I made my way to the Waterfall of the AU, holding the two girls close and hushing them when the soldiers got too close. I felt their shivering subside a little in the warmer climate of Waterfall, and I knew we needed new clothes. I wasn't sure if I could sew some new ones quick enough while avoiding the search parties, so I headed to the dump. It was full of old junk, but maybe we'd get a lucky break and find something useful.

I set Nula and Vacía on a dry spot and began rummaging through the trash. My eyesockets widened when I opened a duffle bag and found twenty four gold in it. Somebody must've stashed it here where no one would look for it, and probably forgot about it. I strapped the duffle bag around my shoulder, and dug through some more piles of garbage. 

Nula looked around, her eyelights glowing with curiosity. There was so much to explore! She went over to a pile of soggy clothing and found a relatively dry, stained dress about her size. She picked up two different little boots for Vacía, then went back to her sister. She tried on the dress, giggling as she spun around in it. Vacía stopped sucking her thumb to clap in joy at her sister, laughing and squealing at the glints of fake jewels on the hem catching the sparse light.

I returned to the girls, a faint smile working its way up my face when I saw Nula. I had found a dress that I thought would fit Vacía, and white flats for Nula. I knelt down and handed Nula the shoes, then helped Vacía into the dress. It was perfect for her, and should help keep out the cold at least a little bit. 

"Feel better?" I asked, adjusting the dress a bit and wrapping my scarf closer around Vacía. She giggled and Nula nodded, smiling gratefully. I held out the black trench coat I had picked up, then put it on. Surprisingly, it was a decent fit, and in good condition considering it was the dump. It was definitely too short, but with a ripped, black blanket I found, I could extend it a little. Or maybe give it to the girls, I thought in alarm when I noticed them both shivering again. I wrapped the blanket around them both, then picked them up. These poor kids.

I jolted when I heard rustling behind me. I heard a low conversation pass us, and I scrambled to hide. I ducked behind a large garbage pile, holding my breath as the guards passed by. I let out the breath I had held slowly, then looked back where they had come from. It looked safe enough, so I ran out of the dump. We left just as the search parties flooded in, sighing in relief. We dodged them all, and I sat down in a secluded area of Waterfall, letting the girls sit on my lap. Vacía whined a little, squirming in my lap, and Nula tried to shush her. I furrowed my brows.

'What's wrong with her?' I thought with a concerned look. Were they still cold? I pulled them closer in a feeble attempt to keep them warm, but it didn't do much. I thought back to what I had done to keep Blueberry alive, and suddenly realized. "Hey, are you girls hungry?"

Nula nodded slowly, snuggling closer to me. I winced as the movement pressed up against one of my injuries, then stood up. There had to be somewhere we could find something to eat. I checked the code again, and found that the restaurant that would become Grillby's was owned by the fire monster's uncle. It was the only place that wasn't near enough to New Home to raise alarm with the ones looking for these kids. We headed to Snowdin, hiding from the soldiers.

... ... ...

A young Grillby adjusted his glasses, wiping the counter in front of him nervously. He had been trusted with running the family restaurant by his uncle for the weekend, and he wasn't sure he could handle it. He had waited on a few tables to earn extra gold, but holding down the fort for a whole weekend? His meager experience only made his anxiety rise higher.

He straightened up when his first customer of the day walked in. He took another glance at them, staring agape at the tall stranger coming toward him. The stranger had a duffle bag strapped on his back, and the kids wrapped in a blanket in his arms looked like they had been traveling. But what really surprised him was that they were all skeletons. His uncle had told him stories about before the war, when skeleton monsters were just as common as the next monster. They mostly served in places of magical skill, or as soldiers. Not many of them survived the war, and the rest died out once monsters were forced underground. The only known skeleton monster to survive was the Royal Scientist, Gaster. Or so it was thought.

Apparently, more had survived. And by the looks of these three, there might still be hope for their population. He knew how hard it was being part of a dying race. The fire monsters were also rare, and he understood the pressure it put on them to keep themselves alive. He gulped as the tall stranger stopped in front of the counter.

"H-hello," damnit, he stuttered in front of a customer! "What can I get you today?"

I looked down at the girls, then the gold I had. "What can I get with twenty four gold?"

"Three orders of fries, or two burgers. Which would you like?"

I hesitated. Could the girls handle eating a burger? Vacía might choke on it, and I felt my soulbeat speed up in fear. "T-two orders of fries, I guess."

I payed the fire monster, then walked over to a table. The fries would be safer to eat, I hoped, which left me with eight gold to spare. The girls sat on one side of a booth, while I sat on the other side, staring blankly out the window. Why was I wasting time in this AU? It wasn't a version of another one; it was an original, and yet the voices hadn't uttered a peep about the fact I was in it. Why were they keeping quiet now?

