain't gonna be easy...”

“Sans is right. Just let me know when you plan on going so I can at the very least be there for you. I don't want you to have to face it alone if I can help it,” Shadow said.

“I will, I don't know how visiting works, but if I can have you with me I will...” Cassandra said as her shaking eased a bit.

The skeleton placed his hand on the young woman's to try to comfort her. “i'll go too; i want to help where i can, and since i can spot lies, i'll be most useful,” he chimed in.

“Okay, then it's settled. But for right now, have a group of friends stay the night and take off work tomorrow. You probably aren't going to sleep tonight knowing you and you don't need to be at work with the possible threat of having to deal with your mother. You probably will end up having a few night terrors the next couple of nights...” Shadow pointed out.

“paps and i can stay with her until she's in the clear,” Sans stated. “we'll be sure to keep her distracted.”

“If she goes quiet make sure that she isn't chewing on her lip or picking at the skin around her nails. Both of those are signs that she is letting negative thoughts win,” the black haired female instructed.

“You know I am right here and I can hear you,” Cassandra laughed lightly as she wiped her eyes. “You don't have to worry about me so much ya know...”

“With your bad week on top of this, there is much reason to worry about you, Weirdo. I know you well enough to know this has a chance of sending you into a depression kick,” Shadow said.

“I do appreciate your worry, I truly do. Thank you both of you. I'll let ya go Shadow, I know I made you worry enough,” the brunette said with a sigh.

“You're fine, you don't need to feel bad for me helping you out. Hey, Sans, keep an eye out for her since I can't would ya? i need to be sure she isn't going to hurt herself.”

“yeah, i got ya,” Sans replied before looking at the now scowling Cassandra.

After saying their goodbyes, the young woman hung up before standing up and staring at her feet. “I'm sorry for getting you involved... I don't mean to burden you also,” Cassandra said after a moment.

Sans sighed as his eye sockets closed briefly. When he opened his eyes back up he shook his head before leading the brunette to the couch. “okay, bug report: you do not need to feel like a burden for involvin' me in your life. we both knew that the other was strugglin' with our pasts, but part of datin' means we will share our lives,” he began after they sat down. “ya can't beat yourself up for tellin' me somethin' that's bothering you.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry.. I've never been good with opening up and not feeling bad about it. I will try my best to do better in that regard,” the brunette muttered.

“and you don't have to keep apologizin'” the skeleton shook his head. “but you did say you'd tell me about your week.”

And so Cassandra told Sans about her week from being annoyed to the silly alarm clock to forgetting to pay her rent and all else in between. Sans patiently listened before sending a text to Papyrus to instruct the younger brother to get a few items for them to stay at the very least three days. “we are gonna play board games or somethin' to at least change the tone of the week,” Sans said once he put his phone away.

“I could definitely use a change of pace after everything that happened... I haven't had a week like this in a long time...”Cassandra sighed.

Sans stood up and went to the kitchen; after finding a couple of glasses, he found a bottle of rum in the cupboard before pouring what he thought was an appropriate amount. Little did he know, he poured roughly the same amount as wine not really knowing that human liquor was different than wine. He brought the glasses to the couch and handed one to Cassandra. The brunette raised an eyebrow at the glass before shaking her head in amusement. “You do know that liquor is usually meant to be taken at a slower pace than wine, right? One serving is an ounce and a half. This amount will get me drunk as hell very quickly,” she laughed.

The skeleton thought for a moment before shrugging and sitting back down on the couch. He took a sip and noted that the alcohol was indeed stronger than the wine was, but still nothing compared to monster alcohol. 'i should get her to try some from grillby's,' he mused to himself.

Cassandra took a swig of the drink, her noes crinkling slightly from the bite of the alcohol. The young woman swallowed a few extra times to get the left over flavor out of her mouth before chuckling, “I apologize for whatever will happen when I finish this glass.”

“i'm sure you could use somethin' to relieve the tension, so if ya gotta get drunk to help, then it won't be a problem,” Sans chuckled as he took another sip.

The brunette hummed in thought as she drank another bit of rum before turning on the television, but instead of going to Netflix, she moved to YouTube to listen to music as they talked and drank. It wasn't long until there was a knock on the door and a familiar loud voice sounded from outside. “Human! Brother! I am here!” Papyrus shouted.

Cassandra laughed lightly before moving to the door to let the younger brother in. “Hey, pap. How have you been?” she asked as she moved aside for the skeleton to get through.

“I have been great! I was running at the park before I got the message from Sans!” the taller skeleton said as he pulled in two huge suitcases full of things. “My brother has informed me that you've had a bad week, so I brought some games and my karaoke machine!”

The young woman smiled and shook her head, “Well aren't you a sweetheart. I do appreciate it.”

“What kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to cheer you up when you are upset?!” Papyrus asked as smiled at his friend. “Besides, you are dating my brother, and since I am the cool one I need to look out for you as well!”

“ya, you can chill out with us,” Sans winked as he took another drink of his wine.

Papyrus groaned as Cassandra laughed, her mood already improving significantly. “Well, while you get settled I'll set up the karaoke and we can have some fun since I am already starting to get a nice buzz going,” the young woman grinned.

“That sounds like a plan! Will we be camping out in the living room like we usually do?!” the younger brother asked.

“Of course, I don't see why we can't. I'll just scoot the couch back and pull on the blankets out closer to the time we want to wind down for some sleep,” Cassandra replied as Papyrus opened up the suitcase that held the music machine.

It didn't take long to get everything set up, and Papyrus had insisted on starting off the musical evening. He picked Eye of the Tiger which he sang very loudly, but not very off key much to Cassandra's amusement. She watched him belt out the lyrics as she sipped on her rum, the burn of the liquor no longer bothering her. When the skeleton finished singing, both her and Sans clapped. “you feline fine?” Sans asked.

Papyrus scowled at the bad joke before handing the microphone to his brother. “Since you made a bad joke! I am forcing you to participate!” the taller skeleton decided.

Sans just shrugged and stood up. He chose the easiest song to sing that he could think of: Tequila. Papyrus glared at his brother with a groan, “Sans, you lazy bones! You did that on purpose!”

When the older brother finished his song, he handed the microphone to Cassandra. Unlike last time, she was still sober, so she was a bit nervous about singing in front of the brothers. She thought of a song as she looked through her choices. Smiling when she saw the song, she clicked on it and waited as the intro played. “I just want to be okay, be okay, be okay I just want to be okay today. I just want to be okay, be okay, be okay I just want to be okay today. I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today I just want to feel something today. I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today I just want to feel something today. Open me up and you will see I'm a gallery of broken hearts. I'm beyond repair, let me be, and give me back my broken parts,” she sang along as Be Okay played through the television.

Her singing while still sober was different than when she was drunk. She actually had a decent voice and managed to keep on pitch despite her buzz. Sans watched as Cassandra sang her heart and frustration into the song, her shoulders easing from the tension every so slightly. When her first song choice ended, she decided to sing Lash Out by Alice Merton. Cassandra counted in her mind as the intro played before putting all of her emotion into the song, “I can feel it on the back of my tongue, all of the words getting trapped in my lungs. Heavy like a stone, waiting for the river to run. I wanna lash out. I wanna let it out. 'Cause I can feel it on the back of my tongue, on the back of my tongue. Oh, hard to hold this fire inside me. All I know, sometimes it's frightening. Hard to hold this fire inside me. Oh, oh oh, it's not really like me to lash out, I gotta let it out.”

As she sang her second song, both of the brothers looked at each other before looking at the young woman who had a fire in her eyes that wasn't there previously. Cassandra didn't pay them any mind, as she sang she thought about her mother and had come to a very important decision: she had to confront her mother, and she'd be damned if she would let that bitch continue to scare her any further. She was tired of being a coward, and with her friends she knew she had support, and even more so than before. She felt like she could take control of her fears and push through despite the fight that promised to come with it. When the song ended though, that courage left her leaving her feeling happy to be with two of her favorite people in the world. The karaoke continued well into the night until Cassandra was too drunk to continue after two glasses of rum. As she had warned, she was even more giggly than last time much to Sans' amusement.

Chapter Text

Cassandra was in a weird mood. She was currently sitting on the floor staring at Hope who was on the couch where the brunette usually sat. Sans watched in amusement from the other arm rest as she slowly moved to poke her dog on the nose. Hope just licked the young woman's finger affectionately as her tail wagged; the Terrier was just happy to be getting the affection from her human. The brunette grinned before kissing the dog's head and gently grabbing the dog's front paws and moving them. “You have the cutest beans,” Cassandra cooed.

“What are beans?” Papyrus asked from his spot in the kitchen. He was getting himself something to drink.

“It's my way of saying paws because this dog is the most precious lovable pupper on the planet,” the young woman said as she continued to play with Hope's paws.

“she's pawsitively the best dog,” Sans winked.

Papyrus scowled at his brother as Cassandra snickered at the bad joke. The young woman continued to play with the fur baby's paws as Papyrus sat back on the couch with a cup of tea. “You are in a really good mood despite having a night terror last night,” the younger brother pointed out.

Cassandra's smile faltered slightly as she thought of herself waking up screaming again; the two brothers had immediately comforted her when she shot awake. The two had laid on either side of her to calm her down, and to the brunette's surprise she had fallen back asleep. The young woman blushed slightly as she recalled a particularly heated dream that she had when sleep reclaimed her. “Yeah, I'm just amazed I was able to even fall back asleep,” Cassandra responded with a shrug.

Sans raised an eye ridge at the brunette's blush and mentally noted to ask her about it later. He currently was amused by her playing with Hope as she grinned yet again. He was still a little worried about the human after the events that transpired yesterday, but she was doing a lot better. Sans would notice when she would occasionally go quiet and start thinking about her mother, but him and his brother would immediately distract her. It was a chore, but the older brother didn't mind keeping Cassandra's brain away from the negative events of the week. The karaoke did seem to help her mood last night with the help of the rum, but he was still noticing the occasional mood dips. Her current attitude was a good change of pace from the air of indifference or anxiousness that clung to her when she wasn't talking. Right now though she seemed content if not happy, and that was enough for Sans; his grin widened a bit more as he watched her coo at Hope. Cassandra blinked suddenly before standing up with a stretch and a yawn. “You guys feel like going out? I want to stretch my legs,” she said.

“Of course! Where did you have in mind?” Papyrus asked as he stood up.

“I was thinking maybe going to the bookstore to look at books. Books are very nice,” Cassandra answered as she headed to her room to get dressed for the day. She closed the door most o f the way but left it cracked so she could hear the boys.

“tryin' to book it?” Sans joked.

“Sans!” Papyrus scolded.

Cassandra laughed as she put on a pair of jeans and a short sleeved floral blouse. Looking in the mirror, she chewed her lip before pulling her hair into a ponytail; her hair was still shoulder length, but the side that was shaved had grown out so the brown wavy mess was even. She was wanting to try to do something new, and if she could do something as small as this, she would take it as a small victory. Doing something as trivial as showing her scared arms and face would maybe allow her to get the courage to maybe face her mother in the future. She stepped out into the living room looking at the floor as a light blush crossed her face. Both of the brothers blinked at her when she approached them. Sans was a little surprised at the young woman's attire, but he was happy she was making the effort. “Wowie! You look very nice!” Papyrus stated with his signature smile.

Cassandra's blush deepened as she scratched at her arm as anxiety started to take hold of her. Her hand started to shake before she started to reach for her ponytail to let her hair fall down. Sans walked up and took her hand before she could hide behind her hair again. “you do look good. c'mon, let's go; i'm sure we'll have a sansational time,” the older brother said; he was trying to encourage the young woman to stay strong.

The young woman nodded stiffly as she chewed on her lip; after a moment of calming herself down, she took her hand free from Sans' before getting a pair of sandals on. “I-I'm ready when you guys are!” she said with a slightly strained smile.

Soon the three were walking down the street in mostly silence; Cassandra was willing her hair tie to break so she could hide behind her wall of hair. Her anxiety continued to claw at her, until she heard a soft sigh from her right. She blinked as she felt a familiar bony hand grab her own. She blushed softly as she looked over at Sans who had a light blue dusting covering his own cheekbones. He just grinned at her. Papyrus saw this from behind the two and he smiled to himself before taking a picture of the two. The taller skeleton promptly sent the picture to Undyne to share the progress the two were making. Most onlookers ignored the three, but there was the occasional scowl or smile due to the pair holding hands. Cassandra was a little subconscious about some of the looks, but she did her best to focus on Sans' hand that was in hers. It felt alive in it's own weird way. Looking down, she raised an eyebrow as she felt what appeared to be a slight tingling sensation that moved over his hand. Sans noticed her confused look and chuckled. “you're feelin' the magic that's movin' around my bones,” he explained.

“Oh, that makes sense,” she hummed.

Sans just looked ahead as he felt Cassandra's pulse in the palm of her hand; reading up on the human anatomy had been a past time of his every since he and the young woman started their dating agreement. He found it fascinating how the human body worked like a machine. Everything had a purpose, and it was amazing how the slightest thing could mess with it. Sans looked at Cassandra from the corner of his eye. He smiled to himself at the relaxed face that she had along with the small smile that graced her lips; he was the reason she looked as calm as she did currently, and that made him feel proud in a weird way.

The three continued down the street until they finally reached the large book store. The brunette had looked a little uneasy as they turned onto the street, but once they were inside, a look of calmness washed over the young woman. She smiled at the sight of the books before taking a deep breath. “I love the smell of books,” Cassandra sighed wistfully.

Papyrus just raised an eyebrow at the young woman as she looked for the science fiction section; there was a specific book she wanted to locate before browsing others. Cassandra hummed in thought as she looked at the many shelves until she found the one she was looking for. “Aha!” she exclaimed as she squatted in front of one shelf in particular.

“What is 'Warhammer'?” Papyrus asked as he picked up a book called Cadia Stands.

“That book specifically belongs to the Warhammer Forty-K, and it is a table top miniature wargame. These books take place around the amount of lore that is contained within the universe of Warhammer. Most of the books have different authors, but I've been reading up on The Horus Heresy. Horus is one of the sons of the Emperor of Mankind. If you're interested, I'd recommend watching some of Luetin09's videos on YouTube; he does his best to tackle the facts of the lore starting from the beginning of the creation of the different races within the universe. It's a very violent world though, and I'm grateful that we aren't apart of it. Though I will say I would follow Slaanesh if I lived in that world. I would not be a loyalist since they are xenophobic and hate every race that isn't human,” Cassandra answered before scratching her head. “S-Sorry, I got too carried away...”

“ya don't gotta apologize for bein' passionate about things ya like,” Sans chuckled. “maybe we can watch some of the videos when we get back.”

“Really? Okay, cool! I can't wait for you to see the Titans. They are basically giant war machines that dwarf space marines,” she continued as she browsed the books in front of her. “Yes! They have it in stock!”

Cassandra pulled out The First Heretic with a huge grin on her face as she eyed the cover before promptly hugging the book. Sans raised an eye ridge in amusement. “so what book is that one?” he asked.

“It's the thirteenth book that takes place during The Horus Heresy. Honestly, False Gods was a lot harder to find. I had to pay thirty bucks to get a hold of a copy since no one could keep the damn thing in stock. Talk about frustrating. Yes, I overpaid, but I don't care since it completes a part of my book collection,” the young woman replied as she also picked up A Thousand Sons and Nemesis. “Before you ask, there are a total of fifty-six books in the Horus Heresy alone. That's not including books based on the different factions, the siege on Holy Terra, and so on. It's a huge universe to say the least. And I'm ranting again...”

“It sounds interesting!” Papyrus chimed in before a different series caught his attention. “What is The Forgotten Realms?”

“That is a whole different can of worms. That book series takes place from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game; it's been a long while since I've had the opportunity to play though. It definitely takes a lot of time and--”

“Cassandra?” a man asked as he blinked from the spot of books he was looking at.

The young woman grimaced when she recognized the voice before turning around and putting on her usual fake smile. “Oh, hey, Mason,” she said as her grip tightened around her three books. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah. How have you been? You're looking like you're doing better,” the blonde male said as he approached.

The two brothers watched the exchange while maintaining a straight face, but the awkward atmosphere was undeniable. “I-I've been doing a lot better. Um, these are my friends, Sans and Papyrus... they're brothers...” Cassandra said as she looked down; she was trying to keep control of her nerves while trying to ignore the urge to run away.

“It's nice to meet you,” Mason said as he held out his hand to the skeletons to shake.

Sans didn't like the guy's soul, but he grinned as he held out his hand; the sound of a whoopie cushion broke the silence. The human male blinked before an unamused expression came across his cheeks. “ah, the old 'whoopie cushion in the hand trick'. gets 'em every time,” Sans said. “guess you can say it blew you away.”

Cassandra snorted in amusement, but she continued to avoid looking at the man that looked even more annoyed. “Geez, he's just as bad as you in terms of puns... And here I thought you were the only one with a bad sense of humor,” he grumbled as he pulled his hand away from Sans'. “Anyways, it would be nice to catch up, would you happen to be free Sunday?”

“Mason, I have no interest in catching up,” the brunette said as her hands gripped tighter to the books. “We broke up for a reason and you left my life years ago. I'm good you staying out of it.”

The blonde scowled as he attempted to step up to the point he was face to face with the young woman, but Sans put his arm out. “that's as close as i'm willin' to let ya get. while i'm sure you have a skeleton of questions for her, the lady said she ain't interested,” the older brother almost growled out.

Cassandra blinked at Sans, but his actions caused the man to glare at the skeleton. “You got some nerve. I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Cassie,” he spat.

“I will get an employee to get you to leave since you're harassing one of their customers,” Cassandra warned as she had a small bit of courage. “Take 'no' as an answer for once and leave me alone. You did enough while we were dating, and my patience is gone.”

Mason only scoffed before sneering, “You may have gotten more confident than before, but you still can't look anyone in the eye. How pathetic. You'll be asking for me back in no time.”

The three were frowning as the man left finally; once he was out of sight, Cassandra let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. “Sorry about that... I honestly wasn't expecting to run into him...” she muttered.

“He was very rude! Why did you even date him?!” Papyrus asked as he looked at his human friend curiously.

“Call it me being young and naive. I thought I saw good in him, but he's just a narcissist. He always complained about my night terrors and how they interrupted his sleep. If anything bad happened to me, it was my fault for letting it happen. If you were to ask him why we broke up, he'd tell you it was because of me and how I wasn't able to work through my own problems. He made me feel more guilty than I already did. But that's the past and I don't need to worry about him anymore,” she answered as she moved to the mystery section of the store.

“i could make sure he gets the hint to leave you alone,” Sans offered. He didn't like the fact that her ex had tried to bring her down further in front of him and his brother.

“While I appreciate the offer, I don't need you to get in trouble for starting a fight with a human. He isn't worth the time and effort,” the brunette chuckled as she found another book she was looking for. “You guys can get yourselves a few books also. My treat since you had to put up with my drama.”

“Really?! Thank you!” Papyrus said before going down a random book isle and disappearing from sight.

Sans just chuckled as he watched his brother. “man, my brother is the coolest,” he said.

“Yeah, he definitely is,” Cassandra smiled. “I wonder what book he'll find.” Her smile faltered slightly before she sighed and turned her attention back to the books on the shelves. “I am sorry I only introduced you two as friends, but I knew he would have made a huge scene if I had introduced you as my boyfriend. He would have said that I down graded since we broke up... It would not have been fair to do that to you...” she said as she pulled a book of the shelf.

“cas, ya don't have to worry 'bout me. i usually don't let the opinions of others bother me too much, especially when their soul screams 'i'm an ass',” Sans shrugged.

Cassandra smiled at the skeleton before going back to browsing the shelves. The three spent quite a bit of time in the book store before heading out. Papyrus had decided to be the gentleman and carried the bags as they walked down the street. “Well, other than our run in with my ex boyfriend, this was very nice,” the young woman smiled.

“Indeed! I am excited to read Calvin and Hobbes!” the taller skeleton declared with a grin.

“I'm sure! I know you will quite enjoy it. It was one of my favorites growing up,” the brunette laughed lightly.

Cassandra looked up at the sky and felt a wave of calm wash over her. It was a crystal blue sky with a few clouds moving with the breeze; it was her favorite kind of day, and the weather was very welcoming to her. “Today has been good... The weather is perfect, I have you two, and I don't feel the worry right now, especially knowing that I have my other friends.. If I ever get the chance I'll need to introduce you to my friend Summer. She gets just as weird as I do, and she's my big sister slash waifu,” she said.

Sans and Papyrus did a double take at her words. They were both curious and horrified about what she was about to say. Cassandra laughed at their faces, “Not in any bad way. If anything, it's a heterosexual marriage. But I had a sunburn, and she was drunk at the time. I was at the peeling stage and she started to remove the dead skin when she looked at me in all seriousness before saying, and I quote, 'we're married through skin'. Ever since then she has been known as my waifu, but she isn't really my wife, so don't worry.”

“You truly have some weird friends!” Papyrus said in amusement.

“Yep! I am truly lucky to have them in my life,” she hummed.

Sans chuckled as they continued their walk. Cassandra had a thought before chewing on her lip and grabbing Sans' hand in her own with a light blush. He blinked in surprise at her initiating that contact, but he found himself smiling and blushing along side her as they continued forward. When they got back to the apartment, the young woman took Hope for a short walk before kicking off her shoes and going back in her room to change into a pair of comfy shorts and a tank top. With a yawn, she plopped back down on the couch next to Sans. “Man, that was a short outing, but it was tiring. So, you guys still want me to introduce you to the Warhammer lore?” she asked as she grabbed the remote.

“sure,” Sans answered as he placed his hand on Cassandra's; his action earned him a light blush and a smile.

“I would like to learn more about this universe!” Papyrus answered as he sat on Cassandra's other side.

“Okay. You will probably have questions, so when you do, let me know and I will pause to elaborate further, or I will encourage you to wait since he does try to cover everything he can,” the young woman pointed out as she opened up YouTube.

“Oh wow! These are some long episodes!” Papyrus declared once Cassandra had pulled up the playlist.

“Yeah, like I said, the Warhammer lore is no joke. It will take a long while to get through it. The only other thing that would be related that I'd love to share with you would be 'If the Emperor Had a Text-to-Speech Device'. It's hilarious!” the young woman snickered; soon she hit play and the episodes began.

Papyrus and Sans both grimaced at the first words that appeared as the first episode began to play: In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. “well, this is starting off rather cheerful,” Sans muttered before the YouTuber started to talk and explain.

The three intently listened as he explained just how in depth the tabletop game actually was; the amount of miniatures that covered some of the field was baffling to the brothers, and they definitely understood that it could become very expensive very quickly. As they watched, the brunette stood up shortly as he started to explain Humanity in the world of Warhammer to make popcorn. Once the popcorn was in the microwave, Cassandra brought a water and a bottle of ketchup to the two brothers as they listened to the devastating world unfold. Papyrus paused the video and looked at the young woman, “So why are the humans so cruel to others in this world?”

