It was a shock to see Helen. Toby didn't really know what happened to him and the Puppeteer. All he knew was that Ben found their location, and then Laughing Jack was gone for the day. Toby had gone to the living room to walk upstairs but had paused when he saw him. Helen. Half of his head was coated in blood. Ben climbed into the T.V. as Eyeless Jack deposited the man onto the couch.

"Be quiet. He fell asleep in the car. And he has a concussion, so he needs it," Eyeless Jack said.

Toby glanced between them. "What happened?" He asked.

"Laughing Jack wanted to bring him back since Sans was worried about him. And he decided the best way to do that would be to, you know, knock him out."

Toby winced. A tick ran through him as he looked down at Helen. So many emotions washed through him at the sight of Helen laying there. They never did end things off well, per se. And now he was here. Toby didn't know how he felt about that. Mostly relieved, since this meant that Helen was going to get some actual help. But also terrible, because Helen likely wasn't here out of his own will. And he was injured. With a concussion. A practical death threat to any practicing CreepyPasta. Something that required care and attention to heal up.

"Why would Jack do that? It wasn't Helen's fault... fault."

Ben stuck his head out of the T.V. briefly. Mainly to give Toby a long, hard look. "Really? Think long about the person we're talking about."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

Someone not known for kindness towards people. It was a miracle everyone that who already lived there was treated with generosity. Helen was just associated with the Puppeteer. In Laughing Jack's eyes, that was enough.

"He's alright, other... otherwise?" Toby asked.

"No." Eyeless Jack was curt as he tugged out a roll of bandages. "He has a nasty concussion. Going to be recovering for about a month, my guess." His fingers, carefully, parted aside some hair to look at the injury. "Maybe more. Or less. It really depends."

Toby frowned at that statement. He felt... something, certainly. Guilt? A bit of that. He should've been upfront with Helen the moment he and Clockwork had distanced themselves from him. Wasn't his fault, he had some pretty obsessive company. Company that chased them out with threats and attacks that made them not inclined to stay nearby. And while it wasn't their fault, he had long since acknowledged that he had lost his only love when they decided to keep their mouths shut.

Toby moved to sit down, offering help to Eyeless Jack wherever he needed it. Guilt was the right word. It was a word he didn't like because he always had felt guilt in his life. As if he were to blame for the shitty circumstances that brought him to that world. Not his fault, Toby was mature enough to challenge that guilt. Not his fault his Dad was an ass, or that car crashes happened, or that he was vulnerable and took an offer when he really shouldn't have. But guilt was a pest in his life, one that clung and clung until his heart ached and sleep became a thing of the past. It didn't help that now - only now, after everything, that Toby was finally taking charge. It was refreshing, in a sense. No boss, no name to trap him, just Toby. To do whatever the hell he wanted. But that didn't erase his past, or his relationships, so he couldn't run around like a headless chicken.

Toby couldn't describe the exact feeling that washed over him every time he looked at Helen. A mixture of guilt and sadness, sure, but also... relief. That he was finally getting help. Not happy he got injured for it to happen, but Helen did need to take a break from the Puppeteer. As much as those two cared about one another, they were enablers. Puppeteer let Helen bask in his pitiful sadness and Helen let the Puppeteer lose his sense of composer and what little integrity serial killers had left. Toby didn't love Helen, not like his newly discovered emotions towards Sans or his deep personal love for Clockwork, but he cared. Helen was his friend. That was that.

"Is there anything I - whoop - can do to help?" Toby asked when the bandages were set aside, used, and done, just like that.

Eyeless Jack was proficient. There was clear training in his medical knowledge. Passion, too. Eyeless Jack gave a damn, and his usually reclusive personality would flicker out a light whenever he spoke about meds or materials or anything of that sort. He never did admit to his career passion, but his actions spoke plenty.

"Not really. Concussions can't be treated by magic or anything, so getting Sans is kind of worthless. Best we can do is keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't suddenly have any complicated symptoms or whatever. Need to get him a bed tomorrow, sunglasses for light sensitivity, and make sure he's not surrounded by people who mentally strain him... you know, basic stuff."