My thoughts were interrupted when Grillby brought the fries over. He set them down in front of me and the girls, his purple flames flickering in what seemed like nervousness.

"E-enjoy your food!" he stammered, then awkwardly walked away. I watched him march back to the counter, raising a brow at his strange behavior. He didn't seem dangerous yet, so I ignored him.

I shoved the plate in front of me toward Vacía, who grabbed the fries eagerly. Nula picked at her food, occasionally looking out the window behind her with a worried frown. She was keeping watch for the soldiers, I thought. I wouldn't let them get taken, not if I could help it, but I couldn't fault her for being vigilant. I helped Vacía eat her food carefully, stealing glances out the window and at Nula. She noticed me watching her, and lowered her eyelights to her food.

"Hey, you should eat something, Nula," I sighed as she flinched, and lowered my voice to a gentle whisper. "Please eat something. I don't want you to go hungry."

She looked up at me, then down at her food again. She took a fry and popped it in her mouth, humming slightly at the flavor. She took some more, smiling at her sister when Vacía clapped her hands. The younger was very observant for her age, seeing that Nula was hesitant to let her guard down. To reassure her, I kept a watchful eye on the door, ready to spring into action if someone unfriendly barged in.

Once they were finished with their meal, we got up to leave. I didn't know where else we could go with all the search parties combing the entire underground for these little girls. I racked my head for ideas as I gathered them in my arms once again, walking out the door and letting my eyelights wander. I remembered that the Ruins were sealed to anyone outside of them, and thought that could be a good place to hide them. They'd be safe there, at least for a little while. I thought I saw the code for Asgore when I looked at who was in there, and I knew he'd be a good dad for them until they were old enough to defend themselves. 

I strode swiftly through the street, daring anyone to get close with a glare that promised pain for the soul unfortunate enough to test me. Vacía suddenly cried out, pointing her little finger at the brightly lit windows of the general store. I stopped, wondering what she could want in there. Nula looked up at me with an innocent smile.

"Vacía likes pwetty things!"

"Oh," I nodded slowly in understanding. I looked between them, then at the store. "You want to go in there?"

They both nodded enthusiastically, and we went in. I didn't see the harm in it, since they might not see something like this for a long time. I let Nula slip down from my arm, and held Vacía close in the black blanket. We looked at the toys and baby stuff, and I made sure to keep Nula and the windows in sight at all times.

The bunny monster at the cashier desk blinked in surprise when not one, not two, but three skeletons strolled into her shop. Missy wasn't sure where they came from, since she'd been told most of them had been wiped out in the war and the hard years after. And yet here was a family of them, or so she thought, looking around at her wares as if there was nothing unusual happening. She shrugged mentally, of course there was nothing wrong with them being there. It was simply... shocking, to see skeleton monsters, living ones, in the underground after all this time.

She watched with sad and curious eyes as the older of the two babybones walked up to the displays in the desk, putting her little hands up on the counter. The littler one, she noticed, laughed as the adult skeleton showed her the stuffed animals. They all seemed like they'd been through a lot, especially the black-boned one. Scars ran down his head like fissures from an earthquake, and she wondered if he had fought in the war almost fifty years ago. She couldn't remember exactly what her mother had told her about skeletons, but did they live quite a long time? She turned her attention back to the small skeleton, who had pressed her face against the glass as she looked at the candy in the display case.

"Why hello, there!" Missy said cheerfully. She strained to keep her expression friendly when the little skeleton jumped back and lowered their head. "It's alright, you can look at this stuff!"

The little one cautiously went back to admiring the brightly colored lollipops, placing her hands on the counter once again. Now that Missy could see the little one more clearly, she noticed there were smudges of brown and purple on her face, and she felt her soul break. Poor dear must've fallen and bruised herself. It made her wonder again where they had come from, and where they were going.

"So," she began, catching the little one's attention. "Are you shopping with your daddy, today?"

The little one's brows furrowed in confusion. "What 'daddy'?"

"Isn't he your daddy?" she asked, nodding toward the tall, black-boned skeleton. 

"What a 'daddy'?"

'Hmm,' she thought. 'Must be too young to know what that means.' "Y'know, the person who protects you and keeps you safe!"

Nula furrowed her brows and looked at Error. He has kept her and Vacía safe and warm so far, assuming safe was what she thought it meant. It was like... the opposite of feeling like everything will hurt her, or take her and her sister back to the man who speaks in hands. Error hasn't done that. He's taken care of them, something no one else has done for them! So, he must be this Daddy! She looked back at the bunny monster with a bright smile. "Yes! He is Daddy!"

Missy grinned gently, then looked up. The tall skeleton walked over with the youngest of the skeletons. In her hands was a pink, fluffy monkey. "Find what you're looking for, sir?"