“As he said, it's because of the Horus Heresy. There was something that took place that made people believe that the Emperor was to be worshiped, but he will touch base on that further when he talks about the Emperor of Mankind,” Cassandra answered.

“basically this horus character is to blame for a lot of shit,” Sans summed up.

“Yes and no. It's a combination of the chaos gods, lack of communication, and Horus,” she answered. “But fear is a real thing that drives them into mass amount of war and extermination of other races.”

Accepting her answer, Papyrus resumed the video. Towards the end of the topic on the Eldar, the younger brother once again paused the video. “What is the warp?” he asked.

“Basically it is an alternate dimension that is purely made up of psychic energy. He'll touch base on that in the future also,” Cassandra answered as she returned with the popcorn.

“ya weren't kiddin' when you said this lore is extensive,” the older brother pointed out.

Cassandra chuckled as Papyrus once again resumed. Sans had to give the YouTuber credit for explaining all that he did about the universe. As the first episode came to an end, the young woman noticed Papyrus' eyebrow raise. “Wait, so the Emperor originally wanted to eradicate religion? So why do people now worship the Emperor?” he asked.

“That will be explained in a later video,” Cassandra snickered. “But it's because of one of the Emperor's sons. You want to watch the next one?”

“Yes! I have questions that need answered!” Papyrus declared as he clicked on the next video.

The young woman watched in amusement as the younger brother leaned forward on the couch to watch the video. The three watched the videos, and Papyrus found himself asking Cassandra a ton of question about the universe. He had paused each video at least four times to ask about something that he wanted a further explanation on. He was drawn into the world that was laid out, and he found himself wanting more. Sans was amused at seeing his brother being so interested in this world. The young woman stood up once the popcorn bowl was empty, and Sans followed her to the kitchen. “it's good seein' paps so into somethin,” Sans said as he leaned against the counter.

“I know, I'm just glad I can share this with you guys,” she smiled as she washed the bowl. “I like making a few Warhammer jokes.”

“i'm guessin' it has to do with saying 'heretic',” he grinned.

Cassandra paused before drying her hands, “I deny everything.”

Sans chuckled, but he looked at the brunette in confusion as she approached him nervously. “uh, you okay?” he asked.

“Thank you, for all that you've done for me. I mean that genuinely,” she replied, and she did something she rarely did. Her eyes locked with his eyelights, and then she quickly placed her lips against his teeth before quickly retreating to the couch, her face red from her actions.

Sans blinked in shock as a blue dusting covered his cheekbones; a grin eventually overcame him before he also returned to the couch in his spot next to Cassandra who had leaned her body against his with a small smile. Sans hesitated before placing an arm around her shoulders, eventually relaxing as they went back to focusing on the lore.

Chapter Text

Cassandra chewed on her lip as she sat in her room staring at her closet. She knew what she was wanting to do, but she was nervous and scared to do so. Courage was something the young woman needed, but it was escaping her. Sitting on the bed, she picked along her nail beds with a sigh as her anxious behavior continued. She was in there for a while before there was a knock at the opened door. Sans looked at her with a worried expression as he leaned against the doorway. “you okay, cas?” he asked.

“Yeah...” she said quietly. She sighed softly when she saw the skeleton raise an eye ridge. “Kinda... I'm just a bit nervous is all... I'm wanting to do something, but I'm scared to..”

Sans made his way over to the bed and sat next to the brunette. A comfortable silence fell over the two as they both looked at the closet. “ya know, you have already shown a lot of courage in the amount of time i've known ya,” he began. “it's also alright to be nervous about things.”

Cassandra smiled softly at the skeleton, “Thanks...”

With a deep breath, the young woman stood up and faced Sans. “How about we go on a walk?” she asked.

Sans studied the young woman before he also stood up and pulled her into a hug. “sounds good, paps will probably want to tag along though,” he replied.

“That honestly may help me...” she said as she returned the hug. “There is something I want to show you guys, but it will be difficult for me to do so...”

The two pulled away and the young woman started to fidget again. Sans took her hand before leading her our of her room and into the living room where Papyrus and Frisk sat; Toriel had dropped them off earlier that day since the kid was wanting to hang out with their two favorite skeletons. Cassandra cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her head, “You guys wanna go on a walk? I was going to take Sans with me if you two want to join?”

“Of course!” Papyrus replied as he paused the movie him and Frisk were watching.

“Sure, sounds fun,” Frisk answered with a smile.

Cassandra nodded as she put on her shoes and headed to the door, “Let's go then!”

Sans followed behind; he recalled her saying she was nervous about this, so her fake enthusiasm had him worried a bit. Papyrus and Frisk followed, and once everyone was out of the apartment, the young woman locked the door and the four started their trek down the street. Sans watched as the brunette chewed on her lip as they walked; her nervous behavior also seemed to catch the attention of his brother and the kid who were also looking at Cassandra with concern. “Human! What seems to be troubling you?!” Papyrus asked.

The young woman looked at Papyrus for a moment before giving him a fake reassuring smile, “I'm just having a high anxiety day is all, it's nothing to worry about.”

Sans frowned at her fake smile before grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure her that she wasn't alone in whatever was troubling her. Cassandra returned the squeeze, but kept his hand in hers; she needed his support in this, and she also needed to confirm once and for all that Frisk was indeed her brother once upon a time. The four walked for about an hour before she rounded onto a street which caused Frisk to freeze. The kid stared down the street as the tension built; Cassandra noticed this and paused to look back at them before approaching and kneeling in front of them. “...We're going there?” they asked the brunette.

“Yes.. I wanted to show Sans and Papyrus... You really were Benjamin if you know exactly where we're heading...” Cassandra replied quietly.

Frisk nodded before the young woman pulled them into a hug before letting the kid go and standing back up. The two brothers looked at each other worriedly as Cassandra gently grabbed Frisk's hand; the two caught up with the brothers before they continued on in a tense silence. It wasn't long until they came upon a two story house that looked to be worn down from time. Ivy grew along the sides of the rotting porch posts and covered a rocking chair that sat in the corner of the porch. Cassandra's breathing got heavier as she clung to Frisk's hand to ease her shaking one. Sans glanced at Cassandra in worry when realization struck: this was her house growing up. Papyrus raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight of the house. “What house is this, and why is it so worn down?” he asked; the taller skeleton wasn't completely oblivious since he did feel very uncomfortable being near it. The house seemed to have a negative energy about it, and it sent him on edge.

“...This is the house I grew up in... this is where...” the young woman paused in her statement before shaking her head. “This is where I lost everything, Papyrus... I wanted to share where I grew up, to share my childhood...”

Sans watched the brunette for a bit before going up and hugging her; he knew this was hard on her, and it meant a lot to him that she was willing to share this part of her with him. It was a huge step for her to openly show him a part of her dark past. The skeleton held her close until she was ready to pull away. “I need to do this, I need to be sure I'm ready to face my mother... to do that, I need to make this step...” Cassandra said as she shakily pushed opened the creaking door.

The skeletons watched as Frisk went up to the young woman and held her hand as they stepped through the doorway. Cassandra looked around the living room that greeted them, and it took her entire being not to have a panic attack at seeing the familiar room; the furniture was all there still, though it was covered in layers of dust and cobwebs, the scent of mold and mildew clung to the house as some light came in through the holes in the ceiling. She figured it only got to be this way since no one wanted to buy or rent a house where two people were murdered. With a swallow, the young woman walked around the living room with Frisk by her side; the two were holding each others' hands tightly as memories flooded them. The good times and the bad that occurred in the house were coming back, and tears started to fall from the pair's cheeks. Sans watched as the two moved through the room slowly, their emotions showing as they moved around the room. The skeletons followed the two as they moved through the house, words never leaving the young woman as she relived her memories. They were soon standing at the base of the stairs where Cassandra froze. Her gaze was on the top of the staircase as she chewed her lip. Sensing her hesitation, Frisk moved past the young woman and took a few steps forward before turning around and holding out their hand to the brunette. “We can do this together,” they said with a small smile.

Cassandra nodded and took their hand as they started to slowly ascend the creaking stairs with Sans and Papyrus following behind slowly. The brunette wearily looked around the stairs as if still expecting to see the blood from all those years ago; she knew it would have been cleaned up since they did attempt to resell the home when she said she didn't want the house. The two humans paused at the door that greeted them at the top of the stairs; both of their hands were shaking, and Cassandra had placed hers on the door. “This...this was our room...” she whispered.

Sans grimaced when he saw the scar on her soul start to glow; he knew she was reliving her past, and it was reopening that old wound. He placed a hand on her shoulder to help reassure her. “we are here for ya,” he soothed.

The brunette nodded and slowly pushed open the door. She let out a slow shaky breath that she didn't know she was holding as she took in the sight of the room. To her relief the bunk bed had been completely replaced and was now a single bed that was tucked in the same corner; the rest of the decor was exactly how she remembered it. Cassandra's bottom lip quivered as she fought hard not to cry; she had many good memories in the room that were destroyed because of her mother. Why did she kill her father and brother? Why did she not just get a divorce and give them to her workaholic father? Those were just two of the questions she wanted the answers to. What did they do wrong to deserve this outcome? The young woman sunk to the floor as she began to quietly sob; she felt her heartbreaking all over again, and the sorrow and anger that flooded her entire being. Frisk sat next to Cassandra and gave her a hug as they also started to cry; the brunette wound up pulling the kid into her arms and clung to them as she sobbed. The two skeletons took in the room as they felt the energy of the room itself that was amplified by the young woman's own emotions. The room itself wasn't inviting despite the simple decor and attempt for a relaxing atmosphere; the energy of the murders clung and took away from what could be considered a nice room. The two cried while holding each other for a good bit before the young woman wiped her eyes before clearing Frisk's from their face. “I'm sorry, just a lot of memories in this room,” Cassandra muttered as she stood up.

“It's okay, we understand that there are painful memories here,” Papyrus said softly; it was unusual next to his usual shouting.

“ya don't need to apologize for somethin' that's out of your control,” Sans added.

Once the two humans got control over their emotions, the four headed out of the run down home and began heading back. Silence hung over the four as they marched on, the air around them getting less tense as time went on. About thirty minutes into their walk, the young woman smiled softly as another weight seemed to be lifted from her shoulders. “How about we get some pizza for lunch?” she asked after a moment.

“Sounds good to me!” Papyrus answered.

“That does sounds good,” Frisk chimed in with another small smile.

“sure,” Sans answered; he caught up with the young woman before taking her hand in his.

Cassandra smiled at the skeleton before lightly planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, thank all of you for coming with me,” she said.

“We are always here for you!” Papyrus declared.

The young woman smiled back at Papyrus as they headed to their food destination. Everyone was in a better mood after lunch, and the four soon found themselves back in Cassandra's apartment able to put the stressful event behind them. The brunette went to her room and sat on her bed as Papyrus and Frisk sat on the couch to browse Netflix. Sans followed behind the young woman and sat next to her. “i know it wasn't easy sharin' that part of your life, so it means a lot to me,” the skeleton said.

Cassandra looked at her hands that were folded in her lap as she fought back a lip tremble; she had put on a show to help ease Frisk and Papyrus so they wouldn't fuss over her. This had been harder on her than she had let on. She barely registered the feeling of magic in the air as she heard the door close before she was pulled into a tight embrace by the skeleton. The brunette eagerly returned the embrace as she clung to Sans' hoodie; she didn't cry, but she just needed the extra comfort. After a moment, she smiled softly as she grabbed Sans' hood and pulled it over his head before laughing softly. “Guess you can say you're in the hood,” she snickered.

The skeleton chuckled as he removed the hood from his head, “tryin' ta pull some strings?”

“Nah, just yours,” she replied before pulling on one of his hoodie strings. “Not like I'm trying to get under your skin.”

Sans just grinned before placing his teeth against her head, “could say you're fightin' tooth and nail to out pun me.”

Cassandra chuckled before placing a kiss on his head, “I will get you one of these days. But while we're here, we've been dating for about two weeks so why not go ahead and talk about any possible bugs? I figured it would be a good distraction from the day.”

Sans blushed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly; he wasn't used to that level of affection, but he would have been lying if he said he didn't want more. “sounds good to me,” the skeleton agreed.

It was silent between the two for a moment before the young woman cleared her throat. “As of right now, I don't have any bugs to report. I find myself very comfortable around you, and if anything I want to push myself harder to try being more comfortable with who I am as a person. I am feeling more encouraged with you and Papyrus by my side,” she said.

“i honestly thought you'd have plenty to complain about,” Sans hummed in thought. “i don't have anythin' to report, only thing i ask is that you don't tear yourself down; you have more goin' for ya than ya think.”

Cassandra smiled at the skeleton before leaning back slightly using her arms to hold her upright. “I think that's a fair request... It's still a work in progress, so just be patient with me when I do talk about myself in a negative light. Know I will try though. I can say I am still good moving forward with the alpha test, what are your thoughts?”

“i can agree with that; takin' things slow has helped both of us in this i think,” the skeleton said as he leaned on his elbow.

“I've rushed in the past, and I didn't want to make the same mistake again. I can't tell you how many times I've been blown off or stood up by my past relationships. My ex that you met, he would wait all day keeping me in the dark after we planned a date only for him to turn around and say 'sorry, hanging out with a friend instead'. This whole situation of being honest and you taking a genuine interest is new for me,” she said after a moment.

A comfortable silence fell over the two, and as the day progressed they eventually returned to Papyrus and Frisk. Eventually Toriel picked up the kid, and the two skeletons once again fell asleep in the apartment. The following day, the brothers returned home while Cassandra went to work after her week long break due to her emotional state. Her shift went by quickly in her opinion, and since it was the last day of March, the young woman needed to do a bit of shopping for Sans' birthday; she got a kick out of it when she found out that his birthday was April first. Cassandra was going to get his present before now, but she needed to get it when he wasn't at her place since she didn't want to potentially spoil the gift that she had been eyeing online. As she walked to the shop, she smiled to herself as she thought of a prank gift to give the skeleton before presenting the actual gift she was getting him. He insisted that she didn't need to get him anything, but she just shrugged him off.

The young woman walked until she came across the shop that had what she was looking for; the store had uncommon goods that ranged from compasses to unique puzzle wall decor. A soft smile formed on her lips as she stepped foot in the shop. After buying what she was searching for, she headed out with her purchase to her next destination to hopefully be able to get a nice gag gift for her favorite comedian. She didn't want to go for one of those fake lotto tickets since they seemed to be the most obvious prank gift, so she needed to get very creative. Getting on her bike, she pulled up the GPS coordinates for Spencer's and began to head to the shop at the mall. Cassandra had thought about inviting Alphys and Undyne to join her, but she decided against it since they would ask if had to to with Sans. She enjoyed the couple's company, but she didn't feel like being questioned about her relationship with the skeleton. She smiled to herself as she peddled; she truly was getting more comfortable with herself ever since she met the monsters and Frisk. It was a an accomplishment for her, and she was grateful for every encounter since then. She knew that her chosen gift was the perfect way to express her gratitude. The rest of the day flew by and she was grateful to get in the shower and get into bed for the night.

Cassandra smiled at Sans who sat next to her on the bed as they read. It was a gentle reminder that they could easily enjoy each other's company without the need to say anything at all. The skeleton returned the smile, and the young woman found herself pressing her lips to his teeth. She felt herself getting heated when she felt his tongue run along her bottom lip, the tingling of magic lingering as she willingly parted her lips. A hum left Sans as his tongue moved to explore her mouth; as the kissing continued, the young woman let out a whimper as she tried to pull off his blue sweater. He hastily removed it before placing a hand on her cheek to pull her closer. Once he decided she was close enough to him, he began pulling at the bottom of her shirt; she eagerly helped him remove her black t-shirt before moving to where she was partially leaning over the skeleton. Things continued to get heated as she removed his clothing articles; her hands ran over his bare bones as his breathing got heavier, a blue blush dusting his cheeks. Sans unclasped her bra before letting his hands roam over her now bare torso. A gasp sounded from the young woman as he grabbed at her breasts before his tongue ran along her exposed nipples; he occasionally gave a light nips along the soft flesh as quiet moans and gasps escaped her.

The young woman woke up feeling way too aroused for her liking. Grimacing, she made her way to the bathroom before immediately washing her face with cold water as fast as possible. She was used to waking up mid sex dream, and she hated it. If she was going to dream about that shit, she wished it would finish so she didn't feel horny for the entire day. It didn't help that she would be seeing Sans today since it was his birthday. Trying to forget the dream, she got ready for work after walking Hope. Once she had Sans' gifts in her messenger bag, she left the house with Hope before putting the dog in the basket and getting on her bike to head to work. Cassandra knew it would be a long day, so she figured it would be best to bring the dog along with her. The work day went by fast since she was going to be seeing her monster friends and Frisk. When she had something to look forward to, her days always seemed to go by quickly. She found her heart beating quicker as she got closer to the skeleton brother's house. She was sure she brought a change of clothes and pajamas just in case she ended up drinking while there; she had no idea what to expect, but knowing who all would be there, she would be having fun.

When Cassandra got to the door, she grinned as she gave two firm knocks on the door. “who's there?” she heard none other than Sans ask from the other side.

“Ivana,” she grinned mischievously.

“ivana who?” came the skeleton's response.

“Ivana do something naughty with you,” she said in what she thought was a seductive voice.

Sans blushed on the other side of the door at the sound of the flirty joke; to add to him being flustered, he could tell that she had meant it in that moment. Putting on his own flirty grin he opened the door while raising an eye ridge. “oh?” he asked. “wantin' this bone-”

“SANS!” Papyrus immediately scolded; Cassandra could see a blush covering the younger brother's features. “DO NOT BE VULGAR!!”

“sorry bro, i couldn't help but flirt with the young lady,” Sans winked towards the brunette; she didn't miss the light lusty tone he took.

Cassandra blushed slightly as she recalled her dream last night before clearing her throat, “That was my bad, Paps, I apologize.”

“You should be careful! What if Frisk was nearby and had heard?! You're lucky that they are in the bathroom currently!” the taller skeleton scolded.

The brunette shook her head before looking at Sans and placing a kiss on his teeth. “Happy birthday,” she said before handing him a card while trying to ignore her hormones.

“heh, thanks, doll,” the older brother said as he started to open the envelope. He blinked, however, when he found himself covered in glitter as he removed the card and opened it.

Cassandra started to laugh, “And April Fools!”

Sans chuckled before throwing some of the glitter on the brunette, “that was definitely unexpected.”

“I like to think I am unpredictable at times,” she snickered. “Don't worry though, that's not the only gift I got ya.”

“oh? what's the other?” he asked.

“That's for me to know and you to find out,” Cassandra hummed before moving past the skeleton.

The young woman walked up to Papyrus before pulling him into a hug, “How you doing, Pap?”

“Other than you two making dirty jokes, I am doing quite well!” he responded as he continued to cook; by the looks of it he was preparing some spaghetti.

Frisk came barreling down the hallway before colliding with Cassandra's legs. “You made it!” they exclaimed.

“Of course I did!” the brunette smiled before pulling the kid into a hug. “I wouldn't miss this for anything!”

“It is good to see you again, child,” Toriel said from her spot on the couch; the young woman blushed when she noticed Alphys and Undyne looking at her in amusement.

“Uh, hey guys. You, uh, didn't hear any of that, did ya?” Cassandra asked as her blush returned.

“We definitely did,” Undyne grinned. “Something you want to tell us?”

“No. I'm god. Nothing to tell,” the brunette said; her lie caused Sans to look at her in amusement. She had a feeling that he would try to pry it out of her later.

“Sounds to me that we need to have another girl's day,” the fish monster smirked.

“I am not sure I should agree, but we did have fun the last few times we hung out,” Cassandra hummed before sitting on the couch. There was an empty spot beside her that was quickly taken up by Sans.

Being sure that he didn't try to get his present out of her bag, she moved her purse away from him. She gave the skeleton a small smile before leaning on him lightly; she was definitely getting more comfortable about being opened with her relationship with Sans. “So how have things been going with you guys?” Cassandra asked turning towards the female monster couple.

“N-not much, just trying to prove the multiverse theory; Sans has been helping me in that sense,” Alphys answered.

“Oh? Well let me know if that works. I personally would be thrilled to learn that there are multiple universes,” the young woman hummed; she knew about this universe, but if Sans was trying to prove that others existed, then she was wondering if maybe her timeline wasn't the only one out there.

“I have decided to take dance lessons!” Undyne answered.

“That's cool! I guess you guys seeing me dance gave you a want to? How are things being a personal trainer?” the brunette asked.

“It's great, but most humans are huge wimps and can't handle my extensive training,” the fish monster answered.

Cassandra snickered, “Maybe you need to look into the body builder community. Some of those people are absolutely ripped.”

“It sounds like I should check it out,” Undyne grinned. “Maybe they will actually be a challenge.”

“so, cas, what's in your bag?” Sans asked. “i saw ya pull it away from me.”

“You really want to know?” Cassandra grinned. “It's your present, but I don't know if it's time for gift giving yet.”

“i told ya not to get me anything,” the skeleton stated; he was secretly happy that she did though.

The brunette smiled before reaching into her bag and pulling out a wrapped gift. A grin spread across the female's face, “Here ya go.”

Sans eyed her suspiciously before opening up the gift; he immediately started laughing as he held the gag gift. “a fart machine; i guess this means i got an upgrade from the whoopie cushion,” he grinned. “with a remote control? this is gonna be too good.”

Cassandra reached back into her bag before pulling out a different gift, “April Fool's; now is this gift another gag gift, or is it an actual gift?”

“She got you with two pranks already!” Frisk snickered. “I'm willing to bet it's another gag gift.”

“Who would have thought that Sans is dating a prankster!” Undyne laughed.

Sans just took the gift from his girlfriend before slowly opening it up; he was indeed expecting another gag gift. What he got, however, left him speechless. He eyed the personal telescope in the box before removing it and examining the details; the brass had a nice finish and it looked to have lenses that he could swap out, and he didn't overlook that it had his name engraved on it. “Happy birthday,” Cassandra said with a light blush. “I remembered you liked to go star gazing, so I thought that this would be the perfect present.”

“oh stars... this is perfect...” the older brother muttered; his birthday couldn't have gotten any better in his opinion.

Chapter Text

Summer had been fast approaching, and with it now being July, Shadow would be on break. Cassandra was excited to see her best friend again, especially since she had news to share with her: she and Sans were officially in a relationship. The alpha test was successful and they had agreed to continue their relationship more openly. Cassandra had been working long hours so she could take two weeks off for her friend to come and visit; there was one thing that she had to take care of, and the brunette needed her best friend's support for it. The young woman shoved those thoughts aside though as she walked with Alphys and Undyne; they were having a good day at the mall. Cassandra was wearing jean shorts and a tank top with a lightweight cardigan to go over her shoulders. “So now that you and Sans are in a relationship, do you guys have plans for any events coming up?” Undyne asked. “Maybe we can go on a double date.”

“As entertaining as that would be, it'll be a bit before I'd be able to. Shadow is coming into town in the next couple of days so I need to work extra hard,” Cassandra answered. “I have a lot I need to take care during her stay so we may have to wait until next month if that's alright.”