Ah, right. Basic stuff. Basic stuff that Toby didn't know because it was obvious. Hell if he knew how to treat a concussion. Never had one, and pain wasn't something he was familiar with.

"You and Clockwork should probably stay away, I'll be moving him to my room so he can recover without having to deal with anything like that." Eyeless Jack tucked the medical kit closed, filled with an odd assortment of items he must have collected here and there. Not quite over-the-counter stuff, though some of that did litter small containers within the kit. "And we should keep Sans away because he might make him stressed."

"But we're telling h... him, right?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

Then tomorrow came. The night went by fast, filled with sleepless turns and anxiety-ridden thoughts. A lot happened that day, and Toby had a lot to think about. Helen was there, and fuck, Toby might have a date. He had no idea what to do with that. He only ever dated a girl, one single woman in his entire life, and he wasn't even attracted to her. How was he supposed to date a man who had two dates under his sleeve and a child already? Then again, it wasn't a competition for who had experience, and Sans already taught Laughing Jack plenty.

Toby managed to get some sleep, but that was only when the sun peeked over the horizon and the night was deemed over. Breakfast was missed, but not lunch, as he arrived just when Jeff was finishing up the last meal. Sally helped by cutting up the slices. Homemade pizza. He made the dough and everything. Jeff was stepping out of his comfort zone in food. Wanted to experiment more.

Toby and Jeff had a weird relationship. Jeff didn't hate Toby anymore, but they weren't best friends. Nor strangers. Roommates was probably the best term, now that Toby thought about it. Simply roommates.

The conversation from the other room wasn't fully audible when Toby had sat down after quickly cleaning the counters, giving a quick thanks to Jeff as he grabbed his slice. Trusted Sally didn't do anything to it, because he had to trust that. Had to trust Sans talked to her enough that it stuck, that she wasn't bidding her time. And Sally didn't do anything to him since, though it was clear she was still dealing with those emotions. Just on her own.

Sans and Laughing Jack, along with Bean, were in the other room. Hushed whispering lingered out from the cracked door. Laughing Jack broke the news to Sans a few minutes ago. From what Toby could hear, Sans was a bit pissed off Laughing Jack went to such an extreme.

"... difficult to care for two kids, much less someone with a fucking concussion..."

Melted cheese met Toby's mouth as he bit down, listening to what he could. Sans was making a decent argument. Even with the job he dropped, it was still difficult to manage an entire household like this. Full of serial killers, weapons, having to evade the police, and praying one of them didn't fuck up for the rest of them. That was a stressful load to have. Especially with another kid on the way.

"... Jack can take care of it... no, no little potato don't look at me like..."

Laughing Jack seemed to struggle with his words. He seemed to want it both ways, wanted Sans to support his choice but also wanted to reveal he didn't have much guilt for it. Wasn't working well, Toby supposed. It did look like Laughing Jack did something stupid and then threw the work onto Eyeless Jack because that's what happened. Sans wanted Helen to have the choice. Laughing Jack didn't give him the choice. And now they would all have to be on their toes to care for him. He had a nasty concussion, Helen was lucky he got away with only that considering who attacked. From what Laughing Jack had explained, he had grabbed the poor man's head and practically slammed it into concrete. If anything, they should probably be celebrating that Helen only ended with a single injury that he could recover from. Laughing Jack isn't exactly known for being constrained with attacks.

From what Toby could tell, Sans and Laughing Jack didn't have full-blown arguments. Sans and Jane never argued at all. They always would just sit down and talk until they understood one another. But Jane was emotionally mature. An adult who long since figured out herself before Sans and she were together. Not Laughing Jack. He was definitely some sort of psychopath or something because he could not understand normal emotions or anything of the sort. Most arguments between Laughing Jack and Sans were Laughing Jack giving no shits about someone else, and Sans having to explain why he couldn't do that. Mostly in an angry tone because Laughing Jack typically did something that pissed Sans off. Laughing Jack never argued back with Sans, only would nervously clutch at his hands and try to get into Sans' good graces again.

