"It's a Beautiful Day Outside...

Chapter 8; Meanwhile

"papyrus, help me!"

Sans grabbed Papyrus's scarf, but was sucked through the portal anyway. Undyne threw a spear attached to a rope through the portal for Sans to grab onto. Flowey lept after Sans, but fell face first into the snow. The rope was severed and fell uselessly on the snow.

"Father! What happened to Sans?!"

"I am not sure. Flowey."

Gaster took a petri dish from his lab coat pocket and scooped up some discolored snow left behind by the portal. It was a pale, shimmering lilac instead of the offwhite it was supposed to be.

"Take this to my lab. Tell Alphys to set up my microscope and centrifuge."

"Right!"

After taking the dish, as carefully as his vines possibly could, Flowey traveled through the ground to the patch of dirt and grass Gaster and Alphys set up for him in the Hotland Laboratory.

"Alley! Smiley Trashbag was taken by a magic portal! Gaster needs his microscope and centerfudge ready for him ASAP!"

"U-understood!"

Alphys and Gaster worked tirelessly, studying and researching the strange anomalies in the snow. Papyrus on the other hand spent weeks turning the Underground upside down with Undyne and the Royal Guard searching for Sans or any traces of the portal that took him. Snowdin, Hot Land, Waterfall, The Ruins, there was nowhere they check and then double check.

Papyrus ended up going to Asgore. He wound up owning a quaint flower boutique in between Snowdin and Hot Hotland. When discussing what happened, Papyrus learned of Sans's job as the Royal Judge. He then, of course, took that information to Gaster. Neither of them knew of Sans's job and Gaster was more than a little intrigued.

During the year, several iterations were able to show Sans through a goopy tar-like portal. They weren't able to go through the portal but they saw Sans. He looked healthy, if they ignore the flesh and meat on his bones. Their brother and eldest son were turned into a human. Papyrus came to a quick conclusion that he needed a more covering outfit in the same were to happen to him. After that day he adorned a white shirt, dark green cargo shorts, and a bright orange hoodie.

After a full year Gaster and Alphys finished a prototype portal with Sans's old jacket. The jacket was their only linking piece to Sans. The machine took the faint magical signature from the coat, and formed a portal. It was a little off in color, but it worked nonetheless.

"Who will be going through?"

Gaster faced the room of the Skeleton family's closest friends. Undyne, Papyrus, Mettaton, Flowey, Toriel, and Asgore.

"I will."

Everyone turned their heads to look down at Flowey.

"I want to find him just as much as any of you, and I don't have much to live for anyway so if that thing dusts me, you can fix it!"

Flowey leapt at the portal, but as soon as he passed through it, the portal exploded. Bits of metal were sent flying, but thankfully no one was harmed.

"Alphys?"

"I-it worked! H-he went th-through!"

"Let us hope he can find Sans. We have to fix the portal."

After working for another year the portal was back, this time with Sans old slippers in place of his coat. The portal was now behind many sheets of plexiglass, to protect the onlookers.

"After two years we have the portal back up and running. Who will go through with me?"

"I will Father."

"Alright. Let us be off. Alphys, I put my faith that in the case of the same results from last year, there will be no issue in your capable claws."

"I-I won't le-let you down, Doc-doctor!"

Gaster and Papyrus walked to the portal. They both entered, but the portal exploded just as it did two years prior.

"Papyrus! Gaster!"

"Th-they we-went through!"

"We need to hurry and fix it!"

<~>

Papyrus couldn't hear his father anymore. He was whisked through the sparkling blue, purple, and white tunnel-like portal. He ended up in a wide open, dirt field with humans all around him. He then noticed, like he suspected a little under a year ago, he was turned into a human. He finally registered that he was in a tree, with a very injured human holding his old scarf.

The one that Sans had grabbed years ago to try and tether himself to Snowdin. Yanking the scarf from the human's hands, it went around his neck. He scanned the field and found Sans. Fighting a huge monster.

"Sans..."

Jumping from the tree, he ran to where Sans was. He won the fight, but seemed exhausted after the fact. Papyrus caught him as he collapsed.

"Rest now brother. You've earned it."

Sans fell asleep quickly in his grasp. Many humans started to surround him and Sans, so a bone cage was formed with Papyrus's magic. He'd been practicing his magic in hopes of reaching Sans's level of power.

<~>

"That's when you started talking to me. I wanted to thank you all for taking care of my brother when I couldn't."

Sans was sleeping in Papyrus's arms, too lazy and tired to actually go upstairs to his comfy bed.

"I'm sure when Father gets here, he'll be just as grateful as me!"

"I bet. Taking in so many monsters, we might need a bigger house."

"I will help pay for it! The Great Papyrus will repay a debt to the Kirishima family!"

"Thank you, but it's not necessary. We were going to get a new house anyway so we could have a plant room. It was just put on hold after a while. You can come with us to scout out a new house though. Since you'll be living there too."

During the house discussions, Eijirou took Sans stairs to sleep more comfortably. It seemed like Eijirou was the only one aware of Sans not actually sleeping.

"Bro, I know you're not sleeping."

"Heh, got it in one."

"What's up? You never pass up a good nap."

"I...I'm not sure I want to go back to the Underground."

"Why not?"

"Well, when I thought there was no way back home, I started getting used to this life. No resets, no saves, no genocide routes... here, it's so much simpler. School, friends, heroes, villains, even cheesy teenage romance! It's peaceful. It's easy. I don't need to worry about a reset. Don't have to resign to dusting during a genocide route. I like it here, I even like this flesh suit I wear. Is that awful of me to even suggest that I don't want to go home?"

"Sans, I don't think Papyrus cares about that. I'm sure he's just happy that you're safe. When your dad comes, I'm positive you'll be able to stay here if you just talk to me."

"Heh, thanks bro. I felt the sentiment in my bones, but for real, thanks Eiji. That meant a lot."

"Anytime bro. Anytime."

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This chapter is dedicated to potatoreak for helping with this chapter!