Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            I slipped through the hole into the pantry, holding my little battery-powered tea candle aloft for light. The homeowners had stayed up late, putting off my nightly food raid, and I was hungry. I placed the candle down and went for a box of Ritz crackers. One of the sleeves was already open so I unraveled the plastic and began munching on the cracker, sighing in relief as it began to fill my stomach.

            The cracker was the size of a serving plate in my bitty hands, even the boxes and cans were taller than me. Even after two years of being a bitty I still wasn’t entirely used to it. I used to be a normal height, a normal human . . . until that crazy day when a portion of humans shrank randomly and for a still undetermined reason. I was one of the few adults that were affected.

            When I finished my cracker, I stacked some boxes so that I could get to the next shelf. I took a small box of raisins and used a toothpick to scoop out some peanut butter (stored in one of my hand-made plastic-wrap bags), and treated myself to a chocolate chip, which fit in the palm of my hand like a giant Kiss.

            I munched the chocolate as I secured my little backpack (made from scrap fabric and a leather strap from an old watch), picked up my tea candle, and made my way back to my hole. I had cut it out when I first arrived in this house, giving me easy access to food through the walls. I popped the “door” out of place, crawled in, then put it back. I made my way through the hollow drywood, dodging the shredded insulation that I had destroyed to make myself a tunnel. The tunnel took me to another hole which led into a hallway closet. It was there that I had my home.

            I lived in a shoebox in the back of the closet, left forgotten by the owners for a year now. I was still working on making myself something more permanent in the walls but being a bitty it was hard to get the supplies I needed and was taking a long time to accomplish. But I didn’t mind, my shoebox was very comfortable. I had a lovely bed made of soft fabric and cotton from an unzipped pillow. I had tea candles for light, a cell phone (I couldn’t make calls but if I kept it charged I could listen to music and get on the Wi-Fi to watch YouTube), and a caterpillar Beanie Baby who was as long as my body. I named him Cucumber.

            I settled into my bed and turned on the cell phone, finding a funny video to watch while I cuddled Cucumber and ate one of my raisins. It was rare moments like these that I felt happy, secure, and safe. Life as a ‘fugitive’ bitty wasn’t easy. In fact, it was downright dangerous. I couldn’t let the homeowners find me lest they take me to a bitty center.

            I was never living in one of those again.

            I tried for a while. I had been rescued and taken to one, but I left, found this house, and made a life for myself. Stealing food at night and trying to survive wasn’t glamorous, but it was its own kind of freedom. I wasn’t a toy or a pet, I didn’t have to wear a leash, and I didn’t have to worry about being abused.

            I held Cucumber tighter and turned the phone off to fall into a peaceful sleep.

            Crap.

            They were moving.

            Just as I had gotten comfortable and into a routine the family that lived here was moving. This was bad. I couldn’t go with them, that was way too risky, I had a perfect setup in this house. But how long would it take for new owners to come? I relied on them for food, and something like that could take months.

            I sat in the middle of the living room, letting my cell phone charge while I soaked in some sun from the window. I knew the family’s routine well enough to come out during the day without fear of being caught. Everything was getting packed up into moving boxes, including a book I had secretly been reading. Now I would never get to finish it.

            Once I found out about the move I began stockpiling as much food as I could into the wall to sustain me. Luckily my small stomach didn’t require a lot. Still, it was concerning. If someone didn’t move in soon I would have to venture outside the house to get food.

            Once my phone was charged I wrapped my arms around it and made my way back to my hiding place. I had relocated my bedroom into a wall vent behind the living room couch since I couldn’t risk anyone finding my box. It had taken several hours and a stolen pocket knife to undo the screws on the floor-level vent, but there was plenty of room and so far no one had noticed that the vent was just leaning against the wall instead of being screwed into it.

            I pulled the vent away from the wall, pushed my phone in, then crawled in after, pulling the vent cover back into place.

            My timing was impeccable as the door suddenly opened. My heart skipped a beat, not used to being in such close proximity to other people.

            “Sorry about the boxes, but I hope you’ll get a good feel for the space. I know you said you had a big family and this house can easily accommodate you.” I recognized the voice of the realtor.

            “Yeah, looks good,” a deep-timbered voice answered. Looking through the vent I could see a pair of pink slippers and . . . wow those legs were really skinny. Wait, were those . . . bones?!

            This I had to see.

            Carefully, so carefully, I pushed the vent cover away and slipped out under the couch, moving along the floor to get a better look.

            Yep, it was bones alright, attached to a walking, talking skeleton in a blue hoodie and sport shorts. I had only met a monster once or twice before and it was still a novelty. Some even theorized that their magic had something to do with bitties.

            “Five bedrooms?”

            “Yep, seven if you plan on converting the attic and basement, which you can, they’re both in excellent condition. There’s also a space above the garage that has its own bathroom.”

            “Big kitchen too, that’s good. My bro likes to cook.”

            “You were telling me about your brother. Who are your other family members? I just ask because not many people have been interested in a house this big. My husband and I took care of fosters several years ago and we just don’t need the space anymore.”

            “Oh, just cousins of mine. We like to stay close.”

            “That’s nice, I always wish my family and I . . .”

            Their voices trailed off as the realtor led the skeleton upstairs. So, they already had buyers, that was good. A big family, but that was okay, that would make it easier for me to get away with things. If I accidentally made a mess someone else could get blamed.

            Feeling reassured, I went back to the vent.

            This wasn’t good.

            “Get away! Shoo! That’s mine!” I waved my hands at the mouse that was chewing open one of my raisin boxes. It had stolen most of my food already, depleting my supply significantly while I had been out that day getting exercise by climbing on boxes. It took the raisins in its little hands and scurried away as I thrashed at it.

            I groaned, looking at my pathetic supply – some crackers and a cookie. The new family wasn’t set to move in for a few more days and there was no more food to steal. I picked up what was left of my rations and made my way back to the vent. This move was becoming a real pain. I couldn’t play my phone for risk of being heard in the echoing vent and was getting bored. I could watch TV with the family from under the couch, but during the day I had nothing to do.

            The next few days passed by much the same – feeling bored and hungry as I watched the humans finish up their packing. I watched them work on moving day as well.

            Once the house was empty I went to my ‘outside door’ – the only place that I allowed myself to have that led out of the house. As much as I feared going outside I still needed fresh air and sunshine, so I had broken a hole in the window of the sliding glass door. It was in the corner, and small enough that the humans decided it wasn’t worth replacing the whole thing. Instead they stuffed it with foam, which was easy enough for me to remove and put back.

            I stepped out onto the porch, enjoying the fresh air of the spring day. The house overlooked an empty hill that sloped down to some trees that bordered a local park. It was an older country house that hadn’t been swallowed up by the suburbia that surrounded it – the privacy of the country with the convenience of town. I loved coming to the porch to watch nature on days when I was feeling brave.

            I took out a length of twine from my backpack and looped it around one of the porch poles on the railing. I used the loop to pull myself up and walked on the railing, stealing the idea from Mulan.

            At the top of the railing I found that the abandoned birdhouse was still there. I hid behind it and watched as the moving truck arrived with my new ‘tenants’.

            Boy, that was a lot of skeletons.

            I recognized the original one who had toured the house, who lazily napped in a chair while the others began moving stuff in. The others all varied in size and style, some were very loud. One in a blue bandana immediately caught my attention as he ran around the yard, taking it all in.

            “Wowie! There’s so much space here! We could put in a pool! And an obstacle course! And a bike trail . . .”

            “Easy, Blue, let’s pick out a room first,” a tall skeleton in an orange hoodie said.

            “Right! Everyone remember, no fighting!” Another tall skeleton in a red scarf and a t-shirt that said ‘Cool Dude’ said, clapping his hands. “There are five bedrooms! Then two people to the attic – don’t worry, Sans said we’ll get a wall divider.”

            “I still don’t understand why I can’t take the garage room,” one of the skeletons growled. He was another tall one . . . very tall one, wearing spiked jewelry and black clothing.

            “We already decided it wouldn’t be fair if one of us had their own bathroom,” Cool Dude said, “please don’t start arguing again, Edge.”

            Edge grumbled but didn’t reply, instead grabbing a box in each arm and carrying them into the house. Cool Dude grabbed the chair that Sans was occupying and lifted it easily.

            Whoa, strong skeletons.

            “Red!” Edge screeched from the door, making me jump, “don’t let me catch you lazing around like those two fools!”

            I hadn’t even noticed the sixth skeleton – he was similar in height to Blue and Sans, with a red shirt and a fur-lined hoodie.

            He was looking right at me.

            With a squeak, I dived into the birdhouse, trembling. Maybe he didn’t see me, maybe he was just looking in my direction. I looked out the birdhouse opening and could see him walking toward me, skeletal hand reaching out.

            No, no, no, no . . .

            “Red!”

            Red hesitated, then turned away, walking the other direction. I sagged in relief, vowing to get back inside to my vent as soon as I could. With the skeletons going back and forth so much it would be a while, so I settled in to wait patiently.

            It was nightfall before I felt comfortable enough to go back inside. The skeletons were all busy in their respective bedrooms, so I ran across the living room to the vent, hugging Cucumber once I got there.

            That was close.

            “What do you think of the house, Papyrus?” I heard Blue’s voice as he came downstairs.

            “I am very pleased! I am excited to make some spaghetti for everyone!”

            Spaghetti? Just the thought made my stomach growl.

            “I shall assist! And then tomorrow we can have tacos!”

            Oh god, I hadn’t had a real meal in days, and soon the smell of cooking meat and noodles assaulted my senses, tempting me to risk another trip out of the vent.

            “BROTHERS! FOOD!” Papyrus announced to the household, making my ears ring. For a skeleton he sure had a set of lungs. I listened to the march of footsteps as everyone came downstairs.

            This was my chance, everyone was in the dining room, so just a quick trip to the kitchen . . .

            I left the vent and crawled under the couch to the hallway, keeping myself close to the wall. I looked into the dining room.

            One, two, three, four, five, six skeletons, good. I darted across the doorway, continued down the hall and made it to the kitchen.

            It would be tricky getting up to the counter, but I had done it before. First step was opening the cabinet under the sink. In there was a box of trash bags which I pulled out and used it to prop the cabinet door open. I jumped on top of the box then jumped up to grab and pull myself to the top of the cabinet door. Balancing carefully, I pulled myself onto the counter.

            As I hoped, there was still spaghetti warming on the stove. I ran to it and grabbed some sauce-covered noodles in my bare hands, stuffing them into my mouth. For me the noodles were as thick as steak fries, and I ate them as such, grabbing bits of meat and vegetable as well. It was so good! It was so hard to get meat and vegetables since they were kept in the fridge which was practically impossible for me to get into.

            I was so engrossed with my meal that I didn’t notice the kitchen door open until it was too late.

            “Does anyone else need water-?” It was Papyrus (Cool Dude). He froze when he saw me. Tiny little me, covered in sauce, clutching noodles like a child.

            I ran.

            “What-?” Papyrus barely had time to react as I leapt from the counter top directly to the floor. My small size allowed me jump higher and fall further, though it still hurt when I hit the ground, and I had a limp as I ran back to the hall.

            “W-wait-!”

            I couldn’t get back to the vent in time. Luckily there were moving boxes everywhere. I picked one and jumped up into it, landing among some miscellaneous items. I burrowed to the bottom and curled up as tight as I could.

            “Wait! Come back! Where-?”

            “What’s wrong, Paps?” I heard Sans’s voice.

            “Sans! There was a human! A tiny human! I swear! She was eating spaghetti and –”

            “You saw it too?” Red’s gruff voice cut in. “I fuckin’ knew it. I knew I saw something.”

            “You saw her too?” Papyrus gasped.

            “I thought I did, but I wasn’t sure. Thought I saw something hiding in a birdhouse outside.”

            “Must be a bitty,” Sans said.

            “There’s a bitty here?!” Blue’s voice joined the others, sounding excited. “Where are they? Bitty! Come out! We won’t hurt you!”

            A scoff from Edge said otherwise. “Like hell we won’t! A bitty shouldn’t be living here! This is our house!”

            “Edge, no!” Blue scolded.

            “We won’t be hurting her.” This time orange hoodie spoke up. “But we should probably find her. It’s not safe for bitties to be on their own.”

            “Exactly!” Edge said, “all the more reason to catch it.”

            “And only catch it,” Orange hoodie warned.

            “I believe it’s a girl!” Papyrus chimed in.

            “Right. Her.”

            God, why?! Now they were trying to catch me?! I trembled and held back tears. I had no choice now. I had to leave.

            “But what if . . . we didn’t have to catch her?” Blue said, making me perk up.

            “We can’t let her live in the walls, Blue.”

            “No but . . . we could be friends. She’s not an animal after all, we can talk to her. She’s probably just scared.”

            I looked up in shock, my heart palpitating. That was probably the kindest thing anyone had ever said about me since I became a bitty.

            “Bitty girl! If you can hear me, my name is Blueberry and we won’t hurt you! If you come out, we can be friends!”

            “That’s right!” Papyrus added, “we only want to help you!”

            “If you can hear me, bitty,” Edge cut in, “beware of the great and terrible Edge for I will be setting up traps to capture you!”

            I shuddered.

            “Alright, that’s enough,” Sans said, “we’ll talk about this more later. She’s probably well hidden by now. Let’s finish dinner and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

            With a sigh, I settled down in my box, too scared to leave. I stayed there for the rest of the evening, well into the night after the skeletons had gone to bed. Only after it had been silent for several hours did I dare come out.

            I wanted a bath.

            I was covered in sauce and sweat from my adventure from the day. I saw that the hallway bathroom door was closed, so I went to the kitchen instead, using the same technique to get up to the counter.

            When I arrived, I saw a plate of spaghetti sitting there with a note that said ‘Please eat your fill! Love from your friends, Papyrus and Blueberry.’

            They . . . left food for me?

            I looked around suspiciously, wary of Edge’s warnings of traps. Nothing seemed amiss. Would they poison it?

            God, I was too hungry and stressed to care. I fell onto the plate, eating as much as I desired. It didn’t leave much of dent, but it filled me up, and I felt better than I had in ages.

            Next was my ‘bath’. I found some paper towels and took my clothes off. I walked around the sink and pushed up the handle until I had a warm, steady stream of water. I pumped some hand soap into the sink then jumped in after it, frothing it up over my body before it could wash away. I stood under the faucet, scrubbing myself thoroughly to get rid of dust, cobwebs, and spaghetti sauce.

            Just another day in the life of a bitty.

            Once clean, I climbed back onto the sink ledge and turned the water off. I went to my paper towels and started to dry myself off.

            “Was wondering why I heard water running.”

            I screamed. I didn’t even look, just ran. The voice came from the entryway, so I ran the opposite way, jumping into a box containing spices. Didn’t matter that it would trap me, I was already trapped, just wanted to hide, didn’t want to be seen naked.

            Please, please, not again. Never again.

            I hugged myself, curling up into a ball, waiting to see what my fate would be.

            I heard a drawer open and close. Heard footsteps. Felt the presence of something standing over me.

            “Huh, we really do have a little roommate.”

            I whimpered.

            Something warm and soft fell over my naked body. Shocked, I looked up. It was a hand towel. I wrapped it around myself and glanced up, recognizing orange hoodie looking down at me. He was the only one who’s name I hadn’t gotten. His eyes glowed white and kind, his mouth upturned in a small smirk.

            “You’re alright, kid. I won’t bother ya,” he said, stepping back out of my line of sight. “Just stepping out for a smoke, will probably be awhile.”

            I didn’t answer.

            After a moment I heard his footsteps leave.

            I poked my head up out of the box, finding the kitchen empty. Wasting no time, I jumped out and put my clothes on. I kept the hand towel.

            Finally, I made it back to my vent, to Cucumber. I curled up in my bed, vowing to never leave it again.

Chapter Text

“Where should we leave it?”

            “Maybe just somewhere on the floor? So that she can get to it easily?”

            “That seems unsanitary.”

            “What are you two doing?”

            The voices woke me up the next morning, and I recognized them as Papyrus, Blue, and Edge.

            “Nothing, Edge,” Blue said impatiently.

            “Don’t you dare leave food out for that pest!”

            “She’s not a pest! She ate my spaghetti! I want to leave her breakfast too.”

            Breakfast?

            I looked out the vent but could only see their shoes.

            “Let’s just leave it in the living room, that way she can eat while we go for our jog,” Blue said.

            I saw the plate set on the floor. There was bacon and eggs on it. My mouth watered.

            “Fine! Feed it all you want! I’m still going to catch it!”

            “Her!” Papyrus scolded.

            Their bickering continued as they headed out the door. Did I risk another food raid? I decided it was worth it since I could drag the plate under the couch for safety.

            I put on clothes which were just a hodgepodge of collected fabrics that I had tried to sew together. I had a skirt that I simply tied around my waist and a haphazard shirt with too-big stiches. I also had a poncho (just a square of fabric with a hole cut out for my head), and leg warmers which were just individual leg sleeves. Pants were impossible to make. Shoes had been nonexistent.

            I ran across the floor to the plate, grabbed it, and dragged it under the couch where I helped myself. It was so good! I hadn’t had a cooked breakfast in ages. My diet had mostly consisted of dried goods from the pantry and anything the original family left on the counter. It was so nice to have a hot meal again.

            When I was done I pushed the plate back outside then returned to my vent. From there I began to plan. Now that the skeletons were moved in I needed a new room. The vent wasn’t ideal since air flowed through it and could give away my location if I made too much noise. I considered my options, wondering if I could go back to the hall closet.

            “She ate it!” Papyrus’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Look! There are little bites!”

            “She doesn’t eat much, huh? Look at the little bite marks, that’s so cute,” Blue answered.

            “Bitty! Will you come out now? We’d really like to meet you!” Papyrus called.

            They seemed nice but . . . I wasn’t ready yet. I couldn’t risk them taking me to the bitty center. But maybe there was something I could do instead . . .

            Later that night, when the coast was clear I wandered through the house, finding the things I needed. After going through the boxes, I finally managed to find some paper and a marker. I wrote a message and left it in the middle of the floor: ‘Thank you for the food’ along with a little heart.

            The next day there wasn’t breakfast, but that was okay. I slept through the skeleton’s morning routine, drowsily noticing the smell of coffee and voices as they got ready for work. When silence returned I left the vent and decided to check the pantry for food.

            Unfortunately for me, the skeletons didn’t seem big on snacks. I scrounged around for anything I could easily take but only came away with a bag of chisps. Defeated, I ate a couple right there in the pantry, then took a couple more with me, along with some peanut butter. Papyrus and Blue were spoiling me. I wanted real food.

            I left the pantry through the main door, and in doing so I spotted a bowl of fruit sitting on the dining room table. The bright colors of bananas and apples were tempting and . . . were those grapes?!

            Oh man. Fresh fruit would be so nice.

            I usually stayed away from such things since I couldn’t eat much – my tiny bites leaving evidence of my presences, but the skeletons already knew I was here, so . . .

            I jumped onto a chair, then onto the table top, smiling at my prize. I grabbed a grape from the bowl and took a bite. In my hands it was the size of a cantaloupe.

            I sat down to enjoy my snack when I felt like something was amiss. I didn’t hear anything, but I had the feeling of being watched . . .

            I turned my head and screamed when I saw Sans sitting at the table right behind me. I scrambled, falling onto my back. Sans watched me casually.

            “Easy, kiddo, I won’t bother you. Too much work.” He leaned back in his chair and drank down a bottle of . . . ketchup?

            I hid myself behind the fruit bowl nervously.

            “I gave up my human-capturing days a long time ago.”

            I peeked my head out and studied him. He gave me a lazy smile in return.

            “Got a name?”

            I didn’t answer.

            “Well, I’m Sans. Sans the Skeleton.” He leaned forward and held his hand out to me, resting his elbow on the table. I froze but was entranced by the sight of all his exposed hand bones.

            “Come on, don’t you know how to greet a new pal?”

            Trembling, I reached forward. I gave the tip of his middle finger a quick squeeze, then ducked back behind the bowl.

            Sans chuckled. “Skittish little thing, aren’t you? Care to tell me how you came to live in our house?”

            I pressed my fists together nervously, bowing my head. “Long story.”

            “Lucky for you I take long breaks.”

            “Do you want me to leave?”

            At that he hesitated. “Eh, it’s no skin off my nose if you stay but you’d be safer and better cared for at the bitty center.”

            This time I stood up, glaring at him. “I’m NOT going to the center.”

            He raised a bone brow at me, his face surprisingly expressive for being made of bone. “Got something against it?”

            “I can take care of myself. Been doing it for a year now.”

            “Really? That’s a long time for a bitty.”

            “I’m still an adult and I don’t need anyone!” I grabbed my grape and ran, jumping to a chair and back to the floor. I almost expected Sans to stop me but he didn’t, so I kept running until I was safely back in my vent.

            I wasn’t going back to the center, and - as grateful as I was to Blue and Papyrus for food - I wasn’t going to be their pet. Eventually they would forget about me or I would move to a new house, it was simple as that.

            That night Blue was very excited to make tacos for dinner and left a plate for me in the living room again. That was fine, I would eat the food, but I didn’t NEED them to leave me food. Eventually they would stop.

            I waited for everyone to go to bed, waited for the night to drag on into its secret hours where I could eat and run errands in peace. I stepped out into the living room and began chowing down on the taco, not bothering to take it under the couch.

            Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and I cried out as a cage of bones suddenly sprang up around me, seeming to come up out of the floor itself. Then I heard the unmistakable laugh of Edge.

            Oh god no.

            I tried jumping up to clear the bones, but Edge must have anticipated this, as they were too tall. He stepped up to look down at me from the top of the cage. I trembled and shrank back down, as if making myself any smaller could help.

            “Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh! Foiled by the great and terrible Edge, bitty!” He reached down, and I screamed as his gloved hand wrapped around my body, pinning my arms to my sides and lifting me up. I trembled in his grasp as he studied me.

            “Hmph! Hardly a victory over something so small and scared. Is that all you’ve got?”

            I gritted my teeth. “I’m five inches tall, you brute!”

            “Hardly an excuse! But very well, seeing as my victory has been lack-luster, I will allow you another chance to beat me using the truest of monster traditions . . . puzzles!”

            Edge set me down on the floor, much to my relief, and new bones shot up around the living room, creating a barrier from which I couldn’t escape. Edge crossed his arms and smiled wickedly. He was terrifyingly tall, even if I was at a human height he would tower over me.

            “Your first challenge.” Edge waved his hand and a series of red Os appeared on the floor, along with more bones.

            “Wh-what am I supposed to do?”

            Edge grinned. “Give up already?”

            “What? No!” I approached one of the Os and touched it with my foot. It turned into a green X.

            Oh.

            “H-how are you doing that?” I asked in sincere awe.

            “The great and terrible Edge has many magical abilities!”

            Magic, wow. I had never seen it done before, though I knew monsters had it. When I stepped on the X again it turned back into an O.

            Got it.

            After studying the pattern briefly, I tracked out the path I needed to turn them all to Xs and avoid the bones. When it was done the puzzle disappeared and I laughed happily.

            “I did it!”

            “Don’t get cocky! The next puzzle will surely stump you!”

            “That’s not fair! I solved it, I win!”

            “Hardly! You fell for my food trap, that means we’re only even.” Another wave of his hand and this time bones appeared in the air, floating around him. “Let’s see how good your dodging skills are.”

            The bones shot at me. I screamed and ducked, then rolled, then jumped up as they changed direction. Edge laughed at my attempts. I was already out of breath.

            “This ‘puzzle’ might go on for a while, feel free to yield any time.” More bones came at me. I tried to dodge, but one hit me square in the stomach, and another struck my shoulder. I hit the ground in pain, gasping for air.

            Edge stepped over his bone cage and leaned down to look at my crippled form. I tried to crawl away, turning onto my back, but he pressed a finger into my chest, holding me in place. I grabbed the phalange with my tiny hands. It was like grabbing a telephone pole.

            “Give up?”

            “Edge! What are you doing?!”

            Blue!

            I called out for help and Edge whipped his head around to glare at the intruder. Blue stood there wearing rocket-ship pajamas and glaring with an expression that was unsettling on his kind, round face. He spotted me, and his mouth dropped in horror.

            “What are you doing?! Let her go!”

            “Mind your own business, whelp!” Edge hissed, “we can’t have a bitty living in our walls.”

            “That doesn’t mean you have to hurt her!” Blue ran forward, but Edge snatched me up and stood to his full height, holding his fist, and therefore me, away from Blue’s grasp.

            Blue narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth wide to yell, “STRETCH!”

            “Whatcha got there, Edgelord?”

            Suddenly, the skeleton in the orange hoodie was behind Edge, who spun around in surprise. I felt a heavy weight hit my chest, dragging me down until I slipped out of Edge’s grip and fell into Stretch’s open palm. He looked down at me curiously.

            “Stretch! Thank goodness, he was hurting her!” Blue said.

            Stretch narrowed his eyes at Edge, and I saw a spark of orange glint in his left eye.

            “Don’t go soft on me, Ashtray! We can’t have vermin living in the walls!”

            “I’m not vermin!” The screech that left my throat surprised even me, as the three skeletons looked at me in shock. I stood up on Stretch’s palm, holding my stomach and trying not to shake. “Best three out of five!”

            “Hah!” Edge smirked and crossed his arms. “A glutton for punishment, are you?”

            “Three out of five what? What are you doing?” Blue demanded.

            “Puzzles,” I said, trying to steady my breathing which had gone erratic from my outbursts. “Or attacks if you’re a dirty cheater!”

            “They’re still puzzles!” Edge insisted, “you can dodge them if you find the pattern!”

            Stretch sighed, a sound that was supposed to express tiredness, but instead had a threatening edge to it that made us all pause.

            “It’s one in the morning, you can do your puzzles later. You got the kid shaking like a leaf.”

            Much to my dismay, he was right. I couldn’t stop trembling, my stomach hurt, and I was on the verge of tears. This week had been more stressful than I realized.

            Blue’s eyes studied me sympathetically and he held out his hands. “I’ll take her, Stretch! I’ll get her some monster candy.”

            “Don’t ask me, bro, ask the bitty.”

            Blue’s eyes widened, his blue eyelights shimmering eagerly. “Can I hold you Ms. Bitty? I won’t hurt you!”

            I shook my head, I didn’t even want to be in Stretch’s hand anymore. “N-no, I want to be on the ground.”

            Blue’s face fell.

            “She’s had a shock, bro,” Stretch said, walking across the room. At his movement I went to my knees and grabbed his thumb. He moved slowly and gently placed me on the couch. “Let her catch her breath.”

            Blue collected himself, smiling again. “Of course! The magnificent Blue will get the candy!”

            Edge harrumphed and glared at me. “Don’t try and hide, pest. Tomorrow I expect to finish our match!”

            Stretch stood in front of me, blocking my view of the skeleton before I could think of a response. “Give it a rest, Edge. Literally. Go to bed.”

            Edge scoffed but spun on his heel and left.

            Stretch yawned and sat down on the couch with a thump. I backed away, moving to the other end of the furniture. He didn’t seem to notice or care.

            Blue came running back into the room holding some wrapped candy in his hands. He held it out to me, sitting on his knees in front of the couch.

            “Here, Ms. Bitty, pick whatever you want! Monster candy will heal you!”

            “I-It will?” I approached, nervous at his outstretched hands. Blue only smiled though, and his happy energy made me relax. I took a piece of chocolate – the size of a beach ball – and unwrapped it. I took a bite and practically melted. It was so good, and as I swallowed my stomach immediately felt better.

            “Th-thank you.”

            “Of course! You know we wouldn’t hurt you right? We could be friends!” Blue gasped and held his fists up to his mouth excitedly. “I always wanted to adopt a bitty!”

            At those words I bristled. “I don’t need to be adopted, I take care of myself.”

            “Oh. It’s just when Papyrus found you in the kitchen we thought you needed help with food?”

            Stretch popped an eye open and glanced at me, as if waiting to see what my response would be. My face turned red and I hunched my shoulders. It was humiliating to be reminded of how much I relied on regular-sized people despite my insistence to being independent.

            “I can’t exactly go to the grocery store,” I mumbled unhappily.

            “That’s okay! We don’t mind sharing!” Blue insisted. “Don’t cry!”

            I couldn’t help it. My eyes had flooded and poured over, overwhelmed by the hard week I had endured. Blue started to reach for me and I jerked away, running around him and jumping off the couch to dart under it.

            “Bitty, wait!” Blue pleaded.

            I glanced over my shoulder and saw him peering at me, his blue eyes glowing through the dark. I pulled the vent open and crawled inside.

            “Papy! She went into a vent.”

            “Give her some space, bro. She’s probably just needs to vent her frustrations.”

            “Papy, please,” Blue groaned. “Ms. Bitty?”

            I looked through the vent openings, wiping at my eyes. Blue push something under the couch.

            “Here is your taco and some more candy, okay?”

            I sniffled in response, crawling into my bed with Cucumber. I was so tired, all I could do was cry. I heard Blue whine in response, but eventually he went away, and I listened to him and Stretch (Papy? Where did that nickname come from?) return to their rooms.

Chapter Text

            I slept in for a long time the next morning. I drowsily remembered someone calling for me, but I ignored it and went back to sleep, ready to stay in bed all day. In the afternoon I got up long enough to eat something – the monster candy was still there, but the taco was cold. I pushed the plate out away from the couch.

            When I turned back, there was something waiting for me.

            A spider.

            I didn’t care for spiders as a human, but as a bitty they were terrifying. Up close and the size of a cat, it was a scene out of a horror movie. I screamed bloody murder and ran back out into the living room, running smack dab into a shoe.

            “What the fu-?!”

            I scrambled over the sneaker and darted across the room. A bookshelf had been set up along with the television and several game consoles. I jumped onto the shelf as high as I could and huddled there, looking back to see if the spider was there.

            The spider was gone, but the owner of the shoe – Red – was there, looking bewildered.

            “The hell’s got you screaming like that?” He demanded.

            “Sp-spider!” I gasped, pointing at the couch.

            “Heh, scared of a little bug, eh?” Red approached the shelf and leaned down so that we were eye to eye. I pressed myself back against the row of DVDs.

            “It’s not little to me!”

            “Hehe, yeah I guess not.” He studied me curiously for a moment. “You need a bath, toots. Ya look like a dust bunny.”

            He was right. I looked down, seeing my body covered in dust, and my hair was probably a mess. Living in the vent wasn’t doing me any favors hygiene-wise. 

            “Need some help with that?” Red asked, waggling his bone brows. “I can get ya nice and wet.”

            My mouth dropped as I stared at him in shock. My face broke into a grin and I started laughing, falling to my knees as I clutched my stomach.

            “Did you just hit on me?” I cackled falling to my side.

            Red just grinned, showing off rows of sharp teeth, one of which was golden. Normally such a sight would terrify me, but he seemed genuinely pleased at my laughter.

            “Hey, you know what they say, it’s not the size that counts, it’s what you do with it.” He winked, “and baby, I know what I’m doing.”

             More laughter rolled through me as I struggled to catch my breath. The situation was too ridiculous for me to be scared or offended.

            “You’re laughing now, wait ‘til you see what’s in my pants.”

            “You’re a skeleton!”

            “Hey, I can still get a boner.”

            I felt my face turn red as I continued to giggle.

            “Really tickling your funny bone, huh?”

            “That’s so bad,” I gasped, finally getting control of myself.

            “Aw, come on, throw me a bone.”

            “Stooop!” A new round of giggles took over. Red looked pleased as punch.

            “Come on, dust bunny, let’s get some lunch.” Red stood up and headed for the kitchen.

            Lunch sounded really good.

            I jumped down from the shelf and followed him, surprised that he didn’t try to pick me up. By the time I made it to the kitchen he was already pulling sandwich fixings out of the fridge.

            “Here.” Red held his hand out to me, and I carefully stepped on his palm, grabbing his thumb for support. He lifted me up too fast, making my stomach lurch, and deposited me on the counter top. I stepped back and watched him put together a ham and cheese, covering it in mustard. He grabbed a knife and cut off a small corner, which he pushed toward the edge of the plate toward me. We remained at the counter to eat, and I munched my sandwich happily.

            “Thank you.”

            Red shrugged. “Was making it anyway. No extra work on my part.”

            “Where are the others?”

            “Working outside today, setting up a garden or some shit,” Red didn’t seem interested. He picked up the mustard bottle and drank directly from it. I made a face.

            “So, how’d this dust bunny end up under our couch?” he asked.

            I shrugged. “Long story.”

            “Let’s make it interesting then,” he said with a mischievous smirk.

            I frowned, not trusting his expression. “How?”

            “How about a game of Truth or Dare? I ask a truth, you don’t want to answer, you gotta do the dare.”

            “Okay . . . can I ask truths and dares from you too?”

            “Go for it. But I’m first.” He grinned and finished off his sandwich with a loud gulp. “Truth – what happened when you first turned into a bitty?”

            That was easy at least. “I was at school, actually. I found myself in a chair the size of a building, and everyone was freaking out. I couldn’t remember who I was. They found out I wasn’t the only one who had changed, though I was one of the very few adults. The only one at my school that changed.”

            “Then what happened?”

            “Nuh uh, my turn! Truth: Are you and the others really cousins?”

            Red grinned. “Nope.”

            My mouth dropped. “But, Sans said . . . then how are you related?”

            “Heh heh, my turn, sweetheart. Truth: What happened to ya after you shrank?”

            I shuffled my feet. “I don’t really want to talk about that.”

            Red frowned. “Something bad happen?”

            I nodded.

            He shrugged. “Guess you gotta take the dare then. I dare you to . . . give me a kiss.” He leaned down and rested his chin on the counter, his grin predatory.

            I blanched. “I’m not kissing you!”

            “If you back out of the dare you gotta take the punishment.”

            “What punishment?”

            “Dunno, maybe I’ll put you in a jar and give ya to my bro. He’s been talking about you nonstop.”

            “He has? Wait, which one is your brother?”

            “The tall spiky one.”

            “Wait, Stretch called Blue his brother. Are you all brothers?”

            Red became impatient. “You gonna do the dare or do I have to lock you in the freezer?”

            “Fine!” I ran forward, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then ran back to hide behind a can of coffee grounds. When I peeked out I saw Red’s cheeks glowing . . . well, red. “Whoa, is that a blush?”

            “Hehe, you really know how to sweep a guy off his feet, sweetheart.”

            I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help feeling a little flattered.

            “My turn! Truth: Can you do magic?”

            “Yep.”

            I sagged at his one-word answer. “Don’t just say ‘yep’! Show me, please?”

            That mischievous grin was back, and I instantly regretted my request. With a flick of his finger I felt a weight hit my chest, just like when Stretch had pulled me from Edge’s grip. This time I didn’t fall but rose into the air, squealing in fright as I was brought up to Red’s face. One of his eyes glowed with a red iris.

            “You make cute noises, doll.”

            I covered my face in my hands, feeling vulnerable floating in the air. Red only chuckled and carefully lowered me back down. I collapsed to a sitting position with relief.

            “There ya go. Magic.”

            “That . . . is so cool,” I gasped. I could feel my eyes practically sparkling as I beamed up at him. Red blushed again.

            “Alright, alright, my turn again. Truth: Why aren’t you at a bitty center?”

            I grumbled and crossed my arms. “I hated it there. It was like being in a daycare all day. I was the only adult there, and they gave me a bedtime. The ‘caretakers’” I made air quotes, “were always bossy and just seemed annoyed all the time. I didn’t get a say in anything and if I protested they put me in a- a cage!” I was getting angry and I couldn’t stop my rant. “A cage! Like I was a misbehaving dog! They put me on a leash and treated me like I was less than human. Sometimes they would just forget me, and I would be in an empty cage all night! All night!” I was starting to yell, so I caught myself, taking deep breaths to calm down. “I didn’t want to be a prisoner, like a dog in a pound, so I ran away and found this house. It’s hard, but it’s better than that place.”

            “No one tried to adopt ya?”

            “I didn’t trust anyone enough to leave with them. Not after . . . what happened before the center. And I didn’t want to be someone’s pet.”

            “You were abused? Before you went to the center?”

            I nodded.

            “That’s pretty rough, dust bunny. Hey, I know it’s your turn, but I got one more truth for you.”

            I tilted my head inquisitively.

            “Where do you go to the bathroom?”

            I could feel my face go beet-red as heat rushed to my face. Fortunately, at that moment, someone else decided to join us.

            “Red, you lazy bones! Get outside and –” Edge paused his scolding when he spotted me. “You! So, you finally decided to come out of hiding, eh? Too scared to face me?”

            Renewed by my fun lunch with Red, I stood up straight and puffed out my chest. “Bring it on!”

            Edge and I were back in the living room, Red watching from the couch, drinking from his bottle of mustard.

            “Alright, pest. Two more puzzles. If you lose then I demand you leave that disgusting vent!”

