It was cold. Yet, warmer than what she should have felt. It made sense.

In the distance she could see the disturbance in the snow where Papyrus had directed his attack to obliterate the snow pile distracting his brother.

There was no sign of either skeleton in sight, however.

The wind blew softly, nothing like the flurry that had left her cornered on the cliff. Looking down, Frisk spotted the sullen looking flower in her arms. His head hung lowly as if he was afraid to look at her.

"Flowey," she called him tenderly, urging him to look at her. When he finally turned his head he had a deep frown imbedded in his expression.

"I should have been there," Flowey whispered, overwhelming guilt showing on his face.

Frisk's eyes shut as if pained and she held Flowey close, placing her forehead against his.

"It's okay. We won't make the same mistakes this time," she promised him. "It's over. And we can keep moving forward."

"No, Frisk. It's not over." Flowey glanced at the stark white path ahead of them. Though the wind was light, it easily kicked up enough snow to obscure their path. They couldn't see more than a few yards ahead of them. "It's just the beginning. Again." He looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure you want to do this? What if there's no end? Or worse? A dead end?" He had tried and failed many times to try and make things right. To change what didn't seem alterable so that there would be a better future ahead.

"Flowey, this isn't about finding an end or even finding the right one," she explained to the plant somberly. "It's about what we can do on the way there."

The flower gave her a slightly befuddled look before shaking his head. "Hmph. You may be determined, but you sure have low standards," Flowey grumbled, not without acceptance and support. "Just know that we're sticking together this time. I don't care if I have to drag you around the Underground."

"Is that a promise?" Frisk's face split into a teasing smile.

"Just keep that smiley trashbag away from me this time." Sans still gave him the creeps.

Her smile faltered slightly as she glanced up at the empty path before them. "He wasn't such a bad guy, you know." Memories of their brief date flashed through her mind. Though it was awkward at first and even interrupted by Papyrus, Frisk could tell how much he was trying. Sans wasn't known for his enthusiasm and hard work after all.

"Maybe he wasn't then, but he sure is now." Even Flowey admitted that Sans seemed to have a slight change of heart near the end, but the flower wasn't about to tempt a wolf with a lamb any sooner than he'd trust Sans around Frisk.

"Maybe…" Frisk's breath misted from her mouth in a white mist before her steps crunched the snow beneath her feet.

"Heheh. The old joy buzzer in the hand trick. It's always funny."

"Just remember that not everyone here is as humerus as me."

"Come on, kid. I won't bite this time."

"Go ahead and spare me. I'll still kill you."

"What? You… can't…? N-No! It won't cost you anything! Just eat it, damn it!"

"Everyone dies," Sans said flatly. "But people like you die faster. It's as simple as that."

"That was awful, kid." Sans gave a lopsided grin with a roguish playfulness. "Let me show you a real joke."

"Or maybe not. We'll just have to see." A smile ghosted past her lips as she strode forth with determination into the snowy, white void.

…

But he refused…

…

It was warm. But that didn't make sense. Every time that Frisk had died she had felt a cold even worse than the chill that she had experienced from ice sinking into her skin and even her bones during her escape. The cold had encompassed her very soul.

It had never been warm before.

Frisk's eyes fluttered open and she saw red. It surrounded her and her soul which appeared in front of her chest in a bright aura.

"S-Sans?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper and slurred. Her body was trying to conserve the little amount of heat left in it and opening her mouth only served to invite more cold in.

"I've got you, Frisk." Sans appeared disheveled, tired and panting, a far cry from his usual state of either laidback composure or being in some sort of vicious frenzy.

Sans slowly set her down on her feet directly in front of him, safely away from the cliff. However, the moment she had to support her own weight, she collapsed with a gasp as sharp pain shot through her ankle. Did she twist it when she fell? She vaguely recalled her foot grinding against the cliff side after the ledge gave way.

"Shit." Sans quickly caught her arms and helped her to sit down on the snowy ground. Looking her over, he growled and turned on his heel to face the groaning monsters on the ground. It'd taken him less than a second to pile drive them to the side when he'd seen Frisk hanging from the cliff, but now they had his undivided attention. Judging from the looks on their faces, they knew it.

He raised his hand as multiple blasters were summoned, his eye burning in his socket like a deathly inferno in the darkest pits of hell.

"Every one of you fuckers just made the last mistake of your sorry lives!"

He aimed. They braced for impact. Something grabbed him from behind.

The blasts easily melted the snow and fried the frozen ground underneath, swerving and missing some of the monsters by mere feet.