But all of the arguments Toby had heard were petty arguments between them. Laughing Jack made a woman in the store trip. He slipped a handful of poison candies into someone's bag. Simple stuff like that, compared to other monstrosities he had done, could only be simple in comparison. This was something he did that affected Sans, though, and it was something extraordinarily stupid in retrospect. Sans pitied Helen to an extent. And Laughing Jack slammed his skull into the concrete and dragged him back, unconscious and bloodied. Everyone could see that was a recipe for a pissed Sans.

And then, Sans said the unthinkable.

"No. You can't cuddle with me. You're staying on the couch tonight, and don't even think about cuddling with me. What the fuck, Laughing Jack."

Everyone in the kitchen turned. Staring. A pepperoni from Jeff's pizza plopped onto the counter, unnoticed by the teenager.

Sure, Sans hadn't let Laughing Jack be in the same room as him sometimes, with no touching. That was when he was sick, a very valid concern to cause them to separate. Didn't want to spread it to Bean. But this was the first time Sans was angry enough to full-on banish Laughing Jack from touching him. And when Sans opened the door to walk out, a scowl on his normally calm face, Toby could see how effective it was on him. Laughing Jack had a horrified look as if he had just been told his dog died.

"Little potato?" Laughing Jack asked, his voice high and nervous. "You didn't - uh, you can't - I mean, no cuddling, I -"

"I don't even wanna talk to ya right now, you just - a concussion Jack! E.J said it'd take a minimum of a solid three weeks for him to be fully healed up again! We're already swamped, and I told - I told you I wanted it to be his choice. And for you to not hurt him!" Sans crossed his arms, scowl deepening. "Just - just leave me alone for a bit, alright. I'm taking Bean out to go blow some steam. Don't touch me right now."

And just like that, Sans was out. The door fluttered closed behind him, so Toby couldn't see Laughing Jack's expression after such a statement. But he saw enough to make his heart stop.

Holy shit, Jack was pissed.

Toby felt like he was walking across charcoal suddenly. Laughing Jack didn't know, yet, that Toby was dating Sans. And he was already in a bad mood because Sans was mad at him to the point of leaving the house without him.

The house held a taste of horrid tension as the day went on. Not only was Helen injured in their house, mostly sleeping away from the injury while being occasionally woken up by Eyeless Jack for medicine or food, but Jack was also in a terrible mood. He wore a frown that spoke of anger, sharp teeth digging so harshly into his lip that it drew blood. But Toby only saw Laughing Jack for less than thirty minutes before he was out. Went somewhere. Hell if anyone knew where he went, only that he'd be back. That much they did know. Because Sans would be back later, and that meant no matter how far he went, he'd come. For his skeleton.

Toby sighed, glancing briefly toward Helen. Asleep, soundly breathing underneath the thick blanket the group had thrown over his body. Bandages wrapped around his head, changed an hour ago by Jack. Jack had assigned himself as the carer for him while he recovered, and no one dared to challenge that authority.

Toby turned away. At least Helen would be getting better. That's all that mattered, right?

___________________

It had been a while since he and Smile Dog were alone. Just the two of them. Like before. Sans snorted at the memories, but his snort was soured with the new memories of that morning.

Pissed was an accurate statement. Life had been a bit difficult lately. A lot of people depended on him. He and his daughter got kidnapped. Then Laughing Jack gave someone a concussion. Sans was already riding on a bit of a paranoid train leaving Bean out of his sight, and then his boyfriend went and did that. Wasn't helping his stress.

And Laughing Jack didn't even comprehend. Of course, he wouldn't. He didn't regret it.

Sans should have known. If it wasn't for his family, Jack would never give a shit. Sans this. Sans that. And Sans admittedly liked that. He let himself be a bit greedy when it came to Laughing Jack.

But this he didn't like. When the greed went a bit too far. When Laughing Jack was more nervous about Sans' response than he did. Sans felt bad for Helen and wanted to see him get better. Getting better did not include getting a concussion.

"You're lost in your thoughts again, Sans."

Ah. He was. Sans blinked steadily, staring down at what he was doing. A stroll through the park. Bean was in her little throne in her seat, a blanket tucked underneath her and three stuffed animals surrounding her. She seemed happy, enjoying the scenery as she chewed on a sucker he gave to her. That's good. At least someone was enjoying their outing.