            “That’s where dust bunnies live, boss,” Red said casting me a wink.

            “If I win then you have to leave me alone,” I countered.

            “Very well. Let’s begin!”

            With a wave of his hand bones shot up out of the floor creating walls all around me. I shrank back nervously as they grew.

            “See if you can escape my maze!”

            I set off, running around the bone walls to find a way out. Edge was definitely good at his puzzles, and I kept running into dead ends, having to back track and getting turned around. From what I could tell, the maze seemed to be circular, making it even more difficult.

            “Red, which way do I go?”

            “The right way,” Red responded. He had gotten tired of watching and was lying back on the couch with his eyes closed. I didn’t blame him, I had been running around for ages and was out of breath.

            “Edge, this maze better be solvable! Are you tricking me?”

            “Of course not, I am nothing if not honorable in all my puzzles.”

            “’S true, sweetheart,” Red said.

            I groaned in frustration, trying again.

            “What’s going on?” I recognized Blue’s voice and heard the door open followed by footsteps and a loud gasp. “Bitty! Are you okay?”

            “She’s perfectly fine!” Edge snapped. 

            “Edge, what are you doing?” that was Sans. I paused my run and glanced up to see all the skeletons were back, staring down at me.

            “Completing a challenge, which I am about to win!”

            “No way!” I said turning my attention back to solving the maze.

            “That’s a very good maze, Edge!” Papyrus complimented him.

            “Of course it is! I am the very best at puzzles.”

            Stretch and Sans joined Red on the couch while Papyrus and Blue remained standing, cheering me on. Their enthusiasm helped, but after five more minutes of running I found myself back in the middle of the maze. With a groan I sank to my knees.

            “I give up, you win.”

            “Haha!” Edge laughed and the bones disappeared. “A well-earned victory!”

            I sighed. “Can you give me a couple of days before I leave?”

            “Leave? Why are you leaving?” Blue asked.

            I shrugged. “That was the deal and I lost, fair is fair, so I gotta leave.”

            “No! Edge, how could you?”

            “I never said she had to leave the house, just that she had to move out of that damn vent! Look at her! She’s filthy!”

            “She’s our little dust bunny,” Red added.

            “You’re . . . not making me leave?” I asked, shocked.

            Edge rolled his eyes.

            “We wouldn’t kick you out, kiddo,” Sans said, his eyes were soft and I felt myself relaxing, despite being surrounded by giants. Blue lowered himself to his hands and knees and I turned to face him.

            “You don’t have to hide anymore,” he said, “we’d be happy to have you as a housemate!”

            “No adoption,” Papyrus added, “just a friend!”

            “You . . . you mean it? And you won’t take me to the bitty center?”

            “Not if you don’t want to.”

            A smile began to form on my face. “Thank you! I- I’ll be a good housemate! I know I’m small, but I can help clean and earn my keep, and I can help with anything you need.”

            “Sounds good, kid,” Stretch said, smiling.

            “You can help dust, dust bunny,” Red teased.

            “What is your name, little bitty?” Papyrus asked.

            “I don’t remember my real name,” I said forlornly, “I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t mind nicknames though.”

            “Okay, you can think of a real name you want,” Blue said, “because this is when your new life begins!”

            I chuckled at that and rubbed the back of my head shyly. A new life. That sounded nice.

            I moved out of the vent later that day, hauling out my phone and bed. Blue squealed at the sight of me holding Cucumber.

            “That’s so cute!”

            I blushed.

            “This ‘bed’ is unsightly!” Edge said looking at my nest of cotton. “I will not allow such an unhygienic thing in my house!” He gathered up my bed in his hands and carried it away.

            “Hey!”

            “Don’t worry, Bunny, I’ll put something together for you. You can sleep on a luxurious pillow!” Blue said.

            That actually sounded nice. I loved laying on pillows, they were so big and plush.

            “And I will make you private sleeping quarters!” Papyrus said.

            “I want to help!”

            He and Blue ran off, talking excitedly with each other. Sans kneeled down and picked up my cell phone.

            “Since you have a phone I can add you to our plan. We all share one so it’s no biggie.”

            “Oh, that’s not necessary,” I said, “it’s not like I have anyone to call.”

            “I’ll add you anyway,” Sans said with a shrug, putting the phone back down, “just in case.”

            “So, where’s the dust bunny gonna stay?” Red asked.

            “Hm. You know, we could set you up in that corner next to the bookshelf for now,” Stretch said, “it’d be private and quiet.”

            “It doesn’t matter to me, whatever is convenient for you guys,” I said.

            “It’ll do for now,” Sans said, “plus there’s a plug-in for your phone.”

            “Seriously though, where does she go to the bathroom?” Red asked.

            I hid my face in embarrassment, but was saved when Blue and Papyrus returned holding armfuls of blankets, mini lights, a pillow, and other miscellaneous things. Sans pointed them to the corner picked out, and they went to work, cutting and hanging up a bedsheet between the corner and the wall so that I had a square-shaped tent. Blue hung up the twinkle lights which were battery-powered. They set up a small pillow with several blankets, asking me if I liked the colors and where I wanted my phone.

            I stayed back, hugging Cucumber shyly. They were putting so much work into it, and I was overwhelmed by the kindness. Papyrus showed me some pictures and postcards he had and asked if I liked any of them for my wall. I picked one with the beach and he taped it up.

            “Just like a window!”

            “Here, Bunny! I found this little box, I think it was for jewelry. You can put your clothes in it!” Blue said setting a lovely little box next to my ‘bed’. It was round and painted with red designs.

            “Thanks, Blue. Heh, ‘bunny’ is cute.”

            “Red was calling you dust bunny, and I thought it fit!”

            “Okay! Ready to see your room?” Papyrus bounced on his knees in excitement and pulled the sheet open so I could step inside. I gasped. It was just like a real bedroom. The lights were beautiful, and the pillow was soft and plush. I tucked Cucumber under a blanket – a real blanket, one that the boys had cut out to suit my size.

            “What do you think?” Blue rested his head on the floor so he could look inside.

            I couldn’t answer as my throat choked up from tears. Instead I turned and pressed myself against Blue’s face, wrapping my arms over his nose and under his eye, hugging him as best I could.

            “Mweh!” Blue giggled and pressed me to his cheek. He stood up, taking me with him. When I was done he held me out to Papyrus, who got a cheek hug as well.

            “You did good, bro,” Stretch said. The others had been watching from the couch. Well, Stretch had. Red was asleep. Sans was on his phone.

            “It’s perfect,” I said, hugging Papyrus’s fingers, “thank you so, so much!”

            “Tonight, we will celebrate!” Papyrus said, “you can finally join us for dinner, and I will cook a delicious meal of your choosing!”

            “Really?”

            “Great idea, Papyrus!” Blue said, “what would you like, Bunny?”

            I knew exactly what to ask for.

            That night, we feasted on pancakes. I sat on the kitchen counter while Papyrus and Blue cooked them. Blue was eager to grant my wish of having a ‘normal’ bitty-sized meal by making tiny pancakes just for me. Papyrus even cut up some strawberries for me. A drop of syrup later, and it was perfect. The food was placed on a tea cup saucer, and Papyrus carried me to the dinner table.

            I sat in the middle with my tiny meal, giggling at the size. I used a toothpick to stab out bites for myself.

            “Looks like your dinner really came up short,” Stretch said. Blue groaned.

            “Sounds like your joke fell flat, Stretch,” Sans smirked.

            “Sans, not at the table,” Papyrus sighed.

            “It’s a novelty to have food my size,” I said popping a strawberry in my mouth.

            “They were fun to make! I wonder what other mini foods we could cook?” Blue pondered.

            “Spaghetti would be easy!” Papyrus said, “just cut up the noodles.”

            “Tacos would be harder. How would we make a tiny taco shell?”

            “You could just use soft tacos,” I suggested.

            “Taco bout a mouthful,” Stretch grinned.

            Blue smacked his shoulder. “You use that one all the time! At least come up with something original, you’re ruining Bunny’s appetite.”

            “Nah, kid here likes dirty jokes, don’t cha, dust bunny?” Red wiggled his brows at me. I giggled.

            “Do not taint the bitty, Red!”

            We finished dinner with similar banter. It felt so good to share a meal with friends. To talk and sit with them. My heart was filled with happiness and my stomach with warm food. After we ate, the boys wanted to have a movie night together and I eagerly agreed.

            As the table was cleared, I realized that Edge had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meal.

            “Hey, Edge?” I stopped him before he could pick up his plate. The others continued to clear the table.

            “What?” he asked grumpily.

            “I just . . . I really liked your maze earlier.”

            He raised a brow at me suspiciously.

            “Can we do it again sometime?”

            “Heh,” his suspicion turned into a smirk. “Think you can beat the great and terrifying Edge?”

            “Maybe not, but I had fun.”

            “My puzzles are not for fun!”

            “Training then? So I can get better?”

            “Hm, you are small and pathetic, training would be useful for you.”

            I smiled. “And thanks for not kicking me out.”

            Edge scoffed, but I could see the corners of his mouth upturned in a smile as he walked away.

Chapter Text

            Everyone agreed that it was time for a ‘family’-wide movie night, but an argument broke out over which movie to watch. Blue wanted Disney, Papyrus wanted Mettaton, Red wanted a horror. Edge pretended not to care even though he kept proclaiming action movies were the best option. Sans and Stretch merely sat back and waited.

            “How about a horror-comedy?” I suggested, “with lots of action?” I showed them some examples on the Netflix account that had been favorites of mine.

            “The best compromise is when no one gets what they want,” Stretch said, “put on a documentary.”

            Red finally won out by teasing Papyrus and Blue for being too scared. Not wanting him to be proven right, they relented.

            “Bunny, are you sure it won’t be too scary for you?” Blue asked nervously.

            “I’m fine,” I lied. I got scared easily too, but I didn’t want Red to know that.

            Everyone hunkered down on the couch or in a chair. I noticed that the taller skeletons had special chairs to accommodate their heights, while the shorter ones remained on the couch. I sat on a pillow between Red and Blue, while Sans began to doze off. As the movie progressed, Stretch pulled out his phone. The rest of us were watching intently.

            “Hmph, foolish humans! You should never split up when being pursued!” Edge criticized. 

            “Ten bucks says blondie’s going to get an axe to the face,” Red chuckled.

            Blue hugged a blanket, trying not to hide his face, while Papyrus pretended to be captivated by something on the ceiling. I wasn’t much better, grabbing a corner of Blue’s blanket to hide my face during gory parts.

            During a jump scare, Red poked me in the back, making me scream and fall off the pillow into his lap.

            “Red!”

            “Ha! Kid if you wanted to jump my bones you could’ve just said.”

            “Shut up!”

            “I’m just kidding, here.” He picked me up and cradled me in his hand against his chest. His body was warm and being in his hand felt safe, so I didn’t protest. I snuggled in and put my face into his shirt to avoid any more jump scares.

            This felt nice. Really nice. I usually hated being picked up or touched – maybe after a year I was touched starved? I liked Red. I liked that he treated me like a normal person. When I brought up past abuse he seemed to truly understand.

            I pressed myself against him a little tighter, smiling.

            Suddenly, the TV went black and the lights went out. I jerked my head up in surprise. The power was out, but how? There wasn’t a storm.

            “Uh oh.” Sans sat up as if he hadn’t been asleep at all. “Stretch, Red, basement.”

            They stood up at his command and Red passed me over to Blue. I looked after them in surprise, sitting on my knees in Blue’s hands.

            “What’s going on?”

            “There must have been a power surge . . .” Papyrus said nervously. “My brother has special equipment down there.”

            “What kind of –” My question was cut off by shouting and a slamming noise. Edge jumped to his feet, a bone club materialized in his hand. Blue cupped me against his chest.

            The basement door burst open, completely off its hinges. I screamed in shock as a skeleton – it was too dark to tell which one – went flying through.

            Edge charged forward. I tried to see what was happening, but Blue’s fingers blocked my view. More shouting filled the room, along with flashes of light.

            “Papy!” Blue cried out and suddenly set me down on the arm rest of the couch. “Hide!” he ordered, before running into the fray. There was definitely a fight going on. Bones were flying, and the skeletons were moving so fast I couldn’t tell who was who.

            Red was suddenly thrown into the living room, rolling across the floor before bumping to a stop against the far wall. A new skeleton came after him, a sharpened bone raised.

            “Red!” I screamed, Red didn’t move, but I caught the attention of the newcomer.

            “Well, well, what have we here?” He said looking me over. He was as short as Blue, but wearing dark clothes and a red bandana. His attire and narrow eyes reminded me of Edge. I tried to run and jump down the back of the couch, but he easily grabbed me up around the waist and held me up to his eye level. I trembled and flinched away.

            “A tiny human?” he frowned.

            “Put ‘er down,” Red growled from the floor, pushing himself up. His left eye was glowing brightly with red magic.

            “How about you stay down, or I squeeze until she pops?” the new skeleton tightened his grip for emphasis, making me gasp in pain as his fingers constricted my ribs and stomach. Red snarled, but his eye light dimmed.  The skeleton smiled triumphantly.

             The others had fallen into the living room as well, but seeing me held captive, had ceased their attack.

            “Mutt!” the short one yelled.

            In a blink a second new skeleton appeared at his side, making me jump. He was as tall as Edge, maybe taller, with sharp gold fangs, a black hoodie and orange pants.

            “Just calm down,” Sans said, stepping forward, “we don’t want to fight you.”

            “Wise.” Shorty smirked. He held me up to the tall one – Mutt? – who took me instead.

            “Don’t!” Blue pleaded. “We can explain everything! You’re on the surface now!”

            “Stay back or my guard dog tears her head off!” Shorty screamed. Blue flinched away as Mutt brought me up to his chin. I saw a golden tongue slip out between his face in a show of ‘licking his lips’. I whimpered and turned my head away, shutting my eyes.

            “Just listen . . .”

            Shorty snapped his fingers and Mutt placed a hand on his shoulder. Then everything went black.

            It only lasted a second – a moment of blindness and deafness, then the world was around me again. The chirping of crickets and brush of the evening breeze. My heart hammered realizing we were now outside. How?

            “Looks like he was telling the truth. This certainly isn’t the underground,” Shorty said, looking around. “Tiny human!” he grabbed Mutt’s wrist and pulled it down so that I was eye level with him. “Where are we?”

            “I-I . . . you’re . . .”

            “Spit it out!”

            “It’s the surface! We’re outside! I don’t know, how did we get outside?!” I trembled, and Mutt’s grip loosened, just a little.

            “Teleported just outside the house,” Mutt said. His voice was deep and quiet.

            “Take me back!” I begged.

            “Be quiet,” Shorty snapped, “Mutt, put her away for now.”

            I gasped as Mutt thrust me into his hoodie pocket, keeping his fingers locked around my body. I fought back tears and tried to take deep breaths to calm down. Their conversation became muffled and I felt movement as Mutt started to walk. He released his grip on me but didn’t remove his hand. I maneuvered as best I could to get comfortable, getting caught between his phalanges.

            Eventually the movement stopped, and there was more speaking. I felt the pocket shift, then Mutt grabbed me again, pulling me out.

            I blinked at the sudden light. We were in the woods, and they had somehow made a campfire. Mutt opened his hand so that I sat on his palm, and held me aloft so that I was vulnerable to Shorty, who stood over me with arms crossed.

            “Human! I am the Maleficent Sans and you will answer my questions or suffer the consequences!”

            I was shaking so badly. I hugged my knees, wishing I could run and hide.

            “Do humans normally come in such a small size?”

            “N-n-no. I’m a b-bitty. I was a human, but I shrank. They don’t know why.”

            “Who were those other skeletons?”

            “M-my friends. They own the h-house.”

            “And how did they pull us into that house?”

            “I d-don’t know. The lights went out, and they ran to the basement. They have some sort of equipment down there.”

            Sans (they had the same name?) narrowed his eyes. “You’d better not be withholding from me.”

            Mutt’s free hand pinched the back of my shirt and held me up directly over the campfire. I could feel the heat on my bare feet and screamed. Tears began spilling down my cheeks. “I’m not, I swear! They just moved in, I’ve only known them for a couple of days! I was hiding in the house when they came, and I don’t go to the basement cause it’s scary and there are spiders!” I started sobbing. Sans nodded his head and Mutt pulled me away from the fire, still dangling from his fingers.

            “We’ll have to wait for morning, then we’ll –” A flying bone cut off Sans’s plan, and Mutt was suddenly thrown to the ground by an invisible force. He dropped me into the dirt. I rolled a few inches away and remained huddled there, terrified of the dark wilderness around me.

            Feet pounded around me, making the ground shake and dust rise. Someone stumbled against the fire, sending sparks flying.

            A booted foot slammed down right in front of me. If it has been a few inches to the left . . .

            Run! My survival instincts kicked into gear and I ran, tearing through grass and over sticks, just trying to get away from the violence as fast as I could. I ran until I couldn’t breath and collapsed to my knees. That was okay, it was quiet, I was safe, no big feet, no fire . . .

            No skeletons.

            I gasped and looked over my shoulder. Everything was dark and quiet. Where was everyone? I couldn’t have run that far, right? It’s okay, I just needed to back track.

            I walked, pushing blades of grass aside, trying not to trip over rocks. The last time I had walked through the wilderness was when I had escaped from the bitty center. I had snuck into a visitor’s purse and snuck back out when they stopped at the local park. A day’s journey had brought me to the house where I currently lived.

            But that was day time in a park, now it was dark and I didn’t know where I was.

            I heard the grass rustle behind me and turned to see a grand-daddy long leg coming toward me. I screamed and started running again. God there were probably bugs and predators everywhere, I had to get inside!

            I didn’t dare stop running, only took breaks to catch my breath then started again so that nothing could get the drop on me. I felt that I should have been back to the campsite by now, but the forest remained empty.

            “Sans! Papyrus!” I yelled, “Bluuue! Someone!” I was close to tears now.

            I was completely lost.

            Don’t panic, don’t cry, I told myself. I had to keep my head and find a place to hide for the night. Everything would be okay, just had to make it to morning then I could . . .

            Through the dark I suddenly spotted a warm yellow light in the distance. With a cry of relief, I resumed my run. It was a building, with the light coming from the windows. It didn’t appear to be a house, but that was okay, anything was better than outside.

            I ran to the front door which was propped open, a broom leaning against it. They must have been sweeping, but there was no one around. I went inside and saw a long counter with various tables. It was a restaurant or a bar of some kind. It appeared to be closed as no one was present. Where was the owner?

            “Hello?” I called.

            No one answered.

            I made my way across the floor, under tables and behind the bar. There was another door leading into the kitchen. This was a simple push/pull door and I was able to open it. The floor had been freshly mopped.

            I called out again, but there was still no answer. Something on the floor caught my eye and approached it. Was that a hunk of cheese? Huh, not very sanitary if there was just food lying around-

            Four walls suddenly snapped up around me and I screamed as I was suddenly caged in. It was a trap! I hadn’t even seen it. Was this a new kind of mouse trap? I grabbed the bars and tried to pull the caged walls back down, but they wouldn’t budge.

            Now I was panicking, shaking and sobbing as I curled up on myself, hugging my knees.

            Not a cage, not again. Don’t leave me here, please. Someone let me out. I need Cucumber. I can’t breathe. Please . . . please . . !

            I heard footsteps and snapped my eyes open. I could see a pair of legs walking toward me, and I scrambled back, huddling against the far wall of the cage.

            Don’t hurt me, please. No more needles. Don’t leave me here all night . . .

            The figure crouched down, and I gasped at the sight of them. It was clearly a monster, human-shaped, and covered in fire. Flames flickered all over his body, not scorching his clothes. He peered in at me, adjusting his glasses so that I saw white eyes staring at me.

            I continued to cry, unable to stop shaking.

            “Please . . . please . . .” I begged.

            The fire monster reached forward and took the top of the cage. I cried out as I felt myself lifted and carried out of the kitchen. Soon I was set down again, there was a click, and one of the walls fell forward.

            “It’s alright. Come out,” the fire monster spoke. He had a strange voice, as if I were hearing it through a windy tunnel. It was calming. I crept forward and bolted out of the cage. He had placed it on the counter top on the bar, so there was no place to hide.

            “I’m sorry,” he said, “I set this out to catch a rat. I wasn’t expecting a bitty.”

            I was still shaking, but his soothing voice helped to cease my tears. I hugged myself and looked up at him.

            “I’m lost,” I whimpered.

            He leaned forward, crossing his arms on the countertop, bringing his face closer to me. There was a gentle warmth coming off his body. Would it hurt if I touched him?

            “Where’s your family, little one?”

            “I don’t know,” I sniffed. The fire monster fished a napkin out of his apron pocket and handed it to me. I wiped my face and blew my nose. “I got lost in the woods and don’t have a sense of direction. I live with these skeleton guys and –”

            “Sans and Papyrus?” he interrupted.

            I blinked in surprise. “Y-yeah. How did you know?”

            “Only skeletons I know in this area,” he said. “Papyrus gave me his number in case Sans fell asleep in the restaurant. I’ll call him.”

            “Th-thank you!” I pressed my face into the napkin again, tears of relief falling now.

            “It’s alright.” The monster reached his hand forward as if to pet me. I gasped and ducked, worried about the fire, but there was only a pleasant warmth as he ran a gentle finger over my hair.

            I was comforted by the touch and relaxed. The monster wandered to the end of the bar where a landline phone sat. He picked it up and dialed a number. While he did that I looked down at myself. My feet were covered in dirt, my body sticky with sweat, and I was very sore. I used the napkin to clean myself up as best I could.

            The monster returned and offered me a little paper ketchup cup full of water. I accepted and drank my fill.

            “My name’s Grillby,” the monster said, “this is my restaurant.”

            “I’m Bunny,” I said, “thank you so much for helping me.”

            “You’re welcome.”

            “Bunny!”

            I turned my head in surprise. Sans and Papyrus were standing in the middle of the room, Sans holding on to Papyrus’s arm. The taller skeleton ran to me, eyes full of worry.

            “We couldn’t find you anywhere! Are you hurt?”

            “No, no, I’m okay. Grillby helped me.” I smiled up at him. Grillby nodded.

            Papyrus picked me up and held me to his chest. I burrowed into the fabric of his scarf, happy to be in familiar hands again.

            “Thanks, Grillbz, we owe you one,” Sans said.

            “You could pay your tab.”

            “Hehe, oh Grillby, you tease.”

            Grillby looked at me and held out his hand. I reached out and squeezed the tip of his index finger. “You’re welcome here anytime, Bunny.”

            “Thank you, Grillby,” Papyrus said. “Let’s get you home, Bunny, everyone is worried sick.”

            Sans grabbed Papyrus’s arm and before I could ask, we suddenly blipped out of the restaurant and reappeared in the house.

            I gasped in shock.

            “Bunny!” Blue ran up to us, eyes swimming with tears. “Oh, Bunny I’m so sorry! I was supposed to grab you, but it got so chaotic and everyone was running around and I couldn’t find you! Are you okay?”

            “I’m okay, Blue,” I said, but this was only partly true, I was still trembling and felt incredibly tired.

            Then I noticed the two new skeletons sitting on the couch. Edge and Red were sitting on the arms of the furniture holding bones like guards. I jumped and turned to hide in Papyrus’s scarf.

            “It’s okay, Bunny. Everything is sorted now,” Papyrus said, “you’re safe.”

            “Now that you’ve found your bitty,” Shorty snapped, “perhaps you would care to explain what we’re doing here?!”

            Sans cleared his throat and turned to them. “We’re all the same people, but from different universes. This is my world, me and Papyrus are the originals of this universe, the rest are from alternative universes pulled in by the machine, same as you.”

            “So how do you plan on sending us back?!” New Sans demanded.

            “That’s what we’ve been working on,” Sans said rubbing his brow tiredly. “The machine is fickle, but we’re close to getting it to work the opposite direction. Think you two can behave until then?”

            “Do not reprimand me! You’re the one who pulled us from our home!”

            “Well, when life gives you lemons,” Sans shrugged. “But it’s late and I know everyone is tired. That couch turns into a fold-out bed. We’ll set you up with a real room later.”

            Red and Edge put their weapons away, allowing the newbies to stand up.

            Papyrus continued petting my head to calm me down. “What about Bunny?” Papyrus whispered. “Is it safe to leave her in the living room with them?”

            “Why don’t you keep her in your room tonight? I don’t want her alone anyway.”

            Papyrus nodded and smiled down at me. “You can stay with me, Bunny! It’ll be like a sleepover!”

            “Oh! Can the Magnificent Blue join this sleepover?”

            “Of course!”

            “Heh, yeah you might have noticed that we all have the same names,” Sans was said to Shorty and Mutt. “Everyone has nicknames so that there’s no confusion.”

            “Whatever,” Shorty grumbled.

            Papyrus carried me away and I was glad to be far from the newbies. I sank into hiss chest, looking for that same comforting warmth I had gotten from Red.

            “Welcome to scenic my room!” Papyrus said. I looked up and smiled a little at the sight of the room’s décor. There were glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, action figures on a table, and a bed with a race car frame. Papyrus set me on the bed. “Turn around while I change! No peeking!”

            I did as I was told but was honestly curious to see if they looked like skeletons under their clothes. I fought the urge, too tired to peek.

            “Do you have pajamas?”

            I shook my head.

            “Hmm . . . oh!”

            I turned around to see Papyrus go to his action figures and remove the clothes from one. Shirt and shorts. He was now in a red onsie

            “Will these work? I’m sure you don’t want to sleep in your dirty clothes.”

            “Thanks, Pap.”

            Now it was his turn to look away. The clothes were awkward on me, since toys weren’t exactly made to proportion, but they were comfortable enough.

            “Papyrus?”

            “Yeah?” He spun around and landed on the bed next to me, making it bounce. I tumbled over and he caught me with his hand. “Sorry!”

            “Do we have to go to sleep right away?”

            “No! We could watch a movie, or play a game . . .”

            The door opened and Blue entered, dressed in his rocket ship PJs. “Hello, friends! I am ready for our sleepover!”

            “Hi, Blue! We were just discussing what we should do!”

            “How about a story?” I asked.

            Blue and Papyrus both gasped and spoke in unison. “I know just the one!”

            Stretch was brought in to tell us all a story. Blue and Papyrus huddled up in the bed together with me curled up on a pillow between them. Stretch read us a children’s story about a fluffy bunny, but I wasn’t really paying attention, just listening to his voice and focusing on the warmth of the two monsters. Reminding myself that I was safe, that I could sleep and be okay.

            When Stretch left, Blue and Papyrus continued to whisper to me as I asked questions about the alternative universes Sans had talked about. They answered my questions as best they could, explaining that each pair of skeletons were bothers from other worlds. We talked until I dosed off, and they followed suit soon after. It was hard for me to truly fall asleep though since I was nervous about sharing the bed with the two monsters. Their breathing seemed extra loud in the quiet darkness, and any shift they made was jarring.

            Just as I was finally drifting off, a shadow appeared above us, standing over the bed. Before I could scream, a large hand snatched me up and I was blipped into darkness before reappearing outside.

            In the half light of the patio I recognized Mutt. He pressed a large finger to my mouth, shushing me gently.

            “Shh, not gonna hurt you, little darlin’,” he whispered, “just thought we got off on the wrong foot.”

            I shoved his finger away. “Stealing me from bed isn’t the right foot!” I snapped.

            “Heh, sorry about that, and for grabbing you earlier. I wouldn’t have hurt you, but my bro has a flare for the dramatic.” He leaned casually against the wall, opening his hand so that I sat on his palm, feet curled up beneath me. “Never seen a human so small before.”

            “Bitties are a pretty recent phenomena,” I said.

            “So, what? They keep you as a pet or something?”

            “No,” I said, offended, “I live here, I’m a housemate just like the rest of them.”

            “Ouch, hit a sore spot there, did I?” He smirked.

            “You are terrible at apologies, and I’m going back to bed now,” I said, standing up, balancing myself on his hand to jump down.

            “Whoa, whoa, hold up, darlin’,” he held up his other hand to prevent me from jumping. “I really am sorry about that. We didn’t know what was going on and we don’t come from a very nice place.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean that here you’re on the surface and friends with monsters. Back home we’re still underground and you can’t trust anyone. It’s kill or be killed.”

            My mouth dropped. “That can’t be true. That’s horrible.”

            “Things seem pretty chill here though, so I thought I should apologize, get into your good graces.”

            “Thank you for apologizing, but no more . . . of whatever it is you do to get around. How did you get outside?”

            Mutt smiled. “Teleporting?”

            “Really?”

            “Mmhm.”

            “Well . . . no more teleporting, it freaks me out.”

            “Guess we’ll use the door then,” Mutt said opening the front door. He carried me back inside, revealing his brother fast asleep on the pullout couch.

            “I need to think of nicknames for you guys,” I said, “I heard your brother call you ‘Mutt’ but that seems kind of mean.”

            He shrugged.

            “Is your name Papyrus too? We could call you ‘Rus’ for short.”

            “Whatever you like, darlin’.”

            “And Sans can be ‘Razz’.”

            “Why?”

            “He’s like Blueberry but more . . .  tart. So, Raspberry.”

            “Hehe,” Rus chuckled, and it was a deep, pleasant sound. He carried me down the hall to Blue’s room and set me down on the floor before opening the door a crack. “Got it from here?”

            “Yeah, thanks.” I gave him wave and slipped back into the room. Neither Blue nor Papyrus stirred as I climbed the blanket onto the bed and crawled up onto my pillow. Exhausted and reassured, I fell right to sleep.

Chapter Text

            I woke up surprisingly early the next morning, the sun just peaking over the horizon and painting the room pink. Papyrus and Blue were still fast asleep, mouths wide open and limbs tangled up in the blankets. My pillow had gone undisturbed.

            I decided to take advantage of the quiet morning to take care of my hygiene routine. I left the bedroom and saw to my delight that the bathroom door was open. I ran inside and heaved the door closed – or at least as close as I could get it. I wasn’t strong enough to fully shut it.

            I climbed up onto the sink and was happy to see that skeletons still brush their teeth. I sat on the toothpaste tube and unscrewed the cap with both hands. I took a dollop on my fingers and cleaned my teeth as best I could. Now it was time for a bath!

            I plugged up the sink drain and ran the faucet, pumping some hand soap into the water as it filled up. I tossed away the ‘pajamas’ Blue had lent me and jumped in.

            I took my time enjoying the warm water, playing with the bubbles and scrubbing myself down with the corner of a washcloth.

            Then the bathroom door creaked open.

            I ducked down, hiding my body under the bubbles. “Occupied!”

            Red shuffled in, seeming not to hear me. His eyes were half-lidded and his shoulders were slumped. He released a wide yawn, revealing the rows of his sharp teeth. He paused at the sink and looked down, eyes widening as he finally realized I was there.

            “Red! Get out!”

            He smiled that familiar mischievous smile and rested his elbow on the counter, leaning forward. “Need help gettin’ cleaned up there, doll? Or how ‘bout I run a real bath and you join me?”

            “Out, bone boy.”

            He chuckled and took in my bathing situation. “You just using hand soap, doll? Here.” He went to the bathtub and grabbed a bottle of actual body soap. With a pop he opened the cap and poured some into the water. I immediately began to rub it into my skin.

            “There ya go. I dated a human chick once who had to explain why she had so many damn bottles of this stuff. You humans are weird.” He picked up the wash cloth I was using and tore off a corner with his bare hands, dropping it into the water next to me. “There, should be easier for you.”

            “Thanks,” I said scrubbing myself down. Red turned back to the tub and I took the chance to raise myself out of the water and get nice and foamy. When he turned back I ducked down again.

            “Ya need shampoo too, right? Soaps not good for your hair.” He turned the bottle over and poured some directly onto my head. I scrubbed it into my hair. It felt so nice to use actual bath products.

            “Thanks, Red. That’s really sweet.”

            “Hey, I’ll help you bathe any time.” He winked.

            “Okay, out now!”

            “No reason to be shy, sugar.”

            “Red!”

            He laughed his way out of the bathroom and I sighed with relief when I heard the door click shut. I enjoyed the rest of my bath, scrubbing and splashing until I was satisfied. I smelled like fruit and felt like a million bucks. I used the water to comb my hair out as much as I could, then climbed out to dry off.

            I considered myself in the sink mirror as I dried, a little puddle forming at my feet. My strawberry blonde hair puffing up for the first time in months, releasing my natural waves. It was messy from my inability to comb it and cut it properly, but at least it was clean. My complexion seemed clearer and my brown eyes brighter. Must be from getting some actual food for once.

            I tied my skirt around my waist and slipped on my shirt just as the door opened again.

            “You done in there, sweetheart?” Red asked.

            “Yep! Thanks again for helping,” I said, jumping down onto the floor.

            “Yeah, yeah, give someone else a turn,” he teased opening the door all the way so that I could run past. I went down the hall to the kitchen where everyone seemed to be fending for themselves breakfast-wise. Sans was handing out coffee cups, Stretch was pouring some cereal, and Blue was toasting up bagels. In the dining room, Papyrus was serving Razz and Rus scrambled eggs.

            I pulled out a bottom drawer and climbed it, then pulled out the next drawer until I reached the counter top.

            “Oh, hey, Bunny,” Sans greeted with a yawn. “Do you like coffee?”

            God, I hadn’t had coffee in years, I usually just drank water from the sink. “Y-yeah!”

            “You know what? I got something that’ll work as a cup . . .” he trailed off, stepping away from the kitchen.

            “Here,” Stretch handed me a couple of Cheerios. “Donuts and coffee.”

            I giggled at that and took a bite of the cereal.

            Sans returned a moment later holding a thimble. “Here we go, got this from Pap’s sewing kit.” He scooped some coffee into it from his own cup and set it in front of me. I eagerly picked up the ‘cup’ in both hands and took a sip.

            Oh, sweet caffeine. I moaned in delight and realized that everyone was staring at me.

            “What?”

            “Just never seen anyone that happy over coffee,” Stretch said, “you’ve gone without for a while, huh, kid?”

            I shrugged and dunked my Cheerio into the drink, ignoring their pity. “It was my choice.”

            Red and Edge soon joined us, and everyone gathered at the table to discuss the plans for the day.

            “I was up all night stabilizing the machine,” Sans said, “there shouldn’t be any more power surges, so I’m going to catch up on some sleep then start working on it again. Blue and Paps – I’m assigning you guys to the new guys’ bedroom. I’ve got the machine set up in the utility room, but the rest of the basement is fit for a bedroom. Can you go into town and set them up with a bed and some necessities?”

            “Of course! We’d be happy to, brother!”

            “Thanks, bro, you’re the best. Uh . . . you guys still need nicknames.”

            “Razz and Rus!” I spoke up.

            “Heh, thanks, Bunny,” Sans smiled at me. “Razz and Rus then, you can go with them or stay here, whatever you like.

            “I will be joining them!” Razz said, “to oversee shopping and get a feel for this surface world. Mutt, you will stay here!”

            “Why do you call your brother that?” I cut in. Razz snapped his head around to glare at me.

            “I will call my brother what I wish!”

            “Just seems kind of rude.”

            “It is necessary! Mind your own business!” he grumbled and crossed his arms.

            “Anyway,” Sans interrupted the potential argument, “Stretch, I’ll need your help with the machine this afternoon. Otherwise everyone is good to go.”

            “Can I help, Sans?” I asked. I was feeling jittery from the coffee and was eager to prove myself as a reliable housemate.

            “Sure, you could get to those hard-to-reach places.”

            I beamed.

            “I’ll come find you when I wake up.” Sans yawned as if to emphasis his point and stood up from the table. Everyone else followed suit.

            “Bunny! Would you like to go to town with us?” Blue asked.

            “Oh, uh . . .” I hesitated. I was still feeling shaken from last night and quickly took a deep breath to calm down. “No thank you, I’ll stay home today.”

            “Aww,” Blue pouted.

            “We don’t need to waste time babysitting the tiny human!” Razz said, “let’s go, I’m eager to see what type of world this is!”

            They bid me farewell and I realized that the only person remaining in the dining room was Rus.

            “What would you like to do today?” I asked.

            He shrugged. “Guess I’ll have a look around. Never been on the surface before, kind of want to take it in.”

            “Need a tour guide?”

            “Sure. Hop on.” He held his hand out to me and I did indeed hop into his palm. He lifted me to his shoulder and I carefully sat myself down, grabbing on to the faux fur of his hood. The ride was a little unsteady as he walked outside, but I managed to maintain my balance.

            When Rus stepped out onto the grass he stopped and looked up at the sky, wincing at the light on his eyes. He looked down at his hands instead, the white of his bones illuminating in the sunlight.

            He’s never seen the sun before, I realized.

            Rus continued his walk, taking in the trees and the hillside. He paused there and sank down to a sitting position before falling back in the grass. I squealed as I tumbled off his shoulder, landing on his hood at the crook of his neck.