“Of course! I don't mind waiting for it. It'll be fun once we can actually do it. We can discuss details whenever we have a day in mind,” the fish monster said.

“I look forward to it. Right now I'm just enjoying my time with you guys. It's not every day I get to hang out with you guys since we have all had busy weeks,” the brunette smiled.

“I-I still can't believe that you haven't told Sans about that dream you told us about,” Alphys commented.

“Would you tell Undyne that you had a sex dream?” Cassandra deadpanned.

“I guess that's fair. I do tell her about most of my dreams though..” the scientist defended.

Cassandra chuckled as they went into Hottopic. “Ah memories,” the brunette smiled. “Last time we were here I had just gotten out of the arm sling.”

“You've come a long way since then, nerd!” Undyne grinned giving the human a slap on the back.

“It definitely seems as much. I have a lot to be grateful for at the moment, and I have your guys to thank for that. Who knew that meeting everyone last year would be good for my health,” the brunette laughed lightly.

“Y-You've been helpful with the skeleton brothers, so it's just been overall beneficial,” Alphys commented as she looked at a black tunic top.

Cassandra picked up a cold shoulder tunic top with a mischievous grin; the shirt itself was a burgundy that had two black skeleton hands that rested right on the chest. Undyne noticed the human's grin before spotting the garment the girl had. The fish monster grinned before cackling. “You need to get that top!” she grinned.

The brunette snickered, “I don't want to give Sans and Papyrus a heart attack you know, but it would be amusing to see their reaction to such a shirt...”

The three continued to shop around the store, and the human female picked out a few other accessories to go along with the shirt she picked out. As they continued to walk through the mall, Cassandra found herself picking out clothing that she usually wouldn't buy for herself; some of it was a bit fancier, others were a bit more flirty looking. She was wanting to try some new styles as her confidence continued to improve; the young woman still apologized for no reason on occasion, but anyone could tell that she had come a long way from when the monsters first met her. They continued to walk, but a certain shop caught Cassandra's eye which caused her to gasp with a grin as she darted to the store. “Yes!!!” she exclaimed happily.

Undyne raised an eyebrow as she and her girlfriend followed you. “Uh, what's so exciting about a tea shop?” the fish monster asked.

“It's not just tea, it's loose leaf tea! It tastes so much better than tea you buy at regular grocery stores. Then there is the spices. Oh the amount of spices! I should see if they have any spice blends for pasta! Papyrus would love that!” the brunette said as she opened the door to The Spice and Tea Exchange.

The monster couple followed in amusement as she started to open up jars to smell the variety of teas; she picked out quite a few black teas that she was especially fond of. She placed the items in the hand basket before looking at a tea kettle. Finding a pale blue one, she then picked out an open tea steeper with a sun, moon, and stars design around the rim. Once she finished looking over the teas, she turned towards the spices and spice blends. After spending a quite a bit of time in the shop, the three headed back to Alphy's car before taking the young woman back home; it was Saturday so she had to get ready for Sans to drop by in the evening.

Cassandra smiled as she went in her room to change into her new outfit that she picked out. She would have been lying if she said that she wasn't looking forward to seeing the skeleton, but that would have been a lie; they found each other staying the night at each other's houses quite frequently for no other reason than they could. The comfort of being with Sans was more than she could ever ask for, and she couldn't help but want to stay by his side whenever possible. She pulled out the top she got from hot topic and put it on before putting on a pair of black jeans that had white skeleton skulls adorning them. She was quite pleased with the attire to say the least. The young woman gave herself a look in the mirror before heading to the living room and started to set up her Xbox One; she was going to introduce the skeleton to Borderlands. “hey, ready for a skele-ton of fun?” Sans asked as he teleported into the room.

“I am always ready for some fun with you,” Cassandra answered as she turned around with a grin.

The skeleton froze as a blush started to dust his cheeks, “Uh, new shirt..?”

The young woman could feel his embarrassment from where he stood; he was staring right at the hands that rested on her breasts. “Yeah, picked it out today while I was shopping with Alphys and Undyne,” she smirked as she approached the flustered skeleton. “Like it?”

Sans wasn't sure what to say as she placed her arms on his shoulders with a sly grin. “What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?” she mused.

“nah, i'm feline fine. i have to ask though: feelin' kinda boned?” he asked with a grin.

“You could say I'm feeling bad to the bone,” Cassandra snickered before giving him a kiss. “I'm just teasing, so no worries. I actually intend to introduce you Borderlands today.”

“i am borderline disappointed. maybe i'm enjoyin' the teasin',” Sans hummed.

“I never took you for the flirty type,” the brunette laughed before returning to the couch and handing Sans a controller. “Will you be my player two?”

“i'd be honored to,” the skeleton stated as he took a seat next to his girlfriend.

The two got relatively far into the story before Cassandra got up to grab a drink for both her and Sans. “Staying the night again?” the young woman asked.

“'f course. i enjoy stayin'; 'sides, we've been stayin' the night at each others' homes for a while now. why stop?” Sans answered taking the drink she offered.

“That's fair. Shadow will be here tomorrow, and I do need to talk to the both of you about the jail visit; I already wrote a letter back to my mother requesting the visit... She knows I plan to visit, she just doesn't know when or what I'm going to want to talk to her about.”

“is that smart?”

“It doesn't matter if it's smart or not, it's what is required if I wasn't on her visitation list. Knowing her, she didn't have anyone on that list. Though she may not have had that option if she only recently got more freedom.. But what I need to talk to the two of you about will be upsetting in a way...”

Sans raised an eye ridge as he looked at the young woman, “upsettin' in what way?”

Cassandra sighed as she ran a hand over her face, “I was going to wait, but I don't want to make you worry.. unfortunately that woman has to approve her visitors, and even though I requested you two as well to join me, you may not be able to. On the plus side, there will be a guard closely monitoring the interaction and we are not allowed to touch each other outside of a hug, which I sure as hell will not give her the pleasure of doing.”

“i like this idea less every time...” the skeleton growled. “so you have ta face your mom alone?”

“That's what it looks like.. I sent the letter last week, so I just need to wait for a reply before I know for sure. The only definite thing is that we'll need to take an Uber or a Taxi to get to and from the prison; I don't know what will happen, and I want to be prepared in case I don't have the strength to stand and walk..” the brunette sighed.

“well, hopefully we'll get lucky and she'll allows us to go with ya on the visit. For now, let's just have fun,” Sans said with a smile.

The young woman nodded before placing a kiss on his temple. The two went back to playing the video game while occasionally making some bad jokes. Eventually they got bored and decided to browse Netflix; it wasn't long until they agreed on The Money Pit. “So, I do have a question for you,” Cassandra began as she leaned into the skeleton. “Since we have been dating for a little while, do you feel comfortable pulling out my soul so I can see it?” she asked as she began fidgeting. “I-I know it's personal, but I figured it would be okay to ask now...”

A deep blue blush dusted Sans' cheek bones before he cleared his throat. “ya sure? you remember what i told ya about that, didn't ya?” he asked.

Cassandra nodded as she chewed her lip; she was both excited and nervous to see it for herself since he made mention of her soul traits. “I trust you one hundred percent,” she said.

Sans nodded before he took a deep breath and summoned forth his blue magic. Cassandra blinked as she felt a tight feeling in her chest before it turned to a weird feeling as a green and purple light started to glow from her chest. The young woman stared as her soul fully emerged from her chest; she gasped and covered her mouth as she stared at the green and purple heart that floated in front of her. Cassandra frowned when she noticed the darker scaring that stretched across it and reached out, pointing at the deepest scar on her soul. “Do you know what those marks are?” she asked quietly; she had a feeling she knew, but she wanted to be sure.

“those are your scars from everything you had fought against,” Sans answered as he also stared at her soul; he had let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The soul was more beautiful to him seeing it free the way it was. “the one you're pointin' at is the scar from that night; it's actually smaller than what it was when we first met. it's not as deep.”

“My soul... it looks soft, welcoming...” she murmured as she rested her hands back in her lap. “That's why you say it's kindness and perseverance?”

“i say that cause of your soul colors. you feel safe, that's why it looks welcomin',” he answered; his gaze flickered over to Cassandra before looking back at your soul. “when you're depressed, it loses it's colors, but that hasn't happened in a little while.”

“Thank you,” the brunette breathed.

Sans only nodded before using his magic to ease her soul back into her chest. “i said this already, but ya do have a beautiful soul,” he sighed as the soul's light disappeared as it settled back where it belonged.

Cassandra leaned over and placed a kiss on his teeth. “Thank you,” she breathed; her right hand rested on his skull as she planted another kiss.

Sans blushed as he eagerly met her kisses, the heat growing as the skeleton's tongue manifested; Sans ran his tongue along her bottom lip which prompted the young woman to part her lips to allow his tongue access. He wasted no time in exploring her mouth, and Cassandra softly moaned as her body pressed against his. As things continued to get heated, she got where she could straddle his lap before she deepened the kiss. Her hands eagerly held his head in places as she ground her hips against his. Sans' magic began to pool around his pelvis, and Cassandra pulled away as she blushed and looked at his lap and back at the skeleton. Sans chuckled as his hand moved up to brush against her cheek. “sorry, didn't mean ta freak ya out,” he said; the young woman didn't miss the lust that dripped from his words as he spoke.

“You didn't, I just didn't know you could do that,” Cassandra said as her blush deepened; her lips tingled from the magic residue.

“it will build on its own when the right... moment presents itself,” Sans explained before easing her lips back to him.

The young woman leaned into the heated kiss as her tongue met his as the passion built. Sans broke the kiss before he planted some along her jaw and proceeded to nip along her neck. Another moan passed Cassandra's lips as her fingers gripped his hoodie; her head fell back to give him more access as she bit her lip. The familiar feeling of arousal flooded her body as her hips moved against his erection. Cassandra used her hands to guide his mouth back to hers as Sans' hands roamed her body. He gently grabbed at her hips to pull her closer to him. “M-Maybe we should stop,” Cassandra panted as she broke away. “I don't want to rush anything..”

“do ya really want to?” Sans murmured as he gently thrust his pelvis.

“God no,” she gasped before kissing along his spine of his neck.

Sans let out a low growl as he began pulling at the hem of her shirt, “if ya don't want me to, i need you to say so. i want your consent.”

“I want to continue,” she breathed before placing another kiss along his mouth. “I give you my consent.”

Sans moved her off of him before grabbing her hand as he lead her to the bedroom, the movie playing in the living room completely forgotten. Cassandra continued to kiss him as she pushed his hoodie off before pulling off his white t-shirt; her hands ran over his rib cage, and she was a bit surprised just how soft and smooth his bones really were. Sans pulled of her shirt before attempting to remove her bra; his eye ridges scrunched in frustration as he struggled to undo the clasps. “Squeeze the ends together,” she instructed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sans grunted in acknowledgment as he once again tried to unhook the bra. After a few more attempts, he was successful in removing the fabric from her body. His hands ran over her now exposed breasts, and Cassandra moved in to kiss the skeleton once again; Sans ran his thumbs over her nipples which earned him a soft moan that was silenced in the passion of their kiss. “i guess i should warn ya i haven't done this before,” he stated as he gently pinched her nipples.

“That's fine, I can take the lead,” the brunette stated before pushing him onto the bed. “If I do something you don't like, let me know.”

Cassandra grabbed the hem of Sans' shorts and promptly removed the fabric; the young woman blinked at the magic formed penis before curiously wrapping her hand around it. Sans groaned as she rubbed, his eye sockets closing as the feeling of pleasure washed over him. The brunette smirked as she set a steady pace before stopping to remove the rest of her own clothing. Sans opened his eyes and took in the details of her naked body as she crawled over him; she was blushing as she felt a little self conscious under his gaze, but she shoved that aside as she straddled his hips. Leaning over, she once again shared a heated kiss with the skeleton as he pressed his erection against her sex. Cassandra kissed his sternum before using a hand to guide his penis into her; she moaned as she adjusted to the feeling before setting a slow and steady pace. The magic inside gave a warming buzz feeling that sent jolts of pleasure through her as she moved her hips; Sans' hands rested on her hips as his fingers gripped tightly from the feeling of her around him. “stars you're tight..” he muttered before grunting as she picked up the pace.

“It's been a while, so I'm going to be,” she breathed out. “You enjoying it so far?”

Sans nodded; in that moment he couldn't bring himself to respond as he listened to her moans that filled the room. Cassandra found herself unable to last too much longer with the sensation of the magic buzzing. She leaned over Sans as she panted, her heart hammering in her chest as her climax started to build. “Fuck, I'm getting close,” she moaned as she kept the pace.

A growl came from Sans as he captured her lips, his tongue running along hers as he felt his own climax building. Cassandra let out a yell as her hips bucked on their own with her release; the pressure of her tightening further pulled out Sans' own climax as he moaned, thrusting upward as he came. The young woman pulled the skeleton into a passionate kiss as her limbs shook from the force of her release before resting her forehead on his as their eyes locked. Cassandra smiled fondly at Sans before placing a kiss on his forehead. Sans' magic dissipated which caused the brunette's eyebrows to furrow from the weird feeling of something suddenly disappearing from inside. “Well, not bad for your first time, huh?” she asked as she tried to catch her breath while rolling onto the bed.

Sans rolled onto his side before moving her head so she was looking into his eyes. “don't ever doubt yourself,” he murmured before pressing his teeth to her head.

Cassandra blushed before nodding, “I'll try my best.”

“can i ask ya somethin'?” the skeleton asked as he rested a arm on her waist.

“Of course; if this doesn't prove that we are comfortable with each other, I don't know what will,” she laughed lightly.

“how come you don't like to look people in the eyes?”

Cassandra sighed as she started to fidget, “I feel like people can see through me, and it scares me. I worry that people can see me who I really am, and I feel vulnerable, and unsafe.. however, I have caught myself looking in your eyes more frequently than I had in the past, and I think it's because I do feel safest with you.”

“you have nothin' ta worry 'bout. you are one of the kindest humans i know,” he stated as he pulled her closer.

The young woman placed a kiss on his sternum before laughing lightly. “We kinda forgot the movie playing in the living room,” she snickered. “guess that's what we get for letting things get rather heated. Guess you made my blood boil.”

Sans grinned, “guess we kinda stoked the fire.”

The two laughed before Cassandra got out of bed to throw her pajamas on as Sans put his own clothes back on. The rest of the day went by quickly for the two, and the couple shared the bed as night rolled through. Cassandra woke up to her alarm, which she scowled at as she hit the off button. She yawned as she tried to roll out of bed, but Sans had other plans. He pulled her back to him with a tired grin. “I gotta get up so I can get ready for Shadow to arrive,” the brunette groaned; she was trying to pry his arms off of her.

“nah, sleep is more important,” he chuckled; his voice was still groggy sounding from just waking up.

“Sans, I gotta get up.. I will lick your face,” she warned.

“i got somethin' else you can lick,” he grinned.

“...I turned you into a pervert,” Cassandra said before laughing lightly. “I gotta get up, and I'm going to.”

Sure enough, the young woman used her body weight to pin the skeleton on the bed; his face turned blue by her sudden actions. Cassandra grinned before licking his face from his chin to forehead before darting off the bed and going to the kitchen to make breakfast while cackling. She quickly got the coffee started as Sans finally emerged from the bedroom with a lazy grin on his face. “you're askin' for trouble,” he said.

“I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm a perfectly innocent young adult who is definitely a little angel,” the young woman said with a flutter of her eyelashes.

“uh-huh. just keep in mind that i have never lost a prank war,” he warned.

“Oooh, I'm so scared. Whatever shall I do?”

Sans just shook his head in amusement as he watched her prepare French Toast and bacon. “Shadow will be here in about an hour, so by the time I have all this cooked up she should be here. After breakfast we will talk about the prison visit before Papyrus comes over. It is Sunday so he is coming over, isn't he?” Cassandra asked.

“yeah, i told him to come over a little later in the afternoon,” he answered as he watched the coffee pot fill up.

“That'll work,” the young woman stated before turning on her speaker to play music. “Let's see... Yeah, this will work!”

“He got the 8 ball in the left pocket. Swore he wouldn't shoot it, D's in town we blew it. Let's play pool. We'll go round the table, we're all 18 and able, cause you got a 20, and I got a house key and some warm beer. I've got a simple explanation: It's all the fault, the fault of Satan. Let's crucify him for all of our sins. The Devil Didn't make me do it,” the song played through the speaker as Cassandra moved through the kitchen with ease.

Sans raised an eyebrow at the speaker, “interestin' song choice.”

“I like Twin Temple. They give off that classy spooky vibe. Well, it is classified as Satanic Doo Wop... I love listening to them, especially around Halloween,” she explained. “One of my friends introduced me to the group and I've been hooked ever since.”

The skeleton just shook his head with a smile as he poured Cassandra and himself a up of coffee; they both drank it black so he handed her the mug which she quickly set on the counter as she flipped the bacon. Cooking made the hour go by quick, and Cassandra had gone ahead and unlocked the door as she finished up cooking the last of the French Toast and bacon. Not even a minute later, Shadow had opened the front door and closed it behind her. “I'm home, Weirdo,” Shadow said as she sniffed. “I smell bacon.”

“You'd be correct. I made extra for you since I know you love bacon,” Cassandra answered.

Breakfast went by without a hitch and the three wound up on the couch. The brunette wrung her hands as she let out a sigh. “Okay, so Shadow, I already talked to Sans about this yesterday, but I need to let you know as well,” Cassandra started before explaining to her friend about the visitation.

“Now I don't feel as comfortable of you going...” Shadow muttered. “Unfortunately you need to just in case... How did you word it in your letter though? That might be a determining factor in terms of at least one of us sitting next to you as you talk.”

“At the same time, however, she may dance around the questions if I have someone with me.. I think I'm just overthinking this entire situation...” the brunette groaned.

“i don't think you are in this case,” Sans commented. “your mother seems like the type to manipulate others to get out, so it's better to plan for the worst case scenario.”

“Sans is right. If she happens to get out, you can always stay with your aunt, me, or even Sans and Papyrus. Obviously she doesn't know where you work or live, but I'd prefer it if you had someone with you at all times. Restraining order won't mean a damn thing if your mom gets out unfortunately,” the black haired female added.

“Yeah... I worry about my mom getting out, but so long as we have everything planned out for the after affects regardless of the outcome,” Cassandra sighed. “This is going to be very complicated.”

“as far as where you can go, paps an i would be happy ta have ya. we would know you were safe that way; we could protect ya,” the skeleton said placing an arm over his girlfriend's shoulders.

“I'd be fine with that,” Shadow nodded.

“You don't think it might put a strain on our relationship since it is relatively new?” the brunette asked.

“other than when you're at work, you spend most of your time with us; not only that, but you stay the night at our house as much as we stay here,” Sans replied with a shrug.

“That's true... Then that's settled. There isn't much else we can do until I get a response... All I know is that we'll be going to the jail sometime in the next two weeks...” Cassandra stated.

“Well, that's enough of the sad and stressful shit, let's change he subject,” Shadow mentioned. “Why not watch a movie?”

“That works. Oh, there is one more thing that I gotta share with you,” Cassandra said as she gently smacked her friend's leg. “Sans and I are officially in a relationship now.”

“It's about time; I think it'll be good for you since you've been happier than you have been in a while,” the black haired female nodded.

The three settled on a Disney movie, and about half way through, Papyrus had made it over and promptly hugged Cassandra before moving to Shadow and holding out his hand to greet her since the younger brother remembered that Shadow didn't like being touched. The four chatted among themselves, but Papyrus kept shooting glances at his older brother; he knew something changed, but he wasn't quite sure what. Papyrus had decided he would just ask his brother later once they had a moment to themselves.

Chapter Text

Cassandra paced the living room as she waited for their Uber to arrive. She chewed her lip as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt; Sans and Shadow watched the young woman as she tried to steady her nerves. “Weirdo, you'll be fine; we'll be waiting for you once your visit is finished,” Shadow sighed. “You can do this. If it proves to be to much, just walk out and don't say a damn thing.”

The brunette nodded; she wasn't fully listening and was only trying to steady her nerves. She knew there was no turning back now that she had everything planned out. Unknown to the two sitting on the couch, Cassandra had bought a pack of cigarettes for after the visit. She didn't usually smoke, but considering how stressed she would be, she would make an exception today. Sans just watched until Cassandra checked her phone; she exhaled shakily as she grabbed her small purse. “Our driver is here...” she muttered.

The three filed outside and into the awaiting vehicle. The driver was being chatty, but Cassandra was too busy trying to sort out her own thoughts to really pay attention; she needed to thank Sans for replying to most of the questions. Shadow wasn't social by nature, so she was just uncomfortable with being in a car with a stranger. The hour drive went by slowly, and the three got out after the brunette handed the driver an extra tip for his kindness. The three stood on the sidewalk facing the prison, and Cassandra's hands were already lightly shaking; she knew what awaited her, and she was trying her hardest to breathe through her anxiety. “We're here for you,” Shadow pressed. “We'll be in the waiting room. You are not alone.”

Sans was doing his best to maintain his composure. The amount of souls that had high levels of LV and EXP was unnerving him, and he was far from comfortable letting Cassandra enter that building. Most of the souls had gone dull or black which caused his eyelights to dim into tiny specks. The brunette let out a shaky breath as they approached the front doors and entered the prison. Cassandra listened to the instructions that the head guard was giving the group of people that were also there to visit; it looked to be a bunch of families going to see loved ones. The young woman fidgeted as the visitation protocol was cited, and soon all the visitors filed into a hallway as the guard lead them to the room where they could interact with the inmates. Cassandra had given a wave to Sans and Shadow before she was soon out of sight. “don't worry, i'm keepin' a close eye on her soul,” the skeleton stated to the human next to him as they took a seat in the room.

“I hate that we can't go in with her...” Shadow grumbled as she glared at the place the group left.

Sans only grunted in response as he kept the familiar green and purple soul that belonged to his human in sight. Cassandra was standing next to a table at the edge of the room; she was feeling the anxiety seeing that she was halfway in the room. She had been hoping that she was close to the door in case she needed to bolt. She did not want to be seated in case her mother insisted on hugging her to pull off the 'I am fully better and regret my actions' act. Cassandra's head snapped up at the sound of her name, and sure enough, she turned towards the door where inmates were being filed out of; a wave of panic washed over her when she saw a familiar person approaching her with a guard. The young woman swallowed as the woman smiled, however, it didn't reach her eyes. Cassandra recognized the look of hatred in them immediately. That woman's eyes made her skin crawl. “Cassandra, sweetie, it's been so long,” her mother said as she held out her arms; she was trying to close the distance.

The young woman immediately backed up as she eyed the cruel person before her. “It's been that long for a reason, Beverly,” Cassandra muttered as she wrung her hands; she was trying not to subconsciously cover her scar. She didn't want to give this woman any ideas that she was still terrified after all these years.

