Papyrus literally makes everything better.

With him awake and moving around, interacting with you and Dr. Gaster, Dr. Gaster is a lot friendlier to you. That's not to say Dr. Gaster is friendly, he's just not quite so irritable towards you.

And it really is clear just how much he loves his sons. He's constantly at Papyrus's side, always ready to do whatever he can for Papyrus. You can see, in a way, where Papyrus gets his aggressive kindness from.

You spend the day in the lab, and, come evening, fall asleep again while Dr. Gaster and Papyrus are talking about some puzzle of some sort.  

Come morning, it's time to head back home. Dr. Gaster is carrying Sans, as the drugs haven't worn off yet and Sans is still unconscious. Dr. Gaster cradled the smaller skeleton in his arms like a child, with Sans' head resting on his shoulder.

"Alright," he says to Papyrus, "lead the way."

It's not long before you find yourself getting out of Papyrus's car, at your house. You called Toriel on the way home and explained the situation to her- but only the whole Dr. Gaster being Sans and Papyrus's dad, and him moving into the basement. You leave out the bit about Dr. Gaster attacking you, because you figure that's done and gone and taken care of, and there's no point in worrying Toriel about it.

As you step out of the car, your foot lands in a powdery white snowdrift.

Oh! Right! You've spent almost two days in the lab, so that makes today...

Christmas Eve!!

You look up at Gaster's back as you follow him towards the door, and decide that this is already the best Christmas you've ever had.

Once inside, Dr. Gaster greets Toriel with a handshake (with one of his summonable hands, as he's still carrying Sans) then slips away to the basement to get Sans settled into bed, to sleep off the rest of the drugs.

Then he returns upstairs. For a while, there's a bit of pleasant conversation. Then Dr. Gaster addresses Toriel. "I do realize that I am a guest in your house and you are already providing me and my sons with shelter, and as is such, I wish to be as little of a burden on you. But I still must ask, what in this house can I eat?" A smile twitches at his mouth. "Because I have not had a meal in aeons, and a bit of food would be very much appreciated."

Before Toriel can respond, Papyrus jumps in. "I know! I can make some spaghetti for you!"

Dr. Gaster grins at Papyrus. "That sounds great."

It takes no more than that to send Papyrus hurrying into the kitchen.

Toriel and Dr. Gaster, meanwhile, sit at the table and start to talk like the adults that they are.

"So, er, Dr. Gaster, was it?" Toriel begins.

Dr. Gaster nods a little. "Please, just call me Gaster."

Toriel smiles. "Alright. So, then, Gaster, you were the Royal Scientist?"

Gaster nods. "I was."

Toriel laughs a little. "How funny is it to think that I probably knew you, but I do not remember you at all!"

Gaster lets out a small chuckle. "Yes. Actually, Toriel, you were one of my closest friends. You and Asgore. How is Asgore, by the way? I haven't seen him yet."

A flicker of frustration crossed Toriel's face.

Gaster just laughs. "You are still mad at him, then."

You wince a little internally, knowing what's coming. Toriel tried to protect the humans, and Gaster hated humans.

"I am." Toriel says, confirming your suspicions. "What he did was inexc--"

She cuts herself off at the sound of a door. The basement door. Sans half-stumbles into the room, rubbing sleepily at his eyesockets. But when he sees Gaster, he freezes, both eyesockets widening in... in-...

Almost in misery. Definitely a more negative emotion, that's obvious enough when he half-collapses to his knees, tears already pooling in his eyesockets.

"Sans-" Gaster begins, rising from the table.

Sans cuts him off, though, sobbing. "i-- i'm sorry! i'm so, s-so sorry!!"

"Sans, what in the world do you have to be apologizing to me for?" There's a note of bemusement in Gaster's voice as he steps over and kneels down in front of Sans.

"i-- i- d-didn't listen t-to you and built t-the machine, an' i-it almost got people killed--"

"Sans, if--"

"and b-before that i g-gave up, and j-just l-le-left you in the void-"

"I already told you--"

"and it w-was my f-fault you w-were t-there in the f-first p-place, b-because you j-jumped in after m-me, and if i h-hadn't f-fallen, if i ha-ad held on b-better--"

"Sans, I have something important to tell you, so shut up and listen to me!"

Sans stops sobbing, surprised by the outburst. You're all surprised, even Papyrus, who had left the kitchen on hearing Sans' voice.

Certain that he has Sans' attention, Gaster reaches out and sets his hands on Sans' shoulders. "Sans. Listen. I am a fully grown adult, and I am entirely responsible for my own actions. That includes jumping into the Void to save you, and given the option, I would do that again every single time, if it meant keeping you out of the Void. And you falling in was an accident. You had no control over it! How can you expect to be able to hold on when you were standing right in front of the thing? It wasn't your fault. Understand?"

Sans hesitates. "... b-but then, a-after-... i gave up. i c-couldn't build the machine--"

"And I already told you that was okay. Remember? You were upset and tired, and you went to Waterfall. I told you it was okay, I understood. You were trying to do something alone that I couldn't even do with a bunch of assistants. I said I was fine with it if you stopped, and all I wanted you to do was remember. And you did! It was okay."

Sans still hesitates, his voice barely audible. "... i d-didn't listen to you-- a-and people alm-most died--"

"Sans, that was my fault, not yours. Realistically speaking, how could you give anyone a bit of hope like that and expect them not to cling to it? And sure, maybe you got a bit banged up, but you're gonna be okay, and Papyrus is okay, and no one is dead, and I'm here! Honestly, I think things turned or better than if you had given up. You see? Everything is okay, and none of that was your fault. Okay?"

Sans sniffles, then blinks, then smiles and starts sobbing again. At just the slightest motion from Gaster, he lurches forward, slamming heavily into Gaster's chest, where he stays, clinging to his father. Gaster hugs him back, just letting Sans sob against him.

Eventually, Sans calms down, his cries tapering off into small sniffles. Gaster lets him push back a little, but still holds on to his shoulders.

"There. Feeling better, now?"

Sans just nods, a small happy sound escaping his mouth.

"Good. Now, come on, you must be hungry. And Papyrus was making some spaghetti, which, if I'm correct, should be done cooking right about now-ish."

Papyrus makes a small "oh!" noise as he's reminded of his spaghetti, and hurries into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Gaster stands up, grabbing one of Sans' hands and pulling him up, too. Together they walk over to the table, and, as if by some unspoken agreement, once Gaster has sat back down, Sans climbs into his lap, and Gaster hugs him tight.

It's absolutely adorable. You could swear you're smiling just as widely as Sans is.

After a few moments, Papyrus brings the bowls of spaghetti in, and passes them out to everyone.

Gaster wastes no time in complimenting Papyrus's cooking skills- just looking at his face, you would never be able to tell that the spaghetti is kinda burnt and the sauce is sorta watery. He seems to be genuinely enjoying it.

Yes, you decide, this is most definitely going to be the best Christmas you've ever had.

§

A/N

I've been wanting to write this chapter for SO. LONG. You wouldn't believe it.

Also, in case you didn't see it, the guidelines for my 500 follower celebration have been posted! Be sure to go check that out!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!