Chapter Text
You had run away from the social workers. Sure, you knew they were supposed to be nice to you, but without Mommy and Daddy….you just couldn’t stand being around strangers.
So you’d run until you couldn’t anymore, darting between houses and trees until you’d realized you had no idea where you were. The street was one of the less well cared for, with abandoned houses all around. Maybe this was where those monsters that had come out of the mountain lived.
That wasn’t a fun thought. You’d never met a monster, but you were scared just because of what they were called. But even so, you were getting cold and it was getting dark outside.
One house seemed to draw you in. Two stories, but the top was kind of smaller than the bottom. It looked like a cake, kind of, and you liked cake. So in you went through a broken window with the glass long kicked out.
Graffiti and dirt covered the floor, but it was warmer inside by a little. You scurried through the rooms, looking for anything to wrap up in. There was a bed up the creaky, scary stairs, but you didn’t like the idea of sleeping in someone else’s bed without permission, so you just took the blanket off and shook it out. The flying dust made you cough and lose your breath for a moment, but you wrapped the now less dusty blanket over yourself and headed back to the ground floor. You don’t want to climb those stairs again.
The warmest spot you found was a little cubby closet under the stairs. You’d used an old broom you’d found to smack and destroy all the spider webs and icky things inside. You went inside after that and closed the door behind you, using part of the blanket to make a pillow and tried to sleep. Dark meant sleep, since there was no clock to tell you what time it was. Besides, if you were hiding in here, the grown ups couldn’t find you.
You fell asleep after a long time of imagining what it would be like if you still had your parents.
—
In the darkness of the cupboard, a crack of light appeared in the slowly opening door. Then two small beings entered, white pinpricks glowing in empty sockets.
“Brother,” whispered the tall shadow, light shining through its thin shirt to illuminate the ribs beneath, “What is it?”
“a kid, pap” said the smaller one, his bare feet clicking softly on the hard floor as he examined the child. “they must’ve cleared the spiders out with that broom out there. ‘s lucky they didn’t kill any of them or terry’d be mad.”
“She was already upset…” murmured the tall one, coming close and creating an orange bone to illuminate the space more. They were both skeletons in long thin shirts, no pants to speak of nor shoes. But they were a healthy, smooth white all over, and their magic was strong and powerful. “Sans, this is no place for a human child. They can’t survive without someone to look after them.”
“i dunno what to do, pap,” Sans murmured, petting the child’s head gently with his tiny phalanges. “they must’ve run away from somewhere, but if they ran, it can’t be good. go get the others. i’ll stick with’em.”
“Oh, yes!” Pap ran out, and Sans could hear him using his normal volume in the distance.
“kid, i dunno what we’re gonna do, but you’re not alone. not anymore at least,” his voice was soft and warm, the deep tone and his continued stroking soothing the child into a more restful sleep despite circumstances.
————
It was late in the morning when the child woke up. They blinked sleepily and looked around. Oh, right. You were alone.
But…no? The door was open and there was a long string leading out of your hiding spot.
On the string was a bead, and it glittered. Nice! You were so glad something pretty was here.
You followed the string with your blanket around your shoulders, not wanting to leave its warmth and safety just yet. It led into the living room, or the big room with the broken sofa in it anyway.
The string was sitting in the middle of the floor, and you saw something that amazed you. Bitties! The little cute skeleton ones, and two snake ones, and a purpley buggy one! You’d always wanted a bitty! but….they were people. That’s what Mommy had said. They were little people who needed to be taken care of and loved like a baby, but as smart as a grown up. So you hadn’t asked anymore because you didn’t want to be the only one who didn’t understand things.
You hold your hands behind your back and look at the bitties. The little skeleton in the blue shirt had a nice smile. He looked happy to see you. “heya, kiddo. welcome to our house.”
Their house?! Oh no. You feel your chest get tight and your throat start to hurt, “I-I-I”m sorry! Please d-don’t call the police on me!”
The other skeleton in orange gasps and rushes over, patting your leg softly, “OH HUMAN, NO. WE ARE NOT GOING TO CALL THE POLICE! THEY WOULD NOT BE VERY NICE TO US EITHER, SO YOU HAVE NO NEED TO WORRY!”
Nodding, you sit down and pick him up, hugging him carefully, “W-what are you gonna do?”
The smiley one sighs and comes over, along with the snakes and the bug. You notice one of the snakes is sleeping, wrapped up around the yellowy-colored one’s body. “we’re gonna talk, okay? just make friends.”
That sounds okay. You nod and keep hugging the orange one, who giggles softly and hugs you in return. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! OR WELL ONE OF THEM. SANS AND I DON’T HAVE EXTRA NAMES, SO THESE ARE FINE!”
“yeah, we ran, too. from a pet store,” Sans shrugs and looks at you. His little eye holes are tilted a bit and it reminds you of when Daddy would find you’d accidentally spilled water out of the tub. You miss Daddy.
“And I’m Terry, sweetheart,” says the buggy one. She’s got fluffy purple hair and pretty, shiny black eyes. She’s got a nice dress on, even if it’s ripped a little and dirty. “I’m here because some humans didn’t like me after my owner passed on. You scared my little friends last night though.”
You sniffle and cuddle Papyrus, “’m sorry….i didn’ wanna get bit while i sleeped.”
“I understand, dearie,” Terry coos, stepping over next to Sans and patting your knee, “I’ll make sure they don’t climb on you till you’re awake and ready to make friends, okay? no more broom?”
“No more broom,” you agree. You’ve never minded spiders themselves, but you’re scared of being bitten by anything. Was Terry a spider? You liked spiders if she was a spider.
The snakes had made it, the yellowy one’s bones and face reminded you of Papyrus now that you looked at him, but he had a much more…comfy feeling. Papyrus felt full of energy and fun and love. You set Papyrus down and pat his head. You love Papyrus now.