Beverly frowned before taking a seat; Cassandra immediately sat at the other end of the table. The young woman put her elbows on the table and interlocked her fingers as she watched her mother wearily. “It's rude to call your mother by her first name you know,” the forty-seven year old said; her voice had gotten a little colder from the initial greeting.

“You're not my mother, but I didn't come here to talk about that,” Cassandra sneered. “I came here because I have questions that only you have the answer to.”

“What happened in the past is in the past,” Beverly started as her eyes narrowed. “I want to start over, is that too much to ask?”

“Yes, it is. As soon as this meeting is over, I'm getting a restraining order. You need to prove to me you've changed and you actually regret doing what you did,” the young woman growled; she didn't want to admit to herself just how closely she resembled her mother. “I want answers. Remember when you stayed out late? Dad had gotten suspicious of you cheating since you didn't work; were you?”

The older woman crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “Yeah, I was. I got tired of the life at home and ran into my old high school sweetheart. We both started chatting and the sparks flew. Eventually he left me, he said that he couldn't keep seeing a married woman,” she scoffed. “Your stupid father didn't want a divorce though, so I was stuck with him and you two brats.”

Cassandra frowned, “Brats, huh? So you didn't see us as anything else?”

“That's just a polite word for what I really thought of you kids,” Beverly said lowly. “If I wanted to be honest, you kids were nothing more than a parasite. I hated you two. But, I now see the error of that, and I miss you.”

The young woman suppressed a shudder as goosebumps started to form on her body; she didn't trust those words, and her instincts were screaming that she was lying. Cassandra shoved the pain she felt in hearing the confirmation of being despised, as she sighed. “Why? Why did you kill my father and my brother?” she asked softly.

Beverly glared at her daughter as she balled her hands into fists. “I don't need to answer any more questions. You have no right asking such questions, so I suggest you stop,” she spat.

“Yes, I have every right asking these questions! You took everything away from me, and now you are saying you want a relationship?! You never wanted to be in my life, and I sure as hell don't want you in mine after what you did!” Cassandra snarled; she was trying to keep her panic at bay while trying to control her shaking limbs. “I have to know why, and if you refuse to answer, you'll never see me again. I will make sure you never find me and you won't find any contact information if it's the last thing I do.”

Beverly eyed her daughter thoughtfully; she was determining if her daughter was bluffing or not, but seeing her eyes glaring the way they were, she doubt she was. “Fine. You want to know why? Because I hated every one of you. I wish your father decided on a divorce, that way I didn't have to resort to that extreme. I wanted to be with Brad, my sweetheart, but I had you three holding me back. Your father always gave you brats more attention than me, but even while I was pregnant with you he didn't let me get an abortion. I never wanted any kids, and yet I didn't have a say in it. You were more problematic when your brother came along, and once Brad rejected me, I knew I'd have to get rid of my family. If I actually was able to kill you, I would have been able to take necessary steps to pull off a robbery gone wrong. Your fucking brother had to come to your rescue though, and you got to the neighbors,” she said.

Cassandra paled the more her mother spoke, and she felt the fear coming back as Beverly tried to keep her features schooled. The young woman had noticed how the corners of her mother's lips would twitch into an almost smirk, but the older woman was fighting it. “You know, for someone who wants to get out on good behavior, you seem to be having a hard time actually regretting your actions,” Cassandra said; she intentionally said it loud enough for the guard by their table to hear.

“What makes you think I don't?” Beverly sneered.

“Because I know a mask when I see one. The one thing I learned from you was to pay attention to body language. I didn't want any potential repeats of that night. You're fighting back a smirk, and I still think you're nothing more than a lowly bitch who has nothing and never will. After today, I won't ever let you plague my thoughts. I'm shoving you into the past and I won't allow you to haunt my memories any more. I forgive you, but you can fuck off with your bullshit,” Cassandra said; she felt her cheeks being stained by tears as she stood up. “I know you're lying through your teeth; you just want to finish the job.”

Cassandra moved away from the table and began heading to the door, but her mother calling her caused her to pause and look back at the now smirking older woman. “You're more clever than I gave you credit for. Since you decided to plant that doubt in the guard, they will probably reevaluate my behavior. So you wanted to know why, and I answered. But here is something that I know will make sure you don't forget: your brother was crying out for his dear sister when I stabbed him. He begged for mercy like the pathetic whelp he was as you fled the house. You abandoned him, and you're right, I had great pleasure slitting his throat to shut him up,” Beverly said as she slowly closed the distance.

Cassandra's breathing started to get heavier as she froze in shock and horror at her mother's words. Beverly stood in front of her daughter before grabbing something out which promptly got her tackled by the guard. The young woman fell to the ground as she stared at the shank that was removed from her mother's hand. “So you wanted to kill me after all...” she whispered.

“I fucking hate you! I hate you!” Beverly screamed as they took her out of the room.

The brunette barely registered the guard that helped her up and escorted her out of the room and back into the waiting room where Sans and Shadow stayed. The second she rounded the corner, Shadow pulled her friend into a hug. “It's okay, it's over; don't think, listen to me,” the black haired friend muttered; she could still hear Beverly screaming profanities.

Cassandra cried on her friend's shoulder as she held her close. “S-she told me how she k-killed him,” she wailed.

Sans' eyelights had been gone, and adding that made him all the more angry. He had watched Cassandra's soul, and he had been struggling to keep control at seeing her mother's; how someone so kind came from what he saw was beyond him. It made him even more uneasy that Shadow couldn't be there. He saw his human's soul crack again, and it pissed him off that she was able to hurt Cassandra with only words. “C-can we leave..? Please...I don't want to be here... she tried again...” the brunette muttered.

At those words, cyan filled Sans' left eye socket. “how tight is the security in most prisons?” he growled; he wanted to fulfill his roll as a judge in that moment.

“I don't know what you're planning, but you'll get caught,” Shadow said. “Security is extremely tight in most prisons, and they have cameras everywhere. You don't need to end up in jail; right now Cas needs us, and the sooner we leave the better. We need to take her someplace safe.”

Cassandra let go of Shadow to pull Sans into a hug, “I'm okay, I'll be okay... let's just go...”

Sans' eyelights returned before he nodded and sighed, “i know a shortcut to get back to the apartment. shadow, i suggest grabbin' my other hand.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and did as instructed. The black haired female was a bit surprised when a dark hole popped up; when they stepped through, she was even more stunned that they were in Cassandra's home. “Uh, you can teleport?” she asked.

“more like i use magic to travel through the void,” Sans stated as he panted; he had beads of sweat rolling off of him from using the amount of magic he did.

Cassandra let go of Sans before heading outside where she promptly lit a cigarette once the door was closed. Her hands were violently shaking as she tried to drown out the words her mother had said. It pained her, but she had already known it. She was a burden to her mother, but she wasn't. Beverly had just been an unhappy human being who thought she had no control of her own life. The young woman didn't notice the front door opening as she shook, the panic starting to set in from the events of the day. “Hey, you're okay, you're home,” Shadow said as she sat in front of her friend.

The brunette blinked before wiping the tears from her face; she was doing her best to fight back the sobbing. Despite her mother saying the things she did, Cassandra felt lighter. She stood up against her demon and she won. Beverly wasn't able to hurt her anymore. That woman's actions would guarantee that she wouldn't be allowed out anytime soon if ever. The only thing that would be detrimental would be if her mother was released in the future since Cassandra knew that her mother wouldn't dare try contacting her again. The brunette's eyes went wide before she stared at her best friend; she barely noticed Sans standing next to the black haired female. “My address is on the prison record from my visit...” she paled. “What if down the line my mother does get out? She can find me...”

“Stop, you're going to give yourself a panic attack. We already talked about you moving in with Sans and Papyrus, so why not still do that? I'm not trying to put you guys on the spot, but now you're not going to feel safe in your home because you just put that connection together,” Shadow said.

“i'd be more comfortable with it.. seeing her soul was unsettlin'...” Sans grumbled. “it screamed ill intentions...”

“See? You're okay. You are safe. We both are here for you and always will be. I am proud of you, Weirdo. You have fought your way through hell and won,” the black haired female smiled.

Cassandra was unable to hold back the sobs as her body shook; she was letting out everything she had been holding in. Fear, pain, anxiety, and her anger: all of it was being let go. Sans sat down next to his human before pulling her into a hug; Shadow grabbed hold of her friend's hand as the brunette's body shook with sobs. “She can't touch you, you did it. You pulled through and conquered,” Shadow said.

“ya did good, and i'll be sure to keep ya safe,” Sans added.

They stayed outside long after Cassandra's cigarette burned out; eventually she did calm down enough to go back inside. Shadow turned on the television and put on Tangled; Disney would definitely cheer everyone up, it always did. Cassandra clung onto Sans as her friend pressed play on the DVD. “Can we invite Papyrus over..?” the brunette asked. “I could use his positive energy... and alcohol.”

“sure, i'll go ahead and shoot him a text,” Sans said as he pulled out his phone.

Shadow sighed before going to the kitchen and getting out a cup. “Weirdo, what are you feeling: hard liquor, wine, hard cider?” she asked. “I'm going to take one of these 'Jamaican Me Happy' drinks.”

“I want hard liquor after today,” Cassandra answered as she leaned her head on Sans' shoulder. “I have some Crown Royal vanilla and some Pepsi; those will taste good together. No ice please.”

The black haired female shrugged as she just filled the cup up with random amounts of both. “Want anything, Sans?”

“i'll have the same thing she's havin'” the skeleton hummed before he placed a kiss on his human's head.

Shadow shook her head as she randomly added the same combination in another cup. She took the two mixed drinks and handed them to the two on the couch before going back for her own drink. Cassandra took a sip before coughing. “Jesus that's strong,” she laughed. “I guess I deserved it since you've not had experience with that.”

“What did we learn?” Shadow asked.

“Give you more practice?” Cassandra grinned.

Sans only grinned as he took a drink of his; he really felt the need to introduce the two to monster liquor. “i'm gonna be right back; i gotta introduce you two to the good shit,” the skeleton said before taking Cassandra's drink and setting it aside with his.

The brunette face planted on the couch as he disappeared from the room entirely. “Well that was rude,” Cassandra muttered.

“I don't like the way he said that,” Shadow muttered.

“That was his 'I'm up to no good' grin, too,” the brunette hummed. “Maybe this will be interesting.”

“That's what has me worried,” the black haired female chuckled.

Sans returned moments later with a bottle in his hand; the liquid inside was dark, but it looked to have a rainbow affect to it. “That's pretty,” Cassandra said. “What is it?”

“monster liquor. we'll start ya off with small amounts since it's stronger than your human liquor,” the skeleton replied as he got three glasses from the kitchen.

“Oh boy,” Shadow sighed. “I really hate that I gave myself the rule to try things once...”

Sans poured a small serving into each of the glasses before handing one to each of the girls and taking the last one. “start off with a sip,” he instructed as he watched the two.

Cassandra just shrugged before taking a small amount in her mouth; her taste buds were greeted with cinnamon before molding into a honey aftertaste. It was a very smooth liquid that didn't have any after burn. “Ooooh, that's good,” the brunette said before downing the remainder of her cup. “That bottle won't last long.”

“That is really good,” Shadow said as she took another sip. “I like the aftertaste.”

Sans took his entire glass in one drink, “just be careful with it, ya don't need much to get drunk.”

The brunette poured herself the equivalent of a double shot before downing it like it wasn't anything. “Holy fuck, I already have a nice buzz going!” she said.

There was a knock at the door, and Shadow stood up to answer it. “Hello, human! I have arrived to help cheer everyone up!” Papyrus exclaimed as he pushed through. “I will make a wonderful dish of friendship spaghetti!”

Sure enough, the younger brother went to the kitchen to start cooking up a storm; Papyrus was using the recipe that Cassandra had shown him back when they first cooked together. “Papy!” the brunette shouted. “Your brother brought us some monster liquor!”

“Brother! You know that it is strong for humans!” the younger brother scolded.

“yeah, but cas needed a distraction, so why not?” Sans shrugged.

“It's okay,” Cassandra chuckled before pouring herself more. “Oh, I'll be your roommate soon.”

Papyrus' face lit up in a huge smile, “Really?!”

“yeah, we thought it would be a good thing to get her somewhere she can always be safe,” Sans grinned; he was happy seeing his brother so happy.

The older brother noticed Cassandra going after the bottle again, so he quickly snatched it away from her before she could pour a fourth double shot. “ya need to slow down, princess,” Sans chuckled.

“You're so boring,” the brunette groaned. “Let me get shit faced.”

“No, let's not,” Shadow cut in; her glass was halfway filled from what it was. “I'm buzzed only because I don't usually drink liquor.”

“Boo, you whore,” Cassandra scoffed playfully.

“What the hell?” the black haired female said while trying to hide her grin.

The brunette only shrugged as she grabbed the mixed drink that Shadow had made for her. “Oh, Shadow, I need to tell you something!” the young woman said before waving her friend closer. “I gotta whisper it though, it's personal!”

“If you say something stupid I'm going to hit you,” Shadow warned.

“Stupid is a matter of perspective, but no, it's not,” the brunette huffed.

Sans just watched the two in amusement while Papyrus listened from the kitchen as he cooked. Cassandra leaned towards her friend's ear with a light blush and grin. “Sans and I had sex last Saturday,” she said in what she thought was a whisper, but in reality it was a loud whisper where everyone else could hear.

A loud clatter from the kitchen could be heard before Papyrus cleared his throat and went back to cooking; he was going to pretend he didn't hear what was said. Sans' face became a cyan as he stared at the TV avoiding any and all eye contact. “You know, for a whisper you said that kinda loud,” Shadow said in amusement. “Guess that means you guys are getting pretty serious. Congrats.”

Cassandra flung her arms around her best friend, “You are the best. I'm glad you're my bestie.”

“I know, Weirdo. Now let go or I will tickle you,” her friend threatened.

The brunette stuck out her tongue but complied regardless. The three went back to watching Disney movies until Papyrus called them all over for dinner. Cassandra quickly pulled the younger brother in a hug. “Thank you for all that you do, I appreciate you,” she said with a smile.

“Of course! I wouldn't be the Great Papyrus if I didn't help take care of you!” the tall skeleton announced.

“you're the coolest, bro,” Sans grinned.

Everyone served themselves, and they all sat in the living room as Shadow put on Frozen. “So, when will you be moving in with us?!” Papyrus asked.

“Well, hopefully I'll be able to start packing in the next couple of weeks,” Cassandra replied. “First, however, I need to let my aunt and landlord know; I can't just up and leave or I won't get my deposit back.”

“Has work been treating you guys well?” Shadow asked.

“Work has great! I now work in a five star restaurant as a chef!” Papyrus replied.

“Oh cool!” Cassandra commented. “Work for me has been pretty decent, can't complain too much. You, Sans?”

“we've been gettin' some interestin' readings from the machine recently, but nothin' to prove the multiverse theory just yet,” Sans shrugged; that sentence wasn't a full truth, but he was under confidence not to say anything about the fact they had indeed found other universes.

“That would be cool,” Cassandra grinned.

Once they finished eating, The two humans began pulling out blankets and pillows: they were going to be building a pillow fort where the four can sleep. Papyrus was excited about the fort and sleepover, and in next to no time it was set up, and Cassandra sat right between the two brothers while Shadow sat off to the side from the group. “Thank you guys, for everything that you've done,” the brunette smiled as she leaned on Sans.

“it's no problem,” Sans grinned.

Cassandra smirked before grabbing the monster liquor and pouring herself some more, “A toast to my favorite people in the world!”

The group laughed and joined in the toast. The day had turned out better than when it had started, and everyone was grateful for that.

Chapter Text

Cassandra wiped her forehead as she looked at the progress she was making; with the DVDs and books now boxed up, the living room was officially done being packed up. She already told her landlord and aunt that she was moving, and her aunt had been ecstatic that she was able to be that comfortable in her relationship. The young woman smiled at the stack of boxes that sat in the living room before plopping back down on the couch; she only had her bedroom left to pack up aside from any necessities. To think that she would be this happy after everything she fought in her life made her feel light as a feather. She still fought against depression on rare occasions, but it wasn't nearly as frequent as what it was beforehand. Everything had fallen into place better than what she could have ever imagined. Cassandra smiled as Sans flopped on the couch next to her; he had been labeling the boxes to their respective contents. “This has been quite fun, no?” Cassandra said as she bumped her shoulder with the skeleton.

“yeah, but we can't keep that fun boxed up,” Sans chuckled with a wink.

The brunette snorted in amusement, “Usually I'd rise to your pun challenge, but I am thinking about a nice hot shower. Well, shower after a moment of relaxing that is.”

“want some company?” Sans purred as he leaned in close to her ear; she shivered when she felt his tongue lick along her neck.

“You keep teasing me and I'll find it hard to decline,” the young woman hummed as she lightly pushed against the skeleton.

A soft growl came from Sans as he got closer before giving her neck a soft bite, “maybe i don't want ya to decline.”

Cassandra bit her lip as she felt her heart race as a familiar heat formed in her abdomen. “I still need to get showered first and foremost,” she breathed.

The skeleton chuckled as he kissed up her neck before running his tongue along her bottom lip. The young woman parted her lips eagerly as her lust grew. Her hand moved to cup his face as she pressed herself against him; she let out a soft moan as one of his hands roamed her torso. Sans pulled away and smirked at her as she tried to catch her breath. “how 'bout that shower?” he asked in a low voice.

Cassandra nodded before hurriedly getting off the couch and to her bathroom; she yelped when Sans popped in the space before her, and he took that opportunity to back her up against the bathroom wall before once again claiming her lips. “If you're wanting this to continue, you need to let me undress and get cleaned,” the young woman breathed.

Sans pulled away and began to remove his own clothing; he watched as Cassandra followed suit before starting the shower. As they waited for the water to warm, the brunette grabbed a hair clip and put her hair up so she didn't get it wet; today she didn't need to worry about getting her head wet. Sans wasted no time in letting his hands roam her body as she pinned her hair. She bit her lip as she looked at the skeleton through the mirror and watched him as he studied her features; she took note of the visible magic that was starting to form around his pelvis. “Don't get too excited there, we still need to get cleaned before we get dirty,” Cassandra grinned.

The skeleton's eyes locked with her blue ones before he smirked and leaned close to her ear. “that doesn't mean i can't tease ya,” he whispered.

“You keep teasing me and you won't like when I tease back,” the young woman warned as she turned to look at her boyfriend.

“ya know, ya can't say somethin' like that and not expect me to try to find out what ya mean,” he said as he grabbed her breasts.

The young woman gasped before she grabbed his hands and pinned him against the wall. “I wouldn't try calling that bluff if I were you,” she growled before lightly biting at his clavicle.

Sans groaned, but when he went to retaliate, Cassandra was stepping in the shower with a smirk; he didn't miss the spark of a challenge in her eye as she waited for him to enter as well. The skeleton's grin widened as he entered before the human drew the shower curtain closed. Despite Sans trying to continue the teasing in the shower, the young woman would smack his hands away; the knowing smirk never left her face as she began to silently plot. Once they were both rinsed off, Cassandra turned off the water and handed Sans a towel before drying off herself. The two found themselves hurrying to the bedroom, and the young woman grinned as she closed the bedroom door. “Close your eyes,” she instructed.

“nah, don't think i wanna,” Sans grinned as he cupped her cheek.

“You're not a good listener,” she mused as she ran a finger over his sternum.

“i wanna see what you were talkin' 'bout,” he purred before running his tongue along a nipple.

Cassandra bit back a soft moan before she moved away from the skeleton and headed to her nightstand. She hummed as she pulled something out of the drawer before hiding it behind her back. “Here is how this is going to go: you're going to obey my instructions. If you do not, the longer the punishment will last. If I give an instruction, you will respond with 'yes, ma'am' or 'yes, mistress'. If I ask a question, you will answer me appropriately. Am I clear?”

Sans' grin only got wider as he approached, “and if i say no?”

“You're not going to like what happens,” she mused. “Now, get on the bed.”

“hmmm, nah, don't wanna,” he smirked.

Cassandra pushed him onto the mattress with her free hand before pinning his hands by the headrest and handcuffing him there. “Already misbehaving, shame shame,” she hummed as she hovered over his face; she was aware of the magic that had formed completely at his pelvis.

The young woman moved so she could grab his erection; she moved her hand and grinned when he groaned. “so what exactly is the punishment? this doesn't seem like one to me,” he grunted.

“I will deny you release until you beg for it,” she answered. “Unless you decide to listen and behave.”

“you know i can just teleport out of the handcuffs, right?” Sans mused.

Cassandra paused before scowling at the skeleton, “Just go with it.”

“yes, ma'am,” he grinned. “though i should warn ya, you tease me too much and i may not be able to help myself.”

The young woman just shrugged before she leaned over and placed a kiss along his shaft; Sans watched as her tongue snaked out and licked along his penis before taking it into her mouth. He groaned as his head fell against the pillows, his hands forming fists as he pulled against the cuffs. Cassandra hummed as she sucked, her tongue rolling around the tip of his erection. Sans' tongue rolled out of his mouth as his breathing picked up; he moaned on occasion as the pleasure built, and he found his climax building faster than he would like. Feeling him struggling more, Cassandra pulled away before smirking at him. “Problem?” she asked knowingly.

“n-no, ma'am,” he panted.

The young woman only shrugged as she brought her mouth back down around the solidified magic and continued to tease the skeleton. She denied his release three more times, and she could see him squirming more; the static of magic in the air was getting thicker as she rejected his need. “Still not going to ask?” she smirked.

She blinked as he suddenly disappeared from the bed, and she jumped when she heard a growl from behind her. She twirled around and gasped as Sans captured her lips aggressively as he pushed her onto the bed. He readjusted the handcuffs before returning the favor and locked her in place. Sans ran his tongue along her cleavage before biting her neck. “i believe i warned ya,” he purred as he pinched her nipple while his other hand held him up.

Cassandra moaned softly as he moved to lightly lick and nip along her breasts before he pressed his erection against her entrance and eased himself in. The young woman moaned as she felt him press into her, and her back arched as Sans wasted no time in setting a steady pace; he bit her neck as he moaned. He quickly found his climax build thanks to her relentless teasing, and he groaned as he gave his final few thrusts; he was far from done, however, since his magic was still pooling. He started to set the pace again as Cassandra pulled against the cuffs; her head fell back against the pillows as her own pleasure built. Ecstasy overcame them as their climaxes racked through their bodies. Sans' magic dissipated as he passionately kissed the young woman while unlocking the handcuffs. Cassandra cupped his skull in her hands before planting a kiss on his forehead. “Remind me to tease you more often,” she panted.

“enjoy it that much?” he grinned as he laid on the mattress next to her.

“I always enjoy my time with you,” she smiled. “If not, I wouldn't be moving in with you. But yes, the experience was wonderful. I do have a question though: once I have finished moving, would you have issues if I had a house warming party? Just invite a few people over to have some fun. It is still your house and I wanted to ask before doing it since I know how you are with new people. I was going to invite Shadow, Summer, Winifred, Alphys, and Undyne.”