            Rus pillowed his hands behind his head and I climbed onto his chest, grabbing his shirt to haul myself up.

            “It’s so warm,” he murmured, eyes half-shut.

            “Mmhm,” I hummed. The spring air was cool, but the sun felt good. It made the perfect weather mixture. Some dandelions were in bloom around the field, and the Dogwood trees were covered in white blossoms. “Was it really cold underground?”

            “Cold and dark,” he confirmed, “’cept for Hotland.”

            “The name speaks for itself.”

            The warmth was getting to me too, as well as the birdsong and leaves whispering against each other. I curled up on Rus’s chest, finding that familiar feel-good spot that Blue and Red had as well. I felt so content resting on his breastbone, like a cell phone being recharged. His chest rising up and falling down took me toward sleep.

            I felt Rus shift and then his large hand draped over my small body, cupping me protectively. I smiled and snuggled closer.

            When I woke up my stomach was rumbling, and I knew it was lunchtime. I stretched and stood up, looking at Rus’s sleeping face.

            “Rus, wake up sleepy bones.” Standing on his chest, I leaned forward and placed one hand on his chin for balance while the other one patted his cheek. “Wakey wakey.”

            Rus yawned, his mouth opening up beneath me. I leaned forward, peering into his maw where a golden tongue sat, framed by his sharp canines. “Whoa.” It wasn’t anything like a human mouth, just the tongue, throat, and darkness.

            The tongue suddenly shot out and licked me, catching my arm and cheek. I squealed and jumped away, falling back onto his chest. Rus chuckled, chest trembling beneath me.

            “Hey! Gross!”

            “You’re the one looking for a one-way ticket to my stomach.”

            “That’s not even funny, dude. There’s way more filling things in the kitchen.”

            “Bitty’s off the menu then,” he said cupping me to his chest as he stood up. I sat in the slope of his hand comfortably, surprised that I was so trusting to a monster that had held me over a fire just last night.

            Stretch, Red, and Edge had the same idea about lunch as we did. Stretch and Red had fast food bags and were chowing on hamburgers, while Edge had a chicken salad. Rus wandered to the fridge and found a Tupperware of leftovers. He joined the others at the table and set me down, eating his food cold.

            “Rus, we have a microwave.”

            “Too much work.”

            “Here, dust bunny, want some burg?” Red tore a piece off for me and I accepted gratefully.

            “This is really good!” I said through a mouthful of food. “Where’s it from?” I read the name on the to-go bag. “Oh! Grillby’s! That’s the restaruant I found last night.”

            “’S a good place. I’ll take you sometime,” Red said.

            “A grease trap more like!” Edge scoffed.

            “Heh, it’s funny,” Stretch said, “In my world it’s called Muffet’s. Grillby runs a bakery.”

            “That’s, like, the exact opposite of this place,” Red said, “guess that confirms Classic’s theory that your world is just this one swapped.”

            “What about my theory?” Sans appeared in the dining room, still waking up from his nap. Stretch wordlessly passed him his own burger.

            “You might actually have one right for once.”

            “Not too loud, don’t anyone th-hearing about that.”

            I shook my head, smiling around my bite of burger. When we finished, Sans motioned for Stretch and I to follow him. I jumped down from the table and ran after the two skeletons to the basement door. I entered after Stretch and began hopping down the stairs one at a time. The others were already in the utility room as I reached the bottom and crossed the room. I was surprised to see that it was actually a fairly nice basement with ground-level windows and carpet. In the utility room it was hard floor with a washer and drier stacked in the corner. On the other side was the infamous machine.

            “Why do you have something like this?” I asked, approaching as the boys opened up toolboxes.

            “Eh, long story,” Sans said.

            “What’s it for?”

            “Exactly what it does, dimensional traveling. Kind of. It wasn’t supposed to go to alternate worlds, or pull people out of them, but here we are.”

            “What is it supposed to do?”

            “That’s part of the long story, I’ll tell you at some point, I promise.”

            “Come here, Bunny,” Stretch held his hand out and lifted me up to a panel, “can you get in there and find a green wire for me?”

            I did as instructed, with Stretch shining a flashlight in after me and calling out instructions. It felt good to be helpful and I told them so.

            “Yeah, you’re making this way easier on us. We appreciate it, kiddo. Here, come on out, I want to give the switch a flip.”

            I crawled back out and smiled at them. Stretch laughed. “You look like a chimney sweep.”

            “I know! I need a pair of goggles and some overalls,” I giggled.

            Stretch set me on the floor and Sans flipped the switch.

            The machine came to life, lights flashing and pieces whirling.

            Then the lights went out again.

            “Well that’s shocking,” Sans said. Stretch held the flashlight up for him. “Hang on, I’ll check the fuse box.”

            “I’ll unplug it,” Stretch said. I watched him crawl across the floor toward the plug in on the wall. The flashlight bounced in his hand, and briefly revealed a form in front of him. Stretch grunted in surprise as he stumbled over a skeleton lying on the floor, falling on top of him.

            “Well hello, handsome,” the new voice said.

            “Aw crap.”

            “Sans? Is that you?” Yet another voice spoke up in the dark.

            “Over here, Papy! I found a friend,” the voice was teasing and light-hearted. Stretch scrambled back to get away from him.

            “Well, well, Papy, we seem to have come across your doppleganger.”

            Stretch shined the light and I was finally able to see the new speakers. One was a Sans, but dressed in a vest that revealed his ribs and spine (so that’s what they look like). The other was Papyrus – or a Papyrus, who was sporting a corset of some kind.

            Sans must have found the fuse box because the lights suddenly came back on. The two skeletons spotted me, and the Sans’s eyes turned into pink hearts.

            “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute!” He rushed forward and scooped me up, doing a little twirl. I was too shocked to protest, falling back on his palms as he spun. My attention was still caught by their strange anatomy.

            The Papyrus was staring at Stretch. “Hehe, you know, whenever someone told me to go screw myself I never thought . . .”

            “Okay, gonna stop you right there.” Stretch said, putting his arm out as the Papyrus approached him, getting way too close.

            “Stretch, who are you talking . . . to . . .” Sans appeared, and his mouth dropped. “No, no way, there is no more room in this house.” Sans ran to the machine, the others watching curiously as he plugged it back in and began fiddling with the wires hurriedly.

            The new Sans – I dubbed him Pink for his eyes – turned his attention back to me, cooing at my size. “You’re just so precious, what kind of monster are you?” He began poking at my stomach and stroking my hair.

            “I’m not,” I said, trying to push his finger away, “I’m human . . . kind of.”

            The new Papyrus, he’ll be Purple, was approaching Sans, but Stretch pulled him away. “Aw, what’s wrong, sugar? Want all the attention for yourself?” Purple ran a finger down Stretch’s cheek. I waited for Stretch to freak, maybe hit him or shove him away, but he . . . leaned into the touch?

            “Gosh, I thought humans were our size,” Pink said, running his finger down my back.

            “I’m a . . . bitty . . .” I felt strange, my head was getting fuzzy. His touches felt so good. I sighed and leaned into it as he brought me up to his face and nuzzled me against his cheek.

            “God, I love trying new species,” he crooned. I saw his mouth part and a long pink tongue snake out. The very tip ran over the side of my neck, from my shoulder to my ear, and I shuddered at the touch. It felt like fireworks all through my body. His finger came back up and swirled over my stomach, pushing my shirt up. The bone to skin contact felt lovely, and I groaned.

            “I’ve never had such a size difference before. You and I are going to have some fun . . . oh.”

            I felt that familiar chest-warmth again, and began melting into Pink’s hand, my body felt like jelly. I saw a light glowing from Pink’s chest and I smiled at it.

            “So pretty . . .” I murmured.

            “Paps, come look at this.” Pink turned toward his brother who was caressing a very happy-looking Stretch. Purple turned to look at us and his bone brows went up.

            “Wowie, look at that, you’re exchanging magical energy!”

            “Must be because of her size. Bet that feels good, eh, Princess?”

            I hummed and nodded.

            “Now, where were we?”

**Bonus Smut Chapter**

https://archiveofourown.info/works/18900019/chapters/44863987

           “Ha!” There was a triumphant sound from Sans, followed by the flashing and whirling of the machine. The hands holding me seemed to fade, then were gone completely. I cried out as I fell, just managing to hit the floor on my feet.

            Pink and Purple were gone.

            Stretch and I looked at each other in confusion, our heads clearing.

            “I . . . oh my god, did they drug us?” I asked clutching my head. “I felt so weak, and . . . good. Like I didn’t even care.”

            “Me too,” Stretch said, rubbing his eyes.

            “It was a pheromone,” Sans said, wiping sweat off his forehead. “They were in heat and were releasing pheromones to make you . . . susceptible.”

            “Skeletons can do that?!” I gasped.

            “No, no, these two were a special case. I don’t want to think about what kind of world they come from.”

            “How did you get the machine working?” Stretch asked.

            “Well, those fixes we made actually worked, so even when it was unplugged the machine still had the data from the dimension jump. For once, everyone was staying pretty calm and not trying to kill me, so I was able to lock on the last quadrants the machine used and put it in reverse.”

            “That’s good work, Classic,” Stretch said, “at least this way if more come through we can send them right back.”

            “Yep. Man, it’s a good thing you were here, Bunny.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah, we were able to make those fixes with your help, and you distracted that other skeleton. If you hadn’t been here, Stretch and I would be . . . well, it wouldn’t be pretty.”

            “Jeez, that was so weird,” I said, shuddering. Stretch picked me up, looking me over for injuries.

            “Yeah, I think the kid and I need to get some rest. I still feel kind of fuzzy,” Stretch said.

            We were interrupted by the sound of the basement door opening and three very loud voices.

            “Sounds like they’re back,” Sans said. The three of us stepped out of the utility room, Sans making sure it was firmly shut.

            “Ah! Sans!” Papyrus called. He and Blue were carrying a mattress between them. Razz followed holding a couple of shopping bags. “We have returned successfully!”

            “Nice work, bro,” Sans said. “We actually made some good progress on the machine today.”

            “Does that mean you’ll be able to send us back soon?” Razz demanded.

            “We’re definitely closer than we were.”

            “What do you think of the surface world, Razz?” I asked. I sat cross-legged in Stretch’s hands.

            “It is . . . different. I am not used to so many humans, nor are they used to me! Many trembled at the sound of my approach!”

            “That’s just because you kept shouting at them to ‘beware’ and to ‘make way for the maleficent Sans’,” Blue said, rolling his eyes, “you don’t need to do that here, this is as nice world!”

            Razz scoffed and waved his hand as if literally brushing Blue’s statement away. “What of my brother? I suppose the lazy oaf slept all day?”

            “Yeah,” I said, smiling, “we went outside, and he enjoyed the sun so much he fell asleep in the grass.”

            “Hm, yes, the open sky is quite a novelty.”

            “You should see it at night!” Blue said, “oh! That’s it! We should go stargazing tonight! We can have a picnic for dinner and stay out until dark.”

            “That’s a good idea, Blue,” I said.

            Blue planted his fists on his hips and beamed. “Mweh mweh mweh! Of course!”

            “Brother, you should pull out your telescope!” Papyrus said.

            “Sure thing, Paps.”

            “Aright!” Razz clapped his hands together to get our attention. “This is officially my room now, so get out so that I can make it a decent living space! And tell my brother to get down here so he can make himself useful!”

            We did so without argument. We found Rus napping on the couch in the living room where Red was playing video games.

            “Oh, whatcha playing?” I asked, hopping out of Stretch’s hands and joining Red on the floor. I climbed up onto his knee to watch the game.

            “Just some first-person shooter,” Red said, “you play?”

            “Used to, but I’m too small for the controller now.”

            “Here, let me finish this match and we’ll see if we can find something you can play.”

            “Oh, that’s okay, you don’t have to stop on my account.”

            “Nah, not having any luck today anyhow. Shit teammates.”

            Papyrus woke up Rus, but instead of going downstairs, he slunked down onto the floor next to Red and plucked me off his knee. Red glared but didn’t say anything, keeping his attention on the match. Rus placed me on his chest instead and closed his eyes.

            I wasn’t sleepy, but I felt relaxation fold over me like a warm blanket fresh out of the drier. My shoulders slumped and I sighed. Rus had a small smile.

            That’s when I remembered . . .

            “Sans?” I called. I turned my head and saw that he and Stretch had fetched some ketchup and honey respectively and were sitting on the couch. “What is ‘exchanging magical energy’?”

            “’S what we’re doing, darlin’,” Rus mumbled. “It’s a mutualist relationship.”

            “Wait, what? What are you talking about?” Sans asked.

            “I noticed it today,” Rus continued. “When the little darlin’ is close to my soul there’s an energy exchange.”

            “Are you saying bitties are more magical than physical?” Sans stood up and took me from Rus. He held me to his chest and, after a moment, the warm feeling returned. Sans’s eyes widened. “Whoa.”

            “Seems that way.” Rus said.

            “I felt it too.” Red put his controller down to look up at us. “Thought I was just really comfy.”

            “I felt it too!” Blue said.

            “What does that mean?” I asked.

            “It’s not uncommon for monsters to exchange magical energy,” Sans said, “kind of like . . . jumpstarting a car. But this . . . this is . . .”

            “It’s something else,” Rus said. “I noticed the bitty gets an energy boost, but what I’ve been experiencing is . . .”

            “Healing.” Sans said.

            “Soul healing,” Red added.

            I looked at each of them, still very confused. Stretch leaned forward and motioned to Sans to come closer. Sans obliged and held me out to him.

            “Bunny, would it be okay if I pulled your soul out for a moment? Just so we could take a look?”

            “Will it hurt?” I asked nervously.

            “Nah, sweetheart, it’s real easy,” Red said, standing up so that he could see as well. All the skeletons had gathered around, staring. I shrank in on myself.

            “Alright back up guys, give us some breathing room,” Stretch said. He pointed his boney finger at my chest and curled it inwards in a ‘come hither’ motion. I felt a tug, then, suddenly, a tiny blue heart was floating in front of me, glowing dimly.

            “You never see your soul before, sweetheart?”

            I shook my head, eyes wide and lips parted in awe.

            “Light blue for patience,” Stretch noted. “Look, there’s the link. Hold her closer, Sans.”

            Sans brought me back to his chest and I looked to where Stretch pointed. It was barely visible – two strands of white and blue light intertwined connecting my soul to Sans’s, each feeding into the other.

            “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It must be specific to bitties,” Stretch said. “Sans is giving Bunny regular monster magic, which provides energy, but Bunny is giving Sans something else entirely. It’s like healing magic, but different.”

            “Wowie,” Papyrus said, “that’s why bitties are so therapeutic! Their magic can literally heal soul trauma!”

            I lifted my hands to the link, letting the light flow between my fingers.

            “This is huge, if we could study Bunny’s magic we could . . .”

            The rest of Stretch’s words faded as my brain started to panic. I was suddenly aware of how surrounded I was, how trapped.

            Study.

            Magic.

            Experiment.

            My hands started to shake, upsetting the link. They had a use for me now, they would lock me up, do experiments on me, keep me in a cage . . .

            “Ouch!” Sans winced as our link pulsed with my fear. “Kid, what’s wrong?”

            “I- I . . .”

            Sans’s fingers started to curl up around me, blocking me in, to keep me from running.

            “Don’t touch me!” I screamed, making them all jump in surprise. I leaped from Sans’s hands and hit the floor running. I sprinted for my bedroom. It wouldn’t keep me safe (that’s what they wanted, wanted me out of the walls with only a sheet between me and them) but I didn’t care, I wanted Cucumber, I wanted to curl up and turn invisible.

            I darted inside my little room and jumped onto my pillow bed, burying myself under the blankets, clutching Cucumber tightly. I began to shake and cry.

            “Bunny! What’s wrong?” I heard Blue’s voice, filled with concern.

            “Kid, did I say something?” Stretch asked.

            “I don’t want to be studied! I won’t be experimented on!” I screamed.

            “Oh, kid, I’m so sorry, I never meant it like that . . .”

            “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t let any of ‘em hurt cha,” Red said. His deep familiar voice was calming. I felt I could still trust Red at least – he interacted with me like I was a real person.

            I saw the sheet shift above me and looked up to see a blue-gloved hand coming in through my door, reaching for me.

            “Red!” I screamed.

            The hand was immediately yanked away.

            “The hell’s wrong with ya? That’s her room, you don’t go in without permission!” Red scolded.

            “But she’s upset . . .” Blue said.

            “So, leave her alone!

            “It’s okay, bro,” Stretch said, “she needs some space, okay? It’s my fault, I didn’t realize talk like that would be a trigger for her.”

            “Yeah, all of ya scram, give her some quiet,” Red said.

            I heard the shuffling of footsteps, and finally let my body untense so I could sink down into my pillow.

            Safe, I was safe. This was my space.

            “Hey, doll,” Red whispered to me through the blankets. “I’ll leave you alone, but I’m going to be over here playing video games. I’ll make sure no one bothers ya, and you just holler if you need something.”

            “Th-thank you.” I sniffled.

            “Is this part of that long story you were telling me about? Someone steal ya, do experiments?”

            I couldn’t answer as a fresh bout of sobs took over.

            “’S alright, sweetheart. You’re safe now.”

            I listened as Red shuffled away, followed by the muted sounds of a video game. I finished my cry in peace and steadily calmed down. I stayed in bed for a while, but was craving that soul connection, especially from Red.

            Still holding Cucumber, I stepped out of my room and walked toward Red who was laying on the floor with a bunch of pillows propping him up. He looked toward me as I approached.

            “You okay?”

            I didn’t answer, just grabbed his shirt and pulled myself up onto his chest. I curled up there, tucking myself up under his chin. Red chuckled and patted my back with his fingertips. “Comfy?”

            I wrapped my arms and legs around Cucumber and settled in as the warm soul connection was made. I immediately felt better.

            “There was a science professor at the university,” I said quietly. Red’s hands stilled on his controller. “He . . . he took me before anyone could figure out what to do. He wanted to do tests, study me, earn a grant for the school. He destroyed all my things so that no one could figure out who I was. Kept me locked up in a cage . . . sedated me . . . hid me so that no one would find me. After he released his work the bitty center caught wind of him unlawfully keeping a bitty and rescued me.”

            “That . . . freakin’ sucks, dust bunny.”

            “Yeah, it really did. The bitty center was nice in that regard, it gave me time to recover, be with other bitties, but in the end I just wanted my freedom.”

            “Don’t blame ya. Here, why don’t you play with me? I found a co-op that has really simple controls, shouldn’t give you any trouble.”

            “Really?” I looked up as Red set a second controller on his stomach and switched out his game. I slid down and rested my hands on the joysticks.

            “Hehe, it’s like driving a space ship,” I giggled.

            “Well don’t space out on me.”

            “Weak.”

            We started the game, it was a simple puzzle-style game where we had to work together to get from room to room. Being able to play with Red was a dream come true, and I had fun figuring out how to use the buttons efficiently. I heard noises from the kitchen as the evening progressed and remembered that the boys had planned a picnic for dinner.

            Blue poked his head in and smiled at me. “Bunny! You came out! I’m . . . really sorry about trying to grab you earlier.”

            “Thank you. Let’s just make it a rule that if I’m in my room I don’t want to be touched, okay?”

            “Okay! Oh, and we’re packing up dinner right now!”

            “We’ll meet you outside,” I said.

            “Ug, why eat outside when we have a perfectly good table?” Red grumbled.

            “It’s fun.”

            “It’s messy, and there are bugs.”

            “Thanks for playing with me, Red, I had a great time.”

            “Heh, no prob. I’ll see if I can find some more two-player games for us to try.”

            “That would be awesome!”

            All eight skeletons gathered outside, sitting out on the blankets that Papyrus and Blue had laid out. Dinner was fruit and sandwiches. I had my thimble full of iced tea and shared a plate with Red. Everyone talked back and forth, telling puns, asking Rus and Razz about their world, and talking about work.

            Apparently, Sans did some consultant work as a scientist, while Papyrus was a member of the Monster Guard – a special branch of the police force created after the royal guard disbanded. The others had odd jobs and volunteer positions that didn’t require paperwork. It kept them busy while they waited for Sans to fix the machine.

            The sun sank down and the stars began to come out. Everyone laid back, watching the sky, and growing quiet as the stars became clearer. Sans set up his telescope, letting everyone take turns looking through. I was content to stay on Red’s chest, pointing out constellations. Soon his, Sans’s, and Stretch’s snores filled the silence, and their brothers called it a night with much eye rolling.

            Blue pulled Stretch over his shoulders, Papyrus cradled Sans in his arms, Razz grabbed Rus’s legs to drag him along the ground, and Edge picked Red up around the middle, tucking him under his arm. I climbed up onto his shoulder, then disembarked once we got to the living room.

            “Night, guys!” I called quietly. There was a murmur of goodnights in response, and I retired to my bedroom, happy to finally have a night of peace.

Chapter Text

            “Hey, Bunny, can I talk to you a minute?”

            I looked up from my task of creating myself a pair of chopsticks out of toothpicks. Since I was having real meals again I wanted a way to eat without getting food all over my hands. I had also gotten some clay from Blue (who was very into crafts) and was attempting to make a me-sized plate.

            Stretch found me sitting on top of the dining table on a spread of newspaper as I worked.

            “Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

            “Got something to show you.” He held out his hand to me and I obliged, hopping onto his palm. He wrapped his fingers around my lap to secure me and carried me to his bedroom. It was a pretty typical ‘boy’ room – mattress on the floor, littered with trash, and a chair that held all of his clothes.

            Stretch set me down on his bed next to a package. He opened it up and pulled out the contents.

            My mouth dropped. “Are those . . . bitty clothes?”

            “Yep. Turns out there’s a big market for bitty stuff now, and I wanted to make up for what happened the other day.” Stretch tore open the plastic seal around the clothes.

            “You didn’t have to do that, I know you didn’t mean it.”

            “Eh, you’ve been stuck in the same rags you had when we first moved here, and I think this is a proper apology for scaring you so bad.” He held out a tiny dress to me and I eagerly took it.

            “Thank you, Stretch!” I jumped up and grabbed his fingers in a tight hug. Stretch reciprocated as best he could by wrapping his thumb around me and rubbing my back.

            “No prob. Go try them on, I want to make sure they fit.”

            Stretch set up the empty package for me so that I could change inside it. I was so excited to have actual clothes – and underwear! And shoes!

            Stretch chuckled as I gushed over everything. “Dude, you are the best. I can’t believe you found all this stuff! Do you know how long it’s been since I had actual underwear?!”

            “Glad to help, kid. How’re the shoes? They don’t exactly have bitty sizes, they’re all kind of the same.”

            The shoes were moccasin-style so that one size would fit all. It felt so good to have my feet protected. “They’re perfect!”

            I stepped out and did a spin, showing off my new dress.

            “Cute as a button.” Stretch smiled.

            “Thanks!” I grabbed the next outfit and changed. “Oh my god, pants!”

            They were like yoga pants and fit perfectly. I rolled out of the ‘fitting room’ enjoying the freedom of the new clothes. “These feel so good. I was so tired of skirts.”

            “It came with some accessories too,” Stretch said opening another plastic bag. “I didn’t know what you would actually need, so I just picked out whatever looked cute.”

            I gasped. There was a sunhat, an apron, and a scarf. I gathered them all up happily, feeling the sting of tears on my eyes.

            “Stretch, you have no idea how much this means to me. How can I repay you?”

            He shrugged. “This is my apology to you, remember? Just keep being a good friend – especially with by bro – and we’ll call it square.”

            “I can do that. Can you help me take this stuff to my room?” I asked, gathering it back up.

            “Ug, but it’s so hard . . .” Stretch groaned, falling forward on the bed. His impact made the mattress bounce and I giggled as I briefly became air borne.

            I ran to his head and pushed against his skull. “Come on you lazy skeleton!”

            With a heave, Stretch lifted himself up. I grabbed onto his head, staying on top of it as he rose. He gathered up the clothes and headed for my bedroom, walking slowly so that I wouldn’t slip off his skull.

            I disembarked when we reached my room, hopping down onto the floor while Stretch set my clothes down. Red was there playing video games.

            “Red, look! Stretch got me actual clothes!” I said, spinning to show off my outfit.

            “Looking good, sweetheart. Why don’t I take you out to Grillby’s tonight? Show off your new look.”

            Stretch joined Red on the couch, picking up the second controller. I climbed up his pant leg and sat on his knee to watch them play.

            “I haven’t gone out anywhere since I moved in . . .” I said nervously.

            “Then you’re overdue. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

            “Alright.” I wrung my hands despite my agreement. The idea of being around so many giants in a public place still terrified me.

            Easy, you’ll be with Red, he won’t let anything happen to you. I focused on that thought and put it from my mind to watch their game instead.

Chapter Text

            I huddled in Red’s pocket, assuring him that I was more comfortable there than on his shoulder. I had gotten dressed up in my new dress – blue with a knee-length skirt – along with my moccasins and was feeling good, though still nervous.

            Red’s hand rested next to me, absently touching my arm or hair as he walked. I didn’t want to teleport, so we were walking to the restaurant with Sans and Rus in tow. The others didn’t like Grillby’s, except for Stretch, but he decided to hang back and get some time to himself.

            “We may have a small problem,” Sans said casually, “bitties are technically supposed to be on leashes.”

            “Screw that, she ain’t a dog,” Red huffed.

            “I would never think so little of her,” Rus said.

            “It’s just a tiny setback,” Sans grinned

            “Think you can cover my tab when we get there? I might be a little short.”

            “I might have a bit of G.”

            “Oh my god you guys have to stop!” I called from the pocket. The skeletons snickered at me in response.

            I heard the ding of a bell and poked my head out. We had entered Grillby’s bar and I could really take it in. It was decorated with wood furnishings, making it warm and cozy. I didn’t see any humans but there were plenty of monsters sitting at tables – a couple of large white dogs, a plant, and a bunny monster. The food smelled great.

            Red and Sans took a seat at the bar and Red fished me out of his pocket, grabbing me around the waist and setting me on top of the bar. Sans and Rus sat on either side of us.

            Grillby approached us and I waved at him shyly.

            “Hey, Grillbz,” Sans greeted. “Can we get a round of burgs?”

            The others nodded in agreement.

            His eyes landed on me and I froze.

            “Would you like one too?” He asked. His voice was like a flame wavering in the wind.

            “I – I’ll just share . . .” I said uncertainly. I took a step back, but my foot met the smooth slope of the counter edge. I squeaked as I fell backwards, arms flailing and stomach dropping.

            Red’s boney hand immediately caught me and pushed me back onto my feet. “Easy, sweetheart. Just sit down, relax.”  

            I did so, crossing my legs and staring down at my hands.

            “Hey, Grillby, bring me a drink will ya? Nah, not mustard this time, surprise me.”

            “Feeling frisky, Red?” Sans ask, sticking to a bottle of ketchup.

            “It’s a celebration ain’t it? First time Bunny’s been out in what, a year?”

            I nodded.

            “So yeah, let’s have some fun.”

            “I’ll drink to that,” Rus said waving to Grillby and signaling that he bring two.

            “Looks like that makes me the DD,” Sans said.

            “Aw, come on, Classic, live a little, our bros can fetch us if we need it.”

            Grillby brought two glasses of layered alcohol colored red and orange. Sans gave in and asked for one as well.

            “Here, Bunny, you too.” Red reached into his other pocket and pulled out my thimble. “Have a try. It’s monster alcohol.”

            “Really?” I asked, curious. He dipped the thimble in his glass, filling it up, and set it in front of me. I took a tender sip. “Whoa, that’s really good! Doesn’t even taste like alcohol. It’s warm . . .” I took a long drink from it.

            “Easy, kiddo. Not sure what effect that’ll have on bitties,” Sans warned.

            “Relax, let the kid have some fun.” Red winked at me and I smiled back, feeling much better about the outing.

            Grillby returned with the food – and a little something extra. He set a napkin down in front of me containing a tiny hamburger. I stared at it, dumbfounded.

            “We make all our food here, even the buns, so I can make it any size you need,” Grillby said, “comes in handy for smaller or bigger monsters.”

            “Wow, thank you!” I beamed and took a bite. “It’s delicious!”

            Grillby nodded to us and stepped away.

            “That was so sweet . . .” I said, finding my eyes getting watery. “You guys are all so nice . . . so much better than humans . . .”

            “Heh, it’s just a tiny burger.”

            “But it’s everything to me.” Now I was full on crying, mouth full of food. “It’s so good!”

            The boys cheered me up by poking me with their fries until I was too annoyed to cry. I stole bites from their fries and pickles, making a game of what I could steal before they noticed. They started a flaming pun war, much to Grillby’s annoyance.

            “Aw, come on Grillbz, don’t get hot under the collar.”

            I giggled, giving myself away as I tried to steal a corner of cheese from Rus’s burger. He gave me a playful flick and I let the force bowl me over, giggling the whole way.

            “Red, no more drinks for her,” Sans said pointedly.

            “I’m not her mom.”

            “She’s tiny and she’s had two thimbles.”

            “Bunny, you want some more?”

            “Juuuust a lil’,” I said.

            “See? She’s fine.” Red obliged with a bit more in my thimble and I drank it down, enjoying the buzzing sensation it created in my body.

             A song came on the jukebox and I gasped, recognizing the tune. Feeling giddy, I grabbed two of Rus’s fingers and began to dance with his hand. He smiled at me in bemusement, twirling me with his finger and catching me when I attempted to dip myself.

            “You and me, Rus. We’re the next Fred and Ginger!”

            “You steal the show, darlin’”

            I did a spin and bumped against his glass, causing a little to spill out. Rus quickly caught it and I snickered. “Oops, sorry.”

            I didn’t notice the human waitress who had been giving us the stink eye from the other end of the bar, wiping down the counter. She suddenly approached, holding up a small leather strap.

            “Bitties are supposed to be on a leash,” she said, pointedly.

            The tension immediately rose as the three skeletons cast their gazes on her. I went rigid, feeling surprisingly angry instead of scared.

            Sans remained ever chill. “Nah, that’s alright. As you can see she’s an adult.”

            “It’s the law. She’s making a mess.”

            I could practically feel my hackles rise. “Then I’ll clean it up,” I said through gritted teeth. I grabbed a napkin and tossed it over the small puddle to soak it up. “See? It’s so hard.”

            “It’s still the law,” the waitress said thrusting the leash toward Sans. My gaze became locked on the tiny harness, and I started to tremble.

            Sans’s grin remained in place, but his eye lights had noticeably dimmed.

            “Ain’t happening,” Red snapped, pushing her outstretched arm away.

            “Then I’ll call bitty welfare! They’ll give her to someone who will follow the law.”

            I was trembling with rage now, fists clutched.

            . . . on a leash . . .

            . . . making a mess . . .

            . . . give her to someone . . .

            Rus’s large hands wrapped around my body, thumbs stroking my back to calm me down. “This ain’t a stray dog or some kid, she’s an adult and our friend. So mind your own business.” He pressed an index finger against my chest and I took it in my hands, squeezing as hard as I needed as I glared at my feet, not trusting myself to speak.

            I felt heat as Grillby suddenly appeared, standing behind the waitress.

            “That’s enough.”

            “Mr. Grillby!” She turned to him smugly. “I was trying to get them to put a leash on their bitty-”

            “I’m not theirs,” I snapped, “I don’t belong to anyone!”

            Grillby glanced down at me, his strange eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles, and his expression completely masked behind the flames that made up his head. “Then that’s the end of the discussion,” Grillby said patiently, “put that leash away, there’s obviously no need for it.”

            I blinked in surprise, relaxing my grip on Rus’s finger.

            “But it’s –”

            “She said no,” Grillby interrupted, “that’s all there is to it.”

            Huffing, the waitress turned away and stomped off, tossing the leash under the counter.

            “Sorry about that,” Grillby said, “allow me to serve some cake for your trouble, on the house.”

            “Aw, you’re the best, Grillbz,” Sans said.

            “It’s for her,” he nodded to me, “you still have to pay your tab.”

            “You know I will tab-solutely pay that.” Sans eyes were bright and shining again, and the other two were laughing. I relaxed in Rus’s hands and he released me.

            A slice of chocolate cake and a round of drinks later we were a laughing mess again, and Grillby had to shoo us out so that he could close up. Rus had taken me from Red, becoming very clingy as we walked out. I laid sprawled out in his hands, laughing hysterically as he tried to get through a joke.

            “Why’d the . . . no, no, shh, shhhh. Why’d the chicken cross the road?”

            “To get to the other side!”

            “No –” he snickered, “to get to the idiot’s house. Hey Bunny, knock knock.”

            “Who’s there?”

            “Th- the,” he snorted, “the chicken.”

            I hugged my ribs as another round of laughter sent me howling. Red and Sans joined in, both trying to hold up the other so they could walk steadily. Rus seemed to be fairing better balance-wise.

            We finally quieted down as we arrived at the house, though still shushing each other. Sans made it as far as the couch before collapsing and passing out. Red hit the floor in a pile of snores. Rus cupped me against his chest and carried me past my room and toward the basement instead.

            “Rus, not on the first date,” I teased, giggling.

            “Shh, shh,” he chuckled back. He placed a finger against my mouth. I reached up and put my hands on his ‘lips’ and we both snorted as if it was the funniest thing ever.

            “Don’t wake up my bro,” he whispered, carefully heading down the stairs. I saw a lump under the blankets which stirred a little as we approached. Rus kicked off his shoes and carefully slid under the covers next to Razz, still holding me against his breast bone. I was too tired to object.

            Razz mumbled something sleepily as Rus sank into the mattress, pulling the blanket up. His hands were warm around me, and the thrum of his soul was soothing, putting me right to sleep.

            I was suddenly awake again, aware of someone gasping in the dark. It took me a minute to adjust and realize that it was Razz making the sounds. His limbs jerked under the covers, and his face was twisted in a pained expression.

            Nightmare.

            I slipped out from under Rus’s hands and slid down his ribs onto the bed with a soft whump. I traversed the tangled blankets to Razz’s shoulder, I grabbed on to an exposed bone and pulled myself up. When I reached his chest, I realized Razz wasn’t wearing a shirt. I studied his bones with interest – they were thicker than human bones, and I could see through the gaps to the other side. I crawled across his collar bone and made my way to his breast plate. As I settled down, Razz began to relax, and I noticed a very faint glow inside his ribs – a soft purple light that brightened and dimmed like a heart beating.

            Curious, I leaned forward to get a better look. I perched on all fours and tilted my head to get a better look at the source of light.

            Razz suddenly shifted in his sleep, trying to roll over. I yelped as I was jutted forward, falling through a gap in his ribs directly inside of him.

            I managed to grab two of his rib bones, keeping my head ‘surfaced’ while my legs dangled inside his chest. Razz came to with a sharp gasp and sat up straight, sweat appearing on his skull.

            He looked down and frantically grabbed me, yanking me free. I dangled from his hand, his fingers wrapped around my underarms. 

            “What are you-?!” He stared at me, then looked down at his still-glowing chest.

            “I’m sorry,” I whispered, “you were having a nightmare and the others said that bitty energy helps monster souls, so I was trying –”

            “Well don’t,” he hissed, “you scared the shit out of me!”

            I expected him to toss me away, but instead he collapsed back into his pillow and let his hand fall on his chest, pressing me against his bones. I froze there, surprised. His chest rose and fell beneath me as he worked to catch his breath.

            The purple glow reappeared as he calmed down.

            “How are you doing that?” He asked.

            “I don’t know. It’s a bitty thing.”

            He sighed. “That explains why my brother is always holding you. He’s been through a lot, and while I don’t require such things, he . . . well, it must help him a lot.”

            “He had fun tonight,” I said.

            “Hm.” Razz yawned, and his body relaxed as he began returning to sleep. He kept me against his chest, so I closed my eyes and joined him.

Chapter Text

            All the boys were going to be gone today, that meant it was time to put my be-a-great-roommate plan into action!

            Between the new clothes, being defended from leashes, and the bedroom, I was way overdue for a payback, and while I couldn’t do much I wanted to put in the effort.

            Sans was going to a conference and Stretch decided to join him. Edge, Papyrus, and Blue were going to run a marathon to raise money for monster programs, and Rus and Razz wanted to check out the surface world for themselves. Edge told Red he either had to attend the marathon or go with them to get out of the house, so he decided to show the new guys around. I turned down any invites to join saying that I needed some me time.

            Once the house was empty I got to work.

            I had decided to throw a birthday party . . . to the best of my ability. Since the skeletons were all the same persons, a group party seemed necessary. Using my cell phone, I had raised a little money doing online surveys and used it to buy a present which was scheduled to be delivered today. I couldn’t use the oven so I picked out an easy no-bake recipe using ingredients we already had in the kitchen – chocolate pudding!