Sans glanced back, his fury still raging until he felt a tremor shake him. One he hadn't caused. Frisk had her arms grasped around his waist, her eyes squeezed shut as she shook and mumbled incoherently under her breath. It took him a few seconds to make out what she said.

"N-No more… st-op… plea-ease… c-can't… I… dun want…" Tears streamed down her face and it struck Sans that he had never seen her so afraid. Not even when she had been staring death in the face. Staring him in the face.

"Even now…?" Was all he asked as his ire morphed into pity and his arms fell to his side, shoulders slumped. Even now, she didn't want anyone to get hurt or die.

He doubted whether she had even heard him, still clinging to him, either sobbing or shaking from the cold.

"What am I gonna do with you, kid?" He mumbled under his breath before placing a gentle hand on her head and glancing back at the stunned, fearful monsters.

"I was about to give you guys a bad time for fucking with the one thing I want to protect," he told them thoughtfully. "I'd decided that the moment I saw you, you'd be dead where you stand." He clenched his fist.

"But because of this human, I won't do any of that." He lowered his head. "But if you ever go near her again?" All light in his eyes were gone, leaving a void so dark it threatened to suck one inside. "I won't kill you." Most disturbingly of all, for once, Sans wasn't grinning as he spoke lowly, "I'll give you a worse time."

The monsters took their cue to scatter.

…

"What the fuck are you saying?"

"I-I don't think… I… c-can make it back," Frisk repeated herself. Her HP was at one, but that didn't take into account her physical body. When monsters attacked her, they were attacking her body and soul, but they were also attacking the bond between the two. If the bond gave out, she died, but if her body gave out then she also died. At this point, in the shape she was in, it wouldn't matter if she had all of her HP.

Frisk let out a quivering sigh. "I'm sorry you came all this way-"

"Damn right you're sorry. Now prove it to me by cutting this bullshit!" Sans demanded. He didn't even seem aware that his eye was glowing in his anger.

"I can't walk, Sans," Frisk spoke slowly, managing not to stutter, though her voice wavered from her shuddering.

"Then I'll carry you." Nothing Sans did would mean shit if he couldn't convince Frisk to persevere. In another situation he would have laughed at the irony. He would've blasted someone and laughed in their face a week ago if they told him he'd soon be urging a human to live.

"I can't feel my legs." Her head swam even as Sans held her steady with her back against his arm. Experimentally, she tried to move one leg and got a weak twitch.

"Then tough shit. I'm not gonna let you die here." The skeleton was new at this whole encouragement thing, but he was pretty sure cursing her out wasn't helping. However, his irritation at her giving up slipped into his speech. Although, he was even more angry and disgusted with himself when he thought that she might finally be giving up because he'd constantly been insisting she do so.

"I-It's okay. I won't… really die." Frisk averted her gaze to the side awkwardly. There was no good way to explain the whole reset thing to him. "Please, just trust me Sans. I'll be okay. It'll be okay." She promised.

"No. No, it's not fucking okay! It's fucking selfish!" Sans ground his teeth and his grip on her tightened. "You may not die, but you'll… no I'll… all of us." He began to sweat. "We could still lose something. Maybe everything." Sans made an expression she'd never seen on his face before. It took Frisk a moment to recognize what it was. Fear.

Frisk stared at him stunned. Did he know…?

He then groaned, running a hand over the back of his skull in frustration. "This is complicated and I can't even begin to explain, but listen to me. Don't start giving up now! You're going to be alright! Frisk! Stay determined…" He trailed, the smallest hint of doubt showing on his face before he turned his fiery glare on her once again. "Do that and I promise I'll get you back! I promise I'll get you through this!"

The human stared at him, speechless.

"I don't make promises," Sans mumbled in a daze.

It had been such an offhanded comment, but something dark and morose about his demeanor and tone, that Sans probably hadn't even noticed in himself, had struck her then.

"This the only way you can learn. By having a small taste of what this world is like," Toriel explained to the human stoically with only coldness in her stare. "In this world, it's kill or be killed."

"I, the Great Papyrus, must be ready for a human, for once I capture them, becoming a royal guard is a given! All that I deserve will be within my reach!"

"Even if you make it past me, someone's going to capture you sooner or later. And knowing the people here like I do, most aren't going to be satisfied with just taking your soul."

"You'd be surprised how much time I have to watch you trying to avoid getting killed by everyone." Alphys smirked.

"I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton. I'm actually supposed to be on the hunt for humans right now, but… ya know… I don't really care about capturing anybody."

Frisk glanced up at him, her mouth a firm line. Meeting his eyes. She knew.