Smile Dog stood next to Sans, his gaze focused up at the skeleton. Right. He had tagged along.

"Sorry, it's been a day," Sans said.

It had been a day. Just... a day. Nothing plain terrible, but not great. A day indeed.

The weather seemed to reflect that. A plain, cloudless sky with a tint of wind to make it slightly chilly. The grass sat wet with mildew from that night's rain, the stench of worms heavy in the air.

"Are you mad at him?" Smile Dog asked.

"Yeah."

Sans was angry. Laughing Jack could have permanently injured him for life. And to do so to someone Sans explicitly said not to hurt? And Sans was a bit worried. Couldn't bring himself to look at Helen yet, because he felt guilty. Guilty that he let his boyfriend do that.

"It's... fine. It'll be fine," Sans said. "Just need'a take today to blow off some steam."

He really did. Sans needed a break. From everyone and everything. Maybe he should go on vacation.

Oh, no, he couldn't. Because someone with a head injury was now on his couch. And hell if Sans was going to trust all of them alone with Helen for days on end. Even this break was giving him slight anxiety.

He and Smile Dog didn't talk much more about the incident. It was clear Sans needed time to stew, to let himself ignore it for a bit, and to bond with his kid. So they did just that. Walked around the park, got some food, let Bean crawl about a grassy opening with the other two right next to her. Her fingers, tiny and dainty, dug into grass and dirt alike as she happily babbled. What a cute little baby.

Of course, the thoughts of Jack returned. Why wouldn't they? And this time, Sans didn't let himself chase them out. He sat there, quietly running a hand through Smile Dog's fur as he contemplated.

Wished Laughing Jack just understood emotions. That would make things easier. A lot easier. Then Sans wouldn't have to explain.

If only.

Laughing Jack's obsession was a double-edged sword. Sans admittedly liked it. Liked the greed that came with it, the importance. To know, in full confidence, that Laughing Jack loved him so much was great. But then that obsession could turn twisted. Cause Laughing Jack to go out and hurt someone Sans somewhat cared about with the vain excuse of him not being cooperative. Helen didn't even get the chance to talk before Laughing Jack hit him. And Laughing Jack didn't care, would never care because he wasn't Sans.

Sans knew, deep down, no one in the house was safe from his boyfriend. If they did anything that deemed them as a threat to Sans, Laughing Jack wouldn't hesitate. Sans never acknowledged it, but he knew. Every time Laughing Jack looked at him, with a gaze sickly with love, he knew.

Sans admittedly did some research. Wondered what made Laughing Jack so well-known and scary to those around him. It wasn't hard to find the results. Thousands of murders. Children torn to shreds. Adults dismembered. Candy shoved in where organs once lay. Sans knew some details, but as he gazed out across the results of his search, he never did figure out the pure extent it went to. Laughing Jack had a track record. Stopped by little ol' Comic Sans one fateful night, who summoned him with the single purpose to get revenge on the world that failed him.

It was that memory that melted away the rage. He flexed his fingers slightly, sighing.

As if Sans was one to talk. He knew he was dangerous. Still summoned him out of some petty need for revenge. Against no one in particular. And Laughing Jack stopped that entire killing spree he had for Sans. His whole life circled around him. Compared to what he had been doing before, Laughing Jack was making vast strides in improvement. All for his beloved little boyfriend who asked him to.

And, of course, Sans was protecting someone who wasn't entirely innocent, either. Helen didn't kidnap Sans, but he never helped him, either. Declined Sans' attempts to escape. A kidnapper by his inaction, per se. An enabler. Who has enabled the real kidnapper, no doubt. Their relationship held deep care, but it was fucked up. Bound for disaster the moment the Puppeteer decided kidnapping random people would help Helen.

Maybe Sans was the one in the wrong for defending him so deeply? Sans didn't care for Helen himself, he realized. He cared for the projection Sans set upon the man. That was why he was pissed. Not because Laughing Jack hurt someone - frankly, Sans stopped caring about that years ago - but because Laughing Jack hurt someone Sans had been projecting himself onto and injured him just enough for it to become another source of stress in his life.

