This is a fucking nightmare. Your thoughts screamed in your head as you watched the horrors happening before you. This isn't real. This can't be real. God....

Someone please save me.

"Hey! Are you paying attention??" Frisk nudged your shoulder and you snapped out of your inner turmoil. "C'mon, Kali! This is the best part of the movie!"

You nodded and stared at the screen filled with multi-color ponies and joyful singing. It was a mess of magic and rainbows, harnessed with the energy of friendship and happiness. It was revolting, and you could tell Sans had managed to tune it all out and still look like he was awake and attentive.

Babysitting. This was something you had little experience in, but most days it consisted of watching Frisk while taking a walk in the snow or keeping her entertained in the house. Sans had suggested a movie, and after a long debate he handed Frisk control of movie night Then this happened, and you caught each other staring with regret.

Still, the last couple of weeks were a strange, but warm transition from your usual routine of old Chinese food and silent nights alone. The occasional cooking lesson with Papyrus would get a little messy, especially when trying to keep him from putting something inedible into the sauce, and trying to get Frisk to bed sometimes ended in a pile of pillows and bodies, but it was all something you had missed. Arriving to work with Sans caught attention from some workers, but you kept to the back room and continued working until the early morning, where you two would set off toward home until being picked up in Papyrus' car (...bed?).

No available apartments in your price range, and it was getting close to the holidays. Sans kept telling you not to worry about it, but you knew this wouldn't last.

Something always happens.

A crash suddenly came from the kitchen, and you hopped up from the navy blue sofa immediately.

"Whoops, better go check on him." You say quickly, escaping from the living room.

You open the door and see Papyrus sitting on the floor with a large pot on his head. You lifted the pot, and his expression was fearful.

"HUMAN! ER.. BIGGER HUMAN! IT WOULD SEEM WE HAVE GHOSTS! SPAGHETTI-HATING GHOSTS!" He exclaimed, waving a wooden spoon in the air.

"Or you spilled oil on the floor again." You giggled and helped him up. "Where are these paranormal pasta-haters?"

"I... I DON'T KNOW, ACTUALLY."

You looked on the floor. Yep. Olive oil was streaked all around the linoleum tiles, and the bottle hung half off the counter, still dripping out of the nozzle and sliding down the front of the cupboard. You grabbed the bottle and set it upright, though now it contained less than a tenth of its contents before he started cooking.

"Well, I'll keep an eye out for 'em in the living room."

"EXCELLENT! I'LL CONTINUE COOKING THIS DELICIOUS SPAGHETTI TO ENTICE THEM OUT OF HIDING!" He set off to take the pasta soaking in oil off of the floor and back into the pot.

You sighed and wandered back into the room, and sat back in your seat next to Frisk. She looked over at you, then leaned against your left arm. You smiled and leaned back a little, settling into the seat and into this post-card night with this strange, happy family.

The movie rolled the credits, and you looked to see Frisk fast asleep, clutching your arm and resting against it like a pillow. You looked at Sans, and saw he was snoring lightly, leaning against the arm of the couch. You couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like I'm putting everyone to bed." You said quietly.

Carefully, you lifted Frisk into your arms and carried her up the stairs. Her right hand sleepily played with the leather on your left glove, and she whined softly when you set her down onto the guest bed.

"Kali?"

You looked and saw her eyes were halfway open. "What's up, kiddo?" You whispered.

"Why do you want to leave?"

You blinked, then smiled and shook your head. "I don't want to leave, Frisk. I'm just looking for my own home. I'll still visit you guys."

"Why can't this be your home?"

Jeez. Kids sure know how to ask the tough questions. "Well, if I stayed here... Then you'd have to sleep on the couch, cause I'm taking this bed."

She giggled. "No, you'd sleep in Sans' bed!"

Your brain flat-lined.

"Wh-what?" You struggled to keep you voice low, hoping he was still out cold on the couch. "Why would I.. Sleep in his bed?"

"Mom and Asgore sleep in the same bed, because they like to be together a lot." She turned on her side and closed her eyes. "You and Sans are together a lot, too..."

"That's not-" You sighed and pat her head. "Listen, don't worry about it, okay? I'm gonna be here for a while, anyways."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"'Night."

You stepped out, listening for the click of the latch bolt, then headed back down the stairs. You turned off the DVD player, and heard Sans stir behind you.

"What a great film." He yawned.