"He's probably gaining her trust for now. Only a human would be stupid enough to fall for that trick and who knows what humans can do if you're not careful? Plus, he does always get kicks from messing with people's heads."

Her lips began to quiver and she quickly ducked her head down as fresh tears began to wet her eyes.

He was real. This was real.

Sans instantly stiffened and reeled back, worried for a moment that maybe he had gone too far in shouting at her before Frisk spoke.

"O-Okay… okay, Sans." She sniffled and wiped away her tears which felt hot on her cold skin with her sleeve. "You win." She gave him a weak smile, causing him to blink.

"A-About damn time," he muttered, trying to conceal his surprise, but seemed even more relieved than her before kneeling in front of her and assessing the full damage. "Damn, you look like shit." Sans was upset, but it wasn't directed at her. "Can you even stand?" he asked, noting her swelling ankle.

"M-Maybe." Frisk sniffled and stood to her full height with Sans' help, but the moment she was on her own she stumbled and fell backwards. Sans quickly grasped her hand and she gave a hiss when he squeezed the scrapes on them from holding onto the ledge. Once she was stable on her good leg with his hands on her shoulders Sans immediately scowled.

"Okay, you're a walking disaster," he concluded, frowning at her blood now on his hands. "Any healing items on you?"

"Would have used them by now if I did," Frisk said with a helpless shrug that turned into a shiver as the wind blew by them. Her breath was visible and it was starting to snow lightly.

Sans glanced around them as if to gauge their positions and his frown deepened. "Can't teleport," he muttered more to himself.

"Why not?" Frisk asked with a raised eyebrow. She'd never quite figured out he could even teleport until he did so in the sentencing hall. She'd had her suspicions, but he'd never been as blatant with it before as he had then.

"L-Look, it's more complicated than you think." He ran his hand over his skull making a scraping noise due to the friction of his bones, appearing as if even beginning to explain would be too frustrating for him and she didn't really expect much toleration from him in the first place. "Just trust me when I say I can't, but I would if I could."

Without another word, he stripped off his jacket and threw it over Frisk. She was too busy holding herself for warmth to catch it, but it fell surprisingly well over her shoulders and was warmer than she expected from being worn by a skeleton. He reached forward to pull the hood over her head none too gently in his dash to get her covered and then raised his hand. Her heart appeared in front of her chest, taking on a red glow as she was lifted and he placed her on his back, taking hold of her thighs to keep her there.

"Just hold on and shut up. I won't let you turn into a human-cicle," he reassured her. She gave a curious blink.

"You could warn me when you're gonna do that." She blew some hair out of her face with a huff, though relieved that she didn't have to walk.

"What did I just say about shutting up?" Sans asked rhetorically. "… When I do what?" he asked seconds later, keeping his eyes forward as he walked.

"Using your magic to lift me. It surprised me." And she was having flashbacks of their fight when she began a human rag doll.

"So? I needed you to get on my back and it was faster," he said simply with a shrug. "I don't have the damn patience to let you climb all over me. You can barely stand," he grumbled, but his tone was soft like he was trying to keep quiet.

"I guess," Frisk admitted begrudgingly. Silence fell over them and she moved to slip her arms into the sleeves and hugged the large jacket to her for warmth. It was lined on the inside making her wonder if Sans really could feel the cold. He gave no indication of it as a chilled wind blew by them and he didn't even flinch despite being in only a T-shirt, shorts and his feet sunk down below the snow's surface.

"This jacket smells greasy," Frisk commented then with a curious sniff.

"Well, excuse me. I didn't exactly stop by the cleaners while I was looking for you," Sans uttered sarcastically. "Deal with it or give it back. It's cold as hell out here."

"… Your bones keep poking me when you walk," she added after another bout of silence, wrapping her arms around him to steady herself.

"Sounds like a meatbag problem to me. I'm already saving your life, what more do you want? And what do you expect from a skeleton?" he groused, shifting her to rest her legs on his hip bones nonetheless so she wouldn't have to put as much weight forward onto him.

As they walked, Frisk laid her chin on Sans' shoulder bone in fatigue and shut her eyes, exhaling softly. "Hey, Sans?"

Turning back to her, at the end of his patience, he growled. "If it's another complaint, I swear, you can walk yourself back to-"

"I really do feel safe around you," Frisk told him with a sleepy smile, silencing him into a blushing stupor. He let his head fall down to look at his feet crunching in the snow as he grasped for a response, making frustrated noises of consternation now that he had the answer he'd been wanting before.

Finally he settled on a gruff, "After all I've been through for you, ya better."

"Thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it, kid."

"And for healing me after our fight."

"It was my fault you were like that. What was I gonna do?" He blushed harder.

"And for carrying me back."

"Are you gonna thank me for every time I'm not a complete asshole!?" Sans exclaimed, visibly flustered.

Frisk laughed, tightening her arms around him with a squeeze. "Should I not?"

"N-No, just… gah!" He really wished he had his jacket then so he could cover his bright red face with the hood.

Frisk sighed, her chin on his shoulder. "I don't mean to tease you. Too much," she added with a smile before shivering. "But it helps me stay awake. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to fall sleep like this."

"Well… what do you want me to do then?" Sans asked, sounding more at a loss than annoyed.

"Mm, just… just keep talking with me to keep me awake." Frisk blinked back sleep as her head grew foggy.

"Okay…" He wracked his brain for a subject. "I dunno what to talk about," he sighed in defeat.

"Did you mean it when you said I was the one thing you wanted to protec-?"

"I got it!" Sans hurriedly interrupted. "So did you hear the one about the guy that…?"

Frisk giggled at his morbid joke, but more so at his bashful behavior. She found that when he wasn't threatening her life, it was kind of cute. However, he seemed tense. Luckily for him, she knew just what to do.

"Hey, Sans."

"What is it now?" He asked with dread.

"You were right."

"About what?" He frowned in confusion.

"I did have a good time after all…" She mused aloud with a smile. "Did you have a great time?"

"… Seriously, kid?" Sans asked slowly, stunned nearly speechless. "That's the worst joke you've made. By far."

Being chased by monsters, beaten to a bloody mess and nearly freezing to death before almost falling off the edge of a cliff was far from a good time. Either that was a joke or the hypothermia was worse than he thought and she was starting to spout of nonsense.

"No. I've got a worse one," Frisk declared confidently.

"Oh? Then let's hear it." He humored her, but when all he heard was whispers, Sans scowled. "What? You gotta speak up, kid." He turned his head towards her to listen more closely.

"What did the human say to the skeleton?" Frisk said softly.

"What?"

"I heard you were heartless, but that can't be true."

The rim of Sans' eye socket rose and he urged her on. "Why not?"

"Because you clearly stole mine." His head was twisted further at an almost discomforting angle before cold lips pressed against his teeth causing Sans to stiffen in shock before Frisk pulled back with a sly grin.

"Bad to the bone, right?"

"Uh… yo-wha…?" Sans stammered as a bright red blush overtook his face.

"My joke," Frisk clarified with a soft smile.

"Er, yeah… sure…" Sans finally snapped his head forward and lowered it as he rumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Frisk blinked blearily.

"Nothing! Just… hang tight. I'll get us-" Sans cut himself off when he felt her head limply settle onto his shoulder. His eye sockets widened as he strained to look back at her, but couldn't see her face past her brunette locks.

"Kid? … Frisk?" He called softly as panic began to swell in his chest.

"Hm? Yeah, m' still here." She nuzzled against his shoulder with a fatigued noise as Sans let out a breath of relief.

"Just hold on. We'll be there soon," he told her, laying his cheek against the side of her head as he walked.

Frisk was so tough that he could sometimes forget she was only human. Yet, even at her worst, she could still play him with ease.

"What the hell does this girl do to me?"

Extra:

"Hey. Wait a second," Frisk told him tiredly as they approached town.

"Why?" Sans asked in confusion. If anything she should be telling him to speed up.

"I still have that carrot from that snowpiece you gave me." Frisk pulled the orange vegetable from her pocket. "Looks like he could use it." She pointed to the snowman in the distance.

Sans gave a shifty glance in that direction, frowning. "Uh… listen, Frisk, we gotta get you back and warmed up A.S.A.P. We don't have a lot of time before you-"

"It'll hardly take a second," Frisk reasoned. "I promise I won't die in the time it takes for you to take a small detour." Seriously, it was barely a couple of yards away.

"I dunno about-"

"Sans. Just do it," Frisk pleaded with a tired sigh. "Please."

Debating his options, Sans begrudgingly deviated from their path at the human's insistence.

It was funny. Frisk had gone down the main path they were on before, but hadn't noticed this little trail. That might have been because they were being chased by monsters and hadn't had time to notice the path or the snowman.

Frisk waited to reach out and complete the snowman's noseless face while Sans approached cautiously.

It wasn't saying anything and its eyes were still, so perhaps it was sleeping. Just as Sans inched close enough, Frisk shoved the carrot into the snowman's face.

"WHO THE FUCK IS THERE!?"