            The kitchen soon became my jungle gym. First, I used a piece of cord to open the fridge – throwing one end through the handle and using the loop to pull the door open. With that same rope I made a pully system to haul tools from the counter to the floor (I looped the rope over a cabinet door handle and tied one end to a mug – just like pulling water out of a well).

            I gave the floor a quick wipe down to keep things sanitary and got to work. I used my pully system to pour things, like milk, and got myself covered in cocoa powder when I shoveled it out into measuring cups.

            It took a long time, but I was able to whisk everything together, standing up on a box so I could get some leverage on the bowl. I used the whisk to serve the pudding into fancy dishes and topped it with whipped cream.

            I did my best to clean up, throwing things into the trashcan and running across the floor with a wet wipe.

            Then the doorbell rang.

            “Come in!” I shouted, running to meet the delivery person. They opened the door suspiciously but relaxed when they saw me, bending down and handing me the pen so I could sign for it.

            “Need help opening the box?”

            “Yes, please! Thank you.” I was exhausted and didn’t feel like wresting with box tape. The delivery person obliged and even helped me set it up on the table. He noticed the pudding in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow.

            “Do those need to go in the fridge?”

            “Actually, if you put them on the table too that would be great.”

            He chuckled and did so, making a nice circle of pudding around the present.

            “Dude, you are awesome, thank you.”

            “No problem, you have a good day.” He gave a tip of his hat and departed.

            Okay, the only thing that was left was to clean up myself and get ready. But first I just needed to rest my eyes. After all that work, my body needed a break. I laid down on the cloth I had been cleaning with and shut my eyes.

            Just a few minutes . . .

            “Bunny?”

            I jolted awake with a start, realizing that all the skeletons were back, and they were all staring at me with confused expressions. I felt my cheeks turn red as I spread my arms wide.

            “Surprise! Happy birthday!”

            Blue gasped and his eyelights turned into literal stars. “This is a birthday party?!”

            “It’s not our birthday,” Sans said.

            “I know, but I wanted to do something nice for you guys. You’ve been so nice to me, and . . . I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I could do as a surprise.”

            “It’s amazing, Bunny!” Papyrus said, “the puddings look so fancy!”

            “How’d you get a present, doll?”

            “Oh, I’ve been getting a little money doing stuff online,” I said with a shrug. “Very little, trust me. Oh!”

            I stood up and dusted myself off before fetching one of my battery-operated tea candles from the table.

            “I couldn’t find a real candle, but this should work. Make a wish!”

            “Heh,” Sans leaned forward and blew on the candle, making my hair puff out. I turned the candle off when he did, giving the illusion of the flame going out.

            “Alright, dig in!”

            The boys seated themselves and told me about their days while enjoying the deserts. Blue insisted on sharing his with me, offering small bites from his spoon. He giggled when I got whipped cream on my nose.

            “This is so sweet, Bunny, you didn’t have to do this for us!” he said, tapping my face with the corner of a napkin.

            “It was important to me.”

            “It must have been a lot of work though,” Stretch pointed out.

            “It was. Took all day, I’m proud of myself.”

            “I noticed you left the dirty dishes on the floor,” Edge said. He had a teasing smirk on his face. He was in a good mood after coming in first in the marathon.

            “Well I can’t exactly get the dishwasher open!” I said good-naturedly.

            “Hah! It seems you are in desperate need of my puzzle training if you can’t complete such a simple task.”

            “What’s in the box, darlin’?” Rus interrupted. He had licked his bowl clean, long amber tongue pressing against the glass.

            “Go ahead and open it.”

            Razz obliged, as he was sitting closest. He tore the tape away and popped the lid, peering inside. “It appears to be a certificate to attend a social and entertainment venue.”

            “Well don’t make it sound so boring,” I said. Razz passed the coupon to Sans. “It’s this new place that opened up in town – they’ve got a restaurant and bar, plus axe-throwing, an arcade, billiards . . . everything!”

            “That sounds like so much fun!” Papyrus said, taking the coupon.

            “It’s a monster-only night which is free, but you have to register to attend, so I signed you all up.”           

            “Wowie! Thanks, Bunny!” Blue stood up on his chair to look over Papyrus’s shoulder.

            “I figured it had a little something for everyone.”

            “Hm, this ‘axe throwing’ does have merit,” Edge said.

            “I’ll put it on our shared calendar so we all remember,” Papyrus said, pulling out his cell phone to type it in.

            “Thanks a lot, kid,” Sans said with a wink, “I feel like you’re pudding a lot of faith in us.”

            A chorus of groans answered his pun.

            “I think we’re being banished,” Stretch said.

            “Let’s check on the machine then. Bunny, want to help?”

            “Yeah!” I hopped up and jumped onto Sans’s shoulder, hanging on to his hoodie as he stood up and headed for the basement.

Chapter Text

            I hummed as I worked a small screw on the interior of the machine, a mini screwdriver under my arm. Once it was loose, I pulled the screw free, put it in my pocket, and yanked the panel open.

            “Got it!” I called.

            “Alright, you should be able to pull the wires out here,” Sans said.

            I gathered up the multi-colored wires in my arms and hauled them to an opening where Sans waited. He studied them for a moment then nodded.

            “Alright, looks like just this one needs to be replaced.” He snipped it and handed me a new one.

            “Just follow the old wire, untwist it from its thing, and twist the new one back on.”

            “Got it!”

            I ran back into the machine, following the wires back to their panel. I did as Sans instructed as I listened to them outside.

            “Sans, I’m done with the computer,” Stretch said, “it’s running diagnostics right now. Gonna grab a drink real quick. Want anything?”

            “I’m good. Bunny?”

            “No thank you!”

            I could hear Stretch’s footsteps leave as I twisted the end of the wire into place. Once it was done the machine reacted, shaking around me and whirring to life.

            “Uhh . . .”

            “What the-? Bunny? Shoot, the computer must have rebooted –”

            There was a loud pop, the lights went out, and the machine whirled down.

            “Oops.” I heard Sans mutter and move around outside. “Hang on, gotta get the fuse again.” I heard the door open and shut. I began blindly feeling my way through the machine, tripping and stumbling all the way. I didn’t even realize I reached the opening until my foot hit air.

            I cried out as I fell forward, ankle tangling in the wires and catching me so that I dangled upside down. I grunted as I spun, struggling to pull myself up and free my leg.

            That was when a beam of red light fell on me. I let myself drop and stared in shock at a single, glowing red eye, staring at me, illuminating the face of a familiar, and yet strange, skeleton face.

            I started to tremble, feeling like a worm on a hook.

            “Sans?” I asked hopefully.

            The eye narrowed and came closer, allowing me to make out more details. One of which was that there was a large gaping hole on the side of his head.

            A scream was frozen in my throat as he leaned toward me, smile revealing a row of sharp teeth.

            “Heh. You picked the wrong house to wander into, little morsel.”

            “W-wait,” I whimpered holding my hands out.

            His own hand came up and grabbed my leg, yanking me free of the wire. “But that’s the least of your problems. First you gotta worry about explaining to me how you know my name?”

            I whined and covered my face as his eyelight shrank to a pinpoint.

            “Please, please, I . . .”

            “Sans?” The groggy but familiar voice of Papyrus got his attention. “What are you doing in my bedroom?”

            “Paps?” Sans turned his head. “This isn’t your . . .”

            That’s when hole-in-his-head began to realize that he wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I saw his eyelight waver as he looked around, then dart back to me.

            “What the hell’s going on here?”

            Before I could answer the lights suddenly came back on, revealing our new guests. Papyrus wasn’t the Papyrus that I knew. He was huge, taller than any of the others, wearing a tattered scarf and dirty body armor, and his teeth were broken and crooked in his jaw. He looked around in bewilderment.

            “Brother, where are we?”

            The door squeaked as it began to open. I opened my mouth to scream, but hole-in-his-head suddenly shoved me into his pocket, pinning my arms, and gagging my mouth with his fingers. I struggled and fought, but his grip tightened to a painful degree. He went as far as shoving the tip of his phalange in my mouth when I tried to open it, leaving a chalky taste on my tongue.

            “What the hell is this?” my captor demanded.

            “Sans! There’s two of you!” The new Papyrus cried out.

            “Hey pal, no need to panic, I can explain.” I heard Sans’s calm voice, making tears prick in the corner of my eyes.

            Please, please help me . . .

            “You’re not in your world anymore, you’re on the surface in an alternate universe. That’s why I’m here, I’m just another version of you.”

            “The surface? You mean the machine . . .”

            “Yes, I got it to work. Don’t worry, I just need to turn it on and we can send you right back.”

            There was a pause, followed by the crackle of magic. Sans shouted as I heard something slam against metal.

            Then the world went dark and silent.

            The silence was quickly replaced by the sound of crickets.

            “Brother, did we take a cut?” New Papyrus asked.

            “Shortcut, bro, yeah.”

            “But, why? That skeleton was trying to talk to you, he said he would send us home.”

            “That’s the problem. If we’re really on the surface then . . . well . . .”

            “What?”

            “Then we’re not going back, not if it means we can be safe and well-fed here. Heh, speaking of ‘well-fed’ . . .”

            I was yanked out of the pocket and he finally removed his finger from my mouth, making me gasp and cry. I realized that we were outside next to the garage. It was dark now, keeping us hidden from the house.

            “Alright, kid,” New Sans said threateningly, “we’re gonna need a tour guide for this place and looks like you’re it.”

            “Brother, is that a human? It looks far too small.” The giant Papyrus leaned over me for a closer look, and I could hear air passing through his nostrils as he sniffed me. I whimpered and hunched down, trying to hide myself.

            “Look at me, snack.” He thrusted a fingertip under my chin, forcing my tear-soaked face to look up. “My bro and I need some food. You gonna cooperate and tell us how to get some, or should we eat you instead?”

            “N-no, no, please . . . if you go back to the house we’ll feed you, there are other skeletons like you, no one will- ah!” I screamed as he grabbed my leg and held me upside down again, staring at me with his horrible red eye.

            “Not going to the house. Try again.”

            Papyrus began to wring his hands nervously. “Sans, you’re scaring her . . .” He reached forward and cupped his hands under me like a safety net. I trembled and sobbed. “Let me hold her, please?”

            New Sans hesitated. “You can’t let her go bro, not yet, okay?”

            “I won’t!”

            Sans let go and I fell unceremoniously into Papyrus’s gloved hands, which were huge, if I curled up he could easily close me in a fist. He immediately cupped me and held me against his chest. “There now, little . . . whatever you are! The Great Papyrus will keep you safe!”

            Sans glared at me. “Food. Where can we get some?”

            “Th-there’s a restaurant down the road,” I managed to speak around my crying.

            “Show us.”

            I pointed the way, acting like a silent human compass. The boys followed my directions, leaving the house and heading for the road. The night was deep, and clouds covered the stars, but Sans didn’t seem to have any trouble seeing.

            “That’s it,” I said from Papyrus’s hands, pointing at a building ahead. It was a local diner/general store with a neon sign that declared it was open. There were a couple of cars, but otherwise it was unoccupied. It was Sunday so I knew that Grillby’s would be closed, this place was open late all week.

            “The humans in there gonna give us trouble?” Sans asked.

            “N-no, monsters are common now.”

            “Alright, let’s go, Paps.”

            We entered and I was grateful to be in the light in public for once. There was a woman at the register, and through the order window I saw someone in the kitchen. Both the skeletons froze, their eyes widening.

            The cashier looked up, frowning a little, but didn’t say anything.

            After a moment, Sans finally moved, his brother close behind, holding me a little tighter to his chest. Sans grabbed a candy bar off the shelf and sat down at a table.

            “Here Pap, eat this.”

            New Papyrus hesitated, then set me down on the table, I sank to my knees, relieved and tired. I leaned against the napkin dispenser so I could sit down. The cook took their orders from the window, and hole-in-his-head called for two burgers, two hotdogs, and two fries.

            “When you’re done will you please take me back home?” I asked.

            “We’ll see,” New Sans muttered, looking around suspiciously. Papyrus was enraptured by his candy, scarfing it down quickly.

            “Have one, Sans! It’s really good!”

            The food came shortly, and the brothers dug in, not wasting a single crumb of food as they ate. Papyrus tried to get me to join them, but I shook my head, too anxious to eat. Silence fell, the cashier answered the phone, the cook began cleaning. My tears renewed as my anxiety spiked.

            “P-please. Papyrus? I want to go home . . .”

            Papyrus blinked at me in surprise. “Of course! I would personally like to meet these other skeletons.”

            “We can’t risk them sending us back, bro.”

            “I’m sure if we asked nicely they wouldn’t.”

            “I-It’s true,” I said, feeling desperate. “You don’t have to go back, we have room . . .”

            Sans glared at me. “I don’t like when people try to trick me.”

            “I’m not-!” I yelped as he grabbed me, and, removing the hotdog, shoved me into the bun and gripped me tight, pressing the bread all around my body.

            “Want to know what kind of world we come from? There’s no food down there, kid. If you were in my world, this is where you would be – monster food. Cause guess what? When you’re all starving you have to make do with what you have, and what we had . . .” he ran a tongue over his teeth. “Was humans.”

            A bone suddenly shot out between his legs, knocking into his arm and jaw. Holey dropped me, and I tumbled back onto the table. New Papyrus snatched me up and cupped his hands around me, hiding me from sight.

            “You guys enjoy your meal?” That was Red’s voice!

            “Papyrus? Hand over the girl, okay?” That was Sans.

            “Stay away from him,” Holey growled.

            “We’re not going to hurt you guys.” There was Stretch. “But that’s our friend you kidnapped, we just want her back.”

            “Oh, I may be doing some hurting.” I heard Edge’s voice, then the world started to spin and tumble. I heard shouts, felt the crackle of magic in the air, then I was suddenly in a new hand holding me tightly. I opened my eyes and saw that I was now with Edge. He quickly passed me over to Stretch.

            “Teleport her home now.”

            In a blink we were gone and back in the living room. I burst into tears and Stretch hugged me to his cheek.

            “Easy, easy, I gotcha. Are you hurt?”

            I shook my head and clung to his jaw.

            “Can you tell me about those new skeletons?”

            “Th-they . . . they were starving . . . wanted to eat . . . Stretch, they told me they eat humans!”

            Stretch didn’t answer, but I felt his hand clench around me. He pulled out his cellphone, reading what was there and headed to his room.

            “I think you should stay hidden for tonight, okay? I’ll put you in my room for now and wait for the others to come back.”

            “O-okay.”

            Stretch sighed deeply and brought me back down so that I was hammocked in his hands. “Come on kid, you’re tearing me apart. Why don’t we cry and stop the waterworks, eh?”

            I sniffed and smiled a little, nodding.

            “Atta girl.” Stretch set me on the bed and I went for his blankets, making myself a little cave. I heard Stretch tapping on his phone.

            “Are the others okay?”

            “Yeah, Papyrus and Blue have calmed them down. Blue says that new Papyrus is pretty friendly and has convinced his Sans to come back. Classic’s going to put them in the room above the garage, so don’t worry, they won’t even be in the house.”

            I sank down into the mattress, frowning. “I feel bad for them, Stretch. The new Papyrus is sweet and tried to protect me. They came from a world where they were starving to death.”

            “Hm. Seems a lot of our alternates have a rough go of things. Best stay away from them though, I don’t want them threatening you.”

            “Okay. Hey, how did you guys find us?”

            “That was actually Edge’s doing. Most of us were outside searching. He had the idea to call all the local establishments.”

            I heard voices from down the hall and the opening of doors. Stretch stood up and leaned down to look in my hidey-hole. “I’m going to help them out, stay here.”

            Don’t have to tell me twice. I settled in, getting comfortable, listening to the sounds of my roommates’ muffled voices.

            I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew the room was dark and Stretch was gathering me up and placing me on his pillow.

            “Just me, kiddo. Go back to sleep.”

            “Is everything okay?” I asked groggily.

            “Yep, everyone’s fine.”

            With that I went back to sleep, but a large red eye was waiting for me in the darkness, and a set of sharp teeth were opening up, threatening to come down on me.

            With a gasp I woke and sat up, clutching the blanket and looking around the room for threats. It was empty and quiet, but that did little to ease my pounding heart. Stretch was completely passed out next to me, mouth hanging open.

            I didn’t want to wake him up, but I did need someone, and I knew who to go to.

            I climbed down the bed and left the room, making my way across the hall toward Edge’s room. The older doorknobs meant the doors didn’t get stuck when shut, so I was able to push it open and make my way across the floor.

            I grabbed some blankets that hung low to the floor and climbed up onto the mattress. When I made it to the top, Edge stirred, grunting and turning over.

            “Edge, can I sleep with you?”

            “Huh?” Edge turned his sharp eyelights on me, blinking awake. I stared back, trembling. “What? Why?”

            “The . . . new skeletons really scared me, I can’t sleep.”

            “Hm, so you come to me for protection. Wise.”

            I hefted myself into the pillow and Edge lifted the covers for me. I sidled up against him, face pressed into his cheek and hands clutching the fabric of the blanket.

            “Nyeh, fear not, human, no one can get past the great and terrible Papyrus.” He wrapped a hand around my shoulders and held me tight. After several deep breaths I finally began to relax.

            “Thank you, Paps.”

            He grunted in response, patting my back. The strokes between my shoulder blades were soothing and I began to calm down, sleep flowing at the edges of my brain.

            “Paps, did you get into a lot of fights in your home?” I asked sleepily.

            “Mmhm. It was kill or be killed.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “It was what it was. Killing was rarely necessary, a good beating usually got the message across. Now stop asking about such things, you’ll scare yourself again.”

            “I feel better knowing that you’ve been in actual fights. I appreciate the other guys’ tenacity, but, it’s easy to be brave when you’ve never had to actually hurt anyone.”

            “Hm.”

            “Do you envy them? Other Papyrus and Blue?”

            “ . . . it is what it is,” Edge said simply. I left it at that.

Chapter Text

            The next morning Edge gave me a lift to the bathroom so that I could take a sink bath. He even poured out some soap and shampoo for me.

            “I’ll be outside the door when you’re done,” He said. The sleepy morning seemed to have mellowed him out.

            “Oh, that’s okay, you don’t have to wait on me.”

            “I’m not waiting on you! I’m . . . saving my spot in line for the bathroom!”

            “Fair enough.”

            He grunted and shut the door. I cleaned myself up and dressed in a pair of pants and a shirt that said, ‘Itty Bitty Committee’. Leave it to Stretch to find a punny shirt.

            I called for Edge and he picked me up, carrying me to the kitchen.

            When we arrived, it was to find Sans, Papyrus, and our new guests at the table. Holey was resting his chin on the tabletop, eyes closed. New Papyrus was sitting in his usual hunched over posture, wringing his hands together.

             Edge stopped and stiffened, pulling me close to his chest. “What are they doing here?” He demanded.

            “Figured everyone should meet the new guys,” Sans said casually. “My counterpart over here damaged the machine so they’ll be sticking around for a bit until it gets fixed.”

            Edge glared at them, the tips of his fingers curling in on me. I was startled by a deep growl that rumbled from his chest. He didn’t attack or say anything further, only took a seat, keeping me in his hand.

            “Don’t worry, Edge! Everything is all sorted now!” Papyrus said. “They’re not going to hurt anyone!”

            “This is true!” New Papyrus said, “we are very sorry for any . . . um . . . derest . . .”

            “Distress,” Holey mumbled.

            “Yes! Destress we caused. I hope we can be friends!” His eyes flitted to me and he twisted his hands in on themselves, pulling at the fingers of his gloves. “My brother and I are very sorry, little human.”

            I glanced over at Holey who peeked his red eye open. Edge pulled me into his hold even closer, practically hiding me in his jacket. “The bitty owes you nothing! While yours is a sincere statement of regret, you can’t apologize on behalf of your brother!”

            “O-oh, well I’m sorry,” New Papyrus tried again.

            “Thank you,” I said, poking my head out around Edge’s claws.

            New Papyrus beamed. “I’m sure my brother is sorry too! And will say so! Won’t you, brother?”

            That red eye turned to me, and I found myself shrinking down. Before he could answer,

the kitchen door opened, and Blue stepped out, carrying two skillets, one filled with bacon, the other overflowing with scrambled eggs.

            “Good morning, everyone!” He said cheerfully. Edge grumbled to himself.

            Food was served but Edge still wouldn’t set me down, passing me bits of food instead. The new guys ate with relish, and I remembered Holey’s story about how they came from a world where everyone was starving, and my heart panged a bit thinking of any of my friends in the same predicament.

            They had obviously been through a lot and were scarred because of it. But I had a way to help with that, didn’t I?

            “Edge, what if I use my . . . bitty-feel-good thing to help them?”

            “I don’t trust them for you to be that close,” Edge grumbled.

            “What are we whispering about?” Red and Stretch finally joined the table, still looking tired despite their sleep-in.

            “Not twenty-four hours after being kidnapped, Bunny wants to use her magic on the new arrivals,” Edge scoffed.

            My shoulders slumped. “I just want to help.”

            Everyone’s faces softened.

            “Are you talking about the nice tingling feeling I got when I held the human?” New Papyrus asked. “I would like to feel that again.”

            “Why don’t I try it with . . . Sugar here,” I said, throwing out a nickname.

            “The hell you talking about?” Holey asked, looking up from his plate full of food.

            “We recently discovered that bitties contain a magic-like energy in their souls that benefits monsters in terms of soul healing,” Stretch said matter-of-factly.

            Holey’s eye narrowed. “Let my bro hold her then.”

            “Absolutely not!” Edge huffed and stood up to leave the table, taking me with him. “We are overdue for puzzle exercises!” With that I was marched off.

            Edge took me outside where the morning air was cool and the sun warm. He set me down in the grass and used his magic to construct a bone maze. This time he started giving me advice on how to solve it.

            “If you follow the far-most left wall it will take you to the end. Though you’ll have to go through the entire maze, so it’ll take a while. This is a good strategy for shifting patterns.”

            I did as instructed, and sure enough I made it to the end even with Edge changing the layout of the maze.

            Papyrus and Blue joined us, also wanting to practice their puzzles. Edge convinced them to spar with him instead. Papyrus and Edge went first, casting attacks at each other while the other found the pattern to dodge.

            While waiting his turn, Blue sat with me and we began weaving flower crowns out of dandelions. I sat on his knee, happily teaching him how to tie the stems together. In the end he had a beautiful yellow crown.

            “That looks great, Blue!”

            “Mweh mweh! Of course! The magnificent Blue excels at all crafts!”

            “Speaking of crafts, I finished my plates with the clay you gave me. I was wondering if you could help me paint them? We need a special paint I think.”

            “Sure! That would be fun!”

            “Blue! Your turn!” Papyrus called. He took me from the smaller skeleton so that Blue could jog to the sparing area, still wearing his flower crown.

            “Hey, Pap, do you know where the new guys are?” I asked.

            “Yes, I believe they’re in the living room watching television. Would you like to see them?”

            “Yes please. Don’t tell Edge.”

            “Righto!” Papyrus spun and carried me inside. Sugar was sitting on the couch, enraptured by an animated film on TV. Holey was snoozing beside him. Sans was in a chair dozing as well, and Red was in the other chair, playing a game on his phone.

            “Thanks, Pap!” I said, hopping out of his hands as he lowered me to the floor.

            “You’re welcome! I’m going to return to the sparing match. Things can get out of hand if someone isn’t there to supervise!”

            I walked to the couch, stopping at Sugar’s feet and waved up at him. He eagerly bent down, folding himself over his lap to see me better.

            “Hello, tiny human! Have you come to watch the tale of the chef rat? Your Sans recommended it because he knows I like cooking so much!”

            “Sure, give me a lift.”

            Sugar gathered me in his large hands and carefully rose back up into a sitting position. He kept his hands against his chest, so I sat with my back leaning against him and my legs crossed. He practically vibrated with excitement.

            “It feels nice to hold you! I noticed it yesterday. It makes me feel happy!”

            “I’m glad.”

            “Will you let my brother hold you? I would like for him to feel happy too.”

            “Well . . . after he apologizes I will. Last night was pretty scary for me.”

            “I was scared too! I didn’t know where we were, and I could tell that Sans was upset.”

            “I . . . that must be really frightening. I’m sorry.”

            “It’s alright! It’s nice to be on the surface and have friends!”

            “Have you been outside in the sunshine yet?”

            “Er, no . . .”

            “Why don’t I take you?” I was remembering how happy seeing the sky made Rus, and I wanted to give that to Sugar as well. “Do you want to wake up your brother?”

            “Um, no. He didn’t sleep at all last night, I want to let him rest.”

            “Come on then.” I patted his palm. “Let’s step out onto the porch.”

            Sugar rose, and I pointed to the door in question. He seemed hesitant, so I reassured him with pats and smiles.

            “We don’t have to go anywhere, just step out onto the porch.”

            “Okay.” He still seemed unconvinced, but finally opened the door and stepped outside. It was a beautiful day, and a breeze immediately went by, stirring my hair and making Sugar’s scarf flutter. He stiffened, then stepped forward into a beam of sunlight.

            “It’s warm,” he marveled, letting it hit the bones of his arm. I hadn’t noticed before how slim and gray his bones looked compared to the others.

            “Do you want to step off the porch?”

            After a moment he did, setting his feet in the grass and looking up at the sky. “It’s so big!”

            “Yep. Probably the biggest thing out there.”

            “The light hurts my eyes.”

            “Don’t look directly at the sun. You can go back on the porch in the shade.”

            “No, it’s okay . . .” Sugar’s voice trailed off as he remained standing in the sun, staring off at the horizon. He pressed me a little tighter to his chest and I relaxed in his hands, letting him have his moment.

Chapter Text

            It was party time, and everyone was gathered in front of the new venue, including Sugar and Holey, who I assured the others were allowed to come, it didn’t seem fair to leave them at the house, especially Sugar.

            I sat on Blue’s shoulder, hiding in his bandana. I still worried about the leash incident at Grillby’s and didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Blue had insisted that I spend the evening with him and Papyrus.

            “Blue, if anyone says anything about me on a leash take me to your brother so he can teleport me home.”

            “Are you sure? You’d rather go home than just put up with the leash?”

            “I know it’s a pride thing, but yes.”

            “Well, okay, but you won’t have to go home because I will keep you safe!”

            Once we got inside everyone split up for different activities. Edge and Razz immediately went for the axe throwing area. Stretch, Sans, and Rus hit up the bar. Holey beelined for the food, and Sugar, Papyrus, Blue, and I went to the arcade.

            I couldn’t play much, but I did enjoy a few rounds of Pac-man, and sat on the gun in the Jurassic Park shooting game, laughing as Blue whipped the gun about to shoot at dinosaurs. Sugar didn’t care for the violent games and took me to the carnival-style ones where he had to spin, throw, or solve a pattern to win. Papyrus and Blue were caught in an intense DDR dance-off.

            We ended up at the claw machine and Sugar stopped, gazing in at the stuffed animals.

            “See one you like?” I asked.

            “That one is a bunny, just like you, though you are not a bunny. I knew a bunny in Snowdin, he was very nice, even when the famine hit he still tried to make his nice creams.” His voice became a little sad and he pulled me to his chest.

            “Try for it, Sugar!” I encouraged.

            “Okay!”

            A token was inserted and Sugar controlled the claw, focusing hard on getting it positioned just right. Unfortunately, the stuffed rabbit was caught by the arm of another plushie, and slipped out of the claw’s grasp.

            “Aww,” Sugar moaned.

            I bit my lip and looked around, checking to make sure no one was watching.

            “Sugar, put me in the prize slot,” I said.

            “This little door here?”

            “Yeah.”

            “But, Bunny, what are you going to do? Is that safe?”

            “No worries, I’m just going to give you a chance to win. Trust me.”

            Sugar hesitated a moment, then smiled, revealing his crooked teeth and placed me in the prize chute.

            Feeling giddy over our small, tiny, does-it-really-count rule breaking, I climbed up the chute, pressing my back against one side and my feet on the other, carefully ‘walking’ myself up. When I reached the top, I pulled myself over the edge and tumbled into the pile of plushies.

            I looked up and saw Sugar peering at me through the plastic window. I grinned and waved, then made my way toward the rabbit plush, wading and crawling through the sea of softness.

            When I reached the rabbit, I tugged it free of the other animals holding it in place. It was blue and had a bow around its neck. Outside the machine, Sugar put in another token and I watched as the claw came to life and headed my way. I lifted the rabbit as high as I could so Sugar could grab it easily. The claw clamped down, and the rabbit was successfully lifted!

            I tried to grab the claw as well, but the rabbit slipped, almost falling back. I let myself drop again, and the claw continued its journey, dropping the plushie into the chute.

            But now we had another problem.

            “Sugar!” I shouted, waving my arms. The drop had put me on my back, and I was tangled in the limbs of the other plushies, stuck like a beetle. When I struggled I only sank deeper into the cuddly quicksand.

            “Sugar, I can’t get up!” I shouted.

            Sugar stared in at me worriedly, wringing his hands. He looked around and I saw him call to someone over his shoulder. Papyrus and Blue joined him, and their mouths dropped, eyes filling with concern.

            “Do not fear, Bunny!” Papyrus called, “I, the great Papyrus, am a master of claw fetching games!”

            “Can you get her out?” Blue asked, “I’ve never played one before!”

            “Not to worry, I have spent many-a-hour perfecting my technique!”

            The claw came to life again and headed my way. I wiggled upward as best I could and lifted my arms as it lowered down. I grabbed one of the metal ‘arms’ and hung on tight as it rose and lifted me into the air. I sighed with relief when it reached the chute and I dropped down.

            “Bunny! Are you okay?” Blue asked, grabbing me from the prize slot.

            “I’m fine! And look, Sugar! You totally won!” I held out the rabbit to him, and he took it, eyes shining with gratitude.

            “You know, this may be why bitties are supposed to be on a leash,” Blue scolded. I stuck my tongue out at him.

            “Perhaps it’s time to try something safer. How about axe throwing?” Papyrus said.

            “Yeah! Let’s see how the others are doing,” I agreed.

            Everyone had the same idea as us, having gathered food and drink to watch as Edge and Razz competed to see who was the best shot. Neither seemed to be doing that well, they were used to magic attacks instead of physical weapons.

            Holey motioned for his brother to sit next to him and pushed some food in front of him. Sugar sat down, showing his stuffed animal and regaling him with the tale of our exploits. Holey’s large red eye wandered over to me, giving his signature stare.

            I was relieved when Blue approached the fence that blocked off the axe area to get a better view.

            “How’s it going, guys?” I called.

            “Pfft, these axes are hardly a worthy weapon, they are heavy and unwieldy, not ideal for a real attack!” Edge scoffed.

            “I’m thinking you two just lack the skill,” Holey said, his gravelly voice deepening in a way I didn’t like.

            “Ha! As if you could do better!” Razz snapped.

            In a blink Holey was gone, teleporting into the throwing area. He snatched one up and gave it a sharp throw. It whistled through the air, then the blade embedded itself deeply into the target – a perfect bullseye.

            Everyone went silent.

            “Whoa, okay, your nickname is officially ‘Axe’,” I said.

            “Maybe we should play some pool instead,” Sans suggested. Everyone else thought this was a good idea and headed to the billiard room, pairing up to different tables. I hopped off of Blue’s shoulder and onto a table. Stretch actually seemed pretty into the game, setting up to play against Rus. Edge and Razz once again went head-to-head, while Blue taught the rules to Sugar. Axe hung back, just watching, and Papyrus was trying to get Sans to take it seriously.

            “Sans! You can’t use your magic to move the balls! Use the stick, you lazy bones!”

            “Aw, come on Pap, you’re really sticking it to me. I thought I was on a roll.”

            Papyrus made a noise in the back of his throat, pool stick in his hands threatening to snap.

            “Hey!” I said, interjecting myself. “I’ll play with you! Watch!” I ran forward and dropped kicked one of the balls, sending it rolling across the soft surface. It bumped the wall and came to a stop.

            Papyrus sighed. “Well, it’s better than Sans trying to cheat.”

            The game proceeded as such. I tried different tactics, such as laying on my back and pushing with my legs. Sans helped out by giving my balls an extra ‘boost’. I would see his eye glow blue right before I made my attempt, and the ball would go flying.

            “Brother . . .” Papyrus groaned.

            “What? You’re playing against a five-inch bitty, I’m just giving her a break.” Sans winked at me.

            “Aw man, I thought it was my natural strength this whole time.” I giggled.

            “Eh, chalk it up to my good nature.”

            “That’s it! I’m getting a milkshake!” Papyrus threw his hands up and marched away.

            “. . . Did I win?”

            “By default,” Sans said, offering me his hand.

            I jumped into his palm, cheering. “Whoo! Default! Default!”

            Sans chuckled and deposited me onto his shoulder. He left the billiard room and leaned against a wall, watching his brother order dessert.

            “This was a good idea, Bunny. Pretty cool of you to make this happen for us.”

            “Eh, I know I can’t do much, but . . .”

            “No, really. It’s been hard on everyone being away from their homes. Things have been tense, there was lots of fighting, but having you here, getting us to hang out and enjoy each other’s company . . . that’s more than any regular-sized human could do. So don’t- heh- sell yourself short.”

            “You really think so?”

            “Yeah, you should have seen everyone before we moved in. It was a nightmare and everyone was stressed. You’ve helped more than you’ll ever know.”

            “Thanks, Sans. That means a lot to me. Ever since I became a bitty I felt like I didn’t have any self-worth, that I was less than human. So, knowing that I’ve been able to help you guys makes me . . . feel like me again.”

            I looked over my shoulder back into the billiard room where Axe stood by himself, watching as his brother played against Blue. His usually intense gaze had become softer.

            Knowing that I actually made a difference . . . it filled me with determination.

            That night I asked Sugar to take me to his bedroom.

            “It’s for your brother. You said that I make you feel better, so I want to do that for him too.”

            Sugar beamed. “That’s great Ms. Bunny! I’m glad you’re not scared of him anymore!”

            “He’s been through a lot but he’s still a Sans, right?”

            “I don’t know who else he would be.”

            “I mean that . . . never mind, let’s go to bed.”

            “Hurray! I love having sleepovers!” Sugar carried me into the garage and up the stairs to their bedroom. It was a decent setup, though a little lackluster. Axe was already on the bed watching something on TV. His eye darted to us as we came in.

            “Look, brother! The bitty is going to stay with us tonight!”

            Axe frowned. “That so?”

            “Yes! And she would like to sleep with you!”

            “Bro, no, I don’t want to hold the –”

            “Here you go, you two get settled, I’m going to put on my pajamas!” Sugar plopped me down on Axe’s chest and ran off to the bathroom before he could make further protests.

            I sat on my knees, feeling a little uncomfortable at being so close to Axe’s giant red eye and teeth. He stared at me, unblinking, then raised his hand to grab me. I flinched at the sudden movement and he stopped, slowly lowering it back down.

            “Ya don’t need to sleep here, my bro would understand. I can teleport you back to the main house.”

            “I’m here for you.”

            “Why?”

            “I think you need it.”

            He huffed, sending a puff of air against my face. “Need a lot of things, short stack, not sure your mere presences is going to solve this.”

            “Hm.” I laid myself down on his chest, curling up close to where the others liked to hold me. “I’ll leave if you really want me to.”

            “Why you want to help anyway? Our first meeting wasn’t exactly peaches and cream.”

            “Sugar- Papyrus, reminded me that you guys were scared too, and hungry, so I can understand reacting the way you did. Besides, you didn’t actually hurt me.”

            He grunted, shifting his weight to get more comfortable. “I’ve killed humans, kid, sure you still want to sleep with me?”

            “That’s scary, but I don’t know if I wouldn’t do the same thing if I was starving, if I had a younger brother with me.”

            Axe sighed. “Suit yourself.”

            Sugar reappeared from the bathroom and jumped into bed, making us bounce. He was tall enough that his feet hung off the end of the bed but didn’t seem to mind. He was wearing a pair of pajamas borrowed from Stretch and was cuddling his new rabbit toy.

            “So, what shall we do first for our sleepover?” He asked excitedly. “Truth or Dare? Spin the Bottle? Seven Minutes in Heaven?”

            “Sugar, do you know what those games are?” I asked, giggling.

            “Not first hand, but I have deduced the rules by their names. For example, Spin the Bottle must be a contest to see who can spin a bottle the longest!”

            “That’s . . . actually better than the real thing.”

            “Oh! I know! A pillow fight!”

            “That sounds fun, but it might be dangerous for someone my size,” I said.

            “Hm, that is true. Well, perhaps we will just sleep and watch TB.”

            “TV, bro.”

            “Yes, TV.”

            And so it was, though it didn’t take long for Sugar to fall asleep after the excitement from the rest of the day. I wasn’t far behind, eyelids growing heavy as the heat of Axe’s chest seeped into me. Before I could drift off, his hand came back up and draped over my body, covering my lower half. I glanced up at him in surprise, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was watching the show, his eyelight dimmed down to an almost soft pink, lidded and sleepy.