After that train of thought, Sans let himself simmer down. Took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face. Now he felt particularly stupid that day. It wasn't actually about Helen. It never had been.

At least Sans had the emotional capacity to figure out his emotions on his own for a bit. That was good. Before, bad thoughts were a black hole. One inescapable. Now it was more of a staircase. Sure, he could tumble down, but climbing up was... easier. Faster.

It shouldn't have surprised him to discover Laughing Jack had been following him. Frankly, Sans was acutely aware that after he had been kidnapped, he never was truly alone. Always was accompanied by someone. He never did acknowledge it outwardly, and he didn't necessarily blame them. He always checked in a few more times than necessary whenever Bean was out of sight.

Laughing Jack wasn't good at hiding for very long. Sans couldn't even bring himself to be mad that he was practically stalked. Because, well, he wanted to see him too. And maybe the obsession went both ways. Just a bit.

He was obvious, peeking out from behind that damn tree. Those eyes were ever so intense, watching Sans like he was his world and nothing would change that. And Sans never would. He didn't think he had the desire to, really. Laughing Jack was fucked up, but he was his fucked up boyfriend. And the obsession, in a way, was comforting. Because it meant he wouldn't leave him trapped in a building that was collapsing.

What a petty fight. He probably should be madder. But Sans only let himself melt into Laughing Jack's embrace the moment Sans dismissed the previous no-touching order, tucking his skull against those frilly feathers he adored running his hands through. He twirled one against his finger, rather content to just lay there until thoughts muddied and the world became a distant problem. He never did hear a heartbeat from Laughing Jack, his body was always eerily still and silent. Only the soft breath against his skull as he pressed down against Sans.

Sans really should be more upset. If he didn't establish more boundaries, and more safety, this would keep happening to people around Sans. He'd keep attacking.

Sans couldn't find it within himself to care. Because he was already too far gone.

"I'm sorry," Laughing Jack had muttered.

"Me too," Sans had replied.

He didn't even remember why he said no touching. At the time it seemed like a smart idea. Now, looking back, he felt a bit stupid over such a decree. As if Sans could go a week without cuddling. Not anymore. He was too far in at this point. Too in love. What a slippery slope love was.

"You're not... mad at me, little potato, are you?" Laughing Jack asked.

"No, not anymore... just - don't hurt someone I don't want you to anymore. Please? It's not a nice feeling," Sans mumbled.

"I won't," Laughing Jack said. "Don't... leave me like that again, please?"

He couldn't let himself get too greedy over this. Laughing Jack would never truly understand emotions. He was a psychopath or something of that sort. And he was already putting in a lot of work for the life they had. Keeping himself restrained. Trying to be a good Father and lover alike. And although he didn't care about Helen, he did apologize and promise not to do it again. Then Sans overreacted and did this. Was this an overreaction? Hell if Sans knew. But he felt like it was.

"I won't," Sans said. "Sorry, again. I - kind of see myself in him, ya know. And then you went and hurt him. It left a bad taste in my mouth, I guess. And I'm already stressed enough as is."

Laughing Jack hummed. One of his hands lay on Sans' back, dragging upwards and downwards. A soothing feeling that made Sans want to doze off. Instead, he kept awake, because he couldn't avoid the conversation. That was his first stupid mistake. He probably should've just talked this out first, rather than avoiding it.

"Eyeless Jack said he'd take care of him, little Sansy. And Toby can as well. Clockwork can help. You don't have to," Laughing Jack said.

"Yeah. Yer right. I... I still don't like any of us having major injuries, though. Let's try to avoid that in the future, yeah? Maybe try drugs if you wanna knock someone out. I dunno."

Sans was gone. Officially gone. He always knew he was, considering he was willingly dating serial killers as if he were collecting pokemon cards. This only cemented it, though. He loved Laughing Jack, and that trumped his anger about Helen being hurt.

Sans was definitely going to hell.

He let his arms tighten on his boyfriend, humming at the hug that they shared. He watched out across the grass, where Smile Dog was playing with Bean. She lay back on the grass, giggling excessively as Smile Dog would nuzzle her ribcage, and mess with her toys, keeping her stimulated and entertained.