“i trust ya, and ya don't seem like the type to make friends with anyone who would hurt paps,” Sans said.

Cassandra pulled him into a hug as her smile widened ever so slightly, “Thank you! I haven't seen Summer and Winifred in a while since they've been busy with work. Well, work and wildlife rehabilitation for Wini.. She is actually the one who inspired me to be a foster parent for animals.”

Sans chuckled, “you seem to make friends with other people who are kind.”

“What can I say, kindness goes a long way,” she hummed before yawning. “I vote we get some sleep.. tomorrow I can start packing up the bedroom, and then the rest can wait until I actually move.”

“at least you don't have as much in here as you did the livin' room,” he stated. “i still can't believe you had that many books and movies..”

“You've been over quite a few times, but I suppose you never really know until you pack them up,” she snickered.

Sans grunted in reply before the two gave in to the need of sleep. The time to actually move everything into the brothers' house came quickly, and Cassandra was busying herself packing up all her necessities into their own box while Sans and Papyrus loaded the boxes into the truck; well, she assumed they rented a truck since they said they got it taken care of. What she didn't know was that Sans was using his magic to teleport her items to the house; it was a match faster process in his opinion. The young woman wiped her brow as she finished getting everything in the last few boxes before looking at the two skeletons. “How's the loading going?” she asked.

“Loading?” Papyrus asked. “What are we loading?”

The young woman's eyebrows furrowed, “The moving truck?”

“nah, i'm sendin' them to the house. You forget i have magic, princess,” Sans chuckled.

“Huh... I guess I should have suspected as much...” she shrugged. “Makes things so much easier. How much – oh wow there's almost no boxes left. I guess once we're done here I can tell the landlord so he can do his walk through.”

“Why does he need to walk the apartment?” Papyrus asked.

“So I can get my deposit back,” Cassandra answered as she wrote 'necessities' on the box she finished packing. “It's part of the contract to most places that lease to tenants. Unfortunately, landlords still get some people who trash their apartments regardless.”

“It sounds like humans have a lot of problems,” the taller skeleton pointed out.

“You're not wrong. If you look at human history, you would be skeptical of our species and less trusting. The amount of wars that have happened along with what we did to the Indigenous People should be proof of that, and add slavery to the mix and you'll find the human race to be more messed up than how I see monsters treat their own kind. Peace is something that we can hope for, but it's not that easy; you guys fighting for your own rights and still dealing with the hate from monsterphobes is more evidence that we suck as a whole,” the young woman vented. “I have hope though, there are people out there who are trying, but it's not easy. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get heated like that...”

“It's quite alright! I can understand where you are coming from!” the younger brother smiled. “I just have high hopes!”

“I am glad you do. Man, you're so cool,” Cassandra smiled pulling him into a hug.

“the absolute coolest, bro,” Sans agreed with a grin. “let's finish movin' though; a nap is callin' my name.”

The brunette grinned at her boyfriend and opened her mouth only to stop herself since Papyrus was right next to her; she had to force herself to behave for now. Sans raised an eyeridge at the young woman at her expression. He had learned that the face she was making was when she was about to make a dirty joke; he started to put the pieces together after the time she made the joke about 'Mrs. Peacock' while she was drunk. The older brother shook his head with a chuckle as he went back to sending the boxes into the void. It didn't take too long for the rest of the boxes to be transferred to the skeletons' house, and once she finished walking through to make sure she didn't leave anything behind, she headed to the main office to get her final inspection.

It was late into the evening when Cassandra plopped onto the couch in her new home with a yawn; Sans and Papyrus joined her as the older brother turned on the television. Hope curled up on the young woman's lap and let out a yawn herself. “Well, you guys are officially stuck with me,” the brunette smiled before yawning once again. She wiped her eyes since tears had formed from her excessive yawning.

“it's no reason to cry,” Sans teased.

“Oh hardy har,” she said with an amused smirk.

“It is like a permanent sleep over!” Papyrus exclaimed.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I'm excited about this arrangement honestly; it'll be good to be able to not worry about traveling to see you guys,” Cassandra smiled as she took each of the brothers' hands in her own. “We have each other now.”

Papyrus' smile grew before he pulled her into a hug. “You will make a wonderful sister!” he exclaimed.

The young woman blushed from the compliment as she laughed, “Already thinking of me as one? I'm flattered.”

“But of course! You have been nothing but helpful and kind!” the younger brother said matter-of-factly.

Cassandra just shook her head before planting a kiss on the top of his skull before going back to leaning on Sans and pulled out her phone. “So, how would the house party sounds in about two weeks? That way I have time to mostly unpack, and it will also allow me to get some snacks and prep for company,” she hummed as she started to get a group message of those she was going to invite.

“sounds good to me. what about you, bro?” Sans asked.

“That will also work for me! Wowie, I get to make more friends!” Papyrus exclaimed.

The young woman laughed lightly, “You already know three of them, silly. It's going to be Alphys, Shadow, Summer, Undyne, and Winifred.”

“Can we also invite Frisk and Toriel?!” Papyrus asked while clapping his hands.

“As much as I love them, my human friends don't exactly care for kids. They don't hate all kids, but crotch goblins don't exactly help their opinion of them,” she said; at their confused expression from the term 'crotch goblin', she laughed. “I should clarify. The three of us call kids who act up crotch goblins. They usually belong to parents who let their kids get away with anything without any discipline. In other words: their brats are perfect even if they are trashing the place.”

“But why call them crotch goblins?” Papyrus asked. “Am I missing a reference?”

That's when it clicked for Cassandra: he also didn't know where human kids came from. “Oh, uh.. I never thought I'd have to talk about that with a monster...” she said before clearing her throat.

Sans looked at her in amusement; he had done extensive research on the human body before agreeing to date Cassandra, so he knew all to well where this was going. “Okay, so let me ask you this: do you know where human kids come from, Papyrus?” she asked as she turned towards said skeleton.

“No! Do they appear like magic?!” he wondered.

“That would make this so much easier if that was the case,” the brunette sighed. “So, babies actually are formed in female humans after certain activities take place. After they finish developing, they come out of the adult female's downstairs private parts. That's why crotch goblins.”

Papyrus' face lit up to bright orange in understanding before he looked more curious. “But if a human develops inside, doesn't that hurt the organs? How long does it take for them to develop? Isn't it painful?” he questioned.

Sans was doing his hardest not to laugh as his shoulders shook slightly; he was way too amused at the moment. “Okay, so our bodies are actually pretty cool; as the child develops, our organs will actually move to make room for the child. It does come with discomfort since they end up compressed more than they usually would, so nausea, the urge to use the restroom, and exhaustion are all very common. Babies take about nine months to fully develop before the birthing process takes place, and yes, it is painful. Women nowadays have the option to get painkillers so it doesn't hurt as bad, but some choose natural childbirth. There are some cases where the mother has to have a c-section in order to have the child due to health complications also. That answer your questions?” Cassandra said; she was initially blushing also, but after she started to go in depth it wore off.

“Are you wanting kids?” Papyrus asked after a moment.

Sans' face turned blue just as Cassandra's went red. “I-I don't know, I haven't really thought about it? Besides, I don't know if it's possible for monsters and humans to have kids together.. Add to that mix of what I went through, I don't know if I'd even be emotionally stable enough to have kids,” she muttered. “And before you ask any more questions, I'm jumping in the shower.”

Cassandra quickly got to her feet before darting to the bathroom; she had not been expecting that question, and she was now thoroughly embarrassed. After her shower, she made her way to back to the living room and sat back down between the brothers. “What's the word humming bird?” she asked.

“We were just talking about what to do for dinner!” Papyrus answered.

“Well, since you guys helped me move, why don't I order us some pizza and we can watch a movie?” Cassandra suggested.

“sounds good,” Sans easily agreed before yawning; he used a lot of magic today and he was tired.

“I suppose that would work!” Papyrus nodded.

“Cool beans. I'll just order a supreme and we can pick off what we don't like,” she hummed as she got out her phone.

The three relaxed for the remainder of the evening before the slumped off to bed; Cassandra had moved into Sans' room, and she smiled to herself as she curled into his side. She could get used to this.

Chapter Text

Things had been going well. Cassandra and Sans had been dating for two years before soul bonding, and the young woman had been going back to therapy to overcome some of the insecurities she still had. Today was a day she felt set back though and Sans was unfortunately unable to comfort her since he and Alphys were making a breakthrough with their research. The brunette sighed as she curled into the blankets as she ignored her phone. It had been buzzing for a while, but she didn't have the energy to respond. Papyrus was out with Undyne, so that left her alone with her thoughts which were getting too loud. Cassandra's phone went silent before once again buzzing. With a sigh, the young woman reached over to see who was calling. After seeing the name, she grimaced before forcing her voice to sound cheery; she hadn't told Sans she wasn't in the right mindset. “Hey, Sans, what's up?” she asked trying to force herself to sound cheerful.

“cas, we may have a bit of a problem,” he started. “i need ya to head to the store to get a few blow up mattresses.”

Cassandra's eyebrows furrowed as she sat up, “What's going on? Are you okay?”

The skeleton was silent for a moment before he sighed, “i can't say over the phone, but yeah, i'm okay. i just need ya to bear with me until i get back.”

The brunette ran a hand over her face before letting out a sigh; she didn't want to do anything. “Okay, just text me everything that I need to get and I'll see you when you get back,” she finally said. “I love you.”

“love ya, too,” Sans said before hanging up.

Cassandra stared at her phone and noticed the amount of missed calls she had. Twenty, and all were from Sans. Guilt clawed at her as she began getting dressed. It was Spring, so long sleeves and pants sounded perfect to her. Tugging on a black long sleeved shirt and jeans, she looked at her phone in confusion. 'Three queen sized air mattresses or six twin mattresses? What is going on?' she thought as she grabbed her folded wallet; she didn't want to walk with a purse.

Her long brown hair hung in front of her face as she stared at her feet as she walked. Her emotions were all over the place and it was causing her anxiety to spike. Something had to be wrong. Things felt off. Chewing her lip, she missed a few concerned glances that were cast her way from a few monsters that knew her through Sans. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone as she called her best friend. She felt a bit of her anxiety leave at the sound of her fiend's voice. “Hello?” Shadow asked after the first ring.

“Shadow, something is going on,” Cassandra blurted. “Sans told me we need to get air mattresses and that he can't talk about what happened over the phone. On top of that, I'm having a set back and now my anxiety is spiking. It feels like something is wrong.”

“Cas, take a breath. You're okay. Sans probably just can't talk about work at work in case someone is listening?” she added uncertainly. “Maybe he made a discovery that can't get out? I don't know much about what he does. Just don't stress out. If depression is latching on again, you stressing out will make it worse.”

“I-I'm trying not to think about it. I'm just...I don't know...” the brunette sighed as she walked along the sidewalk. “Papyrus is also out with Undyne, so I can't ask him for a distraction...”

“Let me see if mom's okay with it, but I can possibly head over to distract you. I am proud of you for how far you've come,” the black haired female stated. “I'll shoot you a text if I can stay the night.”

After saying goodbye, Cassandra picked up her pace before heading into the superstore in town. Grabbing a cart, she made a b-line to the isle she suspected the air mattresses to be. Grabbing the last three queen sized mattresses, she then went to the bedding section to get three sets of plain sheets and comforters; she figured the guests would be fine with whatever. The last thing she needed were pillows; shrugging, she just grabbed six in hopes that it would be enough and if not, then she would just come back later. Double checking everything, she nodded to herself before heading to the checkout and shooting Sans a text saying she was on her way back. She scowled to herself as she started the walk back; the corners of the boxed mattresses were scratching her legs through her jeans and she felt bruises starting to form. “Fuck!” Cassandra swore as one of the bags ripped. With a growl, she picked up the box as she juggled everything else. Her arms were overloaded, and she was very obviously upset at the inanimate objects. It took longer than she had initially liked getting back to the house, and her eye twitched when realization struck that she'd have to put everything down in order to open the front door. “Stupid mother fucking bulky ass boxes...” she grumbled as she put the bags down to fish out the house key.

After a moment of struggling to unlock the door, she opened it with a sigh before scooping everything back up to bring inside. She wasn't expecting Sans to be home, and she certainly shocked to see what was before her. Unease began creeping along her spine as she tensed; her insecurities began to slither further into her subconscious. It felt like day one of meeting her group of friends all over again. Before her sat three skeletons that looked near identical to Sans and another three that resembled Papyrus. Her Sans was standing in front of the six new skeletons who were sitting on the couch. Sitting on the left was a Papyrus who was slouching and wearing an orange hoodie and long cargo pants; next to him was a Sans who wore a gray shirt and sported a blue bandana, gloves, and boots. Beside the two in the middle was a Sans wearing a black hoodie with a gold zipper, a red turtle neck, and basketball shorts with gold stripes down either side. The Papyrus next to him was scowling; he was sporting a red battle armor with black pants. The last pair were like a purple clad combination. That Sans wore a purple battle armor and the Papyrus adorned a purple zip up and black pants. The gold fangs on the red Sand and purple Papyrus stood out on their faces. The last four were definitely ones to be weary of if their scars were anything to go by. Cassandra took a step back as she swallowed; she was not ready for this, especially on a day of relapse. “S-Sans, w-what..?” she began.

Sans sighed as he ran a hand down the front of his face, “well, alph and i were able to prove the multiverse theory.”

The brunette placed the purchased goods on the floor in the living room as she began chewing her lip and picking at the sides of her nails. She only nodded before heading to the kitchen and pulling out her tea kettle; she needed her chamomile tea to calm the fuck down. She turned the electric kettle on before going to the area she kept her teas only to gasp and jump back only to wind up on her ass on the floor. “Hello Human! It Is A Pleasure To Meet You!” the Sans wearing the bandana said; he had literal stars in his eyes.

Cassandra didn't hear anything as she began shaking from the panic clawing at her chest. Sans had immediately ported in the kitchen where he squatted down at eye level with Hope before handing the dog to his mate; he had been hoping to try to cheer her up since he had noticed the foggy coloring of her soul when he got up to head to work that morning, but he had unintentionally just made it worse. “it's okay, cas, you're safe,” he muttered.

The brunette blinked as Hope began licking her cheek to cheer her human up. Shaking her head, the young woman shakily stood up before letting out a breath. “S-sorry,” she muttered staring at the floor.

“I'm Sorry, I Didn't Mean To Startle You!” the other Sans started; it looked like tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

“I-It's okay, I just startle easily sometimes,” Cassandra replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her attention turned towards her partner. “U-um, I called Shadow, she may stay the night tonight... today-”

“i know, and it's fine,” Sans said reassuring her. “sorry for being vague. i'll introduce ya to everyone once you get your tea.”

The brunette nodded as she was left alone in the kitchen. Her tea didn't take long enough to make, and she soon found herself in the living room in a chair from the dining room as she fidgeted. “so, cas, you already met blue, and that is his brother stretch. we also got red, edge, black, and rus,” Sans said. “guys, this is my partner cassandra.”

“I Don't See Why You Found It Acceptable To Bond With A Human!” Edge barked as he glared.

Cassandra tensed as her palms began to get sweaty; she knew that hate in his eyes, and it was making her unsettled. So what did she do? She decided to do the only things she knew how to do to break the tension. “W-Well didn't mean to put you on edge. I'm sure feeling blue is a bit of a stretch, so if you're red with anger you could black out and go kick a bucket before it rusts,” she blurts before facepalming. 'Jesus that was all bad,' she thought.

Silence overcame the group before Sans, Stretch, Red and Rus all started laughing as Blue, Black, and Edge all scowled. “geez, where'd ya find this kitten?” Red wheezed.

“to be purrfectly honest, frisk found her at the park and we just became friends,” Sans said with an easy grin and shrug.

“Enough Of These Horrendous Puns!” Black roared.

The brunette flinched as she shakily took a sip of her tea; this was not going to be easy. Hope jumped up on her lap which allowed the young woman to relax a bit. “Where Did You Get Your Dog?” Blue asked in excitement.

“Well, it started with me fostering her, then I got attached and adopted her,” Cassandra said.

“You Can Foster Animals?” the hyper Sans pressed.

The brunette nodded, “Y-Yeah, I work at a shelter though, so sometimes I foster so I can bring work home with me, especially if an animal is in rough shape or still nursing. Speaking of, Sans, tomorrow I may need to go to the shelter to pick up two litters of kittens; they're being looked at by the vet currently, but their mothers were both severely injured.”

“sounds like a catastrophy,” Red winked, but he was promptly punched in the head by his brother.

Cassandra frowned at Edge's action before she shook her head and gently set Hope down. “W-well, welcome to our home. It's not much, but you can stay until whenever I guess. The only thing I ask of everyone is to be respectful of others' and of their privacy,” she said as she stood up.

“And Why In The World Should We Be Respectful Of Some Pathetic Human?” Edge sneered just as Black opened his mouth.

“because she is my mate, and you don't know shit about her,” Sans growled. “until everythin' is fixed you're stayin' here, and i won't tolerate ill behavior towards her.”

“Sans, it's fine,” Cassandra cut in before her gaze locked with Edge's; she then took a deep breath to steel her nerves. “While it is true you don't know anything about me, we also don't know anything about you and your...world? Universe? Would that be right..? Wording aside, I don't blame you for disliking or even hating humans. We are pretty shitty, and you'll never hear me arguing with you about that. You don't have to like me, but don't belittle me. No, you won't hurt my feelings before you start condescending me again; half the shit you have already said isn't anything new to my ears as is. If you want to insult me, get to know me before rushing to opinions. If you can't stand me once you do, then by all means go ahead and continue because at least it's not a biased opinion at that point.”

Edge studied the young woman with narrowed sockets as he tried to think of something to say. Her scar adorning her face told a story of survival, and maybe that was why he found some truth in her words, though he would never admit it. “Fine,” he snapped after a moment.

“you're takin' this rather well...” Stretch pointed out as he eyed the human wearily.

“Honestly, I haven't fully processed this entire situation, so at some point I know I'll be freaking the fuck out,” Cassandra stated before heading to the stairs. “I'm getting the guest room ready for Shadow, and then I'll get started on the blow up mattresses.”

The seven skeletons sat in awkward silence before someone finally spoke up. “how'd she get the scar?” Red finally asked causing Sans to shoot him a glare. “what? ya can't expect that question to not be asked, 'specially since her soul is clouded and cracked.”

Sans pinched the bridge of his nose bone before sighing, “if ya wanna know, you'll have ta ask her. it took her a while ta tell paps and i her story. as far as the clouding goes, she struggles with depression, and on bad days it can cause her soul ta go black. our second run in she was about to jump off mt. ebott. i'm only sayin' that 'cause if i'm anythin' ta go by, you guys will be just a suspicious.”

Stretch coughed as guilt crept in; he was going to assume the worst because of the Frisk in his universe. Silence once again fell over the group as they all thought of something to try to talk about. Thankfully that was interrupted by loud music coming from the second story. “Turmoil at the front, Wilhelms forces on the hunt; There's a thunder in the east, It's an attack of the deceased. They've been facing poison gas, 7, 000 charge en masse, Turn the tide of the attack And force the enemy to turn back. And that's when the dead men are marching again... Osowiec then and again, Attack of the dead, hundred men, Facing the lead once again. Hundred men. Charge again. Die again,” the music played.

“This Isn't A Very Cheerful Song,” Blue pointed out as he looked at the second floor.

Sans shrugged as he moved a beanbag and flopped on it before turning the TV on. “dependin' on her mood she'll play a variety of songs. 'round halloween you'll hear a song called spooky scary skeletons, dead mans party, and a group called twin temple,” he explained. “fourth of july she'll be listenin' to the hamilton soundtrack.”

“How Long Have You Known The Human?” Blue asked.

Sans had to pause at that. “i honestly can't remember... almost three years?” he finally answered.

“Mother fucker!” Cassandra shouted. “Stupid dresser!” A very frustrated groan was heard shortly after.

“you'll get used to hearin' her curse at inanimate objects,” Sans chuckled. “she stubs her toe very frequently. so, what would ya like ta watch?” he had Netflix pulled up ready to search for something to watch.

Red raised an eyeridge at the sight of the watch list containing a lot of crime documentaries. “personally i'd be okay with any of those,” he shrugged.

“Any Superhero Movies?” Blue asked excitedly.

“I Demand Something Entertaining!” Black barked.

That's when the bickering started, and it was getting progressively louder. None of them heard footsteps as Cassandra descended the stairs and promptly took the remote from Sans and scrolling through her list. Silence overcame the group as they watched her intently. “Since you guys are arguing, I'll pick the first movie. After that you can take turns suggesting a genre, that way we all reach a compromise and no one argues about what's playing. I just finished upstairs and I'll be setting up the air mattresses hopefully before my friend gets here,” she said before selecting Jaws; it was a classic and it was something that she could always watch regardless of her mood. That and Jurassic Park.

Black and Edge scowled but didn't protest as the familiar opening began sounding through the speakers. Cassandra ignored the group as she picked at the tape along the edges of the box. Her eyebrows scrunched as she focused on the offending box until she managed to get it open. Then she blinked. She forgot the air pump. “Of course...” she grumbled. “Of all the things to forget, you dumbass...” With a sigh, she turned towards the group who had mixed expressions based on the girl on the beach being eaten. “So, my idiot self forgot the air pump for the mattresses; because of this, I'll be going to the store later once my friend arrives. Along with the pump, we can also get a few select snacks, drinks, and things like that since I'll have an extra set of hands. When we go to leave, tell Sans what you want and he'll text it to me. I'm limiting everyone to two drinks and two snacks so we don't get carried away.”

The group just watched as she headed back upstairs before their attention went back to the movie. Well, other than Sans. He watched her with a frown as she went into their shared room. If Papyrus was here, he'd have no issues going to comfort her, but his eyes needed to stay on this group in case they decided to do something stupid. Cassandra muttered to herself as she changed into her Overlord short sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts since her moving around made her warm. She felt small next to the harsher looking skeletons, and it made her discomfort grow. She was stressed, and right now it was making her feel more drained. The brunette knew that Sans needed to keep his eyes on the group, but that didn't stop her from wanting to feel selfish. With a sigh, she headed back downstairs and promptly sat next to her partner on the giant bean bag before leaning on him; she tried to ignore the eyes that noticed the scars on her arms. “I may pick up some monster alcohol from the store,” she said quietly.

Sans only sighed before nodding as he snuck his arm around her waist, “jus don't overdo it.”

The young woman just hummed before turning her attention back to the movie playing. That was until a very familiar ringtone started to play. “Let's go say hi to senpai, oh senpai where are you? I'm gonna get you, don't you run away from me,” her best friend's ringtone played. Cassandra cleared her throat before answering, “Hello?”

“Weirdo, I'm almost there. Did you find out what was going on?” Shadow asked.

“Um, about that.... you'll see when you get here...” Cassandra answered.

“...Put me on speaker,” her friend demanded.

The brunette sighed before pausing the movie and doing as she requested. “I have you on speaker,” Cassandra said.

“Sans, what the hell did you do?” Shadow's voice rang.