Sans and Frisk jumped as the eyes of the snowman narrowed at them with a wrathful glare. Then recognition flashed past its eyes.

"Oh ho! Looks who's back!" The snowman remarked snidely. "You want another piece of me, ya skelefucker!?"

"Fuck me," Sans groused with a groan.

"You wish, you bonetard," the snowman snapped. "You're lucky I can't move or I'd return the favor and make a joke out of you. By fucking up your stupid face!"

"S-Sans, what is he talking about?" Frisk gaped, dumbfounded by the snow creature's attitude.

"Can we just leave now-?"

"Him stealing part of my goddamn body is what!" The snowman shouted irritably. "Do you know what a snowman without a carrot nose is? Or how much motherfucking snowfall it took to just accumulate my face back!? Since I can't fucking move from this spot!" The snowman seemed to only grow more enraged at the thought.

"Look, you frozen piss pile." Sans bared his teeth. More so than usual. "You got your limp little carrot back-"

"At least I fucking have one!" he taunted back.

"And if you haven't noticed, there's snow fucking everywhere! Your body isn't that hard to fucking fix!" Sans shouted.

"You did wh-? That was the snowball you fed me!" Frisk realized suddenly. "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry," she apologized in horror. "I was hurt so Sans came to-"

"Well, whoopty-fucking-do for you, girlie! He steals my face and you got your HP up. It's a goddamn fairytale end for everyone but me!" The snowman surely would be shaking in anger if it could move.

"Hey!" Sans growled at the snowman defensively. "Shut your fucking mouth before I tear your eyes out next, you shit-talking asshole!"

"Oh, sure. Attack the immobile snowman. I'm sure the Jerrys of the forest will forever respect you and be in your debt," the snowman sneered sarcastically. "Sans, the great defeater of the terrifyingly stationary snowman!"

"Don't fucking tempt me-"

"Enough!" Frisk shouted, drawing the monsters' attention. "Sans. What you did to him was horrible. I want you to apologize," she declared.

Sans gaped at her as the snowman smirked triumphantly.

"You want me… to…? Even though he-he's a complete douchebag!?" Sans pointed at snowman accusingly.

"Apologize or I swear I will reset this place back into last Tuesday!" Frisk told him sternly.

Sans ground his teeth in frustration. Frisk just had to notice the snowman. "Couldn't we just-?"

"Sans! Apologize!"

Sans growled and glowered at the snowman. "I'm… s-sor… sor-ry." The sound of bone grinding followed every syllable.

The snowman stared at him. "… Wow. I don't think I've ever heard a more shitty excuse for an apology in my entire life."

"That's it! You wanna go, button eyes!?" Sans' left eye burned bright red in an instant.

The snowman grinned mockingly. "Come at me, ya piece of shit."

"Sans!" Frisk scolded him.

"But he-"

"You stole a piece of his face and fed it to me! Which is actually really messed up now that I've said that aloud." Frisk inhaled deeply and sighed, speaking as if she were talking to a child. "Now try again."

"…"

"…"

"..."

"I-"

"Is this gonna take all day, skeletard?"

"Eat blaster, snowdick!"

"SANS! NO!"

"SANS FUCKING YES!"

Author's Note: We have now come full circle with the snowman. The end. ^_^ Essentially. Hurray! This is as far as I ended up planning or mapping out and I'm honestly just glad to have finished this little plot line. Some of the stuff in here I had planned for chapter 7. Oh how naively optimistic I was. I'm good with leaving it here and can only see drabbles coming after and only if the mood hits me.

There's a link or two associated with this chapter, which you can find in my profile by going to the link for the master link list for my Undertale fanfiction. Also worth noting, I wrote the fluffiest bits while listening to Palette by Supercell. Give it a listen if you want to get more immersed. :)

If it wasn't obvious, I wanted to state that Sans knows about the resets, but he doesn't know exactly how they work. For all he knows, Frisk could reset to the very beginning and he might lose all of his memories, recent epiphanies and feelings which is why he was so panicked about her dying even if he knew she wouldn't stay dead.

Also, a quick note on Frisk to keep in mind is that, just because she stays determined and perseveres it doesn't mean that things don't take a toll on her. Everyone can use a hand sometimes.

I just put a lot of thoughts and angles on some of these scenes, but realize they may not always make sense to people reading them since they don't know the definite psychology of the characters like I do when I write scenes.

Thank you to everyone once again for your love, comments and support. I never thought I'd return to writing, but you guys all reminded me just why I wanted to even try it in the first place. Stay determined. ^w^