Eh, well, it didn't matter. Laughing Jack would probably follow Sans down to hell. So Sans would go willingly.

___________________

Helen was in and out of consciousness a lot for the first few days. Sleepily blinking, rather disoriented whenever he did escape slumber, only to be dragged back less than an hour later. Eyeless Jack encouraged it. Clearly, the man needed it. And rest would help.

The house had been rather hectic as of late. Not only had Sans been kidnapped, but he had a kid on the way, and now Helen was there. Hectic was to be expected. Eyeless Jack mostly kept to himself, focusing on his newfound patient. Thankfully, Helen was compliant once he had explained the situation. Asked a few questions here and there. His voice was quiet, his posture always slumped, and his eyes always averted to the side whenever he spoke. A quiet, fearful man. CreepyPasta weren't like that. Eyeless Jack himself was a quiet man, a wallflower, but at least he had a sense of confidence. Not Helen. Not the Bloody Painter, a man once known for using victims' blood to paint astounding pictures as they slowly bled out. He seemed to be past his prime CreepyPasta time, instead shivering like a timid puppy whenever someone walked by the room too loudly.

His lips were slightly cracked, his hair constantly ruffled, and his eyes bore into the sheets. That's how Helen always looked. And that was how he looked that morning, as Eyeless Jack changed the bandages around his head injury.

He didn't speak much. Asked about Sans and Bean, and the Puppeteer. Asked about Toby once. Clockwork as well. Other than that, he mostly kept to himself.

"Alright, well, you're good enough now to talk to more people and move around," Eyeless Jack said, pushing a pair of sunglasses onto his nose. "But you're going to need to be careful. Don't exert yourself."

Eyeless Jack missed having his room. Solitude was nice. Everyone here had some... energy to them, per se. And he didn't like to eat in front of people. Not to mention Helen had constant nightmares. Which woke him up. A lot.

Not like he could judge Sans for bringing him in, considering that Sans literally saved his ass in several ways. Eyeless Jack wasn't in a position to judge. He never was. And he knew when to keep his head down and mouth shut, so he did. Didn't question Sans' dating choices or the people he associated himself with. Not his business.

Nor was it his business to ask Helen anything. Whatever was on his mind was his problem, not Jack's.

Days passed. A slow, monotonous passing of time. The dust seemed to settle from the hectic life they all had briefly. Sans was alright, the pregnancy was fine, and Helen was settling in. Since he didn't particularly have much involvement with the kidnapping, everyone sort of accepted him in. Didn't outwardly go out of their way to welcome him, but didn't necessarily overlook him, either. Helen was just there now. A new cog in the system. A new stone in the pond. Made a ripple for a mere moment before the water settled into a smooth surface once more. Helen didn't dare talk to any of his old friends, and they gave him the space he likely needed. A standstill of sorts hung in the air between those people.

It was a bit awkward to watch. But, again, wasn't his relationship. So he wouldn't dare intervene.

On the verge of sunset was when the doorbell rang. Eyeless Jack ducked into the laundry room when he heard it, as was customary within the household. Hide until whoever went away. Eyeless Jack was familiar with the process. Most of the time it was just girl scouts, sometimes someone looking for a lost cat or something.

Eyeless Jack couldn't hear their discussion. It was muffled, with idle chatter and a little bit of banter. A kid's voice. Might be that neighbor Sans had mentioned. Some kid who liked to go around and talk to neighbors. Sell lemonade.

Not that Jack would ever care. He was a cannibal for heaven's sake. Doubt he'd be invited over for crumpets or anything of that sort. And Jack was fine with that. It was easy to adjust to reality after it hit you repeatedly in the balls.

Usually Sans would just walk off after conversations. However, after he silently shut the front door, he loudly shuffled and slumped across the kitchen island. He could practically feel the anxiety from the other side of the door. So he peaked out, noticing Laughing Jack standing by with Bean as Jane quickly rushed forward to rub her boyfriend's back.

"Everything all right? What happened?" Jane asked.

Then he said it. A simple sentence that made everyone pause, confused as to why he would say such a thing.

His smile strained as he spoke.

"Guys," Sans said. "We need to move."