            I smiled and huddled down in his grip, shutting my eyes for a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

            In the morning, Axe seemed reluctant to get up. He hadn’t moved an inch all night, except to place a second hand over me. I woke up first, and when I tried to squirm away his eye opened, and it was almost white.

            “How are you feeling?” I asked.

            “I . . . not bad.”

            “Want to get breakfast?”

            He grunted and rolled over onto his side, keeping me pressed to his chest. “Five more minutes.”

            “Alright, you sleep, I’ll wake Sugar.”

            His grip tightened as I tried to get away. “Feels good.”

            “Okay but I’m hungry and need the bathroom.”

            With a grumble, Axe finally sat up and heaved himself off the bed. This woke up Sugar as well, and the three of us shared the bathroom to brush our teeth. Axe began to play with my hair, detangling it with surprising gentleness with the tips of his fingers. He kept me in his hands as Sugar led the way to the main house where breakfast was being prepared by . . .

            “Edge? I didn’t know you cooked too.”

            “I am the most skilled cook in this house! But we take turns.”

            Edge had prepared a meal of biscuits, sausage, and gravy. I finally got Axe to put me down with the help of some glares from Edge and made myself a big plate.

            “This is really good, Edge!”

            “Of course it is!”

            “Bro’s been practicing since we got to the surface,” Red said. “Your Papyrus gave him some pointers.”

            “Ha! It was only needed because the surface world is not ready for my skill set.”

            “That’s what my Sans said!” Papyrus said cheerfully.

            “I’m learning too!” Blue cut in, “but you already know how good my tacos are!”

            “You’re all great cooks,” I said.

            “I demand to learn the secrets of surface cooking!” Razz said, “I am already a culinary master, but I want to know surface techniques!”

            “I’d be happy to teach you, Razz!” Papyrus said.

            Axe pushed his empty plate aside – it had been licked clean. “You done?” He asked me.

            “Oh, still finishing,” I said turning back to my food. Axe rested his chin on the table, watching.

            “So, what’s the plan today, guys?” I asked the table.

            “Stretch and I are working on the machine,” Sans said.

            “Blue and I are going to train at the gym!”

            “I will be taking my brother off his lazy ass to the store for dinner preparations,” Edge said, giving Red a pointed look.

            “I will join you!” Razz said, “I have yet to visit a human grocery store, and if I am to learn how to cook I need to know about the food!”

            “Could I come too?” Sugar asked, nervously twisting the fingers of his glove. “I like to cook!”

            There was silence following that statement.

            “Why don’t you stay here with me, bro?” Axe said casually. “I don’t want you going out without me.”

            “But you could come with us!”

            “Nah, I’m beat from last night.”

            “Can we watch the ‘rat a louie’ movie?”

            “Sure thing.”

            “What about you, Rus?” I asked.

            The lanky skeleton was leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back legs. “Porch sittin’.”

            Razz rolled his eyes. “I would make you come as well but I don’t feel like dragging you around when you fall asleep!”

            “Good call.”

            “Did you want to join any of us?” Sans asked me.

            Before I could answer, boney hands came down around me and swept me off the table. Axe didn’t say a word, just held me to his chest and went to the living room where he plopped down on the couch.

            “Axe, I don’t want to sleep.”

            “Then don’t.”

            I struggled but his fingers locked me in place. “I mean I don’t want to lay around all day.”

            “Just for a little bit. Just for the movie.”

            I sighed. “Alright, but that’s it.”

            Axe hummed, satisfied and began to doze while Sugar put in the film. He sat on the edge of the couch so that Axe could stretch out and watched with the intensity of a student with their favorite subject.

            “Bunny, do you think the others will let me join in their cooking lesson?” he asked me.

            “Tell you what, I’ll talk to them when they get back and I’ll make sure they make room for you, okay?”

            “Thank you! I like cooking too, but I haven’t really gotten to enjoy it in a long time.”

            I wanted to ask – did they really kill and eat humans? Was it really that bad in their universe? But I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle the answer, so I kept my mouth shut.

            “Don’t worry, you can help with dinner tonight and it’ll be a lot of fun.”

            Sugar turned his attention back to the movie. I noticed that Axe was sound asleep, so I carefully pried myself from his hands and made my escape. Neither noticed.

            Going through the hole in the sliding glass door, I stepped out onto the porch were Rus was sitting in a chair, smoking and fiddling with something in his hands. As I got closer I realized it was a piece of wood and a knife – he was whittling!

            “Hi, Rus!” I announced myself and leaned against his shoe. He gave me a casual glance.

            “Hiya, Bunny.”

            “Are you . . . smoking a dog treat?”

            He smirked and removed the smoke from between his teeth, releasing a stream of purple smoke from his mouth and nostrils. “Yep.”

            I grabbed his pant leg and climbed up, sitting myself on his knee. “What are you making?”

            “Nothing, just practicing. Turns out the surface has videos that’ll teach you how to do anything. Thought a hobby would be nice, especially when we return home.”

            “Why whittling?”

            “Wood is in good supply and having a knife in your hand is always helpful.”

            “It might be nice to make things for people too?”

            “Gifts aren’t really a thing where I’m from.”

            “You could make it a thing. Be the change you want to see in the world, you know?”

            “Hm,” he hummed noncommittally.

            I slid back down his leg to the floor, deciding to leave him to it, and entertained myself with cartwheels and handstands in a beam of sunshine. As I played, Stretch stepped outside to join us, and sat next to Rus.

            “Got a smoke?”

            Rus nodded and passed a dog treat to Stretch. I stared at them as they lit up, shaking my head. “Does Blue know you smoke?”

            “Not when I can help it,” Stretch winked.

            “How’re things going in the basement?”

            “Pretty well, actually. Sans is down there if you want to see.”

            “I think I will.” I gave them a wave and headed back inside. Luckily, Stretch had left the basement door open, so I hopped down the stairs one at a time and made my way to the utility room.

            “Sans?” I called.

            “Somebunny there?” Sans answered, poking his head up from his work. I hadn’t seen the damage dealt to the machine, but it appeared to be in good shape. Sans was on his hands and knees but pushed himself back to sit against the wall as I came in.

            “Looks good.”

            “Thanks, luckily the damage was pretty minimal, and the computer wasn’t harmed so all the data is still there. We can send Axe and Sugar back tonight.”

            “Oh . . . actually, Sans . . .”

            He looked at me, raising a bone brow.

            “It’s just that . . . I promised Sugar he could cook, and . . .” I fiddled with my hands. “I mean . . . do they really have to go back?”

            “Why do you ask?”

            I approached and climbed onto his shoe so that I could sit down. “It’s just . . . it sounds like they came from a really bad place. Do they have to go back?”

            Sans sighed. “Yeah, they do. I don’t know what the consequences would be if so many stay for too long. Stretch and I have been keeping track of this universe’s stability and it’s not great.”

            “Wh-? How do you even measure something like that?”

            “Lots of magic and sciencey stuff. I’ll show you sometime.”

            “So, if they stay . . .?”

            “Dunno. Universe could collapse or do nothing. Either way, I can’t risk it.”

            My shoulders slumped. “But they’re starving.”

            One of his large fingers came forward and patted my shoulder reassuringly. “You know, when Pap and I were underground I had lost all hope. I didn’t think we would ever be free, even when Frisk fell I could see how determined they were and I figured they would escape, leaving us there. But they didn’t, they set us free, and if I had given up completely like I wanted to, then I would have missed out on ever seeing the sun, the real stars.

            “As hard as their world is we can’t let Axe and Sugar give up either, because their happy ending is still waiting for them, and if they give up and stay here then they, and all the monsters in the underground with them, will miss out on it. They have to go home.”

            My eyes and nose stung from the threat of tears, and I sniffed them back. “Sans, do you really believe they’ll get their happy ending? All of them?”

            “Worth a shot, right?”

            “I hope so.”

            “Me too. We can let them stay one more night, let Sugar have a go in the kitchen, yeah?”

            “Thank you.” I gave his finger a hug and Sans chuckled, ruffling my hair.

            “Edge, you need to let Sugar cook with you tonight.”

            They had just returned with the groceries. Red collapsed in a living room chair to sleep, and Razz was questioning Rus about his new pass time.

            I cornered Edge in the kitchen, climbing up to the countertop as he put things away.

            He cast me a glare. “I don’t need to do anything.”

            “Please, Edge? They’re going back home tomorrow, and Sugar wants to help.”

            “He does realize that you are not an ingredient, yes?”

            “Let him cook a normal meal before he has to go back. He’s been watching that cooking movie all day – he doesn’t get to enjoy meals where they come from.”

            Edge ignored me, shoving cereal into a cabinet.

            “Please? Come on, what if you were in their shoes? What if Red was starving to death? You saying you wouldn’t kill a human to keep him alive?”

            Edge bristled and spun around, loudly planting his hands on either side of me. I flinched.

            “Why is this so important to you?” He demanded.

            I looked down at my feet. “I just . . . you’re all the same people, kind of. Alternative version things, and it hurts knowing that any of you are hurting like they’re hurting.”

            Edge grumbled and straightened up. “Fine! He can help! But he’d better follow my orders!”

            “Thank you! Wait, Edge!”

            He paused as he started to turn away.

            “Come here.” I motioned him to lean closer.

            “What?!” He leaned his face close to me and I darted forward, planting a kiss on his chin. Edge flinched back, turning a deep shade of red, and quickly stormed off, leaving me to grin after him.

            I stayed in the kitchen to supervise when dinnertime came around. Sugar was practically giddy as he followed Edge inside. It really struck me how much taller he was than the other Papyruses even though he hunched over to make himself smaller.

            Edge was curt with his instructions, but Sugar didn’t seem to notice, smiling as he got to handle the food.

            “Wash the spinach and cut up those potatoes!” Edge ordered. “I will be seasoning the meat.”

            I gave Sugar an encouraging smile, but when he brought a knife out to start cutting, Edge grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and placed me on the other side of the oven, putting himself between me and Sugar.

            “Edge!”

            “If you’re going to be here you’re going to make yourself useful!” he cut off my scolding. “Mix the seasonings while I tenderize!”

            “More like terrorize,” I said, watching him take a small hammer to the steaks. I went to work, pouring different seasonings into a plastic baggie. The containers were about as big as me, and I had to eyeball the measurements, but I made do. Once everything was in I sealed the bag and shook it as best I could, tossing and swinging it around like a bean bag chair.

            I sat back for the rest of the cooking process, watching as Edge cooked the steaks and Sugar stir-fried the potatoes. When it was time to serve, Edge put me on his shoulder and carried the food out.

            “Potatoes look great, Sugar!”

            “Thank you! It’s been so long since I’ve worked with fresh vegetables!”

            “I’m gonna have to test these steaks to see if you’re a good a cook as you claim, Edge.”

            “Ha! I will let the food speak for itself!”

            It was, of course, delicious and I had no qualms telling him so. Blue helped cut the meat up for me into manageable portions, doing so with precision. I giggled as his eyes crossed in his challenge.

            “How was training, Blue?”

            “Very lucrative!”

            “You should come with us next time!” Papyrus suggested.

            “Eh, don’t know if that would be safe, bro,” Sans said.

            “What? You think I can’t handle it?” I teased. “I can take on everyone at this table!” To prove my point, I executed a round-house kick into one of Blue’s knuckles. He giggled.

            “Hey, pick on someone your own size,” Stretch winked.

            “What do you use to defend yourself?” Razz asked, his tone serious.

            “What do you mean?” I asked, plopping down to eat.

            “I mean that you are the size of my thumb and you should have a way to keep yourself safe!”

            “How? I can’t exactly carry pepper spray.”

            Razz became thoughtful. “Even the small wasp has a mighty sting. I will have to consider this.”

            I looked to Rus for clarification, but he just winked at me.

            After the meal, Sans stood up and stretched. “I gotta run an errand. Stretch can you double check the machine for me? One more round of diagnostics should do it.”

            “Brother, you are running an errand?” Papyrus asked in surprise. “You are my Sans, yes?”

            “Do you think I’m acting in error-and?”

            “That was terrible. You’re definitely my brother.”

            “Razz, can you do me a favor and guard the machine? Don’t want anyone getting ideas while I’m gone,” Sans said, looking at Axe.

            “What? Lil’ ol’ me?”

            “If we’re going back home,” Sugar cut in, “then I want to go outside. Come on, brother, we shall enjoy the sky while we still can!”

            Axe sighed. “Yeah, yeah.”

            I stood up as well. “I’ll come with you!”

            Axe held out his hand and I jumped into his palm. He brought me up to his chest and followed Sugar onto the patio. Sugar continued on into the yard, but Axe sat in a chair and cupped me to his chest. After a minute I saw the red of his eyelight fade into pink.

            “I’m sorry, Sans,” I decided to use his real name. “I wish you could stay.”

            He shrugged. “I get it. Too risky. Glad Paps could enjoy it for a bit at least.”

            “You won’t be underground forever, I know it.”

            “Hm. Before we were zapped to this universe I met a new human. She . . . she’s kind of like Frisk. Maybe, this time . . .” He shuddered. “You’re doing weird things to my soul, kid. Make me feel hopeful again.”

            “Give this new human a chance,” I said. “A little kindness could go a long way.”

            He grunted and sank deeper into the chair so that I could lay down. I hugged his fingertip and tried not to cry, knowing what he and Sugar were returning to.

Chapter Text

            “Alright, it’s ready,” Stretch said, booting up the machine.

            It was morning, Sugar was holding me in one hand, and his stuffed animal rabbit in the other. I was still in my pajamas since I had stayed the night with them again. Axe was morose, and unresponsive, hands shoved in his pockets. Sugar had said goodbye to everyone, so it was finally time.

            “Hold on,” Sans said, suddenly entering the utility room. He had been out late last night and I hadn’t seen him until now. Behind him Papyrus followed, carrying a stack of plastic tubs.

            “Sorry, slept in a bit,” Sans said. “Gotcha a going-away present.”

            “You did?!” Sugar set me on his shoulder so that he could open one of the tubs. Inside was food. Tons and tons of food – canned goods, jerky, sausage, flour, powdered milk, crackers, all non-perishable.

            “Got a bit of everything. The other one’s got army surplus, and the third is meat. Once you get it to Snowdin you can keep it from spoiling. Should last you quite a while.”

            “Look brother! This will feed everyone for months!” Papyrus said happily.

            “Sorry we couldn’t do more, only so much will fit through the machine, but we have your coordinates saved so we can send you care packages.”

            “You serious?” Axe asked.

            “Can’t do it too often since it’ll mess with the dimensional continuum, but if frogs turn purple it’s a small price to pay to keep you guys fed.”

            “Sans!” I jumped from Sugar’s shoulder onto Sans’s head, hugging his skull. “I didn’t know the machine could do this! You’re incredible!”

            “Eh, thank Stretch, he’s the one who worked all night to make sure we could send additional things through safely.”

            Stretch’s answer was to snore from his spot on the floor.

            I was crying, Sugar was crying, and Axe had silent tears pouring out of his good eye. Sugar scooped up Sans and hugged him tightly. The sudden elevation made me slip from Sans’s skull, but Axe caught me and pressed me to his cheek.

            “Thanks, kid.”

            “I didn’t even-”

            “Thanks for giving me hope.”

            I kissed his cheek and hugged his face as tight as I could. “Good luck, Sans.”

            Sugar snatched me from his brother’s hands and pressed his crooked teeth against the side of my body, making a “mwah!” sound. I kissed his nasal ridge in return.

            “Keep him out of trouble, Papyrus.”

            “I will!”

            I was handed back to Sans and we all watched as the two got into position with their tubs of food. I waved just as Stretch flipped the switch, causing a flash of light that left us all with shut eyes, colors dotted my vision.

            When I could see again, they were gone.

            Things got quiet around the house. I was moping, and the others seemed to be in a similar state, either feeling homesick or homedread, I wasn’t sure.

            Ever the optimistic ones, Blue and Papyrus started a board game in the living room, insisting everyone join. Razz claimed to be busy, Sans started reading a book, just calling his moves to Papyrus, Stretch fell asleep, Red got bored and started playing on his phone instead, and Edge just complained a lot.

            Only Rus and I seemed to be actually playing. I had fun being my own piece, hopping down the colorful trail and pretending to get stuck in molasses.

            “Bunny you have to draw a purple card,” Blue said pushing the deck towards me.

            I flailed my arms dramatically. “The molasses is pulling me down . . . can’t . . . reach . . .” I barely snagged the card with the tips of my fingers and yanked it down. “Purple! I’m free!”

            “Sans it’s your turn! Will you at least draw a card?” Papyrus said.

            “Hm?” Sans didn’t look up from his book.

            “Sans! Take Candyland seriously! You’re almost to the Gumdrop Mountains!”

            “How can he take it seriously? There’s no strategy to this game! It’s all chance!” Edge snapped.

            “That’s your issue?” I giggled.

            “Sounds like you want to gumdrop out,” Red grinned.

            “Don’t you start!”

            Papyrus sighed and moved Sans’s piece. “You landed in a Cherry pitfall! Serves you right!”

            “That’s not cherry nice.”

            “Gah!”

            Rus went next, drawing a card and passing me on the board, getting dangerously close to the castle.

            “No!” I protested.

            Rus grinned. “Candy Castle’s in my reach, darlin’.”

            “Not yet, it’s not!” Blue proclaimed, drawing a card. “Drat, back to Peppermint Forest.”

            Wordlessly, Edge snatched a card, tossed it away, and moved his piece forward, sighing through his nose.

            My turn again. The card took me to Rus’s space. “Ah ha!” I said, punching his plastic figurine over.

            “Not good sportsmanship, small fry.”

            “It’s Candyland, not Friendlyland.”

            “Sans? Will you be participating?” Papyrus asked. There was no answer except for a snore that fluttered the pages of Sans’s book which was now on top of his face.

            “I saw that!” Edge said, pointing at me.

            “What?” I asked innocently.

            “You moved forward a square!”

            “Bunny! Are you trying to cheat?” Blue looked disappointed.

            “Blue, come on, I would never- I would never, ever-” I took another step forward.

            “Bunny!”

            “The Candy King will not like this!” Papyrus declared. “Cheaters must face the full extent of the law!”

            “I’m not going back to jail!” I screamed, dashing across the floor.

            Papyrus pounced and clamped his hands down, trapping me in a cage of fingers.

            “You’ll never take me alive!” I cried, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

            “This is exactly why the bitty needs a weapon!” Razz’s voice interrupted our play. I looked up and saw him standing over us, arms crossed. “You’re too easily apprehended! Luckily, I am a master of self-defense!”

            “Razz, that’s not necessary, we can protect Bunny!” Blue protested.

            “Really? Because she’s been kidnapped from this house twice now that I know of, and the kidnappers had plenty of time to actually hurt her if they so choose!”

            Everyone went silent at that, including me. I had definitely become lenient in my own safety.

            “What do you have for me, Razz?” I asked, popping out of Papyrus’s hands.

            “A few things to try.” Razz knelt down on one knee and I approached him. He opened his hand to me and I studied the items there. They were a sewing needle, the pin to a brooch, and a rubber band with a small rock.

            “Not exactly a knight’s arsenal,” I said.

            “Your options are limited! Pick one!”

            I took the sewing needle.

            “Now defend yourself!” Razz reached forward, making to grab me.

            “Razz! I don’t want to stab yo- oof!” I grunted as he pushed me over, knocking me on my back. “Knock it off!”

            “Make me!” He reached again and this time I lunged. The needle didn’t do well against his leather glove though. It went through but became bent.

            Next was the brooch needle, this faired better and made Razz wince when it made contact with his finger. I had fun with the rubber band, it didn’t send the rock very far or hard, but I enjoyed hitting Razz in the forehead.

            “Alright, the pin will do for now until we can get you a proper weapon.” Razz said with a satisfied nod.

            “Cool. Hey, Blue want to help me make a sheath?”

            Blue gasped. “Yes! To the craft room!”

            Blue scooped me up and jogged to his bedroom. I clung to his fingers to keep from falling off. He set me down on the floor and sat on his knees next to me so that he could go through his craft drawers, pulling out scraps of leather and fabric.

            He remained oddly quiet as he worked. He had been a bit quiet all day.

            “Everything okay, Blue?”

            “Huh?” He blinked his bright blue eyes at me. “What do you mean?”

            “You just seem off.”

            “Oh! Not at all! I’m always magnificent!”

            “You sure?”

            “Well . . . I suppose I’m a little homesick. Seeing Axe and Sugar get to go home . . . just reminded me how much I want to go home.” His smile fell even as he continued to work skillfully on the tiny project in his hands.

            “That must be really hard.”

            “It’s not so bad! I like it here, and we get to be on the surface. I try to stay positive, especially for Papy, he can get sad really easily, so I try to be happy enough for both of us!” He looped a piece of leather around my waist to measure it out as a belt.

            “You’re allowed to be sad, Blue. It’s okay to feel homesick. Why don’t you tell me about it? Tell me what you miss?”

            “I miss training with Alphys and doing my sentry rounds in Snowdin. Some days there’s nothing to really do here since I can’t get a job, and I like to be productive! Unlike my brother . . .”

            “You know it’s okay not to be productive all the time. You still train and make stuff all the time – so think of it as a vacation, a chance to relax and try new things.”

            “What’s a vacation?”

            “It- Blue you know what a vacation is.”

            He shook his head.

            “Seriously? It’s where you travel to get away from your usual routine so that you can recharge and relax.”

            “Oh, like a day off!”

            “But for longer.”

            “I guess we didn’t really have vacations at home because there wasn’t really anywhere to go, plus I couldn’t leave my post in case a human fell!”

            “Well, now’s your chance to try it.” I held my arms up as Blue wrapped the new belt/sheaf combo around my waist. It fit nicely, and he had added a button to hold it in place.

            “What should I do for my vacation?” He asked, watching as I slid my pin into the sheaf to test it.

            “Well, why don’t we plan one together? For everyone? I think the others are feeling cooped up too, some fun will do us all good.”

            “That’s a great idea!” His eyelights began to widen and morph into star shapes. I found myself staring.

            “Whoa, your eyes . . .”

            “What about them?”

            “They’re gorgeous, they turned into stars!”

            Blue giggled and a sheen of blue coated his white cheeks. He was blushing! Just how Red did when I kissed him. “It’s because I’m excited!”

            “Good. Let’s go use the house computer and start planning our vaca.”

            “Alright!” Blue picked me up and raced to the media room. This had originally been the mud room, but the boys had added some extra TVs and computers to accommodate their entertainment needs. Blue logged in and began to search for vacation activities with my guidance.

            “This will be a great surprise for everyone, Blue. I bet your brother will love it!”

            “Stretch doesn’t need help relaxing, but it will be fun!” 

            Blue was way too excited to contain, so we called a house meeting to make the vacation announcement. Blue stood at the front of the living room, bouncing and vibrating excitedly, while I struggled to keep my balance on his shoulder.

            “We have announcement!” Blue shouted before everyone had a chance to sit down.

            “You’re getting married?” Red teased.

            “What? No! We haven’t even been on a proper date!” Blue gasped. “Bunny, should we go on a date?!”

            “I don’t think I’m your type, Blue.”

            “What do you mean? You meet all my standards!”

            “Why don’t you make your announcement first?”

            “Okay! Bunny and I have planned a vacation for everyone!”

            “Where you taking us, bro?” Stretch asked, slumping over the back of the couch.

            “The Summer Festival!” Blue said. He was bouncing so hard now I slipped off his shoulder, grabbing his bandana to keep from falling. Red immediately swooped forward and took me. I gave him a grateful smile. Blue continued on. “They hold it in the next town over! Bunny and I got a cottage to stay in with a pool! There’s a parade, and art, and contests, and bike tours . . .” Blue pulled out his phone to show the festival link to the others. Papyrus, Razz, and Edge gathered around for a closer look.

            “Sounds fun,” Red said. “If there’s a pool we’ll have to get Bunny here a skimpy swimsuit.” He poked me in the side and I shoved at his finger.

            “Already on it,” Stretch said, phone in hand.

            “Stretch, no, I have plenty of clothes. Besides it’s way too dangerous for me to use a pool.”

            “I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” Stretch said, waving me off.

            “We’ll bring ya a bucket,” Red winked.

            “Great,” I rolled my eyes.

            “One piece or two?” Stretch pondered.

            “Make it two,” Red leaned over Stretch’s shoulder to see. “Let Bun show some skin.”

            “Knock it off, Red,” I grumbled.

            “Aw come on, don’t want to put on a show for us?”

            “There’s nothing to see.” I made to jump out of Red’s hand, ignoring the raised eyebrow Stretch was shooting me. Before I could get down, Red’s fingers snapped around me like a Venus Flytrap and he stood up.

            “Let’s get a snack, Sweetheart.”

            Before I could protest I was surrounded by silence and darkness, then the kitchen appeared around me.

            “Don’t do that!” I gasped, body trembling.

            “Oh, sorry, though you were used to teleporting by now.”

            “G-give me warning!” I pulled myself out of his grip and jumped onto the counter. While I caught my breath, Red shoved some popcorn in the microwave. When it started to whir and pop he turned to me and rested his elbow on the counter, staring down knowingly.

            “What’s eatin’ ya, doll?”

            “Nothing,” I said crossing my arms. I turned away and knocked the salt shaker over half-heartedly. I took some of the salt in my hand, studying the crystalline shapes. “It’s stupid.”

            “You got that . . . uh . . . body thing girls get?” Red asked. “Feel like you’re not pretty?”

            I shrugged.

            “Now, now, don’t get salty,” he chuckled, “come on babe, you’re beautiful.”

            “I’m a bitty,” I huffed, drawing patterns in the fallen salt.

            “What’s that got to do with it?”

            “It means it doesn’t matter how I look, I’m still too small for a real relationship. You guys are my friends, but you still have to take care of me. There’s still that . . . pet aspect to our relationship that I won’t ever be able to get away from.”

            Red folded his arms and rested his chin on them so that I had to look him in the eyes. “You really believe that?”

            “In the end I just . . . don’t feel like a real person,” I mumbled, hugging my knees.

            “Heh, humans have said the same thing about us,” Red said with a shrewd smile. “Don’t know how well you’ve been able to follow monster politics, but sometimes ya get humans getting on TV sayin’ that monsters aren’t people, that we don’t deserve rights ‘n shit.”

            I looked up at him. I knew how rough monsters had it when they first came to the surface, but they had come a long way. Were they still fighting for basic things?

            “Don’t know what a ‘real person’ is,” Red made air quotes, “but it don’t mean nothin’ if you want love and respect. I know how you feel kid, and yeah, your relationships are going to be different – just like mine. You think it’s easy for me to get to the bonezone?”

            “You know . . . I have always wondered, but I didn’t want to be rude.”

            Red cackled. “It took some adjusting, but I made it happen, and you will too. If I can bang outside my species we can get you a hot partner.”

            “ . . . how?” I couldn’t hold back my curiosity anymore. “You’re a skeleton, do you have . . . or do you just . . ?”

            He laughed again, and I felt my cheeks go red. “Want me to show ya?”

            “No . . . actually yes, I’m really, really curious.”

            “Come’ere sugar . . .” He made a wall around me with his arms and pulled me toward his face, bonebrows wagging. I squealed and laughed as he planted a boney kiss on the side of my body, pressing his teeth and nuzzling as best he could. I laughed and shoved his face away.

            “Alright! Alright! You called my bluff!”

            “Open invitation, sweetheart.”

**Bonus Smut Chapter**

https://archiveofourown.info/works/18900019/chapters/44864773

           “Knock it off you loon,” I giggled, punching my fist against his nasal ridge. Red chuckled and pushed himself up, fetching the popcorn from the microwave.

            “Hey, Red?”

            “Hm?”

            “Thanks for talking with me. I feel a lot better.”

            “Good. I don’t want to hear any more talk about you not bein’ a real person or whateva. You’re one of us, yeah?”

            I smiled. “Hell yeah.”

Chapter Text

            Car.

            I forgot about being in a car.

            The last couple of trips I had taken out of the house had been teleporting or walking but now everyone was splitting up into vehicles for the summer festival trip and discussing how to safely transport me. Sans offered to keep a hold of me so that I could stay safe in his pocket or hands – this seemed the safest bet so I agreed and was taken into the car with Sans, Papyrus (driving), and Razz and Rus. Blue, Stretch, Red, and Edge were in the second car and I promised to ride with them on the trip back.

            Sans held me to his chest at first so that I could see out the window, keeping a loose grip. Eventually I was lowered down to his lap and Papyrus tried to lead us all in a game of Picnic.

            “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples, berries, catsup, dog treats, and . . . eel,” I said.

            “Eel?!” Papyrus balked.

            “It’s sushi,” I defended, “if Rus can bring dog treats I can bring eel.”

            “Alright. I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples, berries, catsup (even though you always call it ketchup Sans), dog treats, eel, and Fettuccini!” Papyrus said. “Razz, your turn!”

            “It’s been fifteen minutes and I already wish I had stayed home,” Razz grumbled.

            Rus snored.

            “Don’t get any ideas, Sans!” Papyrus said, “you can’t fall asleep, you are in charge of Bunny’s safety.”

            “If the lump wants to sleep I can take her,” Razz said.

            “Sure, I can relocate to the back for a bit,” I said.

            Sans passed me over to Razz who clamped his fingers down on me like a roller coaster harness. Once I was in his hands he seemed to visibly relax. He noticed the sheaf on my waist and nodded in approval.

            “I see you have your weapon on hand, that is good.”

            I looked up at him curiously. Ever since he had arrived Razz didn’t seem to want anything to do with me, now he seemed . . . oddly concerned. I gave one of his fingers a squeeze and he squeezed in return.

            “Thank you for helping me with that,” I said. “I feel better with something to defend myself.”

            Razz brought me closer to his head, holding me under his chin so that he could speak quietly and hear me better.

            “Safety is important, and you are far too small to not take it seriously! As a royal guard it’s my job to protect.”

            “Rus said you guys come from a pretty rough place.”

            “It is not for the faint of heart! I often have to keep an eye on my brother, especially when he falls asleep at his post. Can you imagine? He’ll just fall asleep at his station, leaving himself vulnerable! I have to assert myself even more to let others know that there will be consequences for messing with him.”

            “That must be stressful.”

            “And then there’s you! Your size makes you even more fragile than him! You need to be extra careful and alert.”

            “Well, good thing I have a professional royal guardsman to show me how.”

            “Heh.”

            I looked up and saw the hint of a smile on Razz’s face. He settled me against his chest and we continued the ride with quiet conversation.

            The house we had booked was big but didn’t have enough rooms for everyone, so each set of brothers paired off to share while I opted for a pillow on the couch. Razz kept a hold of me while everyone toured and dropped off their bags. Everyone was ready to hit the pool first.

            “Hey, Bun.” Stretch held out a tiny bag containing a swimming suit for me.

            “You actually bought me one?” I asked.

            “Yep. If nothing else you can sunbathe with me, yeah?”

            “Thanks, Stretch,” I said sincerely, accepting the garment.

            “Can you swim?” Razz asked while I changed inside a blanket tent.

            “I know the basics.”

            “That’s unacceptable! The pool is far too dangerous, if you are to be swimming then I demand you stay with me!”

            “Um, okay?”

            Razz refused to let anyone else hold me as we made our way to the pool, especially Blue and Papyrus, claiming that they would ‘play too rough’. I might have scolded him, but I was distracted by all the bare-boned skeletons before me. I openly stared at their naked upper bodies - all ribs and spines. Their bones were much thicker than human ones, and kept the shape of limbs, it was fascinating.

            The more rambunctious skeletons jumped into the pool for swimming, with Edge holding back, pretending not to care. Sans and Red went to the hot tub while Stretch and Rus laid out on some lounge chairs. Razz sat down on the stairs leading into the water and set me down in the water, keeping his hands cupped underneath me as I treaded water.

            “Razz I don’t want to make you babysit, you go swim, I’ll stay with Stretch.”

            “Do you want to swim or not?”

            “I –”

            “You deserve to swim and have fun too, so just enjoy yourself and when you’re done I’ll take you out.”

            “Th-thank you.” I looked up at him gratefully. He nodded.

            I stayed at the stairs, swimming back and forth, then diving down to tickle Razz’s feet. I was amazed by the intricate foot bones and grabbed his toe for a closer look. Razz gently wiggled me off and I resurfaced, laughing.

            Whenever one of the others swam over Razz immediately put his hands under me to keep me from getting tossed by waves. Papyrus offered to take me out into the water on his shoulder, but Razz forbid it.

            “And what if she falls off and you lose her in the water? What if she gets caught on something? Or gets pulled in by a filter?”

            Papyrus’s eyes widened, and my own stomach churned at the thought. I grabbed onto Razz’s shin bone, suddenly very aware of how big and deep the pool was, how much Blue was splashing. I looked up at Razz and he - seeing the fear in my face - scooped me up out of the water. He carried me over to Rus, the only one who had stayed in a shirt, and set me down on his chest. Rus peeked an eye open.

            “Mutt! I’m putting her under your charge now, understand?”

            Rus nodded. With that, Razz turned and headed back to the pool.

            “Have fun, darlin?”

            “Yeah, swimming was nice, but Razz seemed really paranoid about it.”

            “Eh, that’s just my bro. When we were kids he was always overprotective and didn’t trust anyone but himself to do things right.”

            “But why’s he so worried? I figured he didn’t really like me.”

            “Why?”

            “He just doesn’t talk to me much.”

            “That’s just how he is. He may seem aloof, but he cares.”

            “He seems like a good brother.”

            “The best.”

            “Can you two keep it down? I’m trying to even out my tan.” Stretch was lying next to us with a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses resting on his face. I giggled and laid down on my stomach, kicking my legs happily while the sun warmed my back. Rus raised his hand and rubbed my head with the tip of his finger, making me hum contently.

            After swimming everyone was hungry, so we decided to hit the town and find a place to eat. I changed into my sundress and stuck with Rus who tucked me into his hoodie, seated safely on his shoulder. I leaned against his neck, feeling sleepy from the day’s events.

            The historic downtown was decorated for the Summer Festival – flowers decorated every window, chalk art lined the sidewalks, and string lights were on in preparation for night time activities. The town bordered a river, and I could see it glimmering in the twilight.

            “Oh look.” I patted Rus’s cheek. “I didn’t know we were so close to the water.”

            Rus headed in that direction, with Blue running ahead. Stretch and Razz joined as well while the others continued searching for a restaurant.

            All around the waterfront, people and monsters alike were walking and sitting in benches, eating ice cream and watching the water. Rus leaned against a light pole and pulled a dog treat from his pocket. I looked up, watching him place it between his teeth. The warmth from the lighter hit my face, and the smoke curled up around Rus’s head as he exhaled.

            “Doesn’t bother you, does it?” He asked.

            “No, I just . . . I can’t get used to how surreal the world is up close and zoomed in,” I said, still staring as his eyelights flitted down to look at me. “It’s like Alice in Wonderland. There’s just so much muchness.”

            I watched the corner of his mouth glide up into a smirk.

            “See, even that, when you smile,” I reached up and placed my tiny hand against his dimple. “Your bones don’t feel like bones. I can see how they move.”

            I could also see how his eyes went soft, his hand relaxed around his treat, the subtle way he leaned into my touch. The softness didn’t leave as Blue ran up to us, beaming.

            “Bunny, want to get a closer look?”

            I nodded and leaped through the air. Blue’s eyes widened and he shot his hands out, catching me against his chest. We both giggled and he turned back to the river, running to the edge. He set me down on the shore near the sand and the driftwood. I took one of my shoes off to touch the icy water while Blue took off a glove to touch it with his fingers.

            “Are you having fun, Bunny? I’m sorry if you got scared at the pool.”

            “I’m having a great time, Blue. Trust me, before I met you guys I wouldn’t even leave the house, let alone go on vacation.”

            “Good! I didn’t want Razz to scare you!”

            “He doesn’t scare me, he’s a big softy.”

            “Really? Sometimes he . . . makes me nervous.”

            “What? Why?” I turned and looked up at Blue’s face, kind but uncertain.

            “Because . . . we are the same person.”

            I blinked in surprise. It seemed so unlike Blue to be bothered by such things, but that was the point wasn’t it? To put on a smile and not let those feelings get to you, to be stronger than your fears?

            But even Blue had his limits.

            I walked over and took one of his fingers between my hands. “I know you’re both ‘a Sans’, but you’re not the same person. You’re you, nothing can change that.”

            “It’s just . . . would I be like that if my underground was meaner? Would I become mean too?” Blue stared at his feet.

            “There is no way in any universe that you could be mean, Sans. That’s your biggest strength, you stay optimistic, even through the hard stuff. Yeah, you all might be the same person, so to speak, but you have your own unique souls and minds.”