"You seemed to enjoy it enough for the three of us." You put the disc in its case and looked over to the doorway . "I'll need a mop for the kitchen. Do you guys have one?"

"Nah, I wouldn't worry about it right now. Wanna pick out another one?"

You scanned through the selection of movies. A lot of them were made by someone called "Mettaton". You grabbed something with an exploding car on the front and popped it in, then hopped onto the middle seat of the couch.

"Kiddo go to sleep okay?"

"Yeah, she was fine tonight."

"You were up there for a while."

"She... Was asking about where I was gonna go. The way things are going, it looks like I'll have to up my budget if I wanna find something before Christmas."

"How terrible." Sans sat back in his seat, and you felt the cushion adjust under his weight. He was a few inches from you now. "... You're wearing your gloves?"

"Oh!" You looked at your hands and sighed. "Y-yeah.. I didn't wanna scare the kid. The skin is still raw, so I'm just trying to keep it from all coming apart... Heh.."

Something else was happening, though, that worried you. Small events, whether it was something falling off a shelf or just turning off a light, were triggering your magic. Clenching your fist, you could feel the internal wounds moving on the bones of your fingers after flicking a switch from ten feet or holding a door open just by looking at it.

Is it the magic? Is it just getting out of control? Or maybe it's the environment....

"Toriel's really good with her healing." Sans said. "Maybe she could lend a hand."

"Hah, I think I've heard that joke before..." You tapped your finger to your chin as if in thought. "But I just can't place my finger on when."

"Guess I'll need to arm myself with some new material."

You both snickered like children as bombs went off on the screen at a low volume. Horrible CGI limbs scattered in different directions as a raging robot launched missiles at cars and buildings.

"Quite a movie you picked out, Killer."

"Aw, c'mon. You lasted so long without calling me that."

"I figured it's been a while since I annoyed you with it."

You shot a look at him, and you were both quiet for a moment before you sighed with defeat.

"It was after my first year at the factory,"

He kept his eyes on you as his hand holding the remote slowly pushed the MUTE button.

***

You had finished your first work order on your own, finally, without the help of your magic. You only had three vials of medicine left, and the condition of your hands and arms wasn't handling the stress well. Setting the last box down at the door, you hopped off the forklift with a victorious huff.

"Good work, Kalia." Your partner, a man named Ricky, beamed at you as you stepped over to him. "You're a natural with that machine."

"It took practice, but thank you." You said, passively.

"We should celebrate later today." He gave you a flirtatious smile. "How about that drink you still owe me?"

"I don't owe you anything." Your eyes shot daggers at him, and he drew back with a frown.

Once again, someone wants to hit on the new girl. Once again, she turns it down.

"Y'know, Kalie-bear, it would do you some good if you made friends here." He said.

"I don't need friends to finish my work."

"But you need it to get a good report, right?" He tapped the clipboard in his hand with a pen. "Good communication and relationships in the workplace are essential for full efficiency... So, the place is called Top Shelf, and their food is-

"You can threaten me all you want, but I won't be at that bar."

His eye twitched a little, then he smiled and shrugged. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Let's just finish up here and clock out."

So you did, and at four in the afternoon, you finished filling out a shift-transfer paper and handing it into Human Resources before leaving the building. Snow was falling, and it was already dusk, so you kept close to the street lights as they flickered on.

"Hey!" You spun around to see Ricky running toward you. "Wait up!"

You frowned. "Isn't your house in the other direction?"

"Well, there's been a bit of a crime spree in your area." He said, his tone upbeat and friendly. Gross. "I just want to make sure you get home safely."

"I can make it on my own."

But he followed anyway, so you began toward downtown. People were scuffling about in their coats, more away from the area than further in. You aimlessly walked down different blocks and made random turns and Ricky was close behind, chatting idly and accepting your quick, lame responses.

"Y'know, Kalia, they say you're trying to transfer to last shift."

"It pays better."

"Working from night 'til morning? That really what you want?"

"Yep."

"The creeps work last shift, you know."

"Creeps work every shift."

He suddenly grabbed your arm, and you fought the urge to wince as the muscles twisted under the resistance.

"Why do you act like that, huh?" His voice was suddenly dark, and it caught you off guard. "Anyone that's ever come up to you is nothing but nice, and you act like a bitch. What the hell is your problem?"

"Let go. You're hurting me." You tried to pull away, but he tugged you closer.

