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Sans wanted nothing more than to prove to the world that monsters were capable of so many beautiful things on the Surface. Already there was talk of monster art groups creating landscapes and making life-like portraits of people. Nurses had come from the monsters, generating a natural healing energy in hospitals that could save lives. Sans himself, was doing his own part, as small as it was, creating new ways for people to admire the sciences.
He had abandoned the title of “scientist” a long time before he had ever even reached the Surface, especially following the instatement of the “kill or be killed” mentality. When the Barrier was broken, however, there was something within telling him to take it up again. Astronomy was something that was popular to many humans, and monsters were most certainly fascinated by it as well.
The stars had been something that monsterkind had been seeking out in great detail, being locked away from the sky. It was a dream of many, if not all, monsters to be able to see the open air again, watch the twinkling of the stars from a free perspective. It was only natural then that Sans felt a great attraction to the study of the celestial lights he had so long waited to see with his own eye sockets.
Having spent a good amount of his life in the Underground with limited material, Sans had to do some catching up to the times, but it was well worth his interest. He quickly landed himself a job at a local observatory, both teaching small tour groups about the stars, and doing actual research on the things he had been deprived of for so long. It was an incredible experience for him, and much as Sans loved his work, he found, surprisingly enough, that he loved sharing it all the more.
All the times he would see young children, who were sometimes afraid of the big, hulking, sharp-toothed skeleton, turn starry-eyed over the cool pictures made each moment of work worth it. Adults would find something interesting in it too, and most of the time they weren’t scared of showing it. Often times, Sans wouldn’t need to look at whatever he was showing, and would watch reactions instead. It made him feel like he was doing better than he had been in the Underground.
While he worked, he noticed that there was a woman who began to show up frequently to his lectures and tours. It wasn’t hard for him to see over the crowds, being well over seven feet tall, and this woman had been tagging along a lot of his latest groups. Her eyes seemed to light up every time he got to a particularly fascinating piece about a new star, or something he had just discovered.
Sans’ coworkers joked that he had a secret admirer following him around now, and he had laughed at the notion. The idea that someone would be dumb enough to like him, the seven-foot-eight skeleton with razor sharp teeth and a nasty temper, was just absurd to him. As the woman began to become a regular face at the observatory, however, he began to rethink that statement.
Sans certainly wasn’t the only one who gave out tours and explanations, but the woman never seemed to appear on days when he wasn’t giving tours. Most people in the observatory had a rotating schedule where they would be either working, or doing a few tours in a certain part of the day. The woman certainly was dedicated, if nothing else, and something told Sans that she was specifically seeking him out. Of course his coworkers, who had gotten comfortable enough with him to speak their minds, teased him with notions of “his one love” always coming by to see him.
Soon enough, there was a day where the observatory had a tour scheduled, and Sans was asked to give it. He agreed, as it would be a nice break from his usual work scheduling, and he always enjoyed seeing fascination in people’s eyes. On the day of the tour, however, there was only the woman there, who appeared very flustered the moment they both realized it was just the two of them.
The skeleton did his best to give as much of the tour as he normally would, though the atmosphere was much more awkward. He hoped that he wasn’t messing up too badly, though he did note that his coworkers were sending him, and each other, sly glances whenever he was nearby. Before the tour ended, Sans carefully pulled the woman off to the side, knowing that she had already seen the tour multiple times.
“Wanna see somethin’ really cool?” he asked wiggling his bone-brows suggestively, and the look on her face gave him enough of an answer. “Come with me, there’s somethin’ I’ve been working on for awhile now and I haven’t had a chance t’show it on a tour or anything yet. I think it’ll be sans -sational for ya to take a look at.”
The woman, who he had finally figured out was named (Y/n), laughed at his joke, and trailed behind him. Sans lead her into his little section of the observatory where his desk was, papers littering the surface of it. He shuffled through his work, then pulled out a new section he had been working on, a section of the night sky. (Y/n) leaned over to look at the images, seeming a little confused.
