A/N

Just to let you know, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES! In fact, it's the third! I'd suggest you read The Time Before and A Name to Remember before you read this one, otherwise some things won't make sense!

Anyway, if you've already done that, then enjoy the story!

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It's rather unfortunate, you think, that the thunderstorm has occurred.

Today was supposed to have been a nice day. A celebratory day. It was the day marking two years since the Barrier had been destroyed, and one year since Mt. Ebbot had officially become the territory of the Monster Kingdom.

Sans and Papyrus had offered their home for the location of the celebration. Located on an isolated cliff up the side of Mt. Ebbot, the brothers' house was quite nearly just a modified version of their house in Snowdin: it had a bigger living room to accommodate for more guests, several guest bedrooms, and a wraparound porch on the front, with some deck furniture set up for a nice view off the mountain. The house had been one of the first permanent residences built when monsters had been freed.

And, currently, it's where you, Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Asgore, Flowey, Undyne, and Alphys are holed up, waiting out the storm. It's a rather ferocious one, and no one wants to be driving down a mountain in the weather.

On the bright side, there are, thanks to Papyrus, plenty of places for guests to sleep in the house, so it's okay if you have to stay the night.

Still, though. You had hoped that you all could watch the sunset together, as you had that first day, rather than being stuck inside.

But you all are on the surface, so you suppose everything is all right. Not to mention that you're all togeth-

"Sans? Where are you going?"

Your thoughts are interrupted by Papyrus's voice, questioning Sans as he rises from the couch.

"outside." Sans responds simply, heading for the door.

"In this weather?" Toriel frets. "Whatever for?"

Sans just gives a little shrug before stepping out the door.

A slightly worried look crosses Papyrus's face, and he goes to follow his brother outside. After a moment, you get up and followed, too.

Luckily, Sans has not gone farther than the porch, which has a roof. So you don't have to go out in the rain.

Sans is standing at the very edge of the porch, eyesockets closed, face tilted upward. A small, quiet smile twitches at the edge of his jaw.

"Sans, what are you-" Papyrus cuts himself off, flinching just a little as a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed moments later by a peal of thunder. After so long in the Underground without the severe weather of the Surface, Papyrus still finds thunder rather startling.

Sans, though, doesn't move. He seems content to stay just on the edge of the porch. When the last rumbles of the thunder have died off, fading back to the steady fall of rain, Sans speaks. "the thunder's really not so scary, pap."

"It's not scary!" Papyrus protests. "I just wish it wouldn't startle me like that!"

"heh. well. i like it."

After another flash of lightning and clap of thunder, Papyrus steps up to stand beside Sans. "Really? But it's so- so loud and abrupt and just-..."

Sans chuckles just a little. "nah. i think it sounds nice. it reminds me."

Standing in the doorway, that catches your attention. What could the thunder possibly remind Sans of?

Lucky for you, Papyrus asks the same question. "... What does it remind you of?"

Sans is quiet for a long time, long enough that two more lightning bolts cross the sky before he speaks again. Finally, though, he tilts his head a little to look at Papyrus.

"you don't remember dad at all."

It's a statement, not a question, but Papyrus still shakes his head.

"... i start to forget him, too, a lot of the time. i hardly remember anything about him. but the thunder..." Sans sighs a little. "he had this voice. kinda a cross between our voices. it was lower pitched, like mine, but then... it had this undertone. like you. his voice demanded respect. he had this authority, this strength, this power in his voice. and the thunder...

"... it kinda reminded me of that."

For a long time, there's no sound but the rain and the thunder.

You are surprised. In all of the time you've known the brothers, neither of them has ever talked about their family beyond each other. The only reference to any parents that you've ever heard was when Papyrus said their dad had fallen when he was really young, and that Sans didn't like talking about it.

But now here's Sans, talking about it. You suddenly feel even worse about eavesdropping. This, you think, isn't something for them to hear.

But you can't just leave, not now. You have too many questions!

Papyrus, apparently, thinks similarly. "Sans?"

"yeah...?"

"... What-..." Papyrus only jumps a little at the next crack of thunder. "...What was Dad like?"

Sans lets out a slow sigh. "... i-... i don't remember, pap. it's been so long, and i just... i don't remember."

"Oh..." The brothers are both silent as yet another clap of thunder sounds in the distance.

"What was his name...?" Papyrus asks slowly.

Sans just looks away.

"You don't...?"

"... no. pap, it was such a long time ago. practically a different time entirely. and now i don't-... i can't even remember his name. he's just... gone."

After a moment, Papyrus reaches out and wraps an arm around Sans' shoulders. "Well, brother, I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Sans laughs a little. "yeah."

For a moment, they just stand there. Then, "welp. c'mon, let's head back inside. i'm getting all wet."

Quickly, before they turned around and see you, you slip back inside.

Papyrus may have been content with Sans' answers, but you are far from satisfied. You have too many questions.

You've heard all your friends' backstories. Undyne was raised by Gerson. Alphys had become Royal Scientist when she built Mettaton's body. Asgore and Toriel's children had died, and they had split when Asgore declared war. Flowey was Asriel, after his death and Soulless reincarnation.

But Sans and Papyrus...? The most you know of the brothers' history was from the shopkeeper bunny whom you met in Snowdin: the brothers had simply shown up one day.

And now, apparently, Sans couldn't remember their own dad.

So who was he? What had happened to him?

And why could Sans, who had more than once proven an extraordinary, time-transcending memory, not remember him?

As you flop back onto the couch, the brothers entering the house again, you decide that you are determined to figure it out.

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A/N

I know I said I had some plot holes to work out, but y'know what? SCREW PLOT HOLES. I'M GONNA WRITE THE THING ANYWAY!

But really, I have worked through most of the plothole things. So it should be ok.

Also, this is not so much a self-insert as just being written in 2nd person, since I've already done 1st and 3rd. The main character is still Frisk, not Y/N or whatever the crap people do for self-inserts. I'm just trying to keep the same sort of feel as the actual game.

... I can't say I like self-inserts, really.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!