            A smile finally crept back over Blueberry’s face. “Thanks, Bunny. You’re right! The magnificent Sans is one-of-a-kind!”

            I giggled. “There are those stars I love.” His eyelights had transformed into stars, and he blushed when I mentioned them. I held out my arms in invitation for a hug, and Blue wrapped his fingers around my legs, lifting me up to his face. When I was close enough I planted a kiss on his cheek and hugged tightly.

            “Mweheh!” Blue beamed and jumped up to his feet. “Come on, lets catch up to the others!”

            The rest of the group had found a place to eat across the street. Razz waved us over, but when Blue and I went in the hostess spotted me sitting on Blue’s shoulder.

            “I’m sorry sir but bitties are required to be on a leash.”

            “My friend here is an adult and doesn’t need a leash!” Blue protested.

            “I’m sorry, sir, it’s policy.”

            “Then I will be taking my business elsewhere!”

            The hostess’s eyes widened in surprise as Blue turned to leave - and all seven skeletons followed him.

            “I’m sorry,” I said, “you all didn’t have to leave, I can –”

            “Nonsense!” Blue waved my worries away, “there are plenty of places to eat that don’t care!”

            Sure enough, the road by the river was lined with food trucks serving an array of meals - tacos, hotdogs, falafel, pizza, even gourmet grilled cheese. All the skeleton’s split up to try something different. I stuck with Blue, sharing a taco and a lemonade shake-up.

            “This has been so much fun, thank you Blue,” I said. I wrapped my mouth around the top of the straw and sucked hard to get a swallow of lemonade. Everyone walked together toward the courthouse where live music was being played, and grabbed a table in the pavilion.

            “You’re welcome! This street food is way more interesting anyway!”

            “Gotta agree with my bro there,” Stretch said, enjoying a hotdog, “nothing beats this.”

            Everyone hummed in agreement, mouths full and attention grabbed by the band playing easy folk music. I huddled down into Blue’s bandana, hammocking myself around his neck. It was true, it really didn’t get better than this.

Chapter Text

            I groaned as I woke up the next morning. My nose was runny, throat hurt, and head pounding.

            Sick. How could I get sick on vacation?!

            I sniffed miserably and buried my face into the pillow I was using as a bed. It had been placed on a corner of the couch along with a blanket. I was thankful I had decided to bring Cucumber.

            I heard someone moving in the kitchen and called out for them.

            “Bunny?” Papyrus answered my call, looking down at me nervously. “Your voice sounds all scratchy.”

            “I’m sick,” I groaned.

            “Oh no!” He leaned down to get a closer look at me. “You’re all pale, and your body is hot,” he noted, touching my forehead.

            “I feel cold,” I said, drawing my blanket tighter.

            “Do you need the hospital? Should we go home? I don’t know how to care for bitty illness!”

            “Paps, it’s okay, it’s just a cold.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “I think so. Could I have something to drink?”

            “Yes! Of course!” While Papyrus ran back into the kitchen I heard the door open and looked up to see Edge enter, dressed in jogging clothes. He must have gone out while I was still asleep. A barrage of coughs caught his attention and he stomped over to me.

            “Bunny! What is that infernal noise?”

            “’M sick,” I groaned.

            His brow tightened. “Sick? Unacceptable! I demand you get better right now!”

            “I’ll get right on it.”

            “Here, Bunny!” Papyrus appeared with my thimble. I drank down the water inside while Papyrus used his fingers to prop me up into a sitting position. Edge crossed his arms.

            “What is required to quell this illness?”

            “Just need to rest,” I said, “could I have a tissue?”

            Papyrus ran off to find some while Edge leaned forward, filling my vision with his face. “Do not play coy with me, what is the true nature of this sickness?”

            “It’s just a cold, Edge, I promise. I just need to sleep it off. If you find any bitty medicine while you’re out that would help.”

            He straightened up. “Then I will! I’ll dress and wake the others now!”

            While Edge stomped off, shouting for the rest of the house to wake up, Papyrus returned with a tissue for me. I tore it into manageable sizes to blow my nose.

            “Aw, Bunny, I’m sorry you’re not feeling well,” Blue cooed, stroking my hair.

            “I know, it sucks that it hit while we’re out of town.”

            “Do we need to go home?” Sans asked.

            “No, no, really, you guys go check out the festival. I want to hear all about it. I’m just going to sleep.”

            “Are you sure?” Stretch prodded. “I’d hate to leave you alone while you’re sick.”

            “Dude, it’s a cold, I’ll sleep it off. I won’t even notice that you’re gone.”

            “We’ll return at lunch time regardless!” Razz said. “She’ll need food and medicine anyway!”

            “I am already getting medicine!” Edge shot at him.

            “I’ll bring you back something from the festival, Bunny!” Blue promised. I smiled at him and snuggled down into my pillow. He tucked the blanket around my body so that I was nice and snug.

            “You’re sure?” Sans asked.

            I nodded sleepily. “Just gonna sleep.”

            “Well, we’ll be back in a couple of hours, and you’ve got your phone. Call if you need anything, yeah?”

            “Will do,” I murmured.

            “I could stay with her, Sans!”

            “Nah Paps, she probably needs the quiet anyway. You’ll be bored with a sleeping bitty.”

            “Well, alright.”

            The sounds of their talking faded with the shutting of a door, and I went to blissful sleep.

            There was darkness all around. Thick goopy stuff that landed on my skin, and there was a white, melted face, staring down at me. It looked like a skeleton, but none of my boys. Its eyes were empty, its smile turned up way too high.

            “No, no . . .” I moaned waking up soaking with sweat, blanket kicked away. I was burning up and shivering.

            The face was still there, staring at me.

            I cried out and turned my face away, holding my hands out to protect myself. “Get away . . .”

            “Easy, kitten. I won’t hurtcha.”

            I whimpered, trying to adjust my eyes to see who was looking down at me. It was a skeleton, but I didn’t recognize him, all I could really make out were two cracks on his face, one traveling up from his right eye – which glowed golden – the other traveling down from the left.

            “Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t know there was a bitty here.”

            I felt the pressure of his finger tip on my forehead.

            “Jeez, you’re burning up.”

            “I – I want . . .” where was Cucumber? I kept reaching for him but couldn’t find him. “Want my caterpillar . . .”

            “Hm, this guy?”

            My colorful plushie was pushed into my arms and I hugged him tightly. “Who’re you?” I mumbled.

            “Name’s G, and you’re not looking so good.”

            I shivered in response, curling up on myself. I felt a hand slip under me and lift me to a sitting position, then my thimble was pushed into my hands.

            “Drink up.”

            I did so, sipping slowly.

            “There ya go.” The voice was suave and deep. “Lie back, I’ll see if I can find you some ice.”

            I laid back against the pillow gratefully, hugging Cucumber to my chest with arms and legs wrapped around him. A source of cold suddenly hit my body and I sighed with relief. Something soft touched my forehead, dabbing away the sweat.

            “They just leave you here sick like this?”

            “Jus’ a cold,” I murmured.

            “I don’t think so, you got a high fever. Bitty illnesses are strong and quick, gotta be careful.”

            “Who’re you?” I asked, looking over my shoulder to get a better look at his face. He was a skeleton but didn’t look like a Papyrus or a Sans.

            “My name is G.” He sat on the couch, leaning over me as he applied a washcloth wrapped around some ice cubes.

            “Oh yeah, you told me. Are you robbing us?”

            He laughed. “Nah, just checking things out. Saw the ‘Addams Family’ arrive and wanted to see what they were up to.”

            “Why?”

            He studied me for a moment. “How much do you know, kitten? You live with them?”

            “Yeah. Are you from the machine?”
            He smiled. “Sure am. I came from a . . . pretty lonely place, so when I appeared in their house one night I just went off into the world. I guess they never noticed that I came through. Everyone was asleep, so I just went on my way. Been living here in town.”

            “You have? This whole time? And Sans doesn’t know?”

            He shrugged. “Guess not. I never made myself known since I wasn’t interested in going back.”

            “What have you been doing?” Things were becoming clearer now that I had some food and my fever was under control. G had a plastic bag filled with ice pressed against my back and nudged the thimble of water back into my hands. I drank.

            “Hitchhiking, working odd jobs, got on the monster registry to receive financial aid so I’m renting a room of my own here in town.”

            “You don’t . . . you’re not like the others. Do you have a brother?”

            “No. I come from a very different place and time.” He became more somber at this revelation.

            “Oh.”

            “Heh, sorry about breaking in like this and scaring you. I didn’t know anyone was still home.” A laid-back expression replaced his somber one. He had an easy-going smile and a yellow eye that glowed at me. He wasn’t quite as tall as Papyrus, but definitely taller than Sans. He wore skinny jeans and a mid-length black jacket with a fur-lined hood.

            “S’okay,” I said, feeling sleepy again.

            “Do you know when the others are coming back?”

            “Lunch time . . .”

            He sighed. “Well, I can’t leave you alone. I know you’re probably not hungry right now, but I need you to stay awake and try to eat, okay?”

            I groaned in protest, but G ignored me. I was forced to sit up and a piece of monster candy was set in my lap.

            “Nibble on that. Someone left chicken broth in the fridge, so I’ll warm that up real quick.” He walked away, and I stared forlornly at the candy. The last thing I wanted to do was eat. I wasn’t nauseous, but my appetite had fled and had gone into hiding. Nonetheless, I forced a couple of bites down my throat, knowing I needed it.

            G returned with some steaming broth and crackers. Using a spoon, he presented the soup to me, coaxing me to ‘just take a few swallows’. I leaned forward and sipped broth from the spoon. He then dipped a cracker in it until it was nice and soft and had me eat that as well.

            “One of the requirements for financial aid is that you turn in proof of work or community services, so I actually ended up volunteering at a bitty center for a while,” G said while I ate. His hand was steady as he held the spoon out, not spilling a drop.         

            “Really?”

            “Mmhm. Mostly clean up, but I helped out with some sickies now and then.”

            My eyelids began to droop, and I swayed sleepily. G set the spoon aside and helped me lay back down.

            “Good girl, you’ll feel a lot better when you wake up.”

            “Thank you for –”

            “Get away from her!”

            I yelped at the sound of the scream, but G only took a casual step back as a bone shot down, hitting the floor where he had previously been crouching next to me. I looked up and saw Edge and Red charge forward. Edge went for G while Red scooped me up, making my head spin.

            “Wait –”

            “What do you think you’re doing here?! Do you realize you’ve incurred the wrath of the Great and Terrible Papyrus?!”

            “Oops?” G didn’t lose his relaxed demeanor. Edge sent another barrage of bones at him, but G dodged easily, seeming to disappear and reappear unharmed.

            “Red, wait, stop him . . .” I felt as weak as a new born kitten trying to protest and stop the raging monsters.

            “Bun, are you hurt?” He held me to eye level, taking in my feverish appearance.

            “He’s not dangerous . . .” I sank to all fours, too tired to stand.

            “I wasn’t hurting your bitty,” G said.

            “Just breaking and entering then?!”

            “Yes.”

            Edge growled and prepared another attack.

            “Whoa there, cowboy.” That was Stretch’s voice. I looked up in relief to see him standing between G and Edge. “Easy, Edge, no need to bring the house down.”

            “This imposter broke in and was harassing the bitty!”

            “The fever-ridden bitty you left here alone?” G challenged.

            Edge was turning red with rage. “The pharmacies were all closed! I came back as soon as I found a store!”

            “Edge, calm down,” Stretch said, “go check on Bunny, I’ll handle this guy.”

            Edge was still fuming as he turned to his brother.

            “Easy, boss, she’s still really sick,” Red cautioned. I lay curled up in his hands, too tired to say anything, trying to catch my breath.

            Edge grinded his teeth and pulled a bottle out of his pocket. “Give her the medicine right now,” he said, forcing his voice to quiet. Red took it and quickly took me away to the bathroom.

            “Hey, sweetheart, you alright?”

            “Really tired . . .”

            “That guy out there didn’t try to hurt ya?”

            “No. Made me soup . . .”

            “. . . Alright. Here, sit up, sweetheart, this stuff should help.”

            Holding me in one hand, Red unscrewed the bottle with the other. There was a drip baster connected to the lid, which he held to my mouth. I opened wide and caught the drop in my mouth. I made a face at the bitter taste of medicine, sinking back into Red’s palm.

            We left the bathroom and found the living room empty except for Edge.

            “Where’d they go, boss?”

            “Outside smoking those disgusting cigarettes,” Edge scoffed.

            I looked out the window to the back yard. I could see Stretch and G smoking and talking.

            “Well, Bunny’s all good, just needs some sleep.”

            “Good! Stay here and stand guard! I’m going out to make sure that imposter does not return. And I better not come back to find you asleep at our post!”

            “You got it, bro.” Red sounded nervous, and didn’t move until the back door slammed, signaling Edge’s departure. With a deep sigh, Red set me down on my pillow, tucked me in, then sat next to me on the couch.

            When the door opened again it was only Edge and Stretch that came in. Edge was looking at the soup bowl on the coffee table, fuming, while Stretch looked down at me with a lazy smile.

            “How ya feeling, small fry?”

            “I’m okay, just tired,” I said.

            “G said to say bye. He went back home.”

            “Hope you guys weren’t mean. He helped me.”

            Edge growled deep in his chest.

            “I’m going to talk to Sans about it, but I think G’s going to stay here in town. He’s taking care of himself just fine.”

            “Stop talking about the imposter!” Edge snapped. “Let the bitty sleep.”

            “Not a bad idea,” Stretch said, straightening up. “Could use some myself.”

            “Where are the others?” I asked, eyes closing.

            “They’re still out,” Red answered. “They’re going to get lunch and bring it back here.”

            “Now go to sleep!” Edge hissed.

            “’K . . .” I was already gone.

            “Bunny? How’re you doing?”

            “Hmm?” I opened my eyes, yawning loudly. I was sweaty and sore but did not feel nearly as miserable. I looked up to see who had woken me and smiled at Red. He stroked my back as I lay on my stomach.

            “The others are back, feel like eating?”

            I nodded. My appetite had returned with a vengeance and I was starving.

            “How ya feeling?”

            “Better, actually. I think my fever broke.”

            “Good, you were looking pretty rough there.” He continued to massage my back, making me sigh contently.

            “G said bitty illnesses are bad but go by quickly.”

            “Heh, yeah. Maybe don’t mention that guy around my bro.”

            I looked up at him, turning onto my side. Red continued to rub, pressing at the tense spot between my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”

            “Ya didn’t, he just won’t admit that he was worried about you.”

            I chuckled, which turned into a cough. “Tough guy, eh?”

            “Toughest I know. Come on, let’s get you some food.” I giggled as Red wrapped me up in my blanket like a burrito, lifting me up gently. I wiggled my arms free as we entered the kitchen where the rest of the gang was sitting around the table eating a mixture of Italian food.

            “Bunny! You’re awake!” Papyrus jumped up and presented a small plate. “I got you some spaghetti! It’s not as good as mine, but it’ll suffice.”

            “Thank you,” I smiled.

            “The festival was really cool!” Blue said.

            “Tell me about it,” I requested. Red set me on the table and I used a toothpick to eat my noodles, keeping my blanket wrapped around my shoulders.

            “There were tents with all kinds of shops and art, and people playing music everywhere! Lots of grilling too – Sans and my brother ate lots of hamburgers and hotdogs.”

            “Humans still haven’t mastered the art of the hotcat,” Sans shook his head in mock disappointment.

            “One human claimed to be able to learn the future by looking at my palms, but she couldn’t tell mine because I have no skin!”

            Rus leaned forward and showed me his phone, revealing pictures of the festival. I laughed at the photos of Sans using sidewalk chalk to draw a smiley face on the back of Papyrus’s skull, Stretch sleeping in the grass, and Red eating armfuls of snacks. There was even a video of Razz learning to hula hoop. I guffawed at the sight of the hoop swirling around his spine, caving his shirt in.

            “The instructor assured me it required physical prowess, but it appeared to just be a child’s game,” Razz grumbled.

            “Where were you, Blue? I don’t see any pictures of you.”

            “Wouldn’t hold still,” Rus smirked.

            “There was too much to see! I shopped, and went to the petting zoo, and there was a farmers market, and a car show!”

            “Sounds really fun, shame I missed it.”

            “We’ll take you next year!” Papyrus promised.

            “It’s still going on tomorrow, we could stop by before we leave,” Blue said.

            “Sounds good, if I’m not too tired.” I reached for a breadstick, grunting and grasping with my hand. Rus obliged and tore a piece off for me.

            “Heard you had a visitor,” Sans said, “Stretch filled me in.”

            Edge huffed under his breath.

            “Yeah, he said his name was G, but he wasn’t like any of you guys.”

            “That’s what Stretch said. We have his address, so I might pay him a visit this evening.”

            This caught my interest. I finished my food and stood up, pattering over to Sans with the blanket dragging behind me. The others were still eating and talking and didn’t pay me any attention.

            “What’s up?” Sans asked.

            “If you go to G’s, will you take me?” I whispered, not wanting to upset Edge with my request.

            Sans raised a bone brow at me. “Sure, but why?”

            “I never got to thank him, and he got me out of a rough patch when he didn’t have to.”

            “He did? Stretch didn’t mention that.”

            “He didn’t know. When G broke in he found me with a really bad fever and helped me. Even made broth.”

            “Fair enough. Let’s head out then.” He held his hand out to me and I stepped into his palm.

            “Are you going to teleport?”

            “Yeah, sorry, I know you don’t feel well but it’s too far to walk. Just close your eyes and hang onto me.” He cradled his hand near his chest and I gripped his shirt, shutting my eyes tight.

            Everything went quiet, then, noise returned.

            I opened my eyes, finding that we were now outside standing on the sidewalk outside a small brick building. A sign said it was the Rosebud Boarding House. Sans checked me, making sure the blanket was tucked securely around my body as he opened the front gate and approached the door. Before he could knock I caught the smell of cigarette smoke and turned my head to see a yellow eye glowing from the shadow of the garden.

            “Sans.” I tugged his shirt and pointed. Sans turned his head and G stepped out into the streetlight so we could see him.

            “Checking in so soon?” G said.

            “Thought I’d meet you for myself. Bunny wanted to come too.”

            “G!” I waved sitting up on my knees. “Thank you for taking care of me. I never got to say.”

            G smiled and walked up to us. He brought his hand out and nudged my cheek with a finger. “No problem.”

            “Yeah, thanks for that.” Sans stuck his hand out and they shook in greeting. “Some of our other residents have been less savory when they first met Bunny.”

            “Can’t have that. You ever have trouble with these bozos you call me up, okay?” G said to me. “Stretch has my number.”

            “You can visit us too,” I said, “right, Sans?”

            “Sure, gotta keep tabs.”

            G smirked and dropped his cigarette, crushing it under his foot. “Can’t promise I’ll stick around too long.”

            Sans shrugged. “Do whatever you like, just check in once in a while, yeah? Bunny would appreciate it.”

            “Yeah I want to hear about all the places you go!” I said. “I always wanted to travel.”

            “Alright, if I do end up leaving town I’ll let you know, Bunny. You guys better head back now, she needs to sleep.”

            I nodded in agreement and settled back into Sans’s hand.

            “We’ll be in touch,” was Sans’s final word before another teleportation took us back home.

Chapter Text

            “Papy!” Blue shouted.

            “Papy!” I echoed.

            Stretch stared down at us, sucker between his teeth. “Yes, oh noisy ones?”

            I was on top of Blue’s head, hanging on as best I could while he zoomed around the house, cackling loudly. Our Halloween costumes had come in, and we were both giddy with excitement.

            “That’s Captain Noisy!” Blue said holding up his pirate costume. In his other hand was the costume he had made for me, a poncho covered in beautiful green feathers and a feather hat – I was to be his parrot.

            Summer had passed quickly and uneventfully. When it got too hot everyone spent most of their time indoors playing video games and having movie marathons. Once the weather started to cool down again we resumed outdoor adventures with sparring and patio-sitting.

            In that time, Sans practically lived in the basement, claiming that he was ‘close’ - to what I wasn’t sure. Stretch and Red helped him out now and then, but the physical components were pretty much complete. Now it was all about the computer and finding the right algorithm, or whatever it was.

            Papyrus insisted that he take the night off for Halloween, and Sans protested, saying that we weren’t doing anything. So, Papyrus and Blue decided to do something and declared that we were hosting a costume party. I was eager to join in. The three of us went with a pirate theme for our costumes and it seemed like the others were taking part as well, at least a little bit.

            I laughed as Blue hopped up and down excitedly, jostling me.

            “Easy, Blue, don’t drop her.”

            “I won’t!”

            “I almost fell but Blue caught me with his magic!” I declared, throwing my arms out. “It was so cool!”

            “We’re going to go change. You too, Papy!”

            “Already on it, bro,” Stretch pointed to the red bandana tied around his skull.

            Blue rolled his eyes. “That’s the laziest pirate costume.”

            “We’ll make you swab the deck!” I shouted.

            “The poop deck?”

            “Papy, no! We’re leaving!”

            I cackled as Blue spun and headed for the stairs. When we got to his bedroom I jumped onto the bed and happily accepted my costume. I did a spin and flapped my fake wings.

            “This is so cool, you did a great job, Blue.”

            “Thank you! How do I look?”

            Blue had the full getup with a hat, sword, boots, eyepatch, black pants and a white ruffled shirt.

            “You look amazing!” I said grabbing my cheeks. “So dashing!”

            “Mwehehe!” Blue plucked me up and placed me on his shoulder. He jumped in front of the mirror so that we could see ourselves fully.

            “I think we’re ready for this party, Captain Blue.”

            “Aye aye!”

            “Oh! You’re in your costumes too!” Papyrus threw the door open and beamed at us. He was also fully decked out with tattered pants, a compass around his neck, and a bandana around his head.

            “You look great!” I said.

            “First mate, Papyrus!” Blue posed, “ready to set sail for the Best Halloween Party Ever?”

            “Of course!”

            “I want candy,” I said going limp on Blue’s shoulder.

            “Stretch says we have to wait,” Blue reminded me as we headed downstairs.

            “That landlubber isn’t in charge of us,” I protested, “it’s hidden treasure, Captain, we have to find it.”

            Blue’s eyes began to sparkle with temptation. “Treasure you say? Alright, let’s see if we can find where Stretch hid it.”

            “Good luck, I’m going to track down my brother,” Papyrus said, “he promised he would come out of the basement tonight!”

            As Papyrus walked off, Blue and I made our way to the kitchen. Edge was already there putting a pizza in the oven. The pepperonis were arranged to look like a jack ‘o lantern face.

            “Whoa, Edge you look really spooky,” I said. He was dressed in a long black coat and a pirate hat.

            “It is Halloween,” Edge said, rolling his eyes. “Costumes are supposed to be scary.”

            “Did Red dress up too?”

            “And also have you seen any candy?” Blue cut in. He made his way around the kitchen, checking all the cabinets.

            “My brother is gorging himself on snacks in the dining room.” Edge rolled his eyes.

            Blue gasped. “The treasure!”

            He took off through the door and sure enough Red was there eating Halloween-themed cookies, wearing an eye patch and a jolly roger shirt. Rus was there as well in what appeared to be a women’s brown sunhat.

            “Hey, Rus. Minimal effort I see,” I said, hopping onto the table while Blue searched.

            Rus peeked an eye open at me. His head was resting on his crossed arms. “Polly want a cracker?”

            “Polly want candy,” I corrected.

            “You gotta say ‘trick or treat’ to get candy, dollface,” Red winked.

            “Do you know where it is?” I asked.

            Blue pulled out his fake sword. “Reveal your secrets you scallywag!”

            “Yeah!” I ran up to Red. “We’ve got ways of making you talk.”

            “Oh yeah?” Red grinned mischievously at me and leaned forward.

            “Not those ways.” I rolled my eyes.

            Rus reached his hands forward and looped them around me, pulling me back toward him. I stumbled back, trying to keep up with his arms but fell. He continued to slide me across the table until I was under his chin. He nuzzled his face into my back. Over the summer he had become much more comfortable and touchy, addicted to my bitty energy. Razz assured me that he was just cuddly in nature and that there was nothing inappropriate about his touching, and that if it made me uncomfortable to just tell him no. This was usually unnecessary, I enjoyed Rus’s attention and he tried not to bother me during chores.

            “Rus! Caaandy!”

            “Already got the sweetest thing in the house.”

            “Aww.” I patted his nose ridge.

            “Don’t let him leave you high and dry, sweetheart,” Red said.

            “Is that supposed to be a pun?” Blue frowned.

            “Maybe. Guess I’m really reaching here.”

            Blue and I exchanged glances and he ran for the pantry, throwing the door open. “Found it! Top shelf!”

            “Oh! Use your magic to lift me up!”

            Rus grumbled and pulled me in closer, trapping me under his jaw. “Or use a chair I guess.”

            Blue did so, retrieving the bowl of sweets and bringing it to the table. I requested a pumpkin Reese’s which I shared with Rus. Red found some sour candies and Blue organized a pile, selecting one of each fun-sized candy bar.

            “You know that’s for trick-or-treaters.” Stretch made us all jump when he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

            “Scatter!” I shouted.

            Blue ran, Red ducked under the table, and Rus and I were suddenly blinked out of the room via teleportation, reappearing in the basement and falling onto the bed.

            Rus hummed and hugged me to his chest.

            “How’re you doing Rus?”

            “Better now.”

            “Rough day?”

            “Hm.” Rus rarely commented on his mood, even though he seemed to benefit from my healing energy the most. From what I could tell he suffered from insomnia, bouts of depression, and low self-esteem. When I was around he was more energetic, told jokes, and spoke more.

             I made a point of making sure all the skeletons got ‘soul sessions’, especially Edge, Red, Razz, and Rus. Edge would relax and become less angry. Red got happy and flirty. Razz would nap and slow down.

            “Gonna have to take you back home with me,” Rus said.

            “I wouldn’t mind seeing the underground.”

            “Nah, it sucks.”

            “Then I’m glad you’ve gotten to stay with us for so long,” I said, rubbing his hand. On his bedside table was an arrangement of wooden carvings he had made, each one looked better than the last – a testament to his practice. “Your whittling is getting really good!”

            “Thanks, darlin’.”

**Bonus Smut**

https://archiveofourown.info/works/18900019/chapters/44865004

            “Don’t fall asleep! The party is starting soon,” I said, shoving his chin. Rus smiled, eyes closed, hand tightening around my waist.

            “Too late, fast asleep.”

            “No you’re not, come on!” I giggled as I was lifted up and spun around, placed on the bed with the weight of Rus’s hand holding me down.

            “Unconscious.”

            “You are the worst pirate.”

            “Rus! Get up here! The festivities are starting!” Razz shouted from the top of the stairs.

            Rus yawned loudly and hefted himself up, keeping me in his hand. “That’s our cue.”

            “Come on, Rus, it’ll be fun! Halloween!”

            Upstairs the lights were off, the strobe was on, the Monster Mash was playing, and trick-or-treaters were arriving. Papyrus left the door open so that the kids could come into the house to dance and get candy. They all marveled at the skeleton pirates.

            “You look so cool!” A group of little boys dressed as superheroes stared in awe at Edge, making him flustered. I giggled as the tall skeleton remained frozen in place, allowing himself to be studied by the kids. They looked at the bones of his hand and asked to try on his hat. Red was nearby, being asked about his gold tooth by a brave zombie.

            Papyrus was equally covered in kids, with a princess riding on his shoulders, and two dinosaurs under each arm. A little cowboy hugged his leg, begging to go next. Papyrus beamed, loving the attention.

            Blue was making a game of candy distribution. Every time someone said, ‘trick or treat’ he yelled ‘trick!’ and threw candy in the air so that the kids had to crawl around the floor to get it.

            I was happy to see that Sans had joined in as well. He had written the word ‘pirate’ on his forehead (much to Papyrus’s chagrin) and was lounging in a chair, watching the party with a sincere smile.

            I finally spotted Razz in all the commotion. He was in a trench coat and wearing a hat with a large plum in it. A sword rested in his belt, and he looked just as cool as Edge, but was staying off to the side, seeming too shy to approach the kids.

            Rus and I found Stretch standing in a corner, watching over the party like a hawk.

            “Look at all the kids!” I cooed, “they’re so cute!”

            “Maybe stay with a ‘Papyrus’, Bunny,” Stretch said, his voice seemed a little strained. “Don’t want anyone snatching you.”

            “Don’t worry, Stretch, everyone’s just having fun.” Despite my dismissal I took his warning to heart. The kids were pretty rambunctious and could easily reach me from a ‘Sans’s’ shoulder.

            “Let’s get some pizza,” Rus suggested.

            Stretch followed us into the dining room where food was set out buffet-style on the table. Along with Edge’s pizza, Papyrus had made spaghetti and placed googly eyes on the pile of noodles to make it spooky. Blue had filled taco shells with gummy worms. I laughed at the sight while Rus grabbed a plate and helped himself.

            “Polly want a popcorn,” I requested. Rus passed me a piece of kettle corn.

            Stretch grabbed a piece of pizza and ate it free-hand.

            “Aw, Stretch, you took his eye.”

            “I don’t see what the problem is, I’m having a smashing good time.”

            I groaned dramatically. The kitchen door opened and Edge stormed in. In the normal light I could see that his cheek bones were flaming red. He was blushing.

            “Why are human children so insistent and curious?” He grumbled, grabbing a cup and pouring himself a drink.

            “They like you, Edge,” I said.

            “They shouldn’t! They should be terrified of me!”

            “It usually works the opposite way with kids. Love monsters, scared of the Easter bunny.”

            “Ridiculous,” Edge scoffed.

            “Kids usually are.” I made my way down Rus’s arm to his hand held the plate. I straddled his wrist to stay balanced while I grabbed the pizza slice. I pulled the whole thing up and took a bite from the top.

            “Well now the pizza’s ruined, got your cooties all over it,” Rus complained.

            I stuck my tongue out at him.

            The door opened again, but this time it wasn’t one of my housemates. I looked up in surprise and smiled. “G!”

            “Heya, kitten.” G was dressed in his usual clothes. “Sans told me about the party, thought I would stop by.”

            Edge went stiff and glared at him.

            “I know, Edge, I know,” G held his hands up in surrender, and for the first time I realized that there were holes in his palms. “I didn’t wear a costume, but I didn’t know you guys had a theme.”

            “That is not why I am angry!” Edge growled. He stomped toward Rus and picked me up off his arm. Without a word he placed me on his shoulder and left the room.

            “Bye, G!” I called quickly as the door closed. “Edge, I was eating. Don’t just move me around without permission.”

            Edge didn’t answer, he went back into the living room where a game of duck, duck, goose was taking place (but the name had been changed to human, human, zombie).

            “How come you’re still mad at G? He hasn’t done anything wrong, he even helped me.”

            “I was helping you,” Edge snapped.

            Then it clicked. Edge wasn’t mad . . . he felt guilty.

            “But you did help me, you helped the most by getting the medicine. I never did properly thank you for that.”

            “I don’t need to be thanked. If I trusted any of the others with getting the right medicine I would have stayed with you myself.”

            “I know you would have. I’m actually really grateful you came back when you did, it was scary being sick with a stranger. I feel much safer when you’re around.”

            Edge sighed, but I couldn’t read the expression behind it. Either way, he seemed to have calmed down. I stood up and gave his cheek a head bump.

            “Thanks for always being there for me, Paps.”

            His eyelights widened just a bit, and a smile tugged the corners of his mouth. “You’re welcome.”

            The rest of the evening went smoothly. The stream of trick-or-treaters slowed down and we all ended up outside on the porch to relax and treat any stragglers. Costume pieces were shed as everyone grew tired, chatting lightly. I sat on the armrest of G’s chair to hear about his travel plans.

            “I got an old motorcycle for dirt cheap. Thing didn’t run, but my landlady has a garage where she used to work on cars. She’s letting me use it to fix up the bike. Once it’s done I figured I’d take a little road trip, save up some money and go see the sights.”

            “That sounds so cool, I’ve always wanted to do the Great American Road Trip,” I said.

            “Don’t know if I’ll go that far, but I’ll send you a postcard from where ever I end up.”

            “Please do!”

            “I’d like to see your bike, G,” Blue said, “I always thought it would be cool to have one.”

            “Sure, come by whenever, I’ll show you what I’ve got so far.”

            “Cool!” Blue’s eyes sparkled.

            Rus stretched and stood up. “Gonna grab a smoke and head to bed. Stretch? G?”

            “Yeah, I’ll head out after that.” G stood up and held his finger out to me. “Good to see you again, Bunny.”

            “You too,” I said, taking his finger between my hands. “Come and see us before you go on your road trip, okay?”

            “Will do.” He joined Stretch and Rus in the grass to share a smoke. The others stood up as well to head inside. Sans, however, headed over to the smokers, though I didn’t see him light up.

            “Ready for bed?” Blue asked me.

            “Yeah, I’ll wait for Sans though.”

            “Okay.”

            G eventually left and Stretch and Rus headed inside. I noticed Sans pick something off the ground and put it in his pocket before following them.

            “What’s up, Sans?”

            “Not much, what’s up with you?”

            I yawned. “Sugar crash.”

            “Let’s hit the sack then.” He picked me up and brought me inside, setting me on the floor so I could head to my little bedroom. I forgot about the thing in his pocket.

Chapter Text

It was storming the night the machine turned on.

            We were sitting around watching TV when a blast of thunder woke me from my nap on Red’s shoulder. The house shuddered around us as the lights went out. I squeaked and fell, sliding into the breast pocket of Red’s shirt.

            “E-easy, sweetheart.” Red sounded nervous. All the skeletons were weary of thunderstorms. They didn’t have any in the underground, so even my more laid-back housemates were frightened of the noise and flashes. They had all subconsciously gathered in the living room together.

            Red, Stretch, and Blue had been playing a racing game when the lights went out. Rus was reading a book, Papyrus and Edge were working on a puzzle together, and Blue was learning Sudoku. Sans was the only one not present, working in the basement.

            There was a collective gasp as the house went dark.

            “Papy!” Blue called, and I heard him move across the room to his brother.

            “Oh dear, Sans is downstairs,” Papyrus said, “I’ll go, someone should check the fuse anyway.”

            “Oh! Wait, Papyrus!” I called. I heaved myself out of Red’s pocket and tumbled down into his lap. Red helped me get to the floor and I made my way to my bedroom where I found the mini flashlight I kept there. I had gotten it for when I woke up at night and needed the bathroom or a snack and couldn’t reach the light switches.

            I turned it on and made my way to Papyrus’s feet. “Ta da! I’ll light your way.”

            “Thank you, Bunny!” Papyrus picked me up and I shined the light for him so he could safely make his way to the basement.

            “Sans?” He called as we made our way down the stairs, which creaked ominously under his feet.

            Why wasn’t Sans answering? I tried to keep my grip on the flashlight steady as we went through the basement to the utility room. Papyrus stopped by the fuse box and flipped the switches, but nothing happened.

            “Lightning must have hit a transformer or something,” I said.

            “Sans!” Papyrus called again and went to the utility room door, throwing it open.

            I screamed.

            My little flashlight revealed the horrible form of a skeleton. His face was similar to G’s, but it was twisted, with a wide, unsettling smile. Glitch marks flickered around his head like a fire, obscuring his head.

            His body was a black mass, gloop that pulsed and dripped. It stretched, seemingly under his control, and a black tendril had Sans, binding his body and wrapping around his mouth to keep him silent. Sans stared at us with empty, terrified eyes.

            “G-Gaster . . .” Papyrus stammered, as if recalling a horrible memory.

            “Sans!” I cried out and jumped to my feet. “Let him go!”

            I could see his grin widen under the flickering glitches.

            “P♋p⍓❒◆⬧ . . . so good to see you . . .” The creature, Gaster, spoke. I could feel Papyrus’s hands tremble underneath me.

            “Brother, please . . . let Sans go.”

            Brother?

            “Of course . . . he’s done such a good job trying to bring me back, so clever to use the halfling’s DNA to find me . . .” Gaster reached down and stroked Sans’s skull lovingly. Sans flinched at the touch.

            Gaster looked back at us, that horrible smile not leaving his face. “But there’s still something I need to be complete again . . . the girl.” He looked right at me.

            I balked, taking a step back. Papyrus pulled me in closer.

            “But why?”

            “I need her soul. She’s the key to my freedom. Don’t you want me back, brother?”

            “O-of course, but I can’t let you have Bunny’s soul! She’s my friend!”

            “I’m your ♐♋❍♓●⍓.” Gaster’s voice became angry, and I saw Sans wince as the tendril around him tightened.

            “Sans can help you, Gaster! Let him go and he can bring you back!”

            “Sans has already made it clear that he is unwilling to use the bitty. Give her to me or I’ll take him back into the Void with me. It’s so lonely in there.”

