While Papyrus was quite curious about what had been in that big box, as well as why he wasn't supposed to go into the lab right now, he was a good monster, and kept this all to himself. He didn't try to sneak into the lab, or try to slip information from Gaster's assistants. He was going to stay on the straight and narrow. He was going to do the right thing.

If it was something important, Gaster would tell him. He wouldn't go snooping.

It was very hard, though. Gaster continued to come home later and later in the night, sometimes not even stopping for food before going to bed. Sometimes not even making it to bed, just collapsing on the couch.

So it was very hard for Papyrus to wait to find out what was so pressing that kept his father was so busy.

Especially because the more time passed since then, the more tired and frustrated Gaster seemed to get. Whatever he was working on, it wasn't going well.

Papyrus wanted to help his dad, but he couldn't do that too well if he didn't know what the problem was. So he resolved just to be there for his dad, take care of him as best he could.

Papyrus would have dinner ready before Gaster got home, and make sure he ate even just a little before he collapsed. Papyrus kept the house clean and did all the chores. Papyrus always made breakfast for Gaster, and left it waiting for him when he left for school.

On one of the nights that Gaster didn't immediately fall asleep after eating, he remarked on this.

"You know, Papyrus, I really appreciate everything you're doing. I know it can't be easy, doing all the cooking and the cleaning, but you're doing a great job. And I know I haven't... really been around much, but you keep pushing on and getting everything done. I'm sure this house would fall apart without you. I'm real proud of you, Papyrus."

Papyrus had stopped what he was doing, (cleaning the dishes) and looked over at his dad. "You... you mean it?"

Gaster stood from the table and walked over to Papyrus. "With every ounce of Magic in my body. And that is a rather formidable amount."

Papyrus grinned at his father as he knelt down beside him.

"And I'm sorry, Papyrus. I'm so, so sorry I haven't been around."

"It's alright, Dad! You're working, and your work is very important to the Underground! Even though I don't exactly know... what you're doing."

Gaster leaned forward and wrapped Papyrus in a hug. "Papyrus... I'm so glad you're my son. I- ... I don't know what I'd do without you."

Papyrus slipped his arms around Gaster and let his skull rest on his shoulder. "Neither do I, but that's okay, because you do have me, so you don't have to worry."

~o0o~

Papyrus did go down into the labs eventually. He wasn't intentionally breaking the rules. He was concerned.

He had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for Gaster to get home that night. And when he woke, he was still on the couch. It was mid-morning on a Sunday, and there was no evidence that Gaster had ever even been home.

That meant he probably hadn't eaten in over twenty four hours.

So when Papyrus headed into the lab, it wasn't because he was snooping, or sneaking, or spying, or anything along those lines. He was going because he didn't know if his dad had eaten recently, and he was concerned. He was going to go get Gaster, and make him come home for lunch.

In his concern, he had totally forgotten that he wasn't supposed to be going into the lab right now. So he stepped out of the elevator, walked down the hall, and pushed open the door to his father's lab.

And then he stopped and sucked in a breath.

That.

Couldn't.

Be.

Possible.

It just couldn't.

It was Sans.

Unconscious, due to the drugs no doubt being administered through the mask pulled over his nose and jaw, and strapped down to the operating table, but Sans nonetheless.

There was no mistaking it.

Papyrus let out a strangled sound, feeling nothing but shock.

Sans. Sans was alive. In front of him.

Sans.

And then something was in front of him, blocking his view.

Papyrus! What are you doing down here?

Papyrus couldn't talk. His breathing came in short, sharp gasps.

Papyrus, are you alright? Papyrus? Papyrus?!

He was shaking now. Sans was alive. He was there!

Papyrus barely noticed as he was lifted and carried away, down the hall, back to the elevator.

Sans was alive.

That--

But he was dead! Papyrus had seen his dust! He had been at Sans' funeral! He was wearing the jacket Sans never took off!

He was in Dad's lab. Where Papyrus wasn't supposed to be going.

His shock took on a sort of betrayed hurt.

Why--

Why had his dad--

--Kept that from him?

That his brother was alive?

It didn't-

He couldn't-

Didn't--

--make--

--sense--

--Sans--

--Sans--

--alive--

--Papyrus! Calm down! Calm down. It's alright. Calm down. Shhh, it's alright. It's okay, I'm right here. Calm down, just breathe."

He was in Gaster's arms. Shaking, gasping.

"Shhh," Gaster was rubbing his back. "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right. You're okay."

"D-Dad-" Papyrus whimpered. They were in their house, in the kitchen.

"Yeah. It's all right, Papyrus. I'm right here."

"D-Dad, wh-why--"

"Shh. Just calm down. I'll explain everything, just calm down."

Still gasping a bit, Papyrus nodded, and buried his face against Gaster's sweater.