“just wound up havin' a skeleton of problems. tibia honest, you're in for a shock,” Sans grinned; the group suppressed the urge to either laugh or groan because of the puns.

“I will bonk your head for the puns. I told Cas that I was turning onto the street, so you can't run very far either,” the black haired female threatened.

“Shadow, no,” Cassandra scolded playfully. “If you do, I'll have to punish you.”

“No, bad Weirdo. No puns from you either. I will make mama turn the car around,” Shadow said.

The brunette only rolled her eyes with a small smile before saying goodbye and hanging up just before the doorbell rang. Just as she was about to open the door, she turned towards the group, “So, Paps knows this, but Shadow can't stand physical contact, so do not try to hug her. I only say this because she comes over on occasion and I know Paps was initially excited and wanted to hug her as well. Not saying you would, but yeah...” She cleared her throat after her ramblings before opening the door to reveal Shadow standing there with her desktop in her arms. Cassandra raised an eyebrow in question at seeing her computer and monitor. “Planning on staying for a few days?”

“Yeah, I'm done with college and I figured that you could use a friend for a bit after hearing your distress,” Shadow said as she walked in. She paused as she stared at the group in the living room before letting out a sigh. “Nope, I am not ready to hear this. Cas, care to help me carry this shit up these stupid stairs?”

Cassandra nodded before grabbing the monitor and following her friend up the stairs. “You definitely took the new guests fairly well,” the brunette snickered.

“Yeah, well that's only because I know I won't be able to understand all the science mumbo jumbo. But seriously, why are there so many Sans and Papyrus?” the black haired female sighed. “I swear, things always go wonky when you're involved. Not like in a bad way, but weird shit always happens.”

The brunette could only nod in agreement as they got ready to head to the store; they both needed some fresh air before reclusing from the group for a while.

Chapter Text

Sans let out a sigh as his partner and her friend left the house; he felt irritation crawl along his spine. “we gonna talk 'bout the fact that we notice her bond?” Red asked after a moment; his eyelights were trained on his counterpart.

            Sans' head snapped towards the red-clad him as he carefully studied him. “what do ya mean..?” he cautiously asked.

            “Well, I Think He Means That We Notice The Bond, But It Just Feels Like She's The Best Possible Date-Mate,” Blue started. “We Feel Attraction Towards Her, But It's Founded On Your Soul Bond Because We Are You...”

            “heh, that's a way ta put it,” Red said with a shrug.

            “I Hate To Be Agreeing With The Softer Version Of Me, But He Is Correct,” Black grumbled.

            Sans' eyelight turned to pinpricks before running a hand down his face, “that's just great... look, what cas does is her decision, but hopefully, we'll be sendin' ya home, so i'd rather ya not try anythin'. for all ya know, she may exist in your universes...”

            “not ta mention none of us know her,” Stretch added as he pulled out a sucker. “'m not sayin' anythin's wrong with her, but all we know is that she has a type of past that resulted in her gettin' scars, and she tried to take her own life. one thing i can guarantee, however, is in the year we were on the surface, we never met her.”

            Sans thought for a moment before heading to the kitchen and returning with a bottle of ketchup. “despite the number of resets and times that things did restart, this is the first that i met cas... every other time she had been dead accordin' to tha kid...” he finally said.

            This caused the other skeletons to look at the lazy blue-clad skeleton. “why would they be keepin' track of kitten?” Red asked as his grin tightened.

            “that ties into somethin' you need to ask her,” Sans said. “that's her and frisk's story.”

            “since you're unwillin' ta talk about her past, what can ya say about her friend shadow? 've never seen a white shield on a soul,” Rus cut in.

            “cas said that she's a lighthouse from protective spells put on her by her grandma,” Sans shrugged.           

            “Is It Okay If We Ask Cassandra About Humans?” Blue asked.

            “yeah, she was fine with paps askin' her questions.”

            “Since You Have Been On The Surface For A While, What Can You Tell Us About This World?” Black asked.

            Sans thought for a moment as he figured out how to word things. “well, not all humans are nice like cas and shadow... some have LV, but as long as you stay away from certain areas, ya should be fine. some areas two hours or more from ebott aren't always friendly, and protests are still active. last tip, stay away from ebott prison,” he said.

            “What's So Scary About The Prison?” Edge scoffed.

            “it's not the prison itself; some humans there have levels higher than any of ya,” the blue-clad Sans said. That caused the six on the couch to stiffen. “i read a bit about the laws, so it's doubtful the higher LV ones will be gettin' out anytime soon, but still be cautious.”

            The front door to the house opened up, and Papyrus strode in before pausing. “Brother, Is This The Company You Spoke Of?” he asked as he closed the door before heading to the kitchen.

            “sure is, bro,” Sans answered with a sigh.

            “Where Is Cassandra? She Isn't Upset Is She? You Know How She Gets When She’s Meeting New People…” Papyrus pointed out.

            “cas and shadow went to the store to get snacks and drinks for everyone. she's not mad, just surprised. and stressed...”

            Papyrus frowned as he pulled out a few pots and pans, “I Will Make Chicken Alfredo To Try To Cheer Her Up!”

            “so cool, bro,” Sans grinned before snatching the remote and putting on Star Wars; he knew it would catch everyone's attention. Protesting only lasted briefly before the opening fanfare began, and the setting text moved across the screen.

            About halfway through the movie, Cassandra and Shadow entered with bags on both arms. “I'm telling you, being a leviathan would be better than being a dragon in today's world. Dragons would be easier to detect with radars and aircraft; if you were talking water dragon, it's possible depending on how deep the water it lives in, but then it would just be food to bigger creatures. Leviathans, however, would probably live in the depths that haven't been fully explored. Take the infamous bloop as an example; no one knows what caused it to happen because technology can't explore that deep,” Cassandra said as she headed to the kitchen.

            “While that's true, dragons can breathe fire, and who knows what else they could do. Hell, their scales were said to be impenetrable,” Shadow argued.

            “Look at the military's arsenal currently, though; there isn't a guarantee a dragon could withstand the firepower. Granted, submarines do have torpedoes, but the point stands,” the brunette said.

            “If you say so,” the black-haired female shrugged.

            “What Are You Talking About?” Papyrus asked.

            “I asked if she'd rather be a dragon or leviathan in today’s world,” Cassandra answered with a smile. “As much as I love dragons, I'd have to argue in favor of the sea serpent.”

            “Is This That Would You Rather Game We Sometimes Play?” he pressed in excitement.

            “Yup. Okay, would you rather see in only black and white, or would you rather hear and understand flying insects every time they flew by?” Cassandra wondered. “Personally, I'd rather see in black and white; mosquitos swarm me regularly, and I don't think I'd want to know what they were saying as they plotted to drink my blood.”

            “I'm fucked either way with constant ringing and horrible vision, so flip a coin,” Shadow grumbled.

            “Hmmm... I'd Like To Hear What Our Insect Friends Would Say,” Papyrus hummed as he cut the raw chicken.

            “You are too pure for this world,” the brunette smiled softly as she fished out the air pump and made her way to the living room; a light blush formed on her cheeks when she saw Sans, Stretch, Blue, Red, and Rus watching her in amusement. “Don't judge; I like questions that make you think.”

            “speakin' of questions, how'd ya get yer scars?” Rus asked.

            Cassandra's head snapped to the purple-clad Papyrus as she swallowed. Did she even want to say anything to strangers? Shadow scowled as she marched out of the kitchen and glared at the offending skeleton; she didn't say anything, but she was ready to step in if he pushed too hard. “S-Shadow, it's okay, the question was going to happen sooner or later...” Cassandra muttered as she looked at her hands and scrunched up her eyebrows. “The short story, my mother attacked my family with a knife...” The six new skeletons tensed as the words left her mouth. “If you want the full story, you'll need to either wait until I'm not as stressed since I don't want to relive that nightmare, or you can look up the names Beverly and Eric Smith... There should be a news page with that information on that night... proceed with caution if you do, it isn't for the faint of heart...”

            “What About Your Father, Could We Ask Him?” Blue asked.

            The brunette sighed as she hooked the air pump to the mattress and turned it on. “I mean... technically you can, but he won't be responsive... I was going to his grave next week since the anniversary of that night is coming up...” she said, the sound of the pump nearly drowned out her voice. Silence hung over the group as they stared at her crouched form as her eyes stared at the mattress she was working on. “It's okay, I've lived with this for years... a-anyways, Star Wars, huh? Start them off with the original trilogy, or did you start them with the prequels?”

            “the original; figured i'd show 'em the same way you showed me,” Sans replied with a shrug.

            “Smart. I do enjoy all the movies, though, regardless. Maybe I'll get a few of them into Warhammer like I did Papyrus,” the brunette muttered. Right now, she was trying to keep her mind from going further down the rabbit hole of depression.

            “Speaking Of, I Would Like You To Look Over The Figurines I Recently Painted!” Papyrus chimed in. He knew the look in Cassandra’s eyes, so he was trying to encourage good conversations.

            “Oh? What did you go with for your new figurines?”

            “Orks; I Like That They Never Give Up!”

            “And I'm lost,” Shadow said as she sat next to her friend.

            “That's okay. I do still want to get an Imperator Class Titan for my Noise Marines,” Cassandra hummed.

            “I Like My Ultra Marines.”

            “You would like the Ultra Smurfs. If I were to go loyalist, Space Wolves, hands down. At least you don't deal with the Tau. Fuck the Tau,” the brunette grinned. “Though I will say Tyranids would be a fun race, too, as would any faction following the Chaos Gods.”

            “On a normal topic,” Shadow interrupted, “What do you want to do after setting up the beds?”

            Cassandra didn’t respond as she unhooked the air pump from the first mattress and moved to the second one. She honestly didn’t want to do anything other than go lay down and recluse from the room's occupants. “I don’t care, really. Maybe just watch a few movies upstairs and what we usually do when we hang out,” she finally answered while starting to fill the next mattress.

            “Weirdo, no. No going quiet right now. How about this, I brought my Pokémon cards with me, so why don’t we do that while watching Disney movies?” Shadow suggested.

            The brunette let out a dry laugh, “I hate that you read me so easily sometimes, you know?”

            “Yeah, well, get used to it. You’ve been stuck with me for years now.”

            “Is There Anything I Can Help With?!” Blue asked as he suddenly darted to the two humans.

            Cassandra gasped and fell back from the sudden intrusion of her personal space as a startled scream threatened to erupt from her. “N-No, but thank you,” the brunette managed to say once she thought that her voice was safe.

            Shadow was smiling in amusement, “Always so jumpy.”

            “Don’t remind me. I still jump sometimes when Sans teleports,” Cassandra grumbled.

            “I’m Sorry, Human, I Didn’t Mean To Startle You!” Blue exclaimed.

            “It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” the brunette smiled as she moved to the next mattress.

            Blue just nodded as he went back to the couch; he was itching to do something, but he knew that he was currently limited on what they could do. Silence fell over the group as the movie continued to play in the background. Once Cassandra finished up with the last mattress, she chewed her lip as she looked around the room for the best place to put the mattresses. With an idea in mind, the brunette dragged a mattress to the right of the television so it was out of the way of the kitchen. Nodding to herself, she grabbed the next mattress before placing it to the right of the media center while being sure to avoid blocking the staircase. Cassandra stared at the third mattress before nodding to herself and moving it directly behind the couch; that made it a little cramped, but there was at least some room for everyone. The brunette then set to work making the beds as fast as possible so she could head upstairs. She was trying to tell herself not to think, but her thoughts were getting progressively louder. A frown pulled at the corner of her mouth as she fought to keep her face neutral. She was so focused that she didn’t notice Sans coming up behind her and pulling her into a hug nor Red, Rus, and Stretch getting on their phones. “why don’t ya head upstairs? paps an’ i can finish up here,” her mate said.

            “Weirdo, it’s okay, c’mon,” Shadow said, holding out her hand; she didn’t like being touched, but she would tolerate it when necessary.

            Cassandra nodded and was about to take her friend’s hand when a wave of tension flooded the room. The twenty-nine-year-old froze as her hands began to shake while her eyes scanned the room for the source of the tension. Stretch’s eye lights were pinpricks as they shook. “you had a brother?” Red asked after a moment.

            This caused the new skeletons to look at Cassandra; Papyrus had entered the living room with a scowl as Sans ground his teeth together. “…yes,” the brunette answered after a moment as she latched onto her friend’s hand and squeezed it. Shadow wasted no time in dragging her friend up the flight of stairs and into the guest room; Cassandra promptly laid out of the floor as she stared at the television as Shadow got it set up.

            “Brother, When Is Her Next Appointment?” Papyrus asked as he set to work making the air mattresses; the food just needed to simmer for a bit, so he didn’t need to worry about keeping an eye on the food currently.

            “i believe she said next saturday,” Sans replied as he helped; he was monitoring his mate’s soul since it had started to go gray. “personally, i hope she can squeeze one in sooner if it’s possible.”

            Stretch put his phone away as he ran a hand down his face. He knew what he and the other two read, but his brain had to play catch up. Cassandra’s mother had killed her husband and son. “why did she do it..?” the orange-clad skeleton finally asked.

            “accordin’ ta cas, beverly did it because she couldn’t stand kids and had wanted to be with her high school sweetheart,” Sans answered after a moment. “cas confronted her ‘bout it a while ago when her mother was almost granted probation. Do me a favor though, don’t press the conversation. She still struggles with everythin’, and she doesn’t like bein’ reminded that her brother was taken from her that night. she still can’t look at herself in the mirror for very long because of the scars.”

            An awkward silence fell over the group as their attention went back to the TV. Sans’ eyelights occasionally flickered to the stairs as he watched her soul progressively dim, and he couldn’t help but grimace. He knew that she was trying to fight it, but there wasn’t much that could be done to help with all the stress. He silently watched as Hope went upstairs and entered the cracked door that led to the guest room. Sans was already ready for today to be over with. Looking at the clock, he sighed when noticing it was only five in the afternoon; there was still a long while to go. Papyrus had just finished cooking and quickly made up two bowls of food before bringing them upstairs for his human friends; he normally wouldn’t condone eating in rooms, but he knew that Cassandra needed some time to herself. It was after dinner when Shadow made her way to the railing upstairs and leaned over it. “Okay, because I need to distract Cas from the events of today, this week we’re going to the zoo. It’s going to be the best therapy for her right now along with staying busy with whatever work throws at her,” the black-haired female stated.

            “that’s actually not a bad idea,” Sans joined in. “paps has been wanting to go anyways, and this will also give everyone somethin’ to do so we aren’t all trapped in the house.”

            “Good. I know tomorrow we’re going to be going to the shelter so she can request time off of work so she can take a breather, so hopefully we can go over details then,” Shadow said before heading back to the room.

            “I Can’t Stand Just Sitting Here!” Edge finally boomed after another moment of silence. “You, Creampuff, I Demand To Know What Activities You Do!”

            Papyrus looked at his edgier counterpart with a confused look at the nickname. “Well, In The Mornings I Go For a Run Before Going To School For My Culinary Classes. If Cassandra Is Home At A Decent Time She Sometimes Helps Me Study Before Helping Me Cook,” Papyrus answered after a moment. “If I Have A Free Day, We Usually Spend Time Together By Playing Board Games While A Movie Plays In The Background.”

            This wasn’t the answer that Edge was hoping for. The red-clad Papyrus scowled as he crossed his arms and glared at the television. That was when something clicked in Papyrus’ mind. “Sans, Our Guests Do Not Have Any Spare Clothes…” he said.

            Sans only sighed at realizing the truth to those words. “lemme see if cas is up to goin’ with us…” he said as he teleported to the guest room. He grew worried when her eyes flicked to him before going back to staring at the TV. “cas, i know you wanna just lay there, but c’mon, we need to get ya out of the house for a bit.”

            “Sans is right; this isn’t going to do you any good with your current mental state,” Shadow encouraged. “Though that will also depend on what you have in mind.”

            “we need ta get everyone some clothes,” the skeleton said sheepishly.

            “I do not like the idea of a group of ten walking down the street. Do you know how many looks we’ll get?” the black-haired female groaned.

            “fair, but this will also get cas to focus on somethin’ other than the house,” Sans pointed out.

            “Do I have to go?” Cassandra finally asked; the exhaustion in her voice was evident.

            “It would be better if you did,” Shadow answered.

            The brunette stood up before stretching and sluggishly made her way downstairs to put on her sneakers with a sigh. Shadow and Sans followed behind as they observed her. “If we’re going to be buying clothes for everyone, then it’ll probably be best if we hit up Goodwill or thrift shops,” Cassandra muttered as she popped her stiff back. “If they are closed by the time we get there, then the local mall would be our best bet.”

            “I Refuse To Wear Anything Second Hand!” Black barked as the group stood.

            “Going to the mall it is,” Cassandra sighed as she opened the front door and began walking next to her friend, who had yet to take her shoes off.

            “So You’ve Lived In Ebott Most Of Your Life?” Blue asked after a moment.

            “Since I can remember, yes. Don’t exactly remember much of my childhood up until the incident,” the brunette said. “I know where just about everything is. It’s taken some time to get used to the location I’m at now versus where my apartment was, but here is closer to everything for the most part. If I can’t walk to my destination, I have my bike that I can ride. Saves me from having to get a car or any gas.”

            “Have You Ever Driven A Car Before?” Blue pressed.

            “I actually do have a driver’s license, but I prefer my method of travel. If I need to go further than I’m comfortable with on my bike, then usually Papyrus or Sans will lend me their vehicle to use,” Cassandra shrugged.

            Cassandra took note of the tension that the four rougher-looking skeletons held in their shoulders despite the seemingly comfortable atmosphere. They were far from relaxed as their eyes carefully scanned their surroundings for any potential threat. The brunette chose not to say anything since she knew she still got like that when her bullies got too close before scattering because of the restraining order. Speaking of, she could spot the two women in the park with their usual crowd as they drank and made snide remarks to others who didn’t look like how the bullies thought they should. Cassandra’s eyes locked with the two females who pales before they quickly turned their backs to her. Red raised an eyeridge at the interaction, but he chose not to comment on it. “They still have nothing better to do,” Shadow muttered as she shook her head. “I hate people.”

            “People do suck,” Cassandra quickly agreed. “From my understanding, they may be moving soon, so hopefully the rest of their friends will stop hanging around.”

            “Really? Well, it’s about time they left. I still say we should have found out their address so we could send them some not-so-nice prank gifts,” the black-haired female mused.

            “You know perfectly well that they would have known it was us,” the brunette snickered. “While those two couldn’t retaliate, the rest of the group definitely could. Besides, you know I hate confrontations.”

            Shadow only shrugged, “What can I say? Sometimes payback is necessary.”

            The group continued to walk in silence until they got to the mall. Cassandra immediately felt the ghost of a headache as they entered the building. “I’m going to the bookstore; you guys have fun with picking out clothing,” the brunette muttered as she and Shadow made their way to Barnes and Noble.

            Cassandra let out a sigh as the scent of books assaulted her nose. She immediately went to the fantasy book section and tried not to let the guilt of ditching her partner and brother-in-law in favor of some peace. Books were a good way to help keep her distracted. Cassandra was only briefly aware that Shadow went to the other side of the shelving as she scanned the books before her. The young woman picked up a book with a shrug and flipped to a random page to start reading. It was one way she tested to see if she even liked the book since the first chapter didn’t always catch her attention. After deciding that this book was interesting, she flipped back to the first chapter before sitting on the floor and reading. She didn’t know how long she sat on the floor reading the book, but by the burning sensation creeping along her spine, she could have guessed a good while. She knew she would regret it, but she shrugged it off in favor of reading The Tiger’s Curse. Cassandra was so wrapped up with reading that she didn’t notice the group of skeletons approaching her with arms full of bags. “cas, you ready to head out?” Sans asked in amusement as he watched her read from her spot on the ground. The brunette didn’t seem to hear him as her eyes darted across the words before turning another page.

            “Cassandra, We Have Finished Our Shopping!” Papyrus said a bit louder.

            The young woman jumped slightly as a light blush formed on her cheeks. She looked down at the small pile of books she had picked out before moving to stand up. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to the time...” she muttered as she tried to hide the grimace from her back being in pain.

            “where’d shadow go?” Sans asked as he helped his mate pick up the books; he knew she would buy them all.

            “I’m right here,” she said as she approached with two books. “This will be it for me.”

            Much to Cassandra and Shadow’s delight, the trip back to the house was much quieter as the spring evening air cooled the city. Cassandra just stared at her feet as she pushed her pain back; she knew that tonight would hold a night terror for her.

Chapter Text

            Cassandra found herself chewing on her lip as she grabbed the guest bedroom door handle. She knew it was only two o’clock in the morning, but her night terror woke her up. Shadow had done what she could to calm her friend down, but there wasn’t much she could do to convince the brunette to fall back asleep. Finally deciding that she would take the risk of waking the others in the living room, the young woman opened the door after looking at her friend, who was trying to go back to sleep. Cassandra quietly made her way down the stairs in the dark and paused as she looked at the mattresses that contained the new arrivals. She quietly exhaled when it seemed that they hadn’t stirred. She made her way to the kitchen and turned on her tea kettle; tea seemed like such a good idea to help calm her distressed brain. She sighed quietly as she leaned against the counter while she waited for the water to warm up to two hundred and twelve degrees, the precise temperature for her chai tea. As she stared at the kettle while her mind went elsewhere, she didn’t notice three sets of eyes on her from the living room.

            Unknown to her, three of the six skeletons in the living room also had experienced night terrors and had been faking their sleep when they heard her walking down the stairs. Initially, they were on edge, thinking that she would try something, but now looking at her blank expression, that thought seemed ridiculous. The brunette jumped when a beep sounded from her electric kettle before she quickly turned off the kettle, poured the water in the awaiting mug, and placed her steeper into the hot liquid. Cassandra quickly glanced into the living room to make sure she hadn’t woken up anyone before fishing out her honey, grabbing a spoon, and getting the heavy cream from the fridge. Checking her phone, she noted the time before looking through the apps on her phone. It was a distraction to keep her from spacing out further than she already had. After five minutes and mixing the two ingredients in, she headed opened the door to head into the attached garage. She was going to focus on building miniatures to keep her mind occupied from the intruding dark thoughts. Sitting down at the workbench, she turned on the table lamp and pulled out the box of her next project: the Tyranid Tyrannofex.

            Turning on the speaker, Cassandra allowed her rock playlist to drown out the silence as she pulled out the washed plastic pieces and the glue. She knew that she would put together matching halves, but she wouldn’t glue the full thing together until she added magnets. If there was one thing she knew about these specific miniatures, there are always options with the pieces. The brunette knew that she wanted to focus on the Tyrannofex mainly, but there was also the option of the Tervigon. Her solution? Magnetize the different guns, limbs, spawn belly, and every little spike that went along the sides of the torso. Picking up her x-acto knife, she made small cuts along the edges where she would glue to get a solid seal on the parts. Once she was satisfied with the little cuts, she took a sip of her tea before setting to work on gluing. The music in the background kept her distracted from the seemingly daunting task that laid before her. The music playing through the well-insulated garage allowed her to zone out as she focused on what her hands were making. Time eluded her as she pressed with her task, and she soon found herself going over the pieces she did glue together with Liquid Green Stuff to fill in any cracks that didn’t get a solid glue.

