Under Water 2: The Red Harren [completed]

XVII

Sans' POV:

"Don't do that to yourself, Frisk," I continued to hold her close, her frail figuring shaking slightly, "This was not your fault. There are, God knows how many of them, working with Nightmare. How were we supposed to know that Chara was being targetted simultaneously? He threatened both of you; we couldn't have known the real plan."

Frisk pulled away, and I let her, "I let her down. I let a friend down, again, and now she's in danger. We have no idea what they're doing to her, what they're planning next, where they

are--We don't know anything!"

She stood up, beginning to panic, and I followed, trying to comfort her.

"Frisk, they aren't that evil, they wouldn't--"

"Kill her? Oh, really? They tried to kill me, Sans, and they've hurt her before, too! Are you really nieve enough to believe they wouldn't hurt her?" Frisk's words were venomous.

I felt myself getting defensive, "I am not nieve, Frisk! I just know that they wouldn't do that to Chara; she isn't their target. They are just using her to get to you! You are clearly their main target!"

"Clearly I'm not anymore!" She played with the chunk of hair which was uneven compared to the rest. "He could've killed me, right here, right where I stood, but he didn't! He missed intentionally. He has a greater plan than death for me!"

I stepped towards her, nearly aggressive, "I am not going to let him hurt you again!"

There was a short-lived silence. She stared at me; gazing into my eye sockets, directly making eye contact. She took a step towards me, her head tilted slightly up due to the noticeable height difference.

"I know you want to protect me," She started quietly, "But you can't put yourself in harm's way. I'm not going to let people get themselves hurt for me. Not anymore. I'm finished with living amidst that burden."

She turned and walked away: I felt frozen to the spot. I wanted to run after her, but I didn't want her to push me away again. I don't think I could live with the knowledge she doesn't trust me. Not again. Though there was one thing I could do for her, and I could live with the burden of knowing she wouldn't want me to. Protect her. I would put myself in harm's way, even if she hated me for it. I would rather her be alive and angry at me than dead and. . . gone.

And I would not fail to protect her this time.

Frisk's POV:

I called up Catty and Bratty's hair salon, still tugging at my uneven hair, which was slowly driving me deeper into insanity.

"Catty and Bratty's Salon, how may I help you?" A perky employee greeted me.

"Hello. Can I make a last minute appointment? I kind of had a hair disaster."

"Disaster? What kind of disaster?" She asked dramatically.

"Well, a good chunk of my hair is shorter than the other half, and it's--"

"Oh my goodness! I can't let someone walk around like that!" She yowled. "Catty, Bratty, we have a hair emergency!"

I winced away from the shouting phone for a few seconds, overhearing the loud conversation between the three.

"What is it? Is it a real emergency?"

"Oh, honey, it really is! This young lady told me that she has a chunk of hair that is uneven to the rest! And based on her tone, it's a good chunk of hair."

"Get her over here right away!" Catty called, and I could picture perfectly the gestures she had used.

"Get her name, get her name!" Bratty prompted.

"May I get your name, miss?" She turned back to the phone, her voice sounding more direct now.

"Frisk," I said simply.

"Okay, Frisk, I have you down for 8:00. Will you be able to make it on time?"

I glanced at the time on my watch and quickly calculated the time.

"Yeah, I should be able to make it."

"No, it was Frisk who had the hair-mergency? Get her in here right away! We can't let our girl walk around with uneven hair!"

I laughed to myself, "See you in a few minutes."

"See you in a few minutes, lovely!" The person on the other end hung up, leaving me to laugh to myself a little bit.

I plugged in some music, Galantis to be exact, as I headed to the bus stop.

Nothing better to end off a day of someone getting kidnapped by villainous glitches and nearly getting killed, than going to Catty and Bratty's Hair Salon.