How to Fix the Broken

Chapter 42: Time

(I jumped ahead many years... sorry 😢)

A child's laughter rang throughout the home.

"Insanity!! Where are you going!??" Killer's voice cracked with laughter as a tiny nude skeletal toddler toppled down the stairs and into the lounge. It was giggling like mad, a pair of underwear on it's head as it staggered to its feet and took off running again. It headed for the kitchen where Horror was making sandwiches for lunch.

"Insanity! What are you doing!?" The toddler squealed with delight and toddled back into the lounge. Horror chased after it with a spatula covered in grease and a "kiss the cook" apron as he glared jokingly at the kid. He stopped at the entrance to the kitchen and wiggled the spatula with a mock threatening shake. His left hand sported two rings that had been fused together one with a blood red diamond and the other was a simple square knot engraved in silver. "Go back to your mum!" Horror chuckled and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Error shook his head as the toddler ran pass buck naked, "I will never understand children..."

"But I'm children!" Pj said with mock offense.

"And that is the point. I don't understand you either." Error smirked as his son decided to run after his younger cousin. "Op, bye." He looked at Blue who giggled and buffered.

Nightmare scooped up the children with his tentacles as he walked behind the couch and kissed Blue on the back of his head as he returned Pj to Error.

Blue giggled more, "hi Nighty!"

"Hi dear," Nightmare then squinted at the toddler with underwear on his head and with a joking expression, "who lost a baby?"

Killer came tumbling down the stairs a crazed expression on his face and he ran into the wall while skittering to a halt. "That would be my child," Killer said after he regained his dignity. "Thank you very much." Killer said, trying to get the child back. His left hand also sported two rings that had been fused together. One had a ebony diamond and the other had that familiar simple square knot engraved in the silver. "Can I have my child back now?"

"Nope." Nightmare said as he stared to walk away.

There was a flash and suddenly the child wasn't in Nightmare's tentacle anymore.

"Not cool to kidnap my child." Dust had the toddler in his arms now. He smirked and handed Insanity to Killer. He too had the rings. His had a deep purple diamond that faded into red or blue depending on the angle of the light he also had the square knot engraved in the silver of the other ring.

"Who said I kidnapped him?" Nightmare replied with a smile and a chuckle as he walked away, scooping Blue off the couch with a tentacle and headed upstairs.

Blue squeaked as he was dragged upstairs. "N-nighty!" His face was bright cobalt blue as he knew what Nightmare was doing. "Nightmare! Oh jeez..."

Cross burst out laughing as soon as Nightmare and Blue disappeared and Dream smacked him.

"What!" Cross said with a smirk.

"Not funny." Dream said, failing at keeping the smile off his face.

Cross held up a clicker in his hand and wiggled his skeletal eyebrows as Dream.

Dream's eyes widened and snapped to Epic who was talking to Horror. "No. Cross! Don't!"

"Why not." Cross clicked the button and they both watched Epic stiffen, deep purple blush spreading across his face.

He looked at Cross and the clicker mortified. "B-bruh..."

"Turn it off Cross!" Dream cried, trying so hard to keep the smile off his face.

"I don't think I will." Cross replied with a smirk.

Dream suddenly stiffed, golden blush creeping across his face as a sensation caused his legs to shake slightly. "Lust!!! No!!!" There was loud laughter from the kitchen as Lust poked his head out. "Turn it off!!" Dream cried.

"Fine fine!" Lust called back, the sensation going away. Dream pouted and glared at the tv screen. He couldn't say he hated the thing but it sure was inconvenient because Lust could do what he wanted whenever he wanted.

...

Kinda familiar...

...

Dream's brows knitted together as the memories resurfaced. He stared at the ring he could never take off. He hasn't felt the tug in 4 years, but it still worried him. They haven't seen Ink since PJ was born.

Dream suddenly had a gut feeling that something was going to happen.

"Angel...? Is everything okay...?" Lust was suddenly in front him, his hands holding his.

"...yeah...I..." he grinned with false optimism, "everything's fine!" He gave the hopeful smile he was known for.

Lust wasn't falling for it but left him alone, he would just ask later.

An hour or so later Nightmare came down with a very dazed looking Blue sitting on a tentacle. He may or may not have had some drool on the side of his mouth.

"Did you two have fun?" Killer asked, the now fully dressed toddler sitting on his knees, watching cocomelon on the television, gnawing on his index finger, and drooling. Killer decided to make a bad choice and comment; "oh hey, Blue is just like a toddler, cause he drools when 'things' are put in his mouth." Killer started laughing uncontrollably as he tried to keep the child from falling off his knee.

Nightmare glared and Blue jolted from his trance, wiping the drool from his mouth and pouting.

Nightmare just hushed him with his own comment; "bet you do the same thing you fucking Switch, at least he picked a side." That got Killer to shut up and pretend to watch the Tv but every one could see the cherry red blush heating his face.

"I'm not a toddler..." Blue mumbled dejectedly. Nightmare sat on one of the open couches, setting Blue in his lap.

Blue yawned and snuggled into Nightmare, his eye sockets drooping as he started to slip off.

A loud sound of the door bell woke not only Blue from his half asleep trance, but Insanity and Pj from their naps.

Nightmare got up carrying Blue over his shoulder as he teleported to the main hall and opened the door.

Messenger Sans stood at the door looking scared as he just handed Nightmare the letter and portalled away before Night could say a word. Not that he was surprised or anything but wow. Mailman just left too quickly for it to be nothing.

He raised an eyebrow and flipped the envelope over, looking for a name or something, but there was nothing. Not a hint of who it could be.

He closed the door and teleported back to the lounge, sitting back down with Blue falling asleep again.

Then he noticed the slight ink splatter on the seal of the envelope and immediately knew. He opened the letter somewhat hastily, was it a threat, something worse?

I told you to watch your back.

Nightmare flinched and looked behind him, his tentacles sharp with awareness. There was no one there.

His eyes went around the room wearily, nothing out of the ordinary...

"But you didn't."

It all went black.

Time
Love conquers all

1200 words