            “B-but . . . I . . .”

            I jumped out of Papyrus’s hands and hit the floor hard, running toward Gaster.

            “Bunny no!”

            “I’m here! Let Sans go!”

            Gaster’s gaze turned and a tendril warped to life, coming toward me. I screamed and threw the flashlight so that I could run.

            A wall of bones shot up out of the floor behind me, blocking Gaster’s tendril. He responded by shooting the tendril toward Papyrus and pinning him to the wall. The bones disappeared, and I screamed again as a third tendril came for me. I tried to run, but it caught me easily, wrapping around my body and lifting me into the air.

            I was brought to Gaster’s face, trembling and trying not to cry.

            “Sweet little ♌♓⧫⧫⍓, offering yourself up to help my brothers. Your sacrifice won’t be forgotten.”

            “Gaster, please don’t take her! We’ll find a way to help you!” Papyrus said.

            “Why wait when the answer is right here?” Gaster said, motioning to me. He had a pair of hands floating in the blackness of his ‘body’. There were holes in his palms, just like G. “I will see you soon my brothers, we’ll be together again.”

            The tendrils released Sans and Papyrus, but before they could even get to their feet, Gaster backed away into the machine, and the world went dark.

            I screamed and struggled, tears falling from my eyes. The sounds I made fell flat, there was no echo, they just seemed to be swallowed up. My tears floated away into nothingness.

            The place we were in reminded me of the in-between when the boys teleported. It was all black, yet I could see, as if Gaster were just standing in front of a black screen.

            “Shh,” he whispered, lengthening the tendril to wrap around my mouth. I whimpered and tried to pull away to no avail. “This is the Void, little one, nothing can hear you here.”

            Where we moving? Was time passing? It didn’t seem to be, and yet something changed. Someone else was with us. I looked down and saw two familiar faces, holding each other in the dark.

            Axe and Sugar.

            I made muffled cries behind my gag, and they both looked up, eyes widening.

            “Why the hell do you have her?!” Axe demanded. He started to stand but two new tendrils zoomed out and bound them in place. Sugar looked on fearfully, and I saw that he was hugging the little blue rabbit I had won for him.

            “I brought you a snack,” Gaster giggled madly, holding me out so that I dangled over the two brothers. I sobbed, fresh tears falling. Axe glared at Gaster while Sugar stared up at me, trembling.

            “Go on, open up, you must be starving.”

            Axe glowered.

            “No? I’ll just hang on to her then.”

            Axe growled, an animalistic sound that made me shudder. “Give her to me.” Then he opened his mouth.

            I winced and shut my eyes against the sight of his open maw.

            Gaster giggled again, and I felt myself being lowered.

            No, he wasn’t actually-?!

            I opened my eyes again and screamed as I saw Axe’s teeth close down around me. I was released from the tendril and fell onto his tongue. His jaw snapped shut, like a jail cell, and I was cast into the darkness of his mouth, drool dripping onto my body, squishy tongue under my hands, and air passing around me as it traveled in and out of his throat.

            I screamed and backed up, pressing myself against his closed teeth. Axe remained perfectly still, even as saliva began to build up. His tongue shifted, folding upward toward his throat. I felt his mouth constrict and heard the gulp as he swallowed. I moaned and cried, pressing myself harder against his teeth. “Let me out! Axe, please!”

            “Not going to chew?” I heard Gaster’s voice. “Guess I’ll have to think of another way to get her soul. She might die anyway so I thought you and your brother would like something to eat.”

            Another growled rumbled from Axe’s throat, echoing around me, vibrating through my body.

            “My brothers seemed attached to her, so I’ll try to find a way without killing her, but at the end of the day, all that matters is getting out of the Void.”

            Gaster stopped speaking, and after a beat of silence Axe’s mouth opened, his tongue pushed me forward so that I fell out and landed in his lap.

            I gasped and sobbed, too scared to think or speak.

            “Bunny I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry . . .” Axe’s voice was pained. He shut his eyes and looked away from me. His hands were still bound behind his back, but I didn’t see Gaster anywhere. Sugar sat next to him, staring down at me with worry, clutching his plushie.

            I continued to cry and crawled to his stomach, finding the pocket of his jacket. I crawled inside and curled up into a ball, whimpering and moaning.

            “It’s alright, bitty,” Sugar said, “Sans wouldn’t have hurt you, he’s never eaten a human in his life!”

            “It’s, uh, it’s true,” Axe mumbled, “killed plenty to feed the other monsters- had to, we were desperate- but never ate ‘em myself.”

            The words were comforting, and I began to calm down into quiet tears and hiccups. “Wh-what are you d-d-doing here?”

            “Gaster nabbed us before the machine could send us home,” Axe said, “pulled us into the Void and kept us trapped. He said he was watching all of us, waiting for Sans to fix the machine.”

            “He said he was lonely,” Sugar added.

            “How long has it been, Bunny? There’s no time here, so I can’t tell.”

            “I-it’s been . . . months,” I said sadly.

            “Shit.”

            “Doesn’t feel like it!” Sugar said optimistically, “feels like it’s only been a day or two!”

            “I don’t understand, who is he? What is this place?”

            “W.D. Gaster, our brother. Not our brother, but our timelines are similar enough that I suspect the story is the same,” Axe explained. “He was the royal scientist in the underground, but an accident caused him to be cast into the Void – this place – the logistics are difficult to explain. The Void is . . . nothing. It’s what lies between universes, the gap between space and time. Gaster became trapped here, basically ceasing to exist. He was completely forgotten. I – and your Sans – found clues about his existence, books with no author name, clothes with no owner, research not done by the current scientist. We didn’t know who he was, we just knew that he had been. That he was a family member missing from our life.

            “It was his research that led us to the machine. We worked on it underground, but I never got anywhere with it. I assume that your Sans was able to get further once he reached the surface and had the resources he needed to complete it.”

            “This whole time he was building the machine to bring Gaster back?”

            “Yeah, obviously it malfunctioned and connected to other AUs instead. How did you end up here?”

            “Gaster took me. I guess Sans got it to work because Gaster was in the basement. He held Papyrus and Sans hostage until I agreed to come with him. He said he needed my soul to come back.”

            “Brother . . .” Sugar murmured worriedly.

            “I’m not going to let that happen,” Axe insisted. “Bunny, I . . . I need you to be brave now, and listen to me okay? Can you come out?”

            I shivered. I didn’t want to come out. I wanted to stay in here forever and wake up from this nightmare.

            “Please, Bunny,” Sugar spoke up, “I believe in you.”

            “How!?” I uncurled and poked my head out of the pocket.

            “Because you’ve survived everything else.” Sugar said.

            “Yeah, by stupidity and dumb luck!” I crawled out and walked along Axe’s thigh bone so that I could see them both. “Look at me!” I spread my arms, showing off my tiny form. “What can I do?”

            Axe’s eyelight softened. “What you’ve done for all of us. I’m rootin’ for ya, kid.”

            Globs of black suddenly rose up and planted themselves over Axe’s and Sweet’s mouths. I gasped and spun around, beholding Gaster who towered over me. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms, resisting the instinct to run and hide.

            He wrung his disembodied hands and began to reach for me.

            “Gaster, stop! This isn’t the way.” His hands closed over me like a sandwich, pinning me in place.

            “It’s the only way,” he said, “a regular monster soul won’t work, not even a human soul. Bitty souls have a special trait that none other have – the ability to supply a special kind of magical energy. It’s exactly what I need to form a new body.”

            “You think Sans will accept you if you hurt anyone?”

            At this he paused in lifting me. I wiggled and managed to slip my arms out of his grip.

            “Accept me? They don’t even remember me . . .” Gaster garbled. “I’m not giving up this chance.”

            “What do you remember? You remember your brothers? Papyrus who is always so kind and optimistic and would never hurt anyone? Sans who is so lazy but went through so much to bring you back? You think this is what either of them want?”

            The glitch flickered, and Gaster’s skeleton smile was dropped as if it had been flipped upside down. “I want . . . my brothers . . .” His hands trembled around me, “I need . . . my brothers . . .”

            My eyes filled with tears. “I understand forgetting,” I sighed. “I have a family that I miss every day, and I don’t even know their names. I know what you’re feeling . . .”

            I knew what it was like to forget and be forgotten.

            But I also knew what it was like to be found.

            You’re one of us, yeah?

            Thanks for giving me hope . . .

            You’ve helped more than you’ll ever know . . .

            Through the blurriness of my tears, I saw something glowing before me. I ran my sleeve over my eyes and saw a golden word floating in the darkness.

           SAVE

            I reached forward and caressed it with my fingertips.

            “I’ll help you, Gaster. I’ll save . . .” The words broke in my throat as I hugged his fingers and the blackness of his body began to rise up and surround me.

            I let it.

            I breathed it in.

            I was patient.

            Gaster felt the patient soul inside of him, willing to help, filling him with a healing energy.

            The glitch around his face was cast away and he could feel his body becoming solid again.

            And there was the little bitty, suspended inside of him, floating in his ethereal form while he fed off her soul.

            But that was the problem with having a soul again, it gave him feelings, a conscience. He could feel the guilt behind his desires, the agony of his selfishness.

            Not selfish, the little soul told him, it’s not selfish to want your family. To want to be remembered.

            Gaster sighed. He couldn’t bear to look at the struggling skeletons in his grasp, so he turned away and pulled them along.

            He stepped out of the Void.

            I opened my eyes but they were heavy.

            I tried to move but my limbs were weighted.

            I tried to breath and pulled in something else instead.

            Through the veil of dark water that surrounded me I could see skeletons. They were all there, Sans, Papyrus, Edge, Red, Axe, Sugar, Razz, Rus, Stretch, and Blue.

            I couldn’t really hear them, though I could see they were speaking. Some had bones conjured, ready to attack. I reached out for them and met a boundary. I felt like a fish in a plastic bag.

            “See?” Gaster’s voice echoed around me. “She’s alive, she’s safe.”

            I saw Blue pull out of his brother’s arms and approach us. He placed his hands on Gaster’s chest like a child looking through an aquarium and stared in at me.

            “Bunny? Are you okay?” His voice was far away and warbled. I didn’t know if I was okay.

            “I will give her back to you,” Gaster assured them, “but once I do I will be no more, so I ask that you allow me to say goodbye to my brothers in private.”

            The others were ushered out until only Sans and Papyrus remained. Sans stared, hands in his pockets, but Papyrus rushed forward and embraced Gaster.

            “Brother, I missed you so much and I didn’t even know I missed you!”

            “I missed you too, Papyrus. I’m proud of you both, and I’m glad to see you happy here on the surface.”

            “I just need more time,” Sans mumbled, “I can figure out a way to keep you here with us.”

            Gaster smiled – I could practically feel it, as well as his thoughts and feelings. They moved too fast for me to grasp, but some lingered long enough to understand.

            “I don’t think so, I lost my body in the accident and was tossed across the Void. This is more than enough, Sans. All I wanted was to see you one last time and be remembered. Bunny has given me that, and I can’t ask any more from her.”

            Sans’s shoulders slumped, and he shuffled forward, joining his brothers in the hug. “We won’t forget you again.”

            I could hear Papyrus crying above me, and my heart ached.

            “Take Bunny back now, Sans,” Gaster said. “She’s hurting.”

            Sans started to reach for me then hesitated, his hand trembling. “I can’t . . . I can’t choose her over . . .”

            “I’m not asking you to choose, I’m telling you what to do. I have wonderful memories with the two best brothers in the multiverse, and now you have them too. It’s time to move on.”

            Sans sighed and slid his hands into Gaster’s torso. I felt his fingers wrap around me and pull me forward until I was free.

            When the first lungful of fresh air hit me, I gasped and vomited up black sludge. Sans patted my back as I caught my breath. I collapsed into his hands, shaking and struggling to stay conscious.

            I looked up and saw Gaster’s face clearly for the first time. He smiled at me and it was full of kindness and sincerity. “Oh, and one more thing, Sans . . .”

            I lowered my head onto Sans’s hand, unable to hold it anymore, and passed out.

Chapter Text

            I woke up to the feeling of something warm and wet on my face. Someone was wiping it with a wet cloth. I blinked my eyes open and looked up into Sans’s eyelights. He smiled at me, but I frowned. Something seemed different.

            “Sans . . . what happened?”

            “Gaster’s gone,” he said quietly.

            “I’m sorry, Sans, I tried to save him.”

            “You did save him, but Bunny there’s something I need to . . . well, just don’t freak out okay?”

            “What?”

            He took my hands and squeezed them tightly.

            Took my hands . . .

            I looked down and saw Sans’s hands resting around mine. They were the same size.

            I screamed and shot up, colorful spots immediately filled my vision and Sans grabbed my shoulders. “Easy! I told you to –”

            “I’m big! I’m big again!” I squealed looking down at my body. I realized that we were on Razz and Rus’s bed in the basement.

            Oh, and I was naked. I had been covered in a sheet but sitting up made it fall. Sans looked away, face turning pink with a blush. I pulled the sheet back over my chest, still staring at my full-sized body.

            I heard the door slam above us and voices yelling. I looked up to see the skeletons piling down the stairs, demanding to know why I screamed. Papyrus was trying to hold them back, but to no avail.

            When they saw me they froze, jaws dropping. I felt myself blush and made sure I was properly covered.

            “Bunny! You’re -?”

            “How did you -?”

            “What happened to -?”

            “Guys.” Sans stood up and raised his hands for silence. “Take it easy, she just woke up.”

            “How did this happen?” I asked.

            “You got big when Gaster disappeared!” Papyrus said. “Your dress got all torn up, so I had to leave, but Sans took you to the bed.”

            “The connection between your soul and Gaster was complicated,” Sans explained, “from what I can tell, his corporeal energy was transferred to your soul when he tried to break the connection. Instead of breaking, it was reversed, and the additional magic brought you back to your original size.”

            “What? But . . . then where is Gaster?”

            “My brother is gone now,” Sans said sadly, “without a soul he couldn’t survive outside the Void, but - and again I’m just theorizing - his magic went to you when he was no longer feeding off of your soul energy.”

            “Makes sense,” Stretch said, stepping forward to study me. “If the link of energy feeding couldn’t be broken then . . .”

            “Reversed and absorbed,” Sans agreed.

            I shuddered. “I’m sorry.”

            “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Sans said, “you freed Gaster from the Void, and you gave Papyrus and I a chance to say goodbye. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted for us.”

            “It’s true,” Papyrus said, “I’m sad he’s gone, but I’m glad I get to remember him again.”

            “Here, Bunny,” Red stepped forward, taking off his shirt. “Put this on, don’t want all these creeps leering at you.” He winked.

            I laughed airily, still feeling light-headed, still not believing what was happening to me. “Thank you.”

            “I’ll go find ya some pants. I got some gym shorts that should fit.”

            I winced as a pang of hunger shot through my stomach. “I’m really, really hungry.”

            “Not surprising after your growth spurt,” Stretch said, “come on, Blue, let’s get her some food.”

            Blue gasped. “Yes! We’ll be right back!”

            As they ran off, I slipped on Red’s shirt so I could lower the sheet, keeping it around my waist. I smiled weakly at Axe and Sugar who were hovering nervously nearby. “You guys are okay?”

            “Yeah, got pulled out the Void when Gaster left,” Axe said, “and actually, took quite a lot out of me, I think Paps and I are gonna step upstairs.”

            I nodded. “Yeah, go get some rest.”

            “You okay, Bunny?” Axe asked.

            I nodded tiredly. “I am. I think so. Sans,” I turned to him as Axe and Sugar left the basement. “Is this temporary? Am I going to get small again?”

            “Hard to tell for sure, but I really don’t think so. Magic can be manifested and dispelled, but it can also be stationary.” Sans raised his hand and a small blue bone appeared, floating in the air. “I’m not feeding magic into this, I ‘released’ magic from myself to create it so that it can exist by itself. Now . . .” he smacked the bone against the bed, and with a small ‘whoomph’ it disappeared. “It’s a weak manifestation so a strong force was able to dispel it, but you in your physical body are very strong and will maintain the magic as part of your being.”

            I grew thoughtful. “Does that mean some humans were turned into bitties when a strong force dispelled their magic?”
            “Possibly, what that force was or why it only effected certain humans I can only guess at, but now that I’m done with the machine maybe that’s the next thing to start working on.”

            “That reminds me . . . Gaster said something about you finding him with the DNA of the ‘halfling’. What was he talking about?”

            “G,” Sans said, “I stole one of his cigarettes at the Halloween party and used his DNA to zero-in on Gaster’s location.”

            “But . . . How? Why G’s DNA?”

            “Because he is half Gaster,” Sans explained, “in his world an accident caused Gaster and Sans to be combined into one person: G. It was the only connection I had to Gaster and it was how I got the machine to narrow down its search results.”

            “Alright, enough science!” Edge finally spoke up. I didn’t realize that he had been standing at the corner of the bed, back straight and arms crossed like a body guard. “You’re far too weak for this conversation. Once my brother returns and you have eaten I’m taking you to a quieter bedroom to get some rest!”

            I nodded in agreement and slumped back into the pillow. Rus stepped forward and sat on the corner of the bed. Razz left to check on the others.

            Red soon arrived back with basketball shorts, followed by Blue who had made soup and grilled cheese. Stretch handed me some monster candy.

            I dressed under the covers then devoured the meal swiftly. Once my stomach was warm and full I began to sway, ready to pass out again.

            Papyrus picked me up at Edge’s demand. He didn’t want me near the machine anymore. I marveled at the novelty of being carried like a regular person, arm under my knees and shoulders, pressed against Papyrus’s chest. I was taken to Papyrus’s bedroom and laid down in his race car bed. Edge sat down at the desk, insisting that he was going to stand guard. I didn’t argue, I couldn’t argue, I was limp and my eyes wouldn’t open anymore.

            I felt each skeleton touch my head or squeeze my hand, however, whispering for me to sleep well and feel better.

Chapter Text

            When I woke up I thought it had been a dream.

            No, I was still a regular-sized human.

            I looked down at my body, then looked up and saw Razz was now the one watching over me.

            “Razz . . .”

            “How do you feel?” Razz perked up at the sound of my voice and walked over, kneeling next to the bed.

            “I’m okay, just kind of weak. How long have I been asleep?”

            “Twelve hours. Edge needed to sleep so I took over guard duty!”

            I smiled weakly. “Good to know you guys got my back.”

            “Can you get up?”

            I nodded and lifted myself, pushing the blankets away. As I stood my legs began to wobble and shake, but I made my way to the full-length mirror, staring at my full-length body.

            “Are you alright?” Razz asked.

            “I don’t hurt but I’m a little sore, and out of it, my whole body feels weak.”

            “Then let’s go downstairs so that you can get some exercise and more food.” Razz stood and put an arm around my back to keep me steady. Now that I was normal-sized again I came up to his jaw. I wasn’t very tall to begin with, and the ‘Sanses’ weren’t much taller than me. Blue was the only one shorter. With the ‘Papyruses’ I only came up to their chests.

            Razz carefully helped me down the stairs one at a time. By the time we reached the bottom my legs were jelly and Razz was practically dragging me to the kitchen.

            “Put some backbone into it!”

            “I’m trying! My body feels weird, you try going from five inches to five feet.”

            The kitchen door flew open and Blue came running out. “Bunny!”

            He slammed into me for a tight hug and I embraced his neck in return.

            “It feels so good to be able to give you a real hug,” Blue said.

            “It really does,” I said.

            “Careful with her,” Razz grumbled, “apparently her legs don’t work.”

            “Don’t worry, Bunny! I’ve got you!” Blue tossed me up over his shoulder and carried me off to the kitchen.

            Apparently being carried around wasn’t just a bitty thing.

            Blue set me down in a chair and I saw that the rest of the boys were gathered as well, they were all staring.

            “Man, I thought maybe I had dreamed it,” Stretch said.

            “I miss our little bitty,” Rus complained. He draped himself over my shoulders, hugging me from behind. “Hm, then again, this is pretty nice too.”

            “Mutt! Get off the girl!” Razz scolded.

            Rus whined and tried to take the seat beside me, pushing at Red.

            “Back off, this is my spot,” Red pushed him away. “How ya doin’, sweetheart?”

            “I- I’m good, I can’t believe that I’m . . .” I held my hands out, taking it all in. I took Red’s hand and laughed at the sensation of being to hold it.

            “It’s a damn miracle, doll.”

            I laughed and patted the table. I got to sit at the table! Sugar came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of oatmeal. He beamed at me and quickly served a bowl to pass to me. I took it and picked up a spoon, laughing even louder.

            “A spoon!” I squealed.

            “Uh, kid . . .”

            I was crying and shoveling oatmeal into my mouth. “I missed spoons so much,” I wailed. Axe reached forward and patted my shoulder.

            I suddenly shot out of my chair, standing up, tears freezing on my wide eyes. “Outside, I want to go outside! To town! And walk around on my own!”

            “Easy kid, don’t want to overwhelm yourself,” Sans said from the end of the table.

            “What’s all the yelling about?” Papyrus struck his head out of the kitchen. “Oh! Bunny! You’re awake!”

            I started crying again, sinking back into my chair. “I’m so happy,” I sobbed.

            “Weird way of showing it,” Red mumbled.

            Once I got myself back under control I resumed eating. There was oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt, and I ate my fill. After that, Red volunteered to help me back upstairs to use the bathroom.

            “I can still help you with your baths you know . . .”

            I bopped him gently on the head.

            “See, you weren’t so violent when you were tiny.”

            I giggled and entered the bathroom myself. First, I took a shower, cleaning what felt like my ‘new’ body. I scrubbed and shaved twice. When I was done I found a blue comb in the cabinet (why the skeletons had a comb I had no idea) and finally gave my hair a proper brushing. Before it had always been my fingers or toothpicks. I also brushed my teeth with an actual toothbrush – using a spare someone had from the dentist.

            I still only had Red’s shirt and shorts to wear, but that was okay. I stared at myself in the mirror, unable to stop smiling.

            There was a knock at the door. “Knock Knock,” came Sans’s voice.

            “Who’s there?” I asked.

            “Dishes.”

            “Dishes who?”

            “Dishes Sans, open the door.”

            I did so, grinning ear-to-ear. Sans smiled back at me, allowing me to pat his shoulders and cheeks.

            “Look at me, I can reach you!”

            “Sure can, kiddo. Mind if we have a private chat real quick?”

            I nodded and shut the door. Sans took a seat on the closed toilet and I sat on the edge of the tub.

            “So, do you remember anything? From before you were a bitty, I mean.”

            “Not . . . really,” I said, “I feel . . . nostalgic, like I keep smelling things that feel like a memory, but there’s no names or faces.”

            “It might take a while,” Sans said, “if you keep following stimulants it will help your memory return, but it could be a long time before you recall anything substantial.”

            I sighed in disappointment.

            “Hey, don’t get down. It’ll come back to you, and in the mean time we want you to continue being our housemate.”

            “Really?”

            “’Course, you can have the garage so that you have your own bathroom. Seems fair being the only girl.”

            “Thank you, Sans. I really appreciate that.”

            “No worries. Paps and I discussed it yesterday, we want to help you get back into society, get a driver’s license and all that. We’ll go to the doctor this week so you can get a check-up. How are you feeling?”

            “Little better now that I’m fed and clean, still weak though.”

            “I’m sure it’ll take a few days, but don’t worry.”

            “Can’t worry when I’ve got the best monsters in the multiverse by my side.”

            Sans chuckled at that, then his tone grew somber. “Speaking of the multiverse . . . before he faded, Gaster gave me the calculation I needed to send the others back to their worlds.”

            My smile dropped. “What? F-for real? You’re going to send them back?”

            “Well, yeah, I have to. They need their own homes.”

            “I- I just . . . it’s so sudden. When?”
            Sans shrugged. “The machine’s operational and the calculation works. They can go right now if they wanted.”

            “But . . .” I clenched my hands nervously, feeling tears building in my eyes. “I . . . I don’t want them to go . . . they’re my family. You guys took care of me . . .”

            “And Paps and I will continue to take care of you. The others can’t stay, Bunny, they have their friends and family to be with, their own surfaces to find.”

            I sniffed and wiped at my tears. “I just got my body back . . . I don’t want them to go.” Now I was crying in earnest. Sans stood up and sat next to me, rubbing my back until I calmed down.

            “I didn’t say they had to leave today, but I am going to tell them the machine is ready. I’ll leave it to them to come up with a deadline. How about that?”

            I nodded. He handed me a tissue and I blew my nose. “Yes, please, thank you, Sans. How about Christmas? Can they at least stay until Christmas?”

            “Yeah, of course.”

            My smile came back, and I hugged him tightly.

            “Alright, come on,” Sans patted my head and helped me up. “Paps wants to get you some clothes today, I think he and Blue are your designated fashion designers.”

            I laughed and leaned against him as he helped me out of the room. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

            Shopping was an interesting experience. I was still weak, though I tried to walk as much as possible. Blue and Papyrus kept carrying me whenever I started to get too wobbly. I kept my wardrobe simple so they wouldn’t spend too much money on me, but let them pick out anything they thought would look cute. Stretch seemed particularly invested, bringing me hats, dresses, and shirts to try. One said ‘I’m not short, I’m fun sized’.

            “Why are you like this?” I asked.

            Stretch just chuckled and winked.

            Sans joined in the shopping as well, finding a t-shirt that said ‘puns are how eye roll’ much to Papyrus’s chagrin. I had to rein in Blue’s excitement, saying I wanted to keep the clothes simple and practical as he tried to present me with beautiful dresses, high heels, and a variety of tops.

            “But you would look so pretty in these!” he protested.

            “I agree, but I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and guilty about you guys having to buy my clothes and it would make me feel a lot better if this round we just kept things simple.”

            “Okay, but . . . one dress, that I can pick for you?”

            “Deal, just nothing over the top.”

            Edge, meanwhile, hadn’t left my side. He always stood stoic and silent nearby, eyes flitting around the store. I kept casting him thankful smiles to let him know that I knew what he was doing and that I was grateful. He didn’t acknowledge me, but I noticed his eyelights soften.

            When I said we weren’t going to be trying on swimming suits Red got bored and wandered off to get food. Razz and Rus had stayed behind at the house with Sugar and Axe.

            In the end I had pajamas, pants, shirts, underwear, a coat for winter, and a lovely skater dress covered in flowers that Blue had settled on. I also got a pair of sneakers.

            By the end I was exhausted, and this time Edge took over my transportation, carrying me to the car. Red caught up with us and followed behind Edge, sneaking pieces of pretzel to me behind his back. I fell asleep in the car and when I woke up I was on the couch, and all the skeletons were present, watching a movie.

            Rus had my legs in his lap, and he smiled at me as I woke.

            “Hey darlin’, how was shopping?”

            “Good . . . just got some necessities.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

            “Ah! Bunny! Now that you’re awake we can discuss the remainder of our stay,” Razz said.

            “What?”

            “Sans talked to us about the machine,” Stretch clarified, “he said you wanted us to stay until Gyftmas.”

            “Oh, yeah, I mean, whatever you guys want, if you are ready to go home I understand, but I thought a holiday together would be nice . . .”

            “We’re going to stay, right Papy?” Blue asked. I saw streaks on his face and realized he had been crying. I held my arms out to him and he ran into my embrace.

            “Yeah, bro, we can do that, but then it’s time to go home.”

            Blue nodded in agreement, keeping me locked in a hug.

            “We will stay as well,” Edge declared. “Gyftmas isn’t wildly celebrated in our underground, and I am curious.”

            “Heh, sure it ain’t nothing to do with our dust bunny, boss?” Red teased.

            Edge just huffed.

            “Us as well,” Razz said. Rus picked up my leg and pretended it was a guitar, strumming my calf. I giggled.

            “You too, Axe and Sugar?” I asked looking over Blue’s shoulder.

            Sugar nodded enthusiastically. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper Gyftmas celebration!”

            “You know I ain’t in no hurry to go back,” Axe agreed.

            “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited!” I squealed, bouncing in Blue’s arms. “We’re going to make this the best Gyftmas party ever!”

            I still had a little over a month with my skeletons, and I was going to make it count.

Chapter Text

            I dreamed of smells and colors, of people shapes and animals. My memories were trying to resurface, and every night I would wake up, grasping at the dreams as they faded away back into my subconscious.

            I was having trouble breaking the habits I had developed as a bitty. I found myself going to the pantry to sneak food. I kept my box of bitty stuff in the corner (just in case). I was startled by loud noises, especially stomping feet.

            I dreamed of giant spiders and reaching hands.

            I tried sleeping in a room by myself. Blue wanted to give me his room while he bunked with his brother, but each night I woke up and wandered the house until I ended up with one of the boys – Papyrus and Blue when I needed comfort. They were cuddle bugs and always happy to let me stay with them without question.

            I stayed Edge when I felt scared, especially after a bitty-related nightmare. He would wake up when I opened his door and lift his covers for me without comment.

            “Edge, if I get small again . . .”

            “You won’t, Classic said there’s no change in your magic levels.”

            “B-but, um, if I do . . . please keep me safe,” I whimpered.

            “You won’t.”

            “B-but you’ll . . .”

            “Fine, you won’t shrink again, but if you do I won’t let anything happen to you. Now go to sleep.”

            When I was lonely I preferred Rus and Razz. I would slip into bed next to Rus and he would instantly wrap me up in his arms, nomming my head.

            “Rus no, you already had dinner,” I whispered as he munched my hair playfully.

            He whined in response.

            “Will you two hush and go to sleep?”

            “Have a taste, bro, Bunny is yummy.”

            “Absolutely not!”

             Sometimes I would run into Stretch or Sans having an episode of insomnia and we would sit on the couch and watch YouTube videos until we passed out. The two always ended up in a barrage of puns, making me laugh until I was too tired to remember what I was upset about. Sans always left me tucked in on the couch, but Stretch liked to take me to his room, carrying me to bed so that I woke up clinging to his chest.

            Some nights Axe would ask me to join him and Sugar and I obliged, bringing snacks and Cucumber (still a comfort) for a sleepover. Sugar loved to play games and make food for the occasion, and I was happy to join him. Axe seemed content to just sit back and watch us, a lazy smile on his face.

            I rarely stayed with Red, but once in a while I would seek his teasing and flirting for a laugh and would wake up to find that I had stolen the covers and shoved him into a corner of the bed with my feet (he didn’t seem to mind).

            My days became pretty busy with doctor visits and government paperwork to become a legal person. I was the first and only bitty to become a human again but luckily there was a process to follow. Some other adult bitties had worked to get themselves legal names and identifications following their shrink, and I went through similar hoops with Sans at my side.

            “So, what are you going to do once you’re in the books?” Sans asked.

            “I’m going back to school,” I declared. “I don’t know what I was doing before, but I’m going to become a lawyer for bitty rights.” I beamed. It was something I had been thinking about since I grew, and I had been doing research into the matter. “I’m going to work towards better regulations on bitty centers, cut down on bitty trafficking and abuse, and make sure they have a legal representative.”

            “That’s a tall order,” Sans said, “good thing you’ve got the talent to make it happen.”

            I smiled and hugged his neck. “You really think so, Sans?”

            “I’ve seen you go all spitfire against people much bigger and scarier than you, this should be a cakewalk.”

            “I have to get over this anxiety first,” I said.

            “Once step at a time, you’ll get there.”

            I was referring to my issues with social anxiety. I noticed it when we first went clothes shopping, but my anxiety increased with each outing. I was skittish and didn’t know how to talk to people. Sans noticed when he took me to the doctor and I tried to hide in his jacket in the waiting room.

            The worst was the night we went out for a celebratory dinner. Papyrus had picked out a nice restaurant for us all to enjoy, and I felt fine until we sat down.

            I started to feel cramped, I felt like eyes were on me, that the waitress was judging.

            Leash.

            I shook my head. I was big now. They wouldn’t make me put on a leash.

            Bitties aren’t allowed without . . .

            My mouth went dry and I tried to take my water, but my hand was shaking. I felt queasy.

            When the waitress took our orders I tried to whisper mine to Papyrus, who frowned and leaned over me. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

            “I-I . . . I don’t know . . .” I whispered back. I tried to read the menu, but I was crying. I couldn’t bear to look up at anyone. I felt so small, so scared.

            I bent over to Rus who was sitting on my other side and tried to burrow inside his jacket.

            Hide, hide . . .

            “Bunny?” Rus put his arms around me as I tried to hide deeper. If I could get in his sleeve or pocket I would be safe.

            “Take her home, Mutt,” Razz said, “watch over her. We’ll take the meal to go.”

             In a blink the world went dark and then I was surrounded by the familiar comfort of home. We had teleported. 

            “Bunny, you don’t fit in my coat anymore.”

            I resurfaced, sniffing and wiping at my tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

            “Nothing wrong with ya, darlin’,” Rus put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. We were sitting on the couch. “When bro and I arrived here we were having some similar problems, and that whittling thing wasn’t the only thing I researched. Sounds like you might be having some PTSD.”

            “I’m not . . . no, I wasn’t in war . . .”

            “No but you’ve been through some traumatic shit. Can affect anyone. You talk to Sans, okay? He’s been taking you to the physical doctor, so you ask to see a mind doctor too.”

            I nodded and wrapped my arms around him, nuzzling my face into his shirt. “Thank you, Rus.”

            “Don’t worry, little one, I got ya.”

**Bonus Smut**

https://archiveofourown.info/works/18900019/chapters/44865445

           So, Sans set up therapy sessions as well. The doctor suggested that the best way to get used to life again was to get a job. I was perplexed but intrigued by this idea. Sure, I was scared, but I wanted to be able to afford the perfect Gyftmas presents for the boys. Luckily, Grillby’s was in walking distance and he was looking for part-time help. It felt strange but good to be working again, and it helped me build up my strength and social prowess. Whenever I got anxious I grounded myself and remembered the jar of cash I was accumulating for Gyftmas.

            Slowly but surely, I got better.

            As we got closer to the holidays I planned out personal shopping trips for each of the guys. On my days off I invited each one out for a date, just the two of us so that they could help me find a present for their brother, and so that we could have personal time before they had to leave.

Chapter Text

Stretch

            “Blue likes cooking,” Stretch suggested as we walked through the mall.

            I had my arm looped with his, eating a Tootsie Pop thoughtfully as I studied the stores we passed. Stretch had a sucker as well, the hard candy clinked against his teeth as he ate.

            “Would that be too impersonal?” I asked.

            “You know he’ll love anything you get him.”

            “You know, when you guys saw me for the first time I could hear you talking about what to do with me. Blue was the first one who wanted to just talk to me. He said I was still human, not just a pest.”

            “Heh, that’s my bro,” Stretch said fondly, adjusting his sucker from one corner of his mouth to the other.

            “And then there’s you, you had the chance to catch me, but you didn’t.”

            “Well, don’t go thinking I’m nice or anything,” Stretch teased, “I’m just too lazy to go bitty chasing.” He ruffled my hair and I giggled.

            We found a store for kitchen appliances and began to explore. Stretch made helpful suggestions, but I was drawn toward the cook books, specifically one on various taco recipes.

            “What do you think?”

            “He’ll love it.”

            I nodded with convection and we got in line to check out.

            “Are you excited to go back home?”

            “I am,” Stretch nodded. There was a crack as he bit down on his sucker and removed the now bare stick. “Ready to be back with our friends. Ready to get to our surface.”

            “I hope you don’t have to wait long.”

            He shrugged. “Eh, even if we do, I’ve had a taste of freedom, it gives me something to work towards. To hope for.”

            I smiled.

            “Now, I know you have a date with Blue tomorrow, so I don’t want you spending your money on me,” Stretch warned, “I’m serious, I know how little you have and how hard you worked for it.”

            “Stretch, I’m getting everyone a gift.”

            “I want a picture of the three of us,” Stretch said, “that’s it. A souvenir of our time together.”

            “Okay, I think I can handle that. Let’s take the picture when we get home.”

            “Sounds good. Don’t want you to get all negative on me.”

            “Oh please,” I snorted.

            “Taking a shot at my puns? I see how it is.”

            After that, all Stretch wanted to do was take a nap, so that’s what we did. Back home I grabbed all the blankets I could steal and the two of us bundled up together on the couch where we fell asleep to Netflix.

            It was the most comfortable I had been in a long time.

Blue

            My energetic friend wasn’t satisfied with just shopping, he wanted a full day of activities with me. We printed out the photo I had taken where Stretch, Blue, and I were beaming at the camera. Sans had taken it for us, and Stretch had worked his puns to make sure I had a sincere laugh in the picture. We got it framed, and then headed to the park where ice skating had been setup for the winter season.

            “This would be way easier if I was a bitty again,” I said, legs wobbling as I tried to get my balance on the ice. “You could just hold on to me and skate around.”

            Blue held my hand, keeping me steady. “Don’t be silly, you’ve got this!”

            “How are you so good at this?” I asked.