“I discovered this section of stars ‘bout two weeks ago, and I’ve been workin’ on getting them classified ‘n named,” he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his skull. “I wasn’t sure if they’d already been discovered or not, so I was hesitant, but they haven’t so I’m puttin’ them into the official places they need to be. ‘S cool, right?”
“I think it’s fantastic!” (Y/n) said, her eyes sparkling like the stars in the images. “It’s always amazing to see new star patterns and galaxies! You found this all on your own?” Sans felt his grin widening on his skull.
“Yeah, I did,” he said, straightening a little bit more. From there, conversation began to flow a lot easier, though the two of them had to move on in the tour so that other staff wouldn’t be suspicious. Back in the front lobby, (Y/n) shuffled on her feet a little nervously but before Sans could bid her farewell, she cleared her throat.
“I, uh… I’m sure you noticed that I’m in your tours a lot,” she said hesitantly, not quite looking up at him. Sans noticed for the first time that she was absolutely tiny compared to him, barely reaching his sternum in height. It was almost adorable, though he was extremely wary of trying to use that term with her.
“That I did,” he said with a soft, rumbling chuckle. “Seems that you’ve gravitated towards all my tours.” (Y/n) snorted at the quip, though her flustered face didn’t seem to change too much.
“Well, I was wondering if… if I could give you my phone number?” she asked, finally looking up at him, a pink blush spreading rapidly across her cheeks. “Maybe not as a date, or anything like that, but I think I’d at least like to get to know you, as a friend! You’re really cool, and I’ve never really met a monster before, and I was just hoping… that I could… um….”
Her sentence trailed off, and Sans realized she was trying to not be insensitive about his being a monster with what she just said. (Y/n) appeared nervous about what she was saying, and he let out another chuckle, pulling his phone from his pocket. The moment he did so, her eyes lit up again, and she was quick to rattle off the numbers for him to punch in.
Weeks flew by after that and the relationship Sans and (Y/n) grew quickly into something that wasn’t quite friends but not lovers either. (Y/n) was naturally curious, asking Sans all she could about his brother, the Underground, monsters in general, and especially about him. The two of them grew closer and closer with her questioning about astronomy, and he knew her too.
Almost as quickly as he had met her, he found himself wanting to hold her, to cuddle her small body with his larger one. (Y/n) was so small that he could actually carry her around on his shoulders, or in his arms like a baby, though he had only done that once. She had been so upset and flustered when he picked her up like that, but a small part of Sans found it to be rather attractive. To see her squirming, red faced and cussing him out like no tomorrow while she was powerless, stirred something deep within his soul.
Before too long, Sans found himself hopelessly in love with (Y/n) and Papyrus was urging him to make a move on her before someone else did. His brother was super enthusiastic about Sans finding his potential mate, though he pretended it was just wanting him out of the house, and nothing would stop him from getting the two together. Something in the older skeleton was extremely confused about his brother’s involvement, but he decided to not question it.
With Papyrus’ “help” and Sans’ great embarrassment, Sans managed to ask (Y/n) on a proper date, and from there the relationship exploded like a supernova. It only took them six months to figure out that they were wanting to take the relationship forward into bonding their souls together. Sans was nervous initially, but he trusted (Y/n) and she trusted him, allowing him to hold her soul in his hands, and he let her hold his.
The night was spent in utter bliss as they let their souls bond together, sealing their relationship as a permanent fixture in their lives. (Y/n) was elated, Sans finally felt like he was more complete than he had been in his life, and there was only good things in store for them. He didn’t have to worry about “kill or be killed” or the Underground anymore, and that was perfectly fine by him.
Within a year of (Y/n) and Sans binding their souls together, (Y/n) noticed that her body was having strange things happening to it. She couldn’t stand up without getting dizzy for several moments, food was chore to eat most days, and she wanted to do nothing more than sleep. Sans was extremely concerned from the get go, saying that there was something wrong with her and that she was dying.
