The first thing you find out the next morning is that you are not pregnant.

You breathe a sigh of relief and drop the test into the bin, then bury it under a heap of cheap motel toilet paper. You had been certain that this would be the result- both parties had to want to have children together with monsters, after all. But it was important to get that out of the way for your peace of mind, and now it's done.

You hesitantly sip your juice for breakfast, deciding to go slow on the surface food. Papyrus only eats a little too, noting to you that it was much slower to digest and that he probably wouldn't need to eat again for a while. It's something interesting that you'd like to pursue in more detail later, but for now you have to focus on doing what you came here to do. Which is bringing back souls to break the barrier. It was time to get down to business.

"I'm not sure about this..." Papyrus murmurs as he reads the sign you pass on your way down the driveway. 'Ebott Gardens, care facilities for 65+' it reads, with a few smiling older people to show how happy they are inside. You know it's not really that happy of a place. Your grandfather had been somewhere like this before he died, and they had been the most drab, boring months of his existence. There are plenty of elderly humans here who are just clinging to life, and some who are mostly definitely about to die, which is exactly what you're counting on.

"I know, Papy, but we talked about this. What we're doing is for the good of your people. And we're not... taking a life. These people are already dying." You're having a hard enough time convincing yourself, let alone a scared monster who wants nothing to do with violence or death. But this is the best option you have- a hospital is too public and too professional, there's no way you would get away with this. Hunting down people who deserve to lose their souls is too time-consuming and would involve actually taking their lives, and you don't want that blood on either of you. But a nursing home? This should work.

The tall skeleton is fidgeting at the hem of his hoodie, his sockets wide over the medical face mask he's wearing. You've drawn a smile on the fabric to make it look a little less foreboding, but even the scribbled grin can't hide his worry. You park the car and hand him his beanie and sunglasses, and lay your hand over his gloved one. He takes it and squeezes, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. "I'm afraid..."

The tone does not suit him. The Great Papyrus is not supposed to sound frightened and anxious. He's sunshine and energy and a force of nature, trained in combat and magic and ready to take on the world. Then again, this isn't a situation he's ever had to face. You've dragged him up here to do things he's never done before, including taking human souls. At some point he had to have realised what that meant- it wasn't like you could dig up dead people and find their souls. And yet he still came. He can do this, you know he can. He had to, or coming up here will have no meaning.

"Papyrus." You tilt you head down to nuzzle into the crook of his neck, bumpy vertebrae pressing against your cheek. His breath is shaky for a moment, before he relaxes into your embrace. "It's going to be okay... I know you can do this. You're the strongest monster I've ever met, you know... you can do amazing things, and I'm so proud to call you my boyfriend. You know that doing this is going to help all of the monsters trapped underground... they'll finally be able to feel the sun, just like you have. Don't you want that for them?"

"Yes!" His voice is firmer, resolute. "I want to help them! The Great Papyrus can do anything I set my mind to."

"That's my guy!" You grin and pull back, giving him a quick kiss and patting his arm. "You've got this. We've gone through everything you need to do, and now it's go time."

He dons the hat and glasses and pulls his hood up, puts on the backpack with one of the soul containers inside. There's no way to hide his height, but at least he only looks like an extremely tall, very well-covered human now. You've looked up the place online already and you know how the nurses dress, so you're inconspicuous in a similar outfit and a lanyard that simply has your licence in it to add a little realism. Hopefully it will be enough to escape detection.

You lead him inside and stride straight past the desk into the hallways that smell like old people and disinfectant. You're following your gut and a vague memory of the layout of another home, nodding to the real nurses you pass and ignoring the strange looks you- well, Papyrus- receive. "Right this way, sir," you gesture along the hallaway, when it seems like someone is going to approach and ask what you're doing. You're just another nurse showing someone where their elderly relative is staying as far as they're concerned.

You know where the worst patients are kept, the ones who are barely aware of the world around them, the ones on life-support, you know their lives are just about up. You lead Papyrus down endless halls, peering into rooms until you find one that looks promising. It's dark and there's only one patient, attended by a nurse who nods to you and leaves when you explain that dear Mrs Johnson here (you have to check the chart for that) has a visitor.