Sighing, the snake smiles at you as he sets down the sleeping turquoise one. You’d only just learned turquoise was a color last week. “heya, kid. i’m pollen. this is my baby bro, logan. he’s hibernating till we got more food, if you wanna know why he’s sleeping.”
Sans nodded, disappearing and reappearing on your shoulder. Wow! “so, what brought you here, kid?”
“That was a neat trick!” You have to tell him that right away! “And um….the social worker people? They said I can’t stay in my house anymore, and that Mommy and Daddy aren’t coming back. They just went to the store, but…” It confuses you as you talk. They went to the store to get something and left you alone because you were sleeping. But the social workers said a car hurt them and they weren’t coming home anymore. You don’t understand.
All the bitties seem upset by what you said, “Um, maybe they went to another town’s store?” You don’t want your new friends upset.
“Dearie,” Terry’s hands are all patting you at once. It feels nice, “I think your Mommy and Daddy are probably with my owner. Did the social workers say they had passed on?”
“Um…” you think, “they said Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.” Heaven was a nice place, you think. That’s what the lady who taught you in Sunday School said, anyway.
The bitties all looked at each other, and Papyrus started sniffling. You realize there are orange drips coming from his eye holes! “Papyrus, can you make orange juice?!” You’re amazed. Bitties are so neat!
“N-NO HUMAN, THESE ARE MY TEARS, BUT I WISH I COULD!” His voice sounds very wet. “THEN WE WOULD ALL HAVE PLENTY TO DRINK.”
“I gots some food…um…” You reach in your pocket and pull out a package of crackers with peanut butter stuck between. “we can share. I can count good and um…there’s….” you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, five bitties, and one you. You look at the biggest number on the package. 6! That’s six! “There’s one for each of us!”
You feel very smart for having done such good counting.
The bitties instead let you keep your crackers for breakfast and only take one to split between them. You like that you can have food, and you like that these bitties are talking so nice to you. The social workers talked nice, but they wanted something. You could tell. But the bitties don’t.
“so what’s your name, buddy?” Sans asks.
You introduce yourself and tell them how old you are. You’re such a big kid now.
“wow,” Pollen seems impressed, “You did a good job there. Not every kid your age could get themselves away from grown ups.” He slithers over and curls around your arm like a bracelet. You like the idea of having your new snake friend on your arm all the time. You kiss him for being so pretty. “aww, kiddo, that’s too kind of ya. we barely met and i’m already getting kissed? wow, i’m good.”
You don’t really understand, but you laugh. Sans and Terry laugh, too, though Logan is still sleeping and Papyrus looks annoyed, but not really. Like when you would pretend to not like Daddy tickling you.
“Um, can I tell you guys a secret?” you ask them, and the little monsters gather around you.
“Of course, sweetie, go ahead!” Terry seems excited.
“I um….I’ve never met a monster before, but I like you guys. Are you monsters? Do monsters live here?” Your secret turned into questions. Oh well.
“NOT A LOT OF MONSTERS, NO, BUT THEY DO COME BY AND LEAVE US FOOD EVERY SO OFTEN,” Papyrus notes. “BUT I MUST WARN YOU, HUMAN, IF YOU DON’T GET SOMEWHERE NICER SOON, YOU MIGHT BE HURT. OR GET SICK! WE’RE SAFE BECAUSE WE’RE SO SMALL, BUT YOU ARE BIG AND NEED WATER AND FOOD AND….OH HUMAN I AM WORRIED FOR YOU!”
“yeah,” Sans sighed, “as much as we’d like to keep you, cutie, we’re barely making it ourselves.”
You feel your chest hurt and start crying without meaning to. “B-but….I’m scared. I don’t wanna g-gggo with the social workers. Th-hey just want to p-put me in a-a-a-a bad place!”
Terry clambers up to your shoulder and nuzzles your face softly. She’s slightly fuzzy. “Oh Sweetie, don’t cry. We could maybe come with you, one way or another? We love you already, darling, and you need protecting. So we’ll protect you.” Her head turned, but since your eyes were closed you didn’t see what she looked like, “Right, boys?”
“RIGHT!”
“right.”
“yep.”
“B-but this is your house…” you try to argue, not wanting them to have to leave their home too.
“actually, it isn’t. not legally anyway,” Pollen smiles up at you. “and home’s where the heart is, kiddo, and seems like we’re all in agreement our hearts are with you. i’m sure logan’ll say the same once we get somewhere with heat and more food.”
You suppose that’s okay. You don’t really want to leave your new friends, and you don’t want to be alone going to….wherever you’re going.
“Do you guys promise to stay with me?” You offer your pinkie just to be sure.
With a hop, Terry lands next to your hand and cuddles your pinkie, “I swear, dearie. I’m not letting a sweet soul like you get hurt like we did.”
“i’m not much for promises, buddy,” Sans shrugs and puts his hand on your pinkie, too, “but for you? yeah. i promise.”
“OF COURSE!” Papyrus puts his hand over Sans’, “THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS, SMALL HUMAN!”
Pollen slips down your arm and over to the others, “me’n sans are kind of the same about promises. still, i can’t say i don’t want to make sure you’re alright. you’ve got a deal, kid.” His hand joins the others and the five of you shake on it.
“Okay…” you get up, clutching your found blanket tighter, “Now how do I get found?”
“leave that to me, buddy,” Sans looked up at you and winked, “i’ll head over to the nearest house and ‘anonymously’ tell the cops there’s a kid here. i’ll be back and then you’ll have to wrap us up in that blanket so we can hide with you the whole way.”
He disappears in a small blue flash and you beam. You like Sans’ magic tricks.