Thankfully, they were both still living with Papyrus, and he was more than willing to smack some sense back into Sans, quite literally. He had his arms folded over his ribcage as he glared down at his brother’s miniscule mate, assessing the situation himself. He let out a huff, turning his glare to his brother, who was still rubbing the back of his skull.
“If you are so concerned about her wellbeing, Sans,” he snapped irritatedly, “then why don’t you take her to go see Doctor Alphys? Certainly she can figure out what is wrong with your mate.” Sans shot his brother a glare and a growl, something that sent a deep shiver down (Y/n)’s spine.
“Like hell I’m lettin’ Alphys near (Y/n)!” he snarled, shooting a glare right back at his taller brother. “You think I want her to be pokin’ and proddin’ my mate just t’find out nothin’s wrong? Yeah, I don’t think dear ol’ doc is gonna be comin’ anywhere near her, she can just go see a doctor who ain’t messed up in the head.”
“If you so insist,” Papyrus said with a scoff. “But it might be something magic related that could be entirely missed by human medicines. If that happens to be the case, it may be something much more serious than a human doctor can handle. At least consider it, for the sake of your mate.”
Sans took (Y/n)’s hand carefully, her tiny fingers absolutely dwarfed by his own phalanges, a nervous need to be in contact with her suddenly rising. (Y/n) looked up at him, worry filling her soul as she watched his face contort into multiple emotions as he considered his brother’s words. There was so much that could be wrong with her, but she didn’t want to just stand around and wait to figure it out.
“Sans,” she called softly, catching his attention. “How about a compromise? We can start by going to a human doctor, and if they can’t figure anything out for us, then, and only then, we can go and see Alphys. How does that sound to you?”
“I just don’t want her to try any funny business with ya, sweetheart,” he sighed, leaning down to scoop her up into his arms like a child, nuzzling her neck gently. “I think I can handle your little deal, but if she tries anythin’ that I don’t like, we’re leaving, r’else I’m gonna dust her.” (Y/n) smiled and planted a kiss on his mandible, clinging gently onto his jacket.
One visit to the doctor later proved Papyrus to be partially right, in that the doctors couldn’t really figure out what precisely was wrong, but they were able to find the initial cause. (Y/n) was pregnant, about two months along. Sans had nearly fainted, something that he would never really admit to anyone, but he was overjoyed at the news.
He was going to have a family of his own, a real family that wouldn’t have to worry about being dusted for looking at someone wrong. Sans was thrilled, and nearly called up Papyrus right on the spot, though he was certain that (Y/n) wanted to figure out what was wrong with her first. True to his word, he managed to get (Y/n) to Alphys’ aboveground lab, though immediately after, the poor woman was retching her breakfast into a trash can.
“It could just be the mornin’ sickness,” he said, a bit of hope tinting the obvious worry his voice. “It could just be that the baby is havin’ you purge toxins an’ stuff so that they’ll be healthier later on. You’ll be fine, sweetheart, just keep breathin’ okay?” (Y/n) did her best to follow what he requested, but she was still vomiting by the time Alphys actually made an appearance.
The lizard monster began to run some tests, trying to make sure all of her bases were covered in each one. The testing lasted most of the day, and unfortunately, she was unable to pull up any results from them until a later time. Sans was upset, but left and warned Alphys to call the minute she knew something. (Y/n) probably needed to take a rest anyways, so he left with her, getting her set up in bed as soon as he could.
“I don’t know what’s goin’ on with ya, sweetheart,” he murmured into her neck, his body curled around hers. “But I know that when this baby makes its way here, I’ll be the happiest monster alive. You carryin’ my baby is the best thing I coulda ever asked for, an’ that’s comin’ from the monster who asked for freedom every day.”
“I love you so much, sugar bear,” she hummed in response, her hands tracing idle shapes on the back of his skull. