The Time Before (Undertale)

21 ~ Not Your Brother!

Jeff came into work early that morning. He had been doing so for the past few months so he had time to check on Sans before getting to work.

He also had a few things to say to Gaster.

When he came into his workspace, though, to drop off some stuff at his desk, though, he found there was a note there. He recognized it instantly as being from Gaster; the Royal Scientist's handwriting was beautiful and elegant when writing in Hands, but he had never really taken the time to learn how to write well in the Roman alphabet. (His main response whenever anyone asked why was usually along the lines of "I'm the boss here, so everyone else should obey me and learn how to read Hands.") The letter on Jeff's desk was written in Gaster's poor Roman alphabet handwriting.

So he set down his stuff and picked up the note, beginning to read.

I'll be gone for a few days. Take care of Sans. Do NOT take him from the 10th floor. You are relieved of all your other work until I am back.
-WDG

Jeff blew out a slow sigh. Happy as he was that he got to tell Sans that there would be no experiments, at least for a few days, he knew that Gaster was probably up to no good.

Well. At the very least, he might as well make the best of the time he had.

So he hurried to Gaster's lab. Luckily, Gaster had not forgotten to leave the door unlocked.

Jeff opened the door to Sans' room quietly. Sans was lying on the bed, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed. Jeff walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress. Sans cracked open one eyesocket to peer at Jeff.

"mornin'." He sighed, before closing his eye again.

"Sans. You're gonna like this."

"huh?"

"Gaster's gone for a bit. No experiments for a few days."

The edges of Sans' permanent grin lifted just a little as he looked up at Jeff. "cool. that's great."

Jeff thought, not for the first time, that Sans looked more weary than any fifteen year old should ever look. "Yeah. He also said I need to 'take care of you' while he's gone, which I would assume means I get to stick around all day."

Now Jeff could tell Sans was smiling for real. "that's awesome."

Jeff smiled. "Yeah. You wanna go get some food?"

"... yeah."

~o0o~

Four days passed unfortunately quickly.

In this small reprieve from the hell that had become his life, Sans smiled and laughed more than he had in the last year.

The worst part of it, aside from the end, was when Sans first came into the break room and opened the refrigerator. There, on the door, same as always, was a bottle of ketchup, and beside it, one of mustard. It only served to remind him of that day.

He knew that Gaster had likely drugged both the ketchup and the mustard, but it had been the mustard that did it.

He took the ketchup bottle.

When Gaster finally came back, both Sans and Jeff were in the break room, talking about anything and everything that came to mind, simply enjoying the fact that neither of them had to do anything.

That is. Until Gaster swept into the room.

Both of the two monsters froze, looking for all the world like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.