Sans is... strange, you decide.

It's been a few hours since your conversation with him, and now that your shock has worn off, certain things are beginning to sink in.

Sans is clever. You know that. He watches his tongue (metaphorically, of course) and is careful about the words he uses. But there were a few things in that conversation that you can't decide if he was just speaking in his usual strange way, if they were slips of the tongue, accidental hints dropped, or...

Or if he wants you to keep going, if he wants you to know a few things.

Well.

Regardless.

You have a few more clues to add to your notebook.

First is his warning. "Resetting can't always bring everything back."

Seems kind of odd, that he would say that specifically. Wouldn't it have been easier to say "resetting can't fix everything"?

But that's not what he said. "Resetting can't always bring everything back."

Had something gotten lost? And... and Sans... had somehow gotten things to reset, to try to get that thing back? Had he gotten Flowey to reset? Or had there been someone else?

But-...

So if Sans lost something, and somehow got things to reset, and it didn't work... how...?

And what had he lost? Something important, obviously, if Sans wanted it to reset. Something like--...

Like a family member. His dad.

So Sans' and Papyrus's dad had died and Sans had...

But that didn't make sense. You know from experience that resetting brings dead monsters back. Dead anything back. It brings everything back. So how could it not bring something back?

... It didn't make sense. Why would Sans say it specifically like that?

Well...

Moving on.

The other thing.

...he's gone. and as unhappy as i am about that, as much as i'd like to see him again...

Sans never said that his dad was dead. Just gone. And the whole "much as I'd like to see him again" thing. Was there some possibility that Sans and Papyrus's dad was still alive, just--

... oh! What if--

What if their dad somehow got stuck in another timeline? And then when things got reset, he didn't come back with Sans and Papyrus, because he was stuck there, so now he's in one timeline and Sans and Papyrus are in another one?

But that still doesn't make sense. How could something like that happen? How could someone possibly get stuck in one timeline? And why does that mean Sans wouldn't remember him? Especially because Sans has obviously proven that he can remember things across timelines.

It just doesn't make sense! You don't get it!

Maybe...

You sigh.

This is too big for a kid and a flower. Too big even for a super-detective kid and flower.

Maybe...

You should just...

... give up...?

...

...Maybe...

...

No! I have to stay determined!

Because maybe this is too big for just a kid and a flower, but that doesn't mean that it has to be just a kid and a flower who's doing it! You have friends, and you know that every single one of them (well, except maybe Sans or Papyrus) would help you!

And who better to ask about weird science-y shenanigans than Alphys?

(Well. Maybe Sans. You've seen his basement in Snowdin. But again, he's already proven that he's not gonna be helping you with this.)

Before leaving, you add two more points to your notes.

•S reset things, something didn't come back?
•dad lost in other timeline? Stuck there? Resets ineffective?

Then you gather up your meager notes, and head over to Alphys and Undyne's house. Neither of them are home, though, so you continue on to Alphys's lab.

Technically, after the stuff with the amalgamates, Alphys isn't the Royal Scientist anymore, but she's still just about the smartest monster, and Asgore let her have the new lab that was built on the surface. With Toriel around she was, of course, required to give monthly reports and her work was frequently checked up on to keep anything from getting so far or of hand again. It seemed to be working alright, especially since Alphys was keeping to the mechanics, and staying away from Determination experiments.

But as you're walking to the lab, you realize you have a problem. In order to talk to Alphys, you'll have to explain Sans' warning. And in order to do that, you'll have to explain about your ability to reset.

You...

You don't want to do that.

Because-...

Well...

Like Sans said, in one timeline or another. You were essentially playing with their lives, forcing them all to do the same song and dance again and again. And...

...

Well. You know-...

You doubt anyone will be happy to learn that.

... So you can't go to Alphys. Not yet, at least. But it's a good idea to shelve for later.

... Or... Can you?

You've already decided outright that you can't just outright go to someone with the reset business.

But... Maybe, maybe there are other ways to get them involved, without telling them your side of things?

...

... This passive sneakiness isn't your type of thing. You don't like to plot.

But you know someone who does.

You head home. Explain the situation to Flowey.

And, strangely enough, he seems excited. Maybe because with other people involved, it would be harder to pin the blame for involvement on him?

Regardless, he helps you.

"Well, obviously, Frisk. You're curious, you just have to get all the others curious, too. Then you sit back and let them do all the digging for you."

"But how?" You question.

Flowey scoffs a little. "Just bring something up. I mean, wasn't everyone already asking about Sans' mouth? And he deflected the conversation like the smiley trashbag he is. So just... casually bring that back up. Get them wondering about it. They'll do something. They'll have to do something."

You frown a little. "How do you know?"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying curiosity killed the cat, Frisk? It's because the cat didn't have opposable thumbs, so it couldn't do anything to satisfy it's curiosity, so it died."

You give Flowey an amused look. "I do not think that saying means what you think it means."

"Yes it does! The cat wanted so badly to know, but it couldn't do anything, so it went mad and died!"

You shake your head. "No. I'm pretty sure it's warning against curiosity, saying if you stick your nose where it doesn't belong, you could be hurt."

Flowey lets out a frustrated sound. "I was saying that in the beginning! I said 'if you do this, Sans will KILL you!' And you didn't listen! And now, when I'm finally helping, when I'm curious, you're saying no?! Curiosity drove the cat mad and KILLED IT, Frisk! YOU ARE KILLING ME!"

You shake your head, laughing. "No I'm not. I'm not saying I'm done, I'm just saying I think that's what that saying really means. Also, I'm glad you're finally helping! This'll be so much easier now that I have my sidekick helping me!"

Flowey just lets out a frustrated growl.

But now you have your plan. You are determined to see it through.

§

A/N

There was almost a plot hole here, but then I last minute figured out how to fix it AND fit in a scene I wanted to add since the beginning but didn't know how. So, score!

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!