            Cassandra was so distracted in her task that she didn’t notice the door opening. Papyrus sighed when he saw the progress she had made while she set up the Dremel tool. Behind him, Blue, Edge, and Black stood as they waited to start the morning run. “Cassandra, While I Applaud You Being Awake This Early, I Have The Impression That You Didn’t Sleep,” Papyrus said.

            The brunette jumped before turning around; she blinked before letting out a sigh. “Sorry, Paps, you would be correct. Night terror hit, and I needed to distract myself,” she said before taking a sip of her now cold tea. “You know those aren’t completely unusual for me.”

            “While That Is True, You Should At Least Try Going Back To Sleep,” he said; he shook his head when his sister-in-law gave him a look. “We Are Going For A Run; If You Should Need Anything, Text Me.”

            Cassandra only nodded before she turned on the tool so she could add the magnets to her figurine. It took her about a little longer than an hour to have every magnet super-glued in place. With that being a good stopping point, she left the garage to wash out her cup and make herself another cup of chai tea. She winced as she stretched; her back hadn’t been agreeing with her, and she felt the migraine already starting to set in. Once she had her refill, she headed back into the garage turned hobby shop to make sure everything was dry and functional before spraying the base coat on the miniature. The brunette rubbed at her forehead before gathering up the pieces and some scrap newspaper to head outside for the spray paint process. She overlooked the stirring skeletons in the living room as she headed out the front door; it wasn’t long until Cassandra had the newspapers laid out, and she then set to work priming the pieces for paint. She hadn’t heard the door open, but she looked back when the scent of cigarettes reached her nose. “Oh, um, I’m sorry if I woke you,” Cassandra said before flipping the pieces over to get the other side.

            Red, Rus, and Stretch were all on the porch observing her as she sprayed the other half. “nah, ya didn’, hon,” Stretch hummed before taking a drag.

            Cassandra sighed as she scratched the back of her neck and began gathering up the primed pieces. “Okay, just making sure,” she said.

            “what are ya workin’ on, doll?” Red asked.

            “I’m working on something for my Jormungandr Hive Fleet,” the brunette replied before yawning. “I just need to paint him, and I’ll be done. I probably won’t have time for that today, though, since I’ll need to head to the shelter here soon. At least he’s fully prepped for it.”

            “yeah, don’t know what kinda fleet that is, sweetheart,” the red-clad Sans pointed out before taking a drag from his cigarette.

            The brunette rubbed at her sore eyes before assembling the Tyrannofex; it was finished when she attached the rupture cannon in the front sockets. “So, this is a Tyranid, specifically a Tyrannofex. Tyranids are basically angry space cockroaches that take over planets, strip them of all their resources, leaving nothing but dirt and rock behind, and take said resources back with them to make stronger fleets. Add in that they can and will fuck your wife to repopulate, their hive minds, and they have no other goals other than survival, and you got yourself a terrifying insect that most races hate to fight. The only race that beats the Tyranids as far as wide-spread fear would be the Necrons because they can’t die,” Cassandra explained. “Like most other races, they have their own factions. Jormungandr is one of the fleets, so that will make the color scheme primarily black and yellow. The most common fleet, I believe, is Leviathan since it’s usually the fleet represented on the boxes.”

            “that’s pretty grim,” Rus pointed out. “why is this sack lookin’ stomach not attached?”

            “That would be for the Tervigon, and it’s a spawn belly. It’s one of the reasons I magnetized this guy. The other would be the different weapons. I currently have the rupture cannon attached. While it’s a powerful bio-weapon, it won’t necessarily work in every combat situation. In some instances, the acid spray would work better,” the brunette shrugged. “If ya wanna learn more about them, there are a few books you can read, or I’ll introduce you to Luetin09.”

            The three skeletons only watched as she headed inside. She wasn’t in the mood to socialize more than necessary because of her exhaustion. Once she placed her miniature back on the workbench, she headed to her shared bedroom with Sans to get ready for the day; she knew that Shadow would either already be awake or would be waking up shortly. She smiled at seeing Sans snoring slightly while taking up the entirety of the bed. Being careful not to wake him, she walked over to kiss the side of his skull before heading to the dresser to throw on yoga pants and a loose top that hung off her shoulder. “’bout ta head out?” Sans’ tired voice carried from his place on the bed.

            “Yeah, I need to make sure that I get everything done, so I don’t stress myself out with not getting it done,” Cassandra replied. “Sorry if I woke you up.”

            “nah, ya didn’. just didn’ wanna get up,” the skeleton grinned. “’specially since I got a good view.”

            “I have corrupted you,” the brunette mused. “I love you, bonehead. I’ll see you when I get home.”

            “love ya, too. be safe.”

            The young woman smiled, “I’ll at least try.”

            She then headed to the guest room to see Shadow playing Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee. “I take it you’re ready?” Cassandra asked as she leaned on the doorway.

            “Yeah, as ready as I will be. You have a bad case of raccoon eye going,” the black-haired female pointed out.

            “Don’t remind me. C’mon, let’s go so we can head home; my migraine is getting worse, and if I can, I need a mother fucking nap.”

            “You are supposed to take care of yourself, you know.”

            “Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done. If it were that easy, I wouldn’t have to worry about fighting depression and shit.”

            “That’s fair.”

            The two fell into a comfortable silence as they descended the stairs. “Shadow and I will be back later; she’s keeping me company as I go to the shelter,” Cassandra said as she slipped her shoes on and grabbed her bag. As she went to open the door, she jumped as it swung open, revealing Papyrus, Black, Blue, and Edge. “Oh, um, hi. Is it already eight..?”

            “It Is Indeed. Are You Leaving For Work?” her brother-in-law asked.

            “Yeah, I’ll probably end up having to swing by the store afterward to pick up any necessities if I do end up having to bring home the kittens,” she replied as she and Shadow stepped around the group. “I anticipate we’ll be home no later than eleven or twelve. Well, as long as things go smoothly….”

            Exchanging goodbyes, the two women began making their way down the street. “You are going to have your hands full. Add the noise… I do not envy you,” Shadow said.

            “You and me both. I mean fuck, I don’t blame Sans, but this happened during a relapse, so my irritation is just through the roof. Throw in my back pain and migraine… I’m already fed up with the day. Why the fuck did this happen?” Cassandra growled. “I wasn’t ready for this.”

            “Yeah, well, not much you can do about it now. Hopefully, Sans can send everyone back, otherwise who knows what will happen. Do what your therapist said, though: focus on the present.”

            “It’s kinda hard to do…” the brunette said with a sigh. “Unrelated, did you hear that monsters and humans can actually have kids together? It’s only happened a couple of times, but they all have been healthy so far. I personally don’t know if I want kids, but it was interesting to learn. There was a lot of worries that it wouldn’t be possible because of the whole magic thing.”

            “I actually didn’t. To be fair, though, I have been distracted by ARK. I have an Indominus and Unicorn Griffins.”

            “I remember you telling me about that. I haven’t touched that game in a while, but I have been rather busy lately.”

            “Sounds about right.”

            The two continued their trek until they came to the shelter. Cassandra’s suspicions were confirmed as two carriers of kittens were handed to her, but what surprised her was a black cat that was missing its tail, most of the left ear, and had a cast on its left leg. One of the mother cats had survived, but this cat didn’t seem to be happy about it as it glared daggers and growled. The brunette sighed; she knew she would have a hard time getting the cat to trust her. After putting in her PTO at work, Cassandra and Shadow made their way to the pet store to pick up kitten formula with the travel crates in hand. “How much you wanna bet that Papyrus will want to keep one?” Shadow mused as they entered the store.

            “I honestly don’t want to think about it,” Cassandra sighed as she dragged her feet. “I’m not opposed to the idea, but right now, I just want to get everything and return home.”

            Shadow just hummed in agreement as they gathered all the necessities and headed back to the house. Cassandra immediately regretted opening the door at the site of Sans’ left eye socket glowing a cyan-blue while Red’s was a brilliant red. They shared the same tense expression as they sized the other up. The tension was suffocating, which caused the mother cat to growl and hiss while Cassandra fought to keep herself from turning tail and running. “Hey!” Shadow barked. “Cut it out! If either one of you sends Cassandra into a panic attack, I’ll kick your ass!”

            Sans’ eyelights immediately came back as his gaze snapped towards his shaky mate. He let out a sigh as he ran a hand down his face. “cas, ‘m sorry,” he said.

            Red, however, was still pissed off, “shuddup, bitch. this fucker has no right tellin’ us what we can or can’ do!”

            That comment made towards her best friend caused the brunette’s uneasy expression to morph into pure rage. “That’s enough!” she snarled. “I don’t give a shit who started what, but I will have zero tolerance of anyone talking like that to another in this house! I have zero patience for that kind of bullshit! I don’t care if you feel like he has no right to say what is okay to do or not, but instead of letting our tempers fly, how about you sit down like god damn adults and talk about it! I know I’m currently a hypocrite, but Jesus Christ!”

            Red and Sans both had a guilty expression that crossed their features. Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a deep breath. “Now, what exactly is Sans saying you can’t do?” she asked in a much calmer voice.

            “’cause of the confined spaces, i suggested that boss and i should get our own place. ‘nilla here said we had to stay here,” Red said after crossing his arms.

            The brunette thought for a minute as she looked at the uncomfortable looks that Blue and Stretch had. “I don’t expect things to be easy, but I’m sure there’s a reason that Sans said it wouldn’t be a good idea. In fact, I’m willing to bet that you guys basically being a different version of him and Papyrus might be quite suspicious, which in turn can get the government’s attention. That would be terrible since humans are prone to war and fear the unknown. Does that help clear things up a little?” she asked.

            The tense atmosphere let up significantly, and Cassandra took that as a yes. “whatever,” Red muttered before heading outside to smoke.

            “If this is going to become a regular occurrence, I’m going to shit out a diamond,” Cassandra groaned as she headed upstairs; she didn’t notice the glare that Shadow sent the room as she followed with the other crate. “We do have new additions, so most of my time will be preoccupied with the litters. Oh, Sans, when you have a minute, can you get Hope’s blanket? One of the mama cats survived, so I need to get her used to Hope’s scent before allowing the felines to roam in the house. If not, then it would be catastrophic.”

            That pun earned her a few snickers from the peanut gallery. Cassandra didn’t wait for a response as she closed the door to the guest bedroom. She set the carriers against the wall and laid out some blankets before opening both the doors. The kittens were more ready to explore than the mother, who remained at the back of the plastic lodging. The two friends sat on the opposite end on the floor as they watched the furballs cautiously move around. Shadow snickered lightly as they all scattered when the door opened. “Hey, Sa-oh, uh.. hi, Edge,” Cassandra said as she shifted uncomfortably.

            The tall skeleton’s permanent scowl eased slightly as he held out Hope’s blanket towards the brunette. “I Wanted To Apologize For My Brother’s Behavior,” he said after a moment. “As A Guest, It Is Inexcusable To Cause Problems For The Host, No Matter How Weak They Are.”

            Cassandra blinked as she took the small blanket. “It’s fine; I already forgave him and Sans after I finished yelling. I made it a personal note not to hold grudges since there isn’t a guarantee for tomorrow,” she said with a sigh.

            “Yes, Well, My Brother Is An Imbecile, But I Don’t Want You To Get Any Ideas About Retaliation,” Edge said as his eyes moved to the crates. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the mother cat cautiously limping out. “…This Cat Will Be Called Doomfanger.”

            The brunette’s lips twitched upward as she fought a grin, “Doomfanger?”

            “Yes. It Has A Hard Glare And Can Obviously Fend For Itself. It Has My Spirit And Needs A Name That Will Strike Fear Into Others!” Edge declared.

            “His names are about as bad as yours,” Shadow mused.

            “Maybe, but you were right about Papyrus wanting to keep a cat, even if it was not the Papyrus we were thinking of,” Cassandra sighed.

            “I Am Still Here! If You Humans Insist On Talking About Me Behind My Back, At Least Do So After I Leave The Room,” Edge barked before stopping off.

            The two friends waited for a moment before laughing. “Oh, it hurts to laugh, but who knew that of all the skeletons to have a soft side would be him?” the brunette snickered.

            “I’d just take it honestly,” Shadow stated. “But yeah, looks like you’re keeping a cat for at least a little while.”

Chapter Text

           Shadow sighed as she watched Cassandra snooze from her position on the carpeted floor by the bed; she knew her friend had been exhausted and needed the rest, and she was internally debating about waking the brunette up so she could take a proper nap. Shrugging that thought from her mind, Shadow stood up and made her way downstairs to grab another mountain dew from the fridge while trying to ignore the tense atmosphere downstairs. She stayed quiet as Netflix played in the background from the downstairs television. The skeletons were silent, but the tension was overwhelming for the black-haired human. Shadow wasn’t one for confrontation, but she desperately wanted to scold every single skeleton in the house for their behavior. She opened the fridge and grabbed one of her bottles of mountain dew before heading back to the stairs and heading back to the guest room. Shadow watched as her best friend twitched in her sleep, her face occasionally scrunching up before relaxing once again. She sighed as she sat next to her friend and began running her hand through the brunette’s hair to try to soothe her. Shadow knew that the restless sleep periods would continue until the atmosphere stabilized to some extent. Sans watched his mate’s friend head back upstairs quietly with a sigh; this situation was causing a strain on everyone, and he knew he was to blame. He would need to apologize to his mate properly when Shadow left in some way or another. Sans knew that Cassandra had been struggling mentally, and the tension wasn’t helping with her change in mood of trying to do better only for her mood to come crashing down because of either questions or actions. As the movie ended, he picked up the remote since it was his turn to pick.

            Red hadn’t stopped scowling since his argument with Sans. He sat silently with his arms crossed as he watched this world’s version of him scroll through the movie options. He enjoyed being lazy, but this was almost too much for him. Things were too quiet from the world he knew, but that didn’t mean he hated the idea of being away from the ‘kill or be killed’ mentality. His scowl softened as his gaze went up to the stairs; he knew he fucked up when he yelled at their human host and their friend, but his frustrations weren’t unfounded. Him and his brother were stuck in a softer universe with another copy that also was just as soft; the only pair he could come close to relating to were Black and Rus because of their similar world. He didn’t want to get attached to anyone, but there was no guarantee he would be going back home. He wasn’t sure of what movie Sans picked, but he didn’t pay too much attention as his thoughts crowded his mind. Time lapsed as the movie played in the background, but Red wasn’t paying attention. A tense silence fell over the skeletons until a scream sounded from the second floor. Sans immediately teleported out of the room while the other skeletons froze; Red only recognized the terror from someone being hunted down and killed back in his world. After a few moments, the screaming stopped, and the sound of muffled sobbing could be heard. “Brother, Is She Going To Be Okay..?” Blue asked after a moment.

            “She Just Needs Time,” Papyrus said quietly. “The Tension Is Just Getting To Her And Causing Unwanted Memories To Resurface. Once Things Calm Down, She Will Be Fine.”

            Red studied this world’s Papyrus to determine if he was telling himself that to calm himself down or being genuine with the hyperactive Sans. Red’s gaze moved to Edge and he blinked at the soft look on his features as he stared at the stairs. Edge felt pity for their human host because he had seen a few of his brother’s night terrors along with hearing screams of terror from his life in the underground. An awkward silence filled the living room as the television played in the background and Cassandra descended the stairs followed by Sans and Shadow. The exhausted brunette winced as she moved to sit on the empty beanbag as Sans headed into the kitchen. Shadow sighed and sat on the floor next to her friend as Cassandra tried to make herself invisible from the feeling of eyes on her. Sans returned with a cup of tea and handed it to his mate before sitting next to her on the beanbag. “Sorry…” the brunette muttered as she curled into herself while gripping her cup of tea.

            Sans sighed as the brunette leaned on him. “you’re fine,” he said placing his blue hoodie around her shoulders. “ya don’ need ta apologize for somethin’ out of your control.”

            Papyrus worriedly watched his sister-in-law with a frown before a thought popped in his head; she needed a good distraction. “Cassandra, I Have A Wonderful Idea!” he announced suddenly causing the brunette to jump from the sudden volume increase.

            “Whatcha got for me?” she asked with a scratchy voice before taking a sip of her tea.

            “Remember How You Were Wanting To Compile Your First Campaign As A Dungeon Master?” he asked.

            Red and Rus’ head snapped to the brunette. “’m sorry, a what?” Red asked as he felt a blush starting to creep up.

            Cassandra blinked as her brain tried to catch up with their reaction before she busted up laughing. “Wrong kind of Dungeon Master. It’s for Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy table-top role-playing game. The DM, or Dungeon Master, is responsible for describing the world, setting the scene, and making compelling characters to further the story that the players get to experience,” the brunette said after she calmed down from her laughing fit. “I remember, but why bring it up now?”

            “Well, I Know Me, And I Despise Sitting Still Without Reason, So I Know Some Of Our Counterparts Would Feel Similar. Why Not Give Them Something To Do And Teach Them How To Play? That Way You Have A Distraction, And We All Have Something To Do With Our Knew Guests?” Papyrus suggested.

            “Why In The World Would We Want To Play A Silly Game?” Black asked with a scoff.

            “Well, I Got To Sit In On One Campaign That Cassandra Was Playing In, And I Found It Very Entertaining. I Did My Own Look Into The Different Races And Classes, And Was Surprised By Everything Included,” Papyrus said a bit more hesitantly.

            “i think it’s a good idea, paps,” Sans said with his usual lazy grin.

            “so long as we ain’t stuck ‘ere with nothin’ ta do,” Red said after a moment.

            “I Think It Sounds Fun!” Blue chimed in with a grin.

            “if my bro is in, i will be, too,” Stretch shrugged.

            “Fine!” Edge barked after a moment.

            “…Since The Majority Agrees, Rus And I Will Join As Well,” Black said after a moment.

            “I’ll watch, but I’ll just get lost,” Shadow mused.

            “Well, I’ll need to decide on what campaign to run and get started on making some NPCs, additional plots and back-up plans in case you guys decide to add to the chaos and get off track,” Cassandra sighed after a moment.

            “I Actually Have A Campaign In Mind, If That’s Okay?” Papyrus said.

            “What are you thinking?” the brunette asked as she took another sip of her tea.

            “Princes Of The Apocalypse,” he answered.

            “Oh, sure,” Cassandra said as she pulled out her phone. “I am familiar with the campaign already, so it won’t take as much set up. I’ll need to get the book, but once that happens, I can weed in the story to fit your characters.”

            “How Does Character Creation Work?” Blue asked.

            “I’ll need to dig out the character sheets, but you start with choosing a race and a class before rolling for your stats. It’s really easy once you learn how to do it,” the brunette replied. “I’ll sit down with each of you to go over the characters since I need to approve everything.”

            “I Actually Was Wondering If I Could Play As An Air Genasi,” Papyrus mentioned.

            “That would be perfect. Take your time going through the classes,” she stated as she sank further into the bean bag chair. “For now, though, I’m going to enjoy…Sans, why in the hell did you put on Twilight?”

            “why assume I did it?” Sans grinned mischievously.

            “Because you know I hate the movies. They are legitimately bad, and I know you agree because you said as such,” Cassandra scowled. “…You wanted everyone else to suffer, didn’t you?”

            “I’m Enjoying It,” Blue chirped.

            Cassandra just shook her head before scrolling through her phone as ideas came to mind for her campaign. She knew that she’d need the history of the area in order to create compelling non-player characters, but that would be the easy part. Tying the players into the story would be a challenge. It was a welcome distraction from her night terrors and the added stress of new people suddenly filling the household. The brunette yawned before taking a sip of her tea, leaning heavily on Sans. “Okay, since we talked about it already, why don’t we go to the zoo tomorrow? That way we have something to do, and we can all get out of the house,” Shadow mentioned with a shrug.

            Cassandra perked up and looked at her best friend, excitement dancing in her eyes despite her exhaustion. Sans grinned easily at his soul bond’s mood shift. “yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” he said.

            “If It Means Getting Out Of This Infernal House, Then Consider Me Interested!” Edge snapped; he wasn’t enjoying the movie nearly as much as Blue was.

            Everyone muttered in agreement as a more relaxed atmosphere started to settle; they would all be out of the house yet again. After a moment, however, Cassandra’s eyebrows began to furrow. “Sans, aren’t you worried that someone will notice the odd similarities. I’m only bringing this up because you and Red were literally just screaming at each other because you said they had to stay within the house,” she pointed out; her raspy voice was clearing since she was waking up and the tea. “I’m not trying to start anything again, but since we’ve already been out in public, then it can’t be that serious of a reason.”

            All eyes went to Sans as he began to sweat; he did have his own reasons, mainly him not trusting the skeletons from the harsher timeline. “Could you get away with saying you’re all cousins and they were more hesitant to leave the underground initially?” Shadow chimed in. “I mean, some monsters are still hesitant to leave their homes from my understanding.”

            “no one will buy that,” Red deadpanned; his anger was once again building since their human host did have a point.

            “Trust me, they will,” Shadow pointed out. “I don’t understand multiple universes, so cousins makes more sense to me.”

            Cassandra ran a hand down her face before nodding, “I guess that’ll work. I suppose I’m just more paranoid about getting unwanted attention as far as the government goes… Paps, can you do me a favor and hand me a Pepsi mixed with the Kraken?”

            “Cassandra, While I know You Like Having The Occasional Drink, I Insist That You Not Have Any Until You’re Back On A Regular Sleep Schedule,” Papyrus said with a shake of his head. “Right Now, You Would Not Stop.”

            “Or, here me out, I will drink enough and actually get a full night’s rest,” the brunette argued.

            “Weirdo, we don’t need drunk Cass right now,” Shadow said trying to fight a growing smirk.

            Cassandra just scowled before getting up with a wince and heading to the kitchen. “Yeah, well, I need something to numb my back so I don’t have sharp, shooting pains that makes it feel like it’s on fire. It will also be a distraction, and overall, I’ll be in a better mood.”

            “Well, I tried,” Shadow said with a shrug. “Just don’t get too loud this time, we don’t need the cops called.”

            “I’ll have you know that I haven’t had the cops called on me, yet,” the brunette said as she mixed her drink a little stronger than usual before heading back to the bean bag. She watched as the credits began to roll on screen as she took the remote. “And I have the perfect idea: I’m introducing them to Dommy Mommy.”

            “’m sorry, what?” Red asked as he stared at the tired human.

            “You’ll see,” she grinned as she turned on the Xbox and loaded Resident Evil Village. “It’s been a hot minute since I’ve played, so I figured why not start a new game on the hardest difficulty while drinking.”

            “You’re gonna die a lot,” Shadow mused.

            “Yes, but I also have all the upgrades for the Stake, so it’ll balance out,” Cassandra shrugged as she took a drink and started the game. “Besides, it’s a good introduction to the series.”