In the time it took for him to calm down completely, Gaster got a glass of water and carried both it and Papyrus into the living room. When Papyrus slowly looked up, Gaster had sat down on the couch.

He offered Papyrus the glass. Papyrus took it and slowly sipped at the water.

Finally, Papyrus looked up at his father. "... H-how...?"

Gaster blew out a slow breath. "I- ... I don't know, Papyrus. I honestly don't know. I believed just as much as you did that he was dead... and then the trap I set got sprung, and he was inside..."

"Trap... s-so that's what..." Papyrus looked down and gripped the glass tightly. The slightly hurt feeling that his Dad apparently didn't trust him much came back.

"Yes." Gaster nodded. "That's what I was doing while you were with Queen Toriel."

Papyrus was silent for a minute. Then, slowly, "... Why... why didn't... why didn't you tell me?" His voice was full of desperation.

Gaster was quiet for a long time before speaking. "... Because I didn't want you to get even more hurt. Papyrus, the only thing in my entire life that's hurt me as much as Sans dying was seeing how much Sans dying hurt you. And... and I thought, 'hasn't he been through enough? Isn't it enough that his brother died?' Because, Papyrus... That monster in my lab... he's... Sans is back, Papyrus, but he's one of the Corrupt. He's not the monster we knew. He would kill us all without hesitation. So I... I didn't want to tell you, because I couldn't bear the thought of what it would do to you. I- ... Please, Papyrus. Please understand. I didn't want to hurt you-"

Papyrus looked up. Gaster's eyesockets were brimming with tears.

Papyrus leaned over and set the glass on the end table next to the couch. Then he nuzzled against his dad's side, wrapping his arms around Gaster, all traces of any negativity towards Gaster vanishing. "I- ... Its okay, Dad. I... I think understand. It's okay." Gaster hugged him tightly, and Papyrus looked up at him. "Just- ... were... were you going to tell me? Eventually?"

Gaster let out a sort of strangled chuckle. "Of course, Papyrus...! I wanted to find a cure, first, though... so that... when I did tell you... he was already... Sans again, I guess. It's just taking me... a lot longer than I had hoped."

"Oh..." Papyrus leaned back against Gaster. For a while, he stayed like that, listening to the rhythmic beat of Gaster's Soul. It was calming. It gave him the courage for his next question.

"Can... Can I talk to him?"

Gaster stiffened and sucked in a sharp breath. "I- I'm not sure that's a good idea, Papyrus. He- ... he won't be nice to you. He'll be pretty cruel. Very cruel, in fact."

"...Please? I..." Papyrus trailed off. "... Please...?" He repeated.

Gaster looked like he was in agony. "Papyrus... he's... he won't love you. I don't want him to hurt you, which he will try his hardest to do. His Soul is Corrupt."

"I... I know. I understand. But... he's still my brother. I... I want to talk to him. Please."

Gaster sighed, shoulders slumping. "... Maybe. But I still don't think it's a good idea."

Papyrus was silent. He would talk to Sans eventually, he was sure. But he could tell that his dad was already very distraught over the whole thing, so he decided he would let it rest for now.

~o0o~

Days passed. Papyrus occasionally subtly hinted that he still wanted to talk to Sans, and Gaster subtly hinted back that he still thought that was a bad idea.

Eventually, though, he relented.

"You're sure, Papyrus?" He sighed one day, after more of Papyrus's subtle hinting.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"... Alright. Fine. Come with me."

Papyrus let out a happy NYEH-HEH-HEH!! and triumphantly followed his father to the lab.

On the elevator ride, though, his victorious attitude started to slip away.

He was nervous. Gaster had made it very clear that Sans was not the monster he used to be. He was not Papyrus's friend. He was an enemy who would kill them all, given the chance.

Papyrus was a little afraid to see what his brother had turned into.

Quietly, the pair walked down the hall towards Gaster's lab, and entered.

Papyrus first looked to the operating table where he had seen Sans. It was empty, of course. So he turned to the containment cell. With a flare of hope and excitement, Papyrus saw Sans was there.

Since the last time Papyrus had been there, or, at least, actually looked at the containment cell, a cot had been moved into the cell, up against the wall in one corner. Sans was laying on his back on it, with his feet lifted against the wall, like he was sitting on the wall. His hands were resting on his chest, and the only sign he was alive was the tapping of the fingers of his right hand. He was wearing gym shorts and a grey teeshirt, and a considerably more purpley jacket than the one Papyrus had was folded beneath his skull like a pillow.

Papyrus felt a spark of joy in his chest, and struggled to keep it contained. He had been told again and again that Sans was not going to be as happy to see him as he was.

"Sans." Gaster said as they walked in.

Sans didn't respond, just kept tapping his fingers against his ribs.

"Sans." Gaster repeated. "Get up."