I looked down as Vacía shook the monkey around, babbling and giggling at it. I looked down at the eight gold in my hands, hoping it'd be enough. I wanted to get her something to remember me by, even if I still planned on never seeing them again. A sharp pain ran through my soul at the thought, but at least I wouldn't be putting them in danger. I wouldn't destroy their AU, and they could spend the rest of their lives living without fear.

"How much for the toy?"

"That'll be ten gold."

I sighed in disappointment, looking down at the gold. "Sorry, Vacía. We can't get it. Let's put it back-"

"Wait!" Missy called. "You can have it."

I turned back to look at her warily. This must be some sort of trick. She needed to earn money, why would she let a stranger walk off with something for free?

"It's alright," she waved dismissively. "It's the least I can do for such a doting father."

I was about to correct her, but the sharp sting in my soul stopped me. I wasn't their father, but something inside me protested that I had become responsible for them. At least until I can find a suitable guardian for them. I placed the remaining gold on the counter, knowing I wouldn't need it, anymore.

"Here. Keep it." I picked Nula up and turned away before the shopkeeper could object. I started toward the door, but what I saw outside made me back away in alarm. A group of monsters in armor were gathered in front of Grillby's, interrogating the young fire monster. "Shit!"

I brought the girls back to the counter and hastily put them down. I knelt in front of them, handing Vacía to her sister. "Don't move from this spot, you hear me?"

Nula nodded quickly and held her sister close. I straightened the duffle bag around my shoulders, then stalked toward the door. Damn Grillby! He just couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he?! As I exited the shop, I realized I was being unfair to him. He wouldn't want to get in trouble with the authorities, especially with the one leading them. I scowled as none other than W.D. Gaster turned to me, his hands behind his back.

"How very interesting," he said, a grin working up his scarred face. "Another skeleton, but not one I've seen before. Tell me, stranger. Have you seen two young skeletons wandering around here?"

I growled and stood my ground. "If you get anywhere near those kids, I'll tear you limb from limb!"

Gaster frowned. "Those children are my property. If you do not hand them over now, we will take them by force."

I chuckled and summoned a few bones. I sent them flying, but Gaster snapped his fingers. Two massive hands appeared and blocked the attacks, then formed two giant fists. They slammed down where I stood, and I teleported out of the way. I wrapped some strings around the hands and squeezed, disintegrating them. He snapped his fingers again, and a dozen more hands appeared around me. They latched onto my limbs as I tried to shake them off, then shoved me into the snow. I struggled to get up, but the hands pushed back, trapping me. Gaster strode up to me, chuckling under his breath. I glared up at him, groaning as I tried to move.

That's when I heard screams.

"Daddy!"

My eyesockets widened when I recognized the voices of Nula and Vacía, and I struggled more to escape the hands. I snarled as Gaster knelt down next to me, a smirk on his face.

"It seems I wasn't the last skeleton in the underground. I wonder how you survived?"

My hand finally wriggled free of its restraints, and I summoned a blaster. It fired, sending Gaster flying into a wall. The hands on my limbs vanished, and I scrambled to my feet. I ran toward the screams, punching a hole right through a soldier when they tried to stop me. A cat monster was trying to drag the girls away, and they were scared to death and crying. They held their hands out to me, and I snapped.

"GIVE THEM BACK!!!" I strung up the other two soldiers standing in my way, then launched myself at the cat soldier. My fist connected with his face, making his nose cave in like a piece of aluminum. He dropped the girls, and I dove to catch them. I swept them up and backed away, not noticing the hands flying to me. They pulled the girls out of my hands, and I whirled around. Gaster held them in the air, his skull bleeding with a snarl of displeasure and frustration on his face.

"This has gone on long enough- hrk-!"

I didn't let him finish his sentence, shooting a bone through him. I caught the girls again, whispering assurances to them.

"It's ok, it's ok, I'm here. I'm here." I held them close, then looked around. More soldiers were pouring in from Waterfall, and I knew I had to leave before they could get to my- er, the girls. I opened a portal to a different AU, not caring about the consequences.

"Wow," a voice whispered from where its owner stood behind a building. They had watched the whole thing, and they turned to their companion. "That was... intense. What do you think, Sumi?"

"Sumi" stood for a moment longer, still staring in shock at where the stranger had left. "I-I don't know what to think. H-he looked just like...."

"Heh, yeah. Wonder how he'll feel about having a doppleganger running around."

Sumi didn't know. But one thing's for sure. Whoever that skeleton was, they had to find him. There was no telling what he was like, much less knowing if he could be trusted. He was dangerous, that was obvious, and being able to create portals made him a potential threat to the whole multiverse.

"C'mon, Comic. We've gotta warn the others."

_______________________________________

*screeches*

Sorry about the terrible picture. I might color it later, but I was lazy so it's just a sketch. Plus, I drew it a long time ago, so it's not very good quality....

Anywho, ignore me and my self deprecation and enjoy the chapter!
('• ~ •)