            “And as you say, Dommy Mommy,” her friend snickered.

            “is that the vampire lady—”

            “Shhh, but yes,” the brunette grinned as she loaded the new game.

             The room grew quiet as the opening cutscene of Mia reading Rose the storybook began. The edgier skeletons began to lose interest in the game up until the scene of Mia getting shot. The skeletons, other than Cassandra’s Sans and Papyrus, grew tense as Ethan’s wife took shot after shot to the torso and head. The brunette just watched as she took another sip of her mixed drink since she had scene the opening cut scene more than once. The scene was still intense, but it wasn’t nearly as shocking as it was during her first playthrough. The silence continued well after the point where Ethan answered the ringing phone and discovers that him and rose were to be transported elsewhere. Cassandra moved the lead character through the familiar forest littered with murdered crows until she reached the village. “Welp, time to get this shit started,” the brunette said as she took another drink.

            “what kind of game is this..?” Stretch asked after he composed himself.

            “It’s a first-person shooter horror game,” Cassandra replied as she gathered the items she could up until the run in with the older man that handed Ethan the handgun. “It’s gonna get more intense, but you’ll understand when you see the lady and her three daughters. The developers knew what they were doing when they made her. I’ll try to speed run it so we can get through the game in under four hours, but I won’t promise anything, especially since it’s the hardest difficulty.”

            “what’s the record?” Sans asked as he watched his mate focus on the game.

            “I think an hour and a half? I’m not that skilled at games though,” the brunette replied as the fight with the werewolves began.

            After Cassandra grabbed the two stone faces, she made her way into the castle where the cutscene with Heisenberg was activated. Sure enough, when the ten-foot-tall, classy woman appeared before the awakening Ethan, the edgier skeletons just stared. “Meet. Lady Dimitrescu, a.k.a. Dommy Mommy. She’s an absolute powerhouse and a damn goddess. Though, I don’t like how the dress sits, it’s just weird to me,” Cassandra said as she prepared for the countdown to begin.

            “wait, wasn’t ethan stabbed?” Red asked as his eyeridges furrowed.

            “Yep,” the brunette grinned as she controlled the character to sprint down the obstacle course.

            “then how..?” he trailed off as if he was trying to piece the story together.

            “You’ll know towards the end of the game,” she mused. “It ties into Resident Evil 7, but you don’t need to know what happens to enjoy this game. There are a few things you’ll be lost on, but nothing detrimental.”

            Cassandra finished her glass when she reached The Duke and went to the kitchen to make herself another glass. When she returned, she made her way into the castle to trigger the cutscene of the daughters dragging Ethan to their mother. After Ethan was left to be strung up by his hands, Cassandra grinned as she looked at the occupants in the room. “Told you, classy, sexy, and a Dommy Mommy,” she snickered.

            “How Tall Is She?” Blue asked as he blinked.

            “Ten feet tall. The internet responded with ‘Step on me, Tall Lady’,” the brunette pointed out. “Though, I will say her daughters are more attractive than her to me, but still.”

            “what other games ya got?” Rus asked quietly after a moment.

            “I have ‘Monster Hunter World’, ‘Far Cry’, ‘Left 4 Dead 2’, ‘Witcher 3’, and a few other games that aren’t coming to mind on Xbox. PC I have a greater variety, and I have a variety on Playstation. I actually have a few multi-player games on the Playstation 2, but the limit is four players. If you guys want, I can set it up and we can play sometime after we get back from the zoo. That way we have something else to do during the week. Cheap entertainment.”

             The atmosphere had drastically calmed down from earlier, and the skeletons were focusing on the story as Cassandra continued to play through ‘Resident Evil Village’. The game had been a welcome distraction to the whole house.

Chapter Text

Cassandra was trying hard to real in her excitement. The house was going to the zoo. She tied her hair up into a ponytail and looked over her outfit in her mirror. She was wearing blue jean shorts and a loose-fitting purple tank top with small flowers decorating it. Underneath her top, she wore a black sports bra to be comfortable for the duration of their stay at the zoo. Her eyes fell slightly as she tore her gaze from the mirror before her eyes fell to her partner, who was snoring in bed. She smiled softly as she sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over, and pressed her lips to his temple. The Sans groaned as he latched onto his mate before pulling her down; Cassandra yelped as she hit the bed. “Sweetie, it’s time to get moving,” the brunette laughed lightly.

            “nah, too early,” he grinned as he pulled her to him, effectively trapping her in his embrace. “’specially after last night.”

            “Sans, oh my god. Get up before your brother comes in here,” Cassandra scolded with no real bite. “Besides, we’re going to the zoo!”

            “don’t care,” Sans hummed. “sleep.”

            The brunette rolled her eyes before cupping her hands around her mouth and taking a deep breath. “Papyrus, your brother is being lazy!” she shouted. The look of utter betrayal that Sans gave her made Cassandra laugh lightly. “I warned you.”

            “i didn’ think ya would rat me out,” Sans pouted as the two heard footsteps stomping up the stairs.

            “Sans!” Papyrus barked as he opened the bedroom door. He blinked at the sight of his sister-in-law struggling to get out of his brother’s grasp. “Let Cassandra Up And Get Out Of Bed, You Lazybones!”

            “nah, i’m quite comfy,” Sans grinned.

            Papyrus gave his brother a scowl despite the amusement twinkling in his eyelights. Marching over, the taller skeleton scooped his brother up, which caused Sans to release his mate, and dropped him on the floor. “Thank you, Papy,” Cassandra smiled as she got off the bed and hugged her brother. “You’re my hero.”

            “Nyeheheh! Of Course, I Am The Great Papyrus!” he beamed as he returned the hug.

            The brunette smiled before leaving her shared room with Sans and threw open the guest room door. “Shadow! We going to the motha fuckin’ zoo!” She exclaimed as she launched herself onto her best friend, who was sitting up in the bed.

            “Weirdo! You don’t need to tackle me! I’m up!” Shadow barked as she shoved Cassandra onto the floor.

            The brunette cackled as she remained lying on her back. “Yes, but it was funny!” Cassandra mused as she smirked up at her friend. “Are you excited? I’m excited.”

            “I never would have guessed,” Shadow sighed as she got out of bed. “Let me get coffee, and I’ll be set to go.”

            Cassandra followed her best friend out of the guest bedroom while tying her hair up in a ponytail to keep it from falling in front of her face. “I hope the zoo isn’t too crowded since it’s a weekday. Oh, if it’s not crowded, maybe we can feed the giraffes!” she beamed as her pace quickened until she was right behind her best friend, who was carefully descending the stairs.

            “Weirdo, you’re going to make me fall!” Shadow sighed. “But, I don’t see why we couldn’t feed the giraffes. You had better behave and stick with at least one of us.”

            “I always behave at the zoo,” Cassandra gasped. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep up.”

            “You always runoff, so no, you don’t behave. Wait, has Sans not got to experience this yet?”

            “We both have been busy with work, so we haven’t had the chance to go to the zoo. I also do not runoff,” the brunette muttered; as soon as the two got to the bottom of the stairs, Cassandra quickly grabbed her walking shoes and put them on.

            “the fuck are you two on about?” Red grumbled as he glared at anything that moved; he was not a morning person and was grouchy when he first woke up.

            “Cassandra tends to disappear when going places that are exciting,” Shadow said as she got the coffee started; she immediately recognized the look of ‘not being awake’ on Red. “Caffeine will be ready soon.”

            Red just grunted as he moved to stand up as Edge through a change of clothes at his brother. Black and Blue were also handing their lazy brothers clothes to change into while telling them to get up. Cassandra smiled as she saw Sans descending the stairs in his usual casual attire. “Shadow has the coffee brewing right now, so you’ll be able to wake up soon,” Cassandra stated as she double-checked her pockets for her wallet, keys, and phone. “Perfect, I have everything I need,” she said more to herself.

            “To be fair,” Shadow began.

            “To be faair,” Cassandra interrupted in a posh accent.

            “to be faaaaiiiirr,” Sans joined in; he was sure to sound extra snobby.

            “To be fair,” Shadow sighed, “you always have everything you need on you. Are you bringing a backpack again?”

            “Yup, I got it mostly ready yesterday. I have two Gatorades for you, and the rest are waters for everyone. I figured we could all eat there, so I’m not worried about lunches, but I do have a first aid mini-kit and snacks just in case,” Cassandra nodded as she headed to the kitchen.

            “Do you have sunscreen since you don’t have a hat?” Shadow asked.

            The brunette paused before lifting the backpack, placing it on the counter, and opening it up. “Looks like I do not. Thank you, bestie!” Cassandra said as she went back upstairs to dig for it.

            “What Is Sunscreen For?” Blue asked as he put on his shoes.

            “To make sure we don’t get a sunburn. Those suck,” Shadow said.

            “The Sun Can Burn You?!” Blue asked in horror.

            “Only humans can,” Shadow quickly clarified. “It only happens if we’re out in it for too long without any protection.”

            “Your Species Is Weak,” Edge scowled as he watched his brother get ready.

            “Yeah, we are, but oh well,” Shadow shrugged as she watched Cassandra quickly descend the stairs. “Weirdo, you shouldn’t dart down the stairs like that considering how clumsy you can be.”

            “Fight me,” Cassandra said with no real bite before heading back to the kitchen and opening the bottle to apply it.

            “You wouldn’t actually, and you know it.”

            Cassandra only shrugged as she finished getting ready. The group of ten soon headed out the door to head to the zoo. “why don’ ya have a car so we don’ have ta walk so much?” Red grumbled.

            “I never had to worry about it because I live so close to work. It saves me money on car insurance and the like because I don’t have a car. I don’t need to worry about one expense, and I get some exercise in,” Cassandra replied.

            “Well, I Appreciate Your Willingness To Walk Everywhere!” Blue chimed in.

            “ya would,” Red scoffed with an eye-roll.

            Stretch’s eyes narrowed at the red-clad version of his brother. “keep yer comments about my bro to yourself,” he warned as he pulled out a cigarette.

            “Yeah, no, we aren’t arguing today,” Cassandra sighed. “Today is supposed to be a day to relax and decompress that stress.”

            “whatever,” Red grumbled as the group continued to make their way to the zoo.

            The brunette couldn’t help but grin widely as she dug in her pocket to pull out her phone and proceed to scroll through her Spotify to find something to listen to as they walked. Finding an 80s playlist, she hit play and allowed her phone to play as they walked. “I’m so excited!” she declared; her grin only faltered slightly as they passed a familiar bakery that she used to take her brother, but her good mood remained. “Where should we start? Do we head left and see the reptiles or go right and start with the African wildlife first?!”

            “how about we let our guests decide when we get there?” Sans suggested as he watched his mate with an easy grin; her soul was brighter today than the last two, and he was happy that she was climbing back up.

            “That’s forever away though,” Cassandra pouted.

            “I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, But I Do Agree That We Need A Plan Before We Get There,” Edge grumbled; he was forcing back his amusement at seeing their human host’s excitement.

            “See?” the brunette stated. “Shadow, do I still have a zoo map in the front pocket?”

            Her friend sighed before unzipping the first pocket and pulling out a slightly wrinkled map. “Yep, looks like it.”

            “Great! Pass it around so we can decide!” Cassandra smiled.

            The group became mostly quiet as the map was passed around. “The Most Efficient Route Would Be Either Going Left Or Right Since They Both Connect And Form A Crude Circle Around The Park,” Black said.

            “Why Not Start With The Reptiles?” Blue asked.

            “The Reptile Exhibit Would Be Indoors, So To Get A Break From The Sun, Maybe We Should End With That?” Papyrus suggested.

            “nah, i say we hit it first since we are already walkin’ in the damn sun,” Red stated. “the gift shop at the end would give us a break before the walk home.”

            “we don’ need ta worry about the sun though,” Mutt chimed in.

            “I like Red’s idea; I burn easily, but I will say there are consistent shady areas throughout the zoo,” Shadow commented.

            Sans reached out and grabbed Cassandra’s arm to pull her back out of the intersection as they reached a crosswalk. “cas, ya need to pay attention,” he sighed as his eyelights looked over her face.

            Cassandra sheepishly rubbed the back of her head as she noticed the red hand, signifying that it wasn’t safe to cross. “Sorry, guess I’m getting too excited..” she said before gasping loudly as Whitney Houston began playing. “I love this song!”

            “Weirdo, you need to dial it back before you scare everyone,” Shadow mused as she watched her friend lose her mind over something so simple.

            “Nonsense!” Papyrus exclaimed. “I’m Happy To See Her Acting More Like Herself!”

            “She’ll definitely be sleeping well tonight once she burns through all this energy,” Shadow laughed.

            “I don’t know why sleep and I tend to break up; I miss it every time I don’t get to sleep,” Cassandra sighed wistfully. “Alas, insomnia is a bitch and causes us to have issues.”

            “i know somethin’ that always helps with sleep,” Red said with a suggestive grin.

            Sans shot his rougher counterpart a glare as Cassandra looked back at him with a blush. She blinked and then cleared her throat as Edge glared daggers at the back of his brother’s skull. “That’s what Sans and I did last night. Don’t get jealous on me; it’s not a good look,” the brunette shot.

            Red blinked at the comeback before busting up laughing. “good ta know yer sense of humor ain’t broken,” he snickered.

            Edge, Black, and Blue looked highly uncomfortable as Sans’ cheeks dusted a faint blue from his mate openly stating that they had sex. “Have to have one,” Cassandra said with a shrug.

            “Yes, But You Don’t Need To Be Vulgar!” Black grumbled.

            “i don’ mind if she talks,” Mutt purred as he leaned forward.

            “I don’t go into details, sorry,” Cassandra smirked. “That remains confidential between the two of us. Doubt you’d be able to keep up regardless.”

            “quit eggin’ them on,” Sans sighed as he shot the two a glare. “you two, stop flirting with my mate.”

            “ya know that—”

            “nah, we ain’ continuing this convo right now,” Sans grumbled.

            “Anyways, we should be there within the next twenty minutes,” the brunette smiled as Prince began playing through her phone. “I’m glad we don’t need to walk as far as we would have from my old apartment.”

            “Yeah, but there were a lot of good memories from that apartment,” Shadow said. “I remember the last time we went to the zoo; good things did happen. Well, other than finding out your mother had a chance at parole…”

            “Don’t remind me,” Cassandra sighed. “That’s the last thing I want to worry about. I’m just grateful you had never met the bitch.”

            “If I ever do, I may end up in prison,” Shadow stated. “She is absolutely horrendous, and that’s one of the few times I’d say the death penalty would be necessary.”

            “Can We Bring Up A Happier Topic?” Blue asked; the darker turn made both him and his brother uncomfortable.

            “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uneasy,” Shadow said. “Lots of positive and negative things went down in that apartment.”

            “I feel like I’ve come a long way since then,” the brunette hummed as a comfortable silence overcame the group.

            Soon enough, the zoo came into view, and Cassandra couldn’t help the huge grin that broke out. “We’re here!” she exclaimed as she unlocked her phone to turn off the music.

            “No, I Thought This Was The Grocery Store,” Edge deadpanned.

            Cassandra ignored the sarcasm as she rushed forward to the ticket stand to go ahead and get everyone their tickets. Sans chuckled at her enthusiasm as Blue and Papyrus eagerly ran after her in a race while the rest of the group kept their casual pace. “Not even inside the zoo, and it’s already started,” Shadow sighed. The black-haired friend blinked as she registered Cassandra facing them with her phone out as she took a picture. “Oi, you know I hate having my picture taken!” Shadow barked. The brunette stuck her tongue out before heading to the ticket booth for the tickets; she would post the picture on the Undernet after their fun at the zoo.

            Cassandra could hardly contain her excitement as she hurried over to her group that reached the entrance and passed out the tickets, her smile never faltering. Sans took his with an easy smile as he watched his mate run around to the others to give them their tickets. Once she finished her task, she looped her arms through the gaps between Sans’ and Red’s arms and began walking. “Let’s go!” she cheered. “Serotonin awaits!”

            Red’s cheekbones became lightly dusted in red from the unusual attention as their host began leading the group to the direction of the reptiles. “thought ya said she’d run off?” Stretch asked as he watched the shenanigans take place.

            “Give it a minute,” Shadow mused.

            Upon entering the reptile exhibit, the skeletons stared in awe as they looked at the various species of reptiles that they had never had the opportunity to see in person. Shadow took her time to ensure get pictures of every animal they initially came across, but when she looked around, she sighed. “Weirdo!” she said as she looked around.

            Sans blinked as he looked around them and chuckled, “you really weren’ kiddin’.”

            “Nope, I wish I was…” Shadow sighed as she pressed call on her friend’s contact.

            “Let’s go say ‘hi’ to senpai—,” was heard off in the distance before Cassandra answered. “Hello?” she asked.

            “Weirdo, it hasn’t even been five minutes, and you’re already gone,” Shadow scolded. “Get back here with the group.”

            “Animals!” the brunette responded; Shadow scowled before spotting her off in the distance looking at the Komodo Dragons.

            Shadow sighed as she hung up and went over to her friend, grabbed the backpack, and began pulling Cassandra back to the group. “Hey! I was looking at the murder lizards!” the brunette protested.

            “You need to stick with the group,” Shadow stated.

            “I wasn’t very far away.”

            “No, but you can’t disappear on the group.”

            Cassandra only sighed before smiling at seeing the Poison Dart Frogs. “Fun fact, did you know that Poison Dart Frogs get their poison from a specific insect found in the Rain Forest? They actually stop producing the poison without it,” the brunette said.

            “that is an interestin’ fact,” Mutt said as he watched a black and yellow frog hop towards another frog.

            Shadow slowly let go of the backpack when she was sure that her friend wouldn’t run off again. The group slowly made their way through the reptile exhibit, and when they left, they began making their way to the penguins and polar bears. “It’s Crazy That There Are So Many Species In The World!” Blue said.

            “It’s One Of The Few Things That Always Cheer Cassandra Up,” Papyrus smiled. “Big Cats Specifically.”

            “speakin’ of, where did she go?” Red asked as he looked around.

            “Oh geez…” Shadow sighed. “We should probably split up and go find her…”

            “now i know why you were hesitant of lettin’ her come here without a backpack with a leash,” Sans sighed as he went to a large map near the sidewalk. “question is, which way did she go?”

            “Who knows,” Shadow muttered. “She’s not answering her phone either, which means she’s either distracted or doesn’t hear it.”

            “okay, so, edge, red, you two can look on the path we planned out,” Sans began. “black, mutt, you two can search towards the butterfly enclosure, and blue and stretch can check the bird enclosure. the three of us are gonna double-check the reptile exhibit and the north american animals. If you don’t find her in ten, meet at the penguin enclosure.” The skeletons groaned but spread out to find their human host.

            Before leaving the reptile house, Cassandra had not been far from the skeletons, but a familiar sting of loss hit her soul when she saw a family. The familiar scene of the ten-year-old sister picking up her younger brother to show him a bullfrog caused Cassandra to flee. She quickly went to the penguin enclosure and sat down in front of the glass; tears ran down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around her knees. The brunette let her mind go numb as she watched some penguins preen their feathers while others swam within their enclosure. This wasn’t how she wanted today to go, but the reminder as close to the day of her mother’s attack was too much for her after dealing with the last few days of constant stress thanks to the new arrivals. She didn’t hate the alternate versions of her Sans and Papyrus, but she was still unsure about how to approach them, so they didn’t distrust or hate her so readily. She sniffled as she wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. ‘You have been nothing but pathetic ever since they showed up…’ she thought with a sigh. ‘Benjamin loved penguins…’ Cassandra knew that Frisk was the reincarnation of her brother, but that didn’t stop the harsh reality of her losing him. It didn’t feel the same. She sniffled to ease her stuffed nose as she wiped her cheeks once again, but the sound of footsteps caused her to look behind her. ‘Of course..’ she thought when she saw the edgier skeletons before she forced a smile and looked back at the penguins. “Did you know that penguins projectile poop to keep their nests clean? They essentially shit on each other on purpose,” Cassandra said.

            “That Is Absolutely Disgusting!” Edge grumbled with a sneer.

            An uncomfortable silence fell between the three before Cassandra let out a sigh. “I needed space…” the brunette said to answer the unspoken question. “Saw a reminder, and it was too much for me… I know, it’s pathetic and I’m weak…”

            “Yes, It Is Pathetic,” Edge began, “But You Also Have Scars. Sometimes Those Who Are Weaker Than Myself Who Experience Something Traumatic Have Lingering Effects.”

            “what my bro is tryin’ ta say is that ya ain’ weak for survivin’,” Red clarified. “ya may be human, but scars tell stories.”

            Cassandra wiped the fresh tears aggressively as she let out a dry life. “I’m Going To Report Back To This World’s Sans,” Edge growled as he marched out; the brunette looked at his retreating form in confusion because she didn’t hear the usual bite to his voice.

            “’m not good at these kinds of things…” Red sighed. “how much ya know ‘bout sans?” That comment ended with a slight grumble.

            “If you mean the resets, I already know all about them… I know that he had to watch his brother die…” Cassandra sighed. “Since you’re also Sans, that means you did, too. Right?”

            Red scowled before turning to glare at the ground. “somethin’ like that…” he muttered.

            “…I appreciate the sentiment. Frisk is the reincarnation of my brother, and while it’s good to know that his soul lives again… he was still taken away from me… I know you read the article, but these scars just remind me of the hate…” the brunette said as she wiped at her cheeks. “Penguins were my brother’s favorite animal because they couldn’t fly. He was blown away with how they could survive in the arctic and withstood freezing temperatures and months without food.”

            “… want to know how you make any salad into a caesar salad? stab it twenty-three times,” Red said after a moment with a grin.

            Cassandra blinked as she registered the joke before she started laughing. “That’s a good one! Did you know that even people who are good for nothing have the capacity to bring a smile to your face, such as when pushing them down the stairs?”

            Red cackled as he wiped a red tear from his eyesocket, “jeez, sweetheart, that’s amazing.”

            “What can I say, my sense of humor is dark and debatably bad,” Cassandra smiled. Her smile turned sheepish when she saw the rest of the group.

            Shadow was about to scold her friend until she noticed the tear stains and puffy eyes; with a sigh, the black-haired friend approached and helped her best friend up. “I’m keeping my arm latched with yours. No more running around or you’ll worry everyone,” Shadow stated, leaving no room for argument.

            “Fine, I’ll behave for right now,” the brunette sighed, obviously not intending to anytime soon.

            The group spent a little bit of time observing the penguins before moving on to the polar bears and the rest of the arctic exhibits. Cassandra’s mood had significantly improved as the household went from exhibit to exhibit. Once they hit the tiger exhibit, Cassandra sat in front of the glass and watched as a tiger yawned and rolled over onto its back. The brunette smiled and took a picture of the close feline but blinked at her dulled reflection. She noticed that Red and Edge were standing near her occasionally flicking their eyelights in her direction. Smiling to herself, her gaze went back to the sleeping tiger; maybe things would finally change in the household.