            “In the underground we lived in a town called Snowdin – you can imagine where it got its name!”

            “From all the beach-front property?”

            “From the snow! Papy and I ice skated all the time. Well, I would ice skate, he usually just laid back and slid around.”

            I giggled at that, I could just picture Stretch laid out on a frozen pond while Blue skated circles around him. “I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

            “We’re not leaving yet!”

            “I know, I just –”

            “Leaving talk is not allowed!” Blue scolded, shaking a finger at me. “No sad stuff, only fun!”

            “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

            “It’s okay! It’s time for you to try by yourself, ready?”

            “Oh wait!”

            “Go!” Blue gave me a gentle push to send me gliding. I concentrated on distributing my weight from left foot to right, going faster and faster.

            “I’m doing it!” I called. Blue skated up next to me, laughing.

            “How do I slow down?” I asked.

            “What?”

            “Ah-!” I screamed as the speed made me panic. I windmilled my arms frantically as my feet went out from under me. Blue was quick, catching me around the waist before I could land on the hard ice.

            “Oh god, thank you,” I gasped. Blue had his arms wrapped about my middle, eyes wide and starry.

            “Are you alright?”

            “I am when my hero has my back.”

            Blue blinked. “Your . . . hero?”

            “Yeah, Blue. You were the first one who actually wanted to talk to me instead of just catch me. You left food out and helped me make all the things I needed.”

            His eyes sparkled. “A- a sincere compliment!”

            “Of course! You’re the best, Blue.”

            “Mwhehe!” Blue beamed and hugged me. I returned the embrace and convinced him that it was time for hot cocoa. Blue treated and we found an unoccupied park bench to enjoy our warm drinks.

            “I hope it snows,” I said, looking up at the cloudy sky. “Winter is kind of depressing with all the naked trees and cold weather. Snow makes it better.”

            “I bet it will!” Blue said.

            I grinned at him. “Optimistic as ever.”

            “Mwhehe!”

            I put an arm around my friend’s shoulders and leaned against him, sharing in the body heat as we sat and watched the sky.

            When we were done at the skating rink, we decided to pay G a visit. Blue wanted to learn more about his bike, and I wanted to see if he would be joining us for Gyftmas.

            When we reached the boarding house, we found G in the garage, bundled up and packing things into the saddle bags on his motorcycle. We greeted him and he gave us a lazy smile, putting out the cigarette he had been smoking.

            “Well look at you,” G took my hand and had me spin. “Lookin’ good, kitten. Wasn’t sure what to expect when Stretch told me you had grown.”

            “Back to regular size,” I said, flopping my arms. I noted the saddle bags on his bike and gave him a questioning look. “You going on a trip?”

            He nodded.

            “G, you can’t leave, the machine is fixed and ready to take us home! Gyftmas is in a couple of weeks!” Blue said.

            “’S why I’m bookin’ it, Blue,” G said. “I’m not interested in going home just yet, so I’m going to go on the lam for a while.”

            “You’re not coming for Gyftmas then?” I asked, disappointed.

            “Sorry, kitten. I figure Sans will pull something to send me back, so I can’t risk it. I’m sure he’ll catch me eventually but for now I’m still enjoying the surface.”

            “Where are you going to go?” Blue asked.

            “Dunno, just going to go and see where I end up.”

            “You’re leaving right now?” I noted his heavy jacket and helmet.

            “Yep, was just about to head out.”

            I pouted and gave him a firm hug, holding him in place. He ruffled my hair back. 

            “You promised to teach me about motorcycles though!” Blue crossed his arms.

            “I know man, I’m sorry.” G rubbed my back as I smirked up at him.

            “I’m totally telling on you.”

            “Ah, come on, kitten. After all we’ve been through?” He tapped the bottom of my chin, lifting my head to look up at his golden eye and suave smile. I chuckled.

            “Alright, I’ll give you a head start. Don’t forget that you promised me a postcard.”

            “I promise.”

            We followed G back outside as he guided his bike to the road. He mounted and put his helmet on.

            “Be careful out there, G. Have a good adventure,” I said.

            He winked and me and flipped his visor down, hiding his eyes. With a roar, he kicked the bike to life and took off. Blue and I watched as he disappeared into the horizon, waving after him.

Edge

I took a different approach with Edge. He wasn’t sentimental enough for present shopping, and I didn’t want him worrying about me if we went out in public, so I opted for an afternoon of puzzles at home. Edge seemed pleased with this, and when anyone tried to see what we were doing he shouted at them that it was a private session.

            “You’ve gotten better,” he noted as I dodged his bone attack. He was taking it easy on me, keeping the bones slow and the patterns simple. Not being a bitty anymore, I could actually see their formation instead of just giant red harbingers of death.

            One hit my arm and I winced. It stung but didn’t do any significant damage. As we continued I got hit more and more and finally gave Edge the time-out sign so I could catch my breath.

            “Still a long way to go to reach my standards!” He declared, walking up to me.

            “I don’t think I could ever reach your abilities, Edge.”

            “Nonsense! I have seen your warrior ninja television shows, and the human females are very powerful! Continue training with your Papyrus after I am gone and you will be strong in no time.”

            Edge summoned two bones and passed one to me. He showed me how to hold it and defend myself while he attacked.

            “How do I attack?” I asked.

            At that Edge hesitated. He straightened up and waved his hand, making the bones disappear. “There was a human in my underground,” he said, “when they faced me I gave them everything I had, trying to incapacitate them, but despite my attacks and insults they never once attacked me back. They were kind and flirty. They wanted to be my . . . friend.”

            Edge sighed and crossed his arms. I stepped up to his side, tilting my head inquisitively.

            “We were taken into this world after I let them go and they left Snowdin, so I don’t know if that kindness will get them killed, but . . . I doubt it will. They were skilled, and dodged with frightening accuracy, almost like they knew what my attacks were going to be. When I went back into Snowdin I noticed Sans smiling a real smile, all the dogs were confused but . . . calm. They had all met the human and they all let them go, even though it meant giving up the final soul we needed. I assume you know about the souls?”

            I nodded, it was the same story here, how the monsters had needed seven human souls to break the barrier, and how Frisk had set them free without it.

            “Working on your defense is good but . . . I will not be teaching you how to attack. I have seen greater strength without it.” Edge smirked and shook his head. “I never thought I would ever give such advice. This place has made me soft.”

            “Maybe you can do the same for your underground,” I said casually, “make it just a little softer, like the human did.”

            “Hm.” Edge rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck until it popped.

            “So, what do you think you and your brother would like for Gyftmas?” I put my hands in my pockets and started walking toward the trees bordering the property. Edge followed.

            He shrugged. “There’s nothing either of us need. Presents aren’t really a tradition for us back home.”

            “That’s fair,” I said. We walked around the perimeter of the yard together, dying grass crunching under our feet. A winter breeze made me shiver, and Edge took off his scarf, wrapping it around my neck.

            I looked up at him in surprise, but he didn’t make eye contact, just stared stubbornly ahead with his arms crossed. “Keep it, all you have is that coat for this cold weather, it’s pathetic.”

            “I don’t want to take your scarf . . .”

            “And I don’t want to take care of a sick human again! It’s annoying! Keep it until you get some proper winter clothes.”

            “Thanks, Edge,” I smiled at him. His eyelights darted down at me, then quickly looked away again. I decided to have mercy and changed the subject. “Speaking of clothes, I bet Red would like some pun-based shirt.”

            Edge grumbled at that. “Don’t encourage him.”

            “Come on, you love it.”

            “I do not!”

            “You love your brother!” I sang, teasing.

            “Silence!” He reached for me, but I ducked away, running. Edge pursued and I giggled as he chased me. It didn’t take long for him to catch up and grab the collar of my jacket, lifting me up off the ground. I squealed happily and grinned at him as he brought me up to his eye level. He tried to look threatening but a bemused smirk ruined the effect.

            “Give up, human?”

            “Never!”

            He smiled. “That’s my girl.”

**Bonus Smut**

https://archiveofourown.info/works/18900019/chapters/44865547

Red

            “You’re blushing!”

            “You were blushing first, sweetheart.”

            I giggled, we had been playing a game of flirting chicken, seeing who could come up with the best lines and make the other one blush first. Red won almost right away after asking if I sat in sugar.

            “What?”

            “Cause you got a sweet ass.”

            I laughed so loud everyone at Grillby’s turned to look. Red blushed at the attention.

            “Gosh, Red, keep it down,” I teased.

            Grillby brought our hamburgers and fries, and a bottle of mustard for Red. A couple of bites in, I started to cry.

            “K-kid, come on, don’t . . . what’s wrong?” Red sounded flustered.

            “I don’t want you guys to leave,” I sniffed. I hugged Edge’s scarf, still around my neck. It was a bit tattered with torn edges, but it was immediately my favorite piece of clothing. It smelled like magic.

            “I know, I’ll miss ya too, but we gotta go back home.”

            “I know . . .”

            “Come on, we agreed no getting sad about that.”

            “But I don’t know what to get you for Gyftmas,” I whined, wiping at my cheeks.

            “Sweetheart, anything you get is fine, yer not supposed to stress about it.”

            I sagged, calming down. I stared down at my hands grumpily, like a kid who got told they had to go to bed during a party. “It’s just . . . you’re so cool, Red. When we first met you actually made me feel like a person, you didn’t try to pick me up or treat me with kid gloves.”

            “Eh, my bro’s the cool one, I’m just a guy who don’t care and makes bad jokes.”

            “You care.”

            “Not at first,” he confessed, “at first it was just plain apathy, some entertainment. You’re the one that reminded me you were a ‘real person’, and that I was too.”

            “I did?”

            “Yeah, you never let your size stop you from doing what you wanted, reminded me that I shouldn’t either. Not in regards to my size but . . . other stuff that holds me back.”

            “Really?”

            “Well, back underground I had kind of given up on . . . everything. Breaking the barrier, being close to Pap, finding our Gaster. I don’t know, seeing you survive on your own, challenging my bro, just . . . reminded me there’s stuff worth fighting for, I guess. Eh, it’s cheesy.”

            “No! I know what you mean. There were plenty of times I wanted to give up too.”

            Red smiled. “Well now we don’t need to worry about each other, yeah? I’ll go home and get to the surface, you’ll work on your memories and get your life back. ‘Cause we’re two tough cookies.”

            “Yeah!” I agreed, “life may get us down, but we won’t crumble.”

            “Atta girl.”

            I raised my soda and Red raised his mustard, we tapped our glasses together and drank. “But I still don’t know what present to get you.”

            “How about you just gift yourself in a big bow . . . and nothing else?”

            “Red!” I rolled my eyes and kicked him under the table.

            “Aw, come on. You get a kick out of it.”

            “That’s it, you’re getting coal for Gyftmas.”

            “Does that mean I’ve been naughty?” he purred.

            “Check, please!”

Axe and Sugar

            Axe and Sugar didn’t really want to go out or split up their date, they were happy staying at home, safe and with plenty of food. Sugar and I went on a walk to the general store and brought a bunch of snacks, blankets, and movies back up to the room above the garage. Using the blankets, I showed Sugar how to make a blanket fort. It took a little extra work since he was so big, but we managed to build something cozy, and Axe fell asleep inside immediately.

            Sugar and I stayed awake, sitting on our pile of pillows and playing cards on Axe’s chest. Sugar loved games and wanted to stay up late playing them. He didn’t do well with video games, saying that it hurt his eyes, so I brought a stack of board games instead.

            “Go fish,” I said.

            “There are no fish in this game, what a strange command,” Sugar said, taking a card from the pile. He brought it close to his face to study it and put it in his hand.

            “Yeah I’m not really sure where it got the name from,” I said.

            “Pretty fishy,” Axe murmured.

            I expected Sugar to scold him for the pun, but he beamed instead, looking down at his brother happily.

            Wait . . . this was the first time I had heard Axe make a pun. I looked down at him as well and smiled. “Glad you could join us, sleepy.”

            “Can’t let you two have all the fun.”

            “What would you like to do?” I asked.

            “Any more Cheese Its?”

            I passed them over, shaking the box to indicate that there was only a little left. Axe opened the box and dumped the remaining food into his mouth. Salty orange crumbs stuck to his cheeks and I giggled, wiping them off with my sleeve.

            “I’m ready for a movie now,” Sugar said. “You promised a classic human Christmas film!”

            “I sure did. We’ve got It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and The Santa Clause. You’d probably like Home Alone, Sugar, it’s got traps and puzzles.”

            “That one!” Sugar agreed.

            The small TV was set up on the floor, so I inserted the movie and got comfortable in the nest of blankets, cuddling up between the two skeletons. Our fort was filled with the smell of popcorn and the music from the film.

            “This is so nice, Bunny,” Sugar said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “I haven’t felt this happy since the famine. I guess it wasn’t just a bitty thing that warmed my soul.”

            I smiled. “Sometimes it just a safe place with good friends.”

            Axe hummed in agreement.

            After Home Alone we put in It’s a Wonderful Life and made hot cocoa. The warm drink and quiet plot of the movie lulled us toward sleep. I slumped against Sugar while Axe’s head ended up in my lap. We slept that way through the night, waking up the next morning in our collapsed fort, giggling as we untangled ourselves from the blankets.

            Outside, it had finally snowed.

Rus

            I clutched my arms around Rus’s neck as he piggy-backed me through the thick snow. I didn’t have snow boots, so he carried me, holding my knees over his arms while my cold, sneakered feet dangled.

            “I’m not too heavy, am I?” I asked. Rus only snorted in response, causing a gush of white-colored air to shoot from his nostrils. An icy breeze passed by, stinging my face. I bowed my head to hide my face in the hood of Rus’s jacket, nuzzling the back of his neck.

            “You’re not cold?”

            “Nah, pretty used to it.”

            The other skeletons had the same sentiment, not sharing in my excitement of the snowfall, but after some coaxing from me they agreed to take part in some sledding races and snowball fights later.

            But first I had a date with Rus.

            We wandered into the trees where the snow quietly crunched under Rus’s boots. The half-light of the cloudy day faded into deeper shadows. I rested my chin on Rus’s shoulder, breathing in the clean smell of the winter air.

            “I love when it snows, it’s like the weather telling the world to take a break. Relax and take a deep breath.”

            Rus found a fallen log and knocked the snow off of it before setting me down. We both took a seat and soaked in the silence for a moment.

            “Kind of reminds me of my sentry station back home,” he said, “on quiet days when it’s just me near the ruins.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah, can get pretty boring so I’ll dose off or work on some knock-knock jokes.”

            “Knock-knock jokes?”

            “Yeah. I totally a-door them.”

            “Oh my god, Rus,” I snickered. “At least now you have your whittling, so that’ll help.”

            “Speaking of which . . .” Rus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden object. “Made something for you.”

            “You did?!” I turned my body, straddling the log so I could face him. “I thought you didn’t do gifts?”

            “Well . . .” Rus shrugged and opened his fingers, revealing a beautifully carved rabbit. It was round, curled up in a sleepy ball with its ears laid back and feet tucked in.

            “Aw, Rus, this is so beautiful.” The wood was smooth under my fingers. It soothed me as I stroked it.

            “Glad ya like it.”

            “I love it,” I said, pressing it against my cheek. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He returned the embrace, squeezing my waist.

            “You’re lucky my underground isn’t kind to humans, or I would steal you and keep you for myself,” he murmured into my shoulder.

            I chuckled. “I’ll miss you too, Rus. Thank you for the rabbit, it’s absolutely gorgeous.” I saw color flash against his cheeks as we ended the hug. “Aw, you big softy.”

            Rus leaned forward and tackled my middle, grabbing me around the thighs and lifting me up so that I dangled over his shoulder. I squealed and laughed as he carried me back through the woods.

            “You’re the soft one,” he said, poking my thigh. I giggled as he tickled, kicking my legs.

            “S-stop!” I screamed and laughed, “stop! Some-on-one h-h-help!”

            “Rus! What are you doing?”

            I recognized Razz’s voice and tried to lift myself up to look. My hands only found the bones beneath Rus’s clothes, making me slip again.

            “Keepin’ the human’s feet dry,” Rus replied casually.

            “And tickling!” I accused. Rus hefted me with his shoulder, knocking the air out of my stomach. I ‘oomfed’.

            “You’re making a racket! Come on, the others are waiting for you to join in the snow-based activities.”

            “Okay. Ah-!” I cried out as Rus leaned forward, letting me fall off his shoulder and into his arms instead. I sighed with relief as the blood stopped rushing to my head. “Onward, noble steed!” I cried, pointing the way.

            Razz rolled his eyes and turned, leading us back toward the house.

Razz

            “What do you want for Christmas, Razz?” I called after him.

            “Nothing.”

            “Come on. Rus, what does your brother want?”

            “Hmm,” Rus hummed thoughtfully, looking up at the sky. “My bro has fine taste, you might not be able to afford him.”

            “Really?”

            “And make no mistake, he will be upset if you don’t get him something.”

            “Shut up, Mutt! That’s not true!”

            “Everyone gets a present,” I said firmly.

            Razz sighed and stopped, turning on us. “Set her down, Rus! We’ll catch up.”

            Rus thrusted his arms forward, offering me out to his brother. “Can’t let her little feet get wet.”

            Razz let out an exasperated sigh.

            “She’ll get sick.”

            “Fine!” Razz grabbed me and held on tight. “Now go!”

            Rus winked at me before continuing on back to the house.

            “You can put me down, Razz,” I assured him, “Rus is just being silly.”

            “It’s fine,” Razz grumbled, adjusting me in his arms.

            “Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

            He took a deep breath as if willing himself to calm down and spoke more quietly. “I wanted to say that I don’t need anything for Gyftmas because you have already given me enough.”

            I stared at him, confused.

            “I . . . haven’t seen my brother like this since we were children. He has been happy, making jokes again, relaxed, smoking less dog treats. You once asked me why I called him ‘Mutt’, and it’s because I didn’t want other monsters to know how much I love him. I started calling him Mutt in public so that people would think that’s what I thought of him – as a guard dog instead of a brother. That way they wouldn’t use him against me, try to kidnap him or hurt him. Unfortunately, the name began to seep into every aspect of our lives, and I forgot about protecting his emotional wellbeing as well as physical. Here I’ve been able to call him Papyrus again.”

            As he talked, Razz began to walk through the trees back toward the house, but he took his time, walking slowly.

            “That’s all thanks to you, and that’s why I don’t want any material item, because having my brother back is all I need.”

            “Razz . . .” it was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him, and I didn’t know what to say. Instead I put my arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. Razz froze, turning bright red. He turned to look at me in surprise, and I saw how big his eyelights got, reminding me of Blue. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

            Razz grunted and cleared his throat bashfully. “Yes, well, I am not completely soulless.”

            I squeezed his neck again in another hug, nuzzling my head into his cheek. “You’re a really good brother, Sans.”

            He began walking again, straightening up proudly. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Chapter Text

           I sat in Papyrus’s lap, cheering as we went speeding down the snowy hill. Edge’s scarf fluttered behind me next to Papyrus’s like an epic superhero cape. I looked over and saw Sans sledding past us, fast asleep in a donut-shaped sled. At the bottom of the hill we hit a bump and were tossed from the sled, landing in the fluffy snow. I laughed and tossed the white flakes into the air. Sans slid to a stop next to us, snoring away.

            From the porch, Axe was sitting comfortably in a chair, wrapped in blankets. I waved to him and he gave a lazy wave back.

            “Bunny, are you alright?!” Papyrus called, struggling to his feet.

            “I’m fine. Grenade!” I threw down a pretend grenade and the two off us threw ourselves into the snow again, feigning an explosion.

            “Look out below!” Blue came barreling down the hill, standing on another sled like a snowboard. He was followed by Sugar who had managed to squeeze himself onto a sled, his knees bent up to his chin as he held on for dear life.

            Blue made it all the way to the bottom before bailing. Sugar came to a gentle stop behind him. Stretch was already there, having been too lazy to climb the hill. He was lying against a pile of snow with the name ‘Stretch’ written on it in ketchup. Next to it was an impressive snow sculpture Blue had made of himself.

            “Enough playing around, it’s war!” Red declared, chucking a snowball at me. I grabbed my sled and held it up like a shield, blocking the barrage.

            “Betrayal!” I shouted gathering up a handful of snow and throwing it back. Red teleported, dodging the ball and reappeared behind me, throwing a snowball into my back. “Gah! I need reinforcements!” I shouted.

            Papyrus was there in a heartbeat, arms laden down with snowballs.

            “How did you make all those?!”

            “I am the Great Papyrus! Nyehehe!” He began throwing snowballs and everyone took cover.

            Not to be outdone, Blue quickly made himself a pile of ammunition and fired at Papyrus, forcing him to run away. I kept my sled shield up as I struggled to pile up snow into a fort that I could hide behind.

            Edge marched up to me, arms crossed. “Have you forgotten everything I taught you?”

            “The enemy has us pinned, Captain!”

            Edge straightened up, suddenly very into the game. “Not for long! Keep building up the fort! I will give you cover fire!”

            “Aye, aye!” I went back to work, almost tripping over Rus who appeared at my feet, laying down flat with his hands behind his head.

            “Rus! At least make yourself useful,” I said.

            “Sorry, darlin’, I’m actually here to double cross you.”

            “What?”

            Rus grabbed my legs and I screamed as he teleported us away. We reappeared next to the wood pile where Razz had set up base. I fell back into Rus’s lap and he wrapped his arms around me, keeping me in place.

            “Got her, bro.”

            “Rus, how could you?!” I yelled and squirmed.

            “Excellent!” Razz cackled. “We have a hostage!” He shouted to the others, “cease fire or we’ll pour snow down her shirt!”

            “Nooo!”

            “And tickle,” Rus added, wiggling his fingers under my arms. I squealed and struggled against him, laughing.

            “We’ll never surrender!” Edge shouted back.

            “Thanks, Edge.” I rolled my eyes.

            “Don’t worry, Bunny! I will save you!” I heard Blue call. I looked up and watched as the brave skeleton charged across the yard toward the wood pile. Razz began throwing snowballs at him, hard enough to really knock someone over. My eyes widened at the strength he was putting behind the throws. This didn’t deter Blue, he summoned a long bone and used it to knock the balls out of the air as he rushed toward us.

             “Guys, play nice,” I warned.

            Razz jumped up on the wood pile, a new snowball raised, but I heard a ‘ping’ sound and suddenly Razz fell onto his back, a blue magic surrounding his body.

            “Mweh! You’re blue now!” Blue declared, jumping over the wood pile. He tackled Rus and I, sending us into the snow. Rus wrapped an arm around Blue’s waist, and stood up, carrying us both under each arm. We both laughed and struggled.

            Stretch appeared behind Rus and put an arm around his neck. The extra weight put him off balance and we all fell back, ending up in a big, giggling heap in the snow.

            By now my shoes were soaked and my hands were numb, so I called a time out to the snowball fight and suggested we go inside for hot chocolate. Sugar jogged up to our pile and pulled me up to my feet.

            “You are quite shaky, Bunny!”

            I whined and hugged myself. My clothes were getting wet as the snow melted into them. “I’m c-cold.”

            Sugar promptly picked me up, holding me in his large arms, and made his way to the house. “Don’t worry, I will have you warm in no time!”

            Passing through the door I noticed that Axe was missing from his chair. “Hey, where did Axe go?”

            “I saw him heading into the forest. Probably just going for a walk.” Sugar set me down inside and I began to strip out of my wet clothes.

            “Need help with that, sweetheart?” Red teased, following inside with the others.

            “Red, I swear to god . . .” I rolled my eyes and went to the bathroom, changing into my pajamas instead. When I headed back to the living room everyone else had the same idea and had changed into comfortable clothes. Papyrus and Blue passed out mugs of cocoa while Sugar searched for a holiday movie to watch. He was obsessed with them since our blanket fort.

            There was a knock at the door.

            “I’ll get it!” I yelled, running for the front door. When I opened it, I saw Axe standing there, covered in snow, carrying a saw, and dragging a small evergreen tree behind him.

            My mouth dropped in shock. “Axe is that . . .?”
            “Gotta have a Gyftmas tree to decorate,” he said with a shrug.

            “You cut that down yourself?”

            “Yeah. No squirrels, I promise.”

            I put my arms around his neck and hugged tightly. Axe stiffened for a moment then relaxed and dropped the tree so he could hug me back.

            “Who is it, Bunny? Oh!” I heard Blue pop in behind us and gasp in surprise.

            “A Gyftmas tree?! Axe what a wonderful idea!”

            “Thank you so much, this is so thoughtful,” I said.

            Blue helped Axe bring in the tree, and Papyrus quickly cleared out a corner of the living room. We didn’t have any decorations, so we improvised with crafts and whatever we could find around the house.

            Everyone pitched in – Sans and Stretch threaded a popcorn garland, I found my stash of tea candles, and Blue brought out his crafts. I eagerly made a paper star from those, covering it in glitter. Sugar put me on his shoulders so that I could reach the top of the tree and tape the four-pointed star in place.

            Edge and Razz worked together to secure the tree in place, using a cooking pot and some nails. Papyrus lined the base with a pretty red blanket. Blue worked like a mad man making paper ornaments. I taught him how to make snowflakes and his eyes turned to stars when I unfolded the triangle to reveal the intricate pattern. Rus added one of his dog treats to the tree.

            When it was done, the living room smelled like popcorn and pine. It was haphazard but beautiful, and we all sat back, admiring our work.

            “You know what, I think this is the perfect time for a group picture,” I said. I herded everyone into place around the tree and set up my phone with the camera on a timer. I ran to the front of the group and sat down in the middle, smiling wide as the skeletons quickly got into place.

            “Papy, get in the back, you’re too tall!”

            “Sans don’t blink this time!”

            “Zzzz.”

            “Rus, no! Don’t fall asleep!”

            “Say ‘cheese’!”

            “I will say no such thing!”

            The camera clicked, and I eagerly fetched it to see how the picture turned out. There were my boys, some yelling, others laughing, Sans was winking at the camera, and Papyrus has struck a perfect pose, with his scarf fluttering behind him (weird, there was no breeze . . .). Blue had his hands on his hips, smile wide and eyes starry, while his brother smiled softly beside him. Rus looked sleepy but happy while Razz tried to hold him up. Edge’s mouth was open, complaining about something. Red and Axe weren’t paying attention, whispering puns at each other instead. Sugar stood coyly in the back. I sat in the floor in the front, doubled over and eyes shut from laughing.

            It was perfect.

Chapter Text

           “You know, Santa won’t come if you’re still awake.”

            I looked up at Sans with a peaceful smile. He was wearing an oversized shirt and boxers, obviously having another sleepless night. He sat down on the couch next to me and took a swig of ketchup.

            “Couldn’t sleep, too excited,” I said. It was a cold Christmas Eve and I was in a pair of Sans’s pink slippers and had Edge’s scarf around my shoulders. “Can’t wait to give everyone their presents.”

            “You’ve definitely made this a holiday to remember.”

            “So, I don’t suppose I could talk you into waiting until New Years . . ?”

            Sans chuckled. “Sorry, kid but it’s time for everyone to get back to their lives. Including you.”

            I nodded. “You’re right. Just need to enjoy our last day together.”

            “Don’t get too down about it. G’s still out there.”

            “And I have you and Paps,” I said. “And that’s always something to be thankful for.”

            “Once the guys are gone I can introduce you to our other friends too,” Sans said. “I’ve had to keep them away so they wouldn’t see our alternates, but now you can meet them.”

            “That sounds great!” I leaned my head against Sans’s shoulder, finally feeling sleepy.

            When I woke up, it was too the sound of skeleton chaos. I jolted from the couch, disturbing Sans as well. I had konked out against the arm of the couch and Sans had slumped against my waist, using my hip as a pillow.

             The sun was up, and the boys were running around in their pajamas. Edge was trying to keep Axe from eating all the breakfast, while Papyrus and Blue investigated the presents I had put under the tree, wrapped caringly with cartoon reindeer paper. Razz stood nearby with his arms crossed, pretending not to care. Red had taken the seat next to Sans, snoring away with this head thrown back and mouth hanging open. Stretch and Rus were outside having a smoke. Sugar entered the living room bearing a tray with cups of coffee, which everyone quickly accepted.

            “Now that everyone’s awake I want to see what Bunny got us!” Blue insisted.

            “No! We must first dine on my exquisite breakfast!” Edge stomped his foot.

            “There’s one for you, Edge!”

            “ . . . very well, but then we eat!”

            “Just eat in the living room,” I said. “Floor food.”

            Razz and Edge scoffed at this idea, but the others liked it, bringing their pancakes into the living room to eat while they each took turns.

            Since he wasn’t eating, Edge went first. He shredded the wrapping paper, revealing a blood-red scarf.

            “To replace yours,” I said happily.

            Edge studied the garment, running his boney fingers over the fabric before wrapping it around his neck.

            “Do you like it?” I asked.

            “Hm.” It wasn’t really an answer, but I saw the corner of his mouth slide up into a smile, and that was enough for me.

            “Go ahead, Razz.”

            The skeleton bristled. “I told you not to get me anything!”

            “It’s just a little something, I promise! Rus told me that you like red wine so I got you a bottle.”

            Razz paused at this and opened the gift, reading the label.

            “It’s not expensive, but the lady told me it was the best wine for the price.”

            “Thank you, human,” Razz grunted. “I . . . appreciate it.”

            “Okay, me next!” Blue said. He had already scarfed down his pancakes and dove for the tree, yanking the paper off his gift. “A cook book! OF TACOS!” His eyes turned to stars and he beamed at me. “I had no idea there were so many ways to do tacos! Thank you, Bunny!”

            “You’re welcome, pass Stretch his. He already knows what it is.”

            Blue did so and Stretch casually stripped the paper away, smiling at the framed picture of Blue, himself, and I inside.

            “Thanks, kiddo.”

            I winked and shot him finger guns.

            Rus crawled across the floor until he reached me at the couch and rested his head in my lap. I patted his skull. “What’d you get me, darlin’?”

            “Yours is my favorite,” I said, “I was proud of myself for finding it.” I passed the gift over and Rus pulled the paper off with his teeth.

            “Can you be civil for one day?” Razz asked. “It’s Gyftmas!”

            Rus smiled at the item in his hands.

            “It’s a special whittling knife!” I declared. “I thought the handle looked awesome. I really wanted to get it engraved, but I didn’t have enough. Still cool right?”

            “The coolest.” Rus took my hand and bumped it against his teeth in a pseudo kiss. I blushed.

            “Alright the wait is killin’ me,” Red moaned, “I’m goin’ next.” He found his present and ripped the paper off in one go. His grin widened. “‘Don’t Book at me That Way: The pocket book of pick-up lines and puns’. Aw, sweetheart, you get me.”

            Edge groaned. “Bunny, why would you do this?!”

            “Bunny, do brother and I get presents too?” Sugar asked shyly.

            “Of course! They’re right there.”

            Sugar fetched the gifts eagerly. He and Axe opened theirs at the same time.

            “So, Sugar, I got you reading glasses because I noticed you have trouble with your eyes,” I explained. “I couldn’t get you a real prescription, but they should help.”

            Sugar held the glasses up to his face and blinked. “Wowie! Everything is much clearer with these! I had no idea!”

            “Oh shoot, I didn’t think about you not having ears. We’ll get some tape to- whoa!” I gasped as Sugar gathered me up and held me tightly.

            “Thank you, little bunny!”

            “Yeah, thanks kid,” Axe said, also wearing his gift. It was a grey beanie with a skull patched onto the rim.

            “That’s a special beanie, Axe!” I said from Sugar’s arms. “It’s waterproof, so it’ll keep your head nice and safe.”

            Axe smiled, and it was genuine. “I love it, kiddo. Thanks.”

            “Paps and Sans I didn’t forget about you,” I said, “your present is Christmas dinner tonight.”

            “You got a real gift for this stuff,” Sans winked.

            “That sounds wonderful, Bunny!” Papyrus said. “Cooking with you is my favorite thing!”

            As we cleaned up and finished breakfast, things began to fall silent and morose. It was almost time to leave. The skeletons and I found ourselves just sitting in the living room and talking, inadvertently saying goodbye as they talked about getting to the surface on their worlds and I talked about going back to school.

            We were assuring each other that we would all be alright, even though we couldn’t call or send a letter, that we might never see each other again, we wanted everyone to know that it was going to be alright.

            Sans announced that the machine was ready, so we lined up and went to the basement. The boys each had a knapsack with some clothes or items that they wanted to bring with them. Sugar and Axe had a fresh box of food. I stood bravely, holding the little wooden rabbit in my hands, trying not to cry.

            “Alright, Edge and Red, you’re first,” Sans said, entering a calculation into the computer.

            The two skeletons approached me. Edge placed his hand on my head, and Red on my shoulder. I put my arms around both of them and squeezed tight.

            “Take care of yourselves.”

            “We will, sweetheart.”

            “Goodbye Bunny, and thank you, for everything.”

            They shook Sans’s and Papyrus’s hands, exchanging a pun and a quip, then got in the machine.

            Sans pressed a button, and in a flash of light, like a camera going off, they were gone.

            “You sure it works this time?” Axe asked, stepping up to take his turn.

            “Absolutely,” Sans promised. “Gaster is much smarter than me, and all the tests checked out.”

            “Alright, then let’s go home.”

            I gave Axe a tight hug, and Sugar joined in, lifting us both off our feet. Neither said anything, just waved and got in.

            There was a flash, and they were gone.

            Next came Stretch and Blue, who wouldn’t stop crying and hugging me. Stretch gently pulled his brother away, and I speckled his head with kisses, promising that I would never forget him.

            “I won’t forget you either, Bunny! You’re my best friend!”

            “Ditto,” I said, smooching his cheek.

            “You take care of yourself, kiddo,” Stretch winked and ruffled my hair.

            Then they were gone too.

            If Blue was clingy Rus was even worse. He grabbed me and tried to take me into the machine with him, but Razz ordered him back and he reluctantly set me down.

            “I’ll miss you guys so much,” I said, hugging them tight.

            “I suppose I will miss you too,” Razz mumbled. I laughed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, making his face turn bright red.

            “That’s it! We’re leaving!”

            I tried to give Rus a cheek kiss as well, but he turned his face on me so that my lips landed on his teeth. With a chuckle he left me shocked and blushing and jumped into the machine after his brother.

            Flash.

            The basement was empty.

            I looked at Sans and Papyrus and started to cry. I felt them wrap their arms around me, reassuring and soothing.

            “Come on, Bun, it’s still Gyftmas, don’t be sad.”

            “I’m just going to miss them so much.”

            “I know. What do you say we look at some pictures – I know Paps has a ton on his phone, and then we actually have a gift for you.”

            “You do?”

            Sans nodded. “Come on, let’s head upstairs.”

            The silence of the house was surreal and when we reached the living room I turned on the TV, finding a holiday movie marathon to drown out the quiet. Papyrus and I sat on the couch and looked at the photos of the others on his phone while Sans went to get the gift.

            There was the ‘brithday’ party I had thrown for everyone, Blue and Papyrus having a sleepover, Stretch and Sans asleep on each other, Edge and Blue sparing, a selfie of tiny me sitting on Papyrus’s shoulder, Rus holding me to his chest while we napped. I sighed, tears finally slowing down as I smiled at the memories.

            “You made their stay here fun and exciting, Bunny,” Papyrus said, “you did a lot for them, and even though we won’t see them anymore, we’ll always have that.”

            “You’re right,” I sniffed, wiping my tears on my sleeve.

            Sans came back into the living room, carrying something behind his back. Papyrus bounced excitedly.

            “So, this was Pap’s idea,” Sans said, “we put it together kind of last minute, but . . . well, hope you like it.”

            Sans presented me with a large card – the group picture we had taken in front of the tree was printed on the front. I immediately began to tear up again.

            “Open it up.”

            I did so and saw messages from all the boy’s inside, all lines of love and encouragement.

            Remember what I taught you. -Edge

            You are magnificent! -Blue

            I’m rooting for you. -Axe

            Remember, someone out there really cares about you. -Stretch

            Thank you for everything. -Razz

            You are the best human/bitty I’ve ever met! We’ll never forget you. -Sugar

            Keep hoppin Bunny. -Red

            Stay awesome darlin. -Rus

            I burst into fresh tears. I wanted to hug the card but was afraid of wrinkling it. Instead I set it up on a shelf to display the picture.

            “Alright, no more tears, Bunny!” Papyrus insisted, “it’s time to make a wonderful Gyftmas dinner!”

            I nodded and followed the boys into the kitchen.

            “Is spaghetti a good holiday meal?” Papyrus wondered.

            “Spaghetti is great for any meal,” I said.

            “Nyeh, nyeh! Of course!”

            “Let’s get cooking before I pasta way.”

            “Sans!”

            I laughed and beamed at the skeletons, knowing that there were still plenty of wonderful memories still to come.

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