Sans stopped tapping. "... why?"

Papyrus flinched. That was Sans' voice, alright, but there was a hard undertone he had never heard before. It scared him.

"Because there's someone here to see you."

Sans didn't move for a moment. No one did. Then, his curiosity must have gotten the better of him. He reached up and pulled his jacket away from his skull, and scooted back a little so his head hung over the edge of the cot. Then he opened his eyes.

Papyrus took a shuddery breath. The white orb of Sans' left pupil was covered in a delicate web of cracks.

For a moment, Papyrus stared at his upside-down brother, and Sans stared back. Then Sans looked to Gaster with a frown.

"if you're thinking that you're gonna get me to 'open up' to him because he's my brother, you're thinking wrong." Again, Papyrus shivered at the harshness of Sans' voice.

"On the contrary. I was actually against letting him talk to you. He's the one who wanted it."

The ridge of Sans' brow raised, or lowered rather, as he was still upside down, unimpressed. "you're gonna have'ta do better than that, gaster."

Papyrus swallowed nervously, flinching at Sans' use of their father's name. "H-he's right. He didn't even want me to know you were down here. I- ... I wanted to talk to you." Papyrus took a step towards the glass wall of the cell.

For a moment, Sans looked confused, or maybe irritated. Then, he started laughing. His laughter was hard and bitter. It was a sound Papyrus never would have wanted to hear from anyone, much less his brother, and he hoped to never hear again. "of course you did."

Papyrus frowned. "What does that mean?"

"you're a naive little idiot is what it means." Sans sat up and turned around to look at Papyrus. "you think you can 'talk to me,' and everything will be alright. that you just have'ta convince me that i'm a good person, an' everything'll be fine... despite what the doctor has no doubt told you."

Papyrus felt a small part of him break. It was true. Even though Gaster had told him numerous times that it wouldn't work, he had still hoped he could convince Sans that he was still a good person. To have his plan laid bare in front of him nearly crushed that hope.

Nearly. It was still there, however damaged and beaten, and Papyrus refused to give up on it.

Frowning, he walked until he was standing right up against the glass, ignoring Gaster's muttered protest. "You may believe that, but I don't. You are a good person, Sans, even if you don't think so."

For a moment, Sans just looked at him, grinning blankly as always, then his grin turned cruel. "you really think that, don't you? hah. what a joke. there's a reason the corrupt are called the corrupt, pap." The way he said the nickname made it quite clear that he did not mean it in an endearing way. "we don't even have souls."

Papyrus's frown became confused. The Corrupt were always portrayed as having nearly-black-purple Souls. Corrupt Souls. Papyrus started to mention this. "But... what about..."

Sans understood before he had finished, and snickered. "what i have is the polar opposite of a soul. an 'anti-'soul, if you will. every ounce of love and joy i'd feel is replaced with sadistic hate."

For a minute, papyrus just stared, shocked, at his brother. Then his shock changed to pity and sorrow. Just looking at his brother seemed evidence enough of that. The way he was smiling coldly at Papyrus. The way he didn't call his own father 'dad' anymore. He really believed it.

Papyrus didn't, though. With as much determination as he could muster, he said, "No. I don't believe you. I can feel it. The glimmer of a good person. The memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. And I'm going to find it."

It was Sans turn to looked shocked, and Papyrus could almost feel the surprise emanating from his father somewhere behind him.

Finally, Sans' expression turned into the familiar "well, okay then." look he sometimes got when Papyrus insisted on something rather stubbornly. He shrugged. "if ya insist. who'm i to keep an enemy from goin' down a dead-end path?"

Then, without another word, he lay back down, set his feet back against the wall, and slipped his bundled-up jacket back beneath his skull. Then he closed his eyes and started tapping his fingers against his ribs again. Any attempts Papyrus made to talk to him again were either ignored or met with an apathetic "whatever you say, pap."

It was clear he would get no farther with Sans. Not right now. So he resigned himself to sitting on the floor with his back against the glass wall, watching as Gaster eventually sat at his workbench/desk to work on something or other.

He was aware of Sans' lack of movement aside from his fingers, and aware of Gaster's occasional worried glance at him. But time hardly seemed to pass at all before Gaster stood and motioned for him to come. "Come on, Papyrus. It's getting late. We should go home."

Papyrus nodded slowly and stood. He followed Gaster to the door. Before leaving, though, he turned back to Sans, who was still lying in the same position.

"Goodnight, Sans."

Sans twisted to look at Papyrus. He had that cold grin on his face. "sweet dreams, bro." His voice made it quite clear that he hoped Papyrus had paralyzingly fearful nightmares.

Papyrus ignored that, though. "You too, Sans. You too."

§

A/N

Yay! Weekends with small homework means more time to write!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and votes and comments are not only always welcome, but always appreciated, too!