"I want an answer! What's one goddamn drink? One night to get to know someone?!"

"Ricky, let go of me!" His grip tightened and broke the skin. You shut your eyes in pain and pried at his fingers with your free hand. "Let go of me!"

"What're you gonna do when there's no one to help you when you're in danger?!"

LET GO OF HER.

His hand disappeared, and you opened your eyes to see that someone had knocked him backward, and he had a large, shallow gash on his face. As it started to leak with blood, he lightly touched his hand to it and stared, incredulous. He looked back up at you, eyes wide, and backed away before taking off in the opposite direction. You looked around for you savior but saw no one, and you sighed with relief.

"Whoever you are." You said to the empty sky. "... Thank you."

The next day, you were called into Human Resources to receive your approval into final shift. Ricky didn't show up for work that day, or the next day, or ever again after that night. You saw him one time, on the street of the shopping district, but the moment he caught sight of you he turned quickly into the other direction. You never bothered to explain what had happened to him, mostly because you didn't care, regardless of what they would say. The rumor spread that, in his attempt to take you home, you murdered him and hid the body. Some had a 'Black Widow' theory concocted, but the idea that you were just a cold-blooded 'killer' made more sense.

"Since, only humans are really capable of killing without mercy." You muttered bitterly.

The title menu of the movie played for a fourth time, and you fiddled with your gloves for a while.

"Wow." Sans breathed. "That makes the nickname a little less fun to use."

"It doesn't matter." You grumbled. "No one came near me after that. I was finally alone, like I wanted." A smiled crept on your face. "Now look where I am. All that progress, whoosh, gone."

He chortled, and you joined him in small laughter as Papyrus sauntered in with three plates of spaghetti(?)

"THE GHOSTS WERE TOO AFRAID TO RETURN, HUMAN!" He bellowed with a victorious grin. "DO NOT WORRY; I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE KEPT YOU SAFE FROM THEM."

"Thank goodness." You rose from your seat and headed into the kitchen. "I'm gonna take care of the floor now, so just set my dish on the table."

You left the brothers and headed into the kitchen. In the right corner next to the door was a collection of cleaning supplies, and you reached for a mop with a bright red handle, and the bucket it sat in. You brought the bucket up from the floor and held it against your body and the edge of the sink, and turned on the water - all while struggling to maintain balance on the greasy floor. With the bucket filled half-way, you brought it back to the floor and threw a small amount of cleaner in and stirred with the mop. As you cleaned the slippery grime from the floor, you remembered watching someone else clean messes from the kitchen.

"How many times have I told you to wait for me to pour it for you?"

"Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry Mom."

She sighed with a gentle smile and patted your heads, her bright yellow eyes warm with love.

"Just... Watch me do it. I'll show you a trick so it won't spill."

You scanned the room, making sure it was oil-free, then dumped the bucket and set it and the mop back into the corner. You went back into the living room, and with Papyrus sitting in the middle, you settled back onto the far right of the couch, grabbing your plate from the coffee table. Eating it reminded you of the takeout that would sit in your old fridge for just long enough to get stuck to the shelf. It was a game of debating whether or not it was edible, and then learning the answer but eating it anyway. With company, however, the taste wasn't nearly as bitter, but the game was still about the same.

After the three of you ate, Papyrus and Sans headed up the stairs while you took the dishes back to the kitchen. As you were rinsing the suds off, Sans appeared in the doorway.

"You don't have to wait for me." You said as you dried the plates and put them away. "You've been awake for more than half of the day, so you must be exhausted."

"Am I ever." He replied. "Still, I figured I could keep you company while you work."

"You seem to be good at that."

"I actually wanted to ask," he let you step out of the kitchen and shut the light off before continuing, "why are you in such a rush to find a new apartment?"

"C'mon, Sans. This house gets crowded pretty easily." You hit the POWER switches on each remote, shutting down the electronics in the living room. "I just... I don't want to get too comfortable. I'm a guest here, not a roommate."

"You could be."

He helped you set the couch with a light blanket and pillow, and when it was done you let out a soft laugh as you exhaled.

"You all worry too much, over someone like me."

"That's what happens when ya make friends, babe."

He winked, then walked lazily up the stairs. You pulled the blanket open and got under it, nestling yourself into the soft cushions and resting your head against the pillow. A heavy wave of slumber washed over you and you began to drift off.

"I guess so..."