There was so many bad things about Sans' situation when he had woken up.

The first was the chain stationed around his ankle, the way it dug into his bones. It left marks on his right leg. There was a little makeshift padding, but overall it proved useless. The chain let Sans move around the room. And he could see through the windows.

Into the sky. That he wasn't supposed to be able to see.

Monsters never made it to the surface, yet there he was, on the surface! Sans could see the sky, he could see the starts twinkle above. So close, yet so far. Whenever he would reach out, his hand would meet nothing but cold glass, reminding him of his new prison.

From one prison to the next. Trapped underground, to being trapped on the surface.

At least underground, he had others. He had a large place to roam, an amazing brother, and the idea of the surface lingering with the last soul. It was nice, not perfect, but alright. He liked it.

The room he was trapped in was a mocking of the perfect life Sans had always wanted. It was painfully mocking. The surface was so close, just on the other side of that window, but Sans couldn't reach it. His brother was there, but that wasn't his Papyrus. No, it was a fake, a different Papyrus. One that didn't belong to him, who would come in cheery with a plate and things to talk about. Papyrus, the fake one, talked to Sans like he didn't kidnap him. Like he didn't sometimes draw too close, like he didn't stare at Sans with that creepy look.

The others shortly followed. Red was the one who objected to the magical constraints the most, constantly tugging at the metal band around his vertebrae. Blue was the one who tried to convince Papyrus, who tried to talk him down. When their kidnapper finally did leave, Blue would tell the other skeletons that it was alright, Papyrus was their brother, even if he was from another universe. He would free them.

At first, it truly sounded like Blue believed it. After awhile, it sounded like Blue was trying to convince himself.

Sans could see the thick grass outside, and the dense trees. They all could. They could also see the outside of the log cabin they were trapped inside of. And they all could see the clear glint of a trap laying in the grass.

They wouldn't be getting out easily. Especially with Papyrus watching them like there was nothing else important in the world.

~~~~~~

"Bear traps out in the grass?" Gwen had questioned Sans.

"He was obsessed with us," Sans admitted, shifting slightly. "He told us it was to protect us, but I know it wasn't. He just wanted to scare us into staying inside so we couldn't run."

"If he loved you, that seems pretty dangerous to put you inside that situation," Gwen pointed out, "You could have bled out, or dusted. Why would Papyrus have done that if he loved you so much?"

"Skeletons can't die from blood loss, we have to sustain enough injury," Sans explained helpfully, "Which is why a foot injury is the best way to slow us down without the possibility of killing us. We wouldn't be able to walk properly, we'd be hurt, and we'd leave a trail of blood. That's why bear traps were used, he knew if we stepped on one trying to get out, it was game over."

"Is that how you got your limp?"

Gwen had followed Blue's advice and watched Sans walk in, surprised to find that the skeleton was limping. Now that he had a change of clothes, she could see the collar around his neck, and she could see his bandaged foot and ankle. There was a lot of bandages used, he must have messed up his foot really bad. Especially with how he limped, he practically was leaning against the other officer to keep himself up. It looked painful, the way his face scrunched up with each step.

Could Sans even commit a murder in that state?

Sans didn't respond to her question, shifting his injured foot. Was it from trying to escape, or was it from something else?

Perhaps he got that injury from the murder, from killing his other brother.

"Moving on," Gwen said, "Can you describe what the original house was like, please?"

"I... It was a log cabin, like I said," Sans explained, "We were surrounded by the forest, somewhere on the surface. Monsters had been trapped underground, so uh, I'm not really sure how I got there. Not at first, none of us did."

"I'm guessing by the universe transporter, by Papyrus?"

"How did you-"

"My partner found the device, he figured out what it was. He's good with technology, he's been trying to fix it."

"You guys are going to fix it?" Sans asked hopefully, perking up with the first hint of happiness in his face. "I could- We could all go back to our universes!"

"I'm afraid not," Gwen said honestly, "Red won't be returning, he'll be executed due to his L.O.V.E. And whoever killed Papyrus will also be executed. However..."

This could be it, this could be leverage. This could give Gwen the answers she needed!

It was obvious Sans cared for his real brother, the one he had been taken from. His eye sockets practically sparkled from joy at the idea of returning home, his uninjured leg bouncing with anticipation. Maybe Gwen could use this to her advantage.

"You could return," Gwen said, "You could go home, to your own universe. But I can't let you go until this case is over. If you told me who did it, I could help you go home."

Part of that was a lie. If Sans was the killer, he would be executed, just like Red. But if he wasn't, he might tell her. He might confess, sell out another version of himself to see his friends again.

But, he didn't.

"Nah, this universe is fine," Sans muttered, sinking back into his chair with his arms crossed. "The cell is pretty cool, and I am rocking these prisoner clothes. I think I'll stay here."

Even though she didn't get the answer she wanted, Gwen somehow felt a surge of relief flood through her. Her gut was right.

Sans was a good person. He would stand by his friends, protect them, even at the cost of never returning to his universe.

Or at the cost of killing another.

~~~~~~

"GOOD MORNING!"

Sans let out a groan at hearing that voice, lightly banging his skull against the wall. He hated it. He hated how much Papyrus sounded like his own, how happy and cheerful he always sounded.

But he also hated it when Papyrus would switch to that darker tone, the low, threating voice when he didn't like whatever his Sans harem was doing. It was rare, as the skeleton often found more amusement in their struggles then anger.

It was terrifying. Especially since he couldn't use magic.

Sans would scamper away like a scared puppy, unable to do anything more as that god awful spaghetti would be brought out. That's all he ever had. For breakfast, lunch, dinner. Papyrus' awful cooking, forced down into his body.

"AW, YOU LOOK SO ADORABLE!"

Sans hated that. He hated that tone, or those obsessive eye sockets bearing into him. He wanted to do nothing more but to run, run so far that he somehow found his way back home, to his Papyrus. To his real brother.

"I BROUGHT YOU BREAKFAST!"

Sans could smell it as soon as he walked in. It was disgusting. When his Papyrus made it, his love for not just Sans, but everyone could be tasted in the cooking. Sure, it still was pretty bad, but his intentions were clear. He just wanted to make everyone happy.

"AW, COME ON SILLY BONES!"

Sans was always the first fed. Papyrus was obsessed with him the most out of the group, everyone could tell. Why? He wasn't sure. Not in the beginning.

When he first tried feeding Sans in the morning, it was always the same. He would gently twist his homemade disaster onto a fork and hold it out for Sans, expecting the skeleton to eat. Yet Sans would always twist away, hating this every time it happened. He didn't want to eat. Let him starve!

Suddenly, there was sharp fingers grasping at his jaw, prying open his teeth. Sans jerked under the sudden movements, not expecting this. Papyrus sat next to him, his red gloved fingers continuing to press open his now aching jaw as the awful food was shoved down his throat.

"Eat it," Papyrus hissed, eye sockets growing darker.

In the corner, Sans could hear Red stifle his own cry from hearing that voice.