You close the door and pull the curtains, and open the window to relieve the stuffiness of the room. It's creepy and smells weird and Papyrus has started to fidget, sockets wide as he stares at the elderly lady who sleeps on, probably never to wake again in this lifetime. Now is the time, but he's having second thoughts again.

"I'm sure this lady had a long life, and achieved everything she wanted to," you start quietly. "But this is the end of it, and we're not taking anything away from her, really. She's barely living as it is. At least this way she will help us to accomplish something amazing."

"And there's no other options?" He asks shakily, gripping the railings on the bed as he stared down at her.

"You know there isn't, Papy." You come around and pull the container out of his backpack, setting it on the bed next to the old lady and opening it up. There's a peculiar buzz of magic around the rim, and you hold it up and look at Papyrus expectantly. "It's time. Bring out her soul, sweetheart."

Papyrus takes a huge breath, straightening up and holding his hands out over her chest. They shake in their gloves as the lady's chest rises and falls gently. You can hear his jaw creak as he grits his teeth and tries to stop the shaking, and a gentle humming fills the room as a glowing green heart rises from her body. It's the only light source in the room as it flickers dimly in the air, faded and old like its vessel, and you smile. "Just like mine! Well done, now just bring it over h-"

You can't even finish before he gives a sudden sob and jolts back, and the soul slips back inside Mrs Johnson. Rushing around the bed, he takes a running leap out of the open window and sprints away from the building, leaving you standing there, the most confused you've ever been before you realise what just happened.

Gripping the container under your arm, you climb carefully out after him and try to follow, heart pounding with fear for him and annoyance at the interruption of the plan.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just couldn't-" Papyrus gasps for breath, tearing his hat, glasses, mask off and covers his face with his hands. He's hiding behind the nearby 7/11 when you find him, following the sound of his phone after ringing him countless times. Slipping behind the building with him and wrapping your arms around him, you press gentle kisses against his skull and try to catch your own breath.

"It's fine, baby, calm down, you're okay..." you murmur, and he takes a knee, clinging to you and crying into your shirt.

"I thought I could do it but then you said yours was the same and then all I could think about was your soul and how we hid you for so long so you wouldn't lose it and die-" he sucks in a long shuddery breath. "Undyne was right to not let me in the guard, I can't take a life, I'll never be able to, I'm so sorry that I'm so useless-"

"Papyrus, stop!" you cry, tears dripping down your own cheeks now. "You're not useless, I swear, I'm sorry for trying to make you do something you weren't ready for..."

He cries, and you cry, and you continue to interrupt his spiral of anxiety and low esteem. Of all the things you thought about doing when you got to the surface, comforting a crying skeleton behind a 7/11 was not remotely close to any of them. It takes a while, but eventually you get him calmed down enough to coax him back out.

Helping him put on his disguise again, you lead him into the service station to find something for him to try, hoping the sugar will perk both of you up after this failure. It's nearly dark when you exit with your slushies and candy bars, and you're standing outside the shop sipping them and trying to get your bearings when a twitchy looking guy pushes past you both, knocking Papyrus's hat and glasses off. He gasps and stumbles back, and you feel a wave of fear as you see his wide, bloodshot eyes taking in the sight of your boyfriend's bare skull.

"Please don't panic!" Papyrus holds his hands up, dropping his slushie as he panics himself, and as the icy red drink explodes across the ground and splashed all over the three of you, it's like everything happens in slow motion.

The man panics, jerking away at the cold splash of drink and the other's movement, and pulls out a gun. There's a scream that your recognise as yours as Papyrus takes a step towards him, hands out placatingly, only to jerk back violently as the gun fires. The man runs as Papyrus hits the ground, and you drop beside him, staring in horror at the hole in his shirt, and the way he's crying, choked on panic and pain.

You press a hand over the hole, and feel something gritty between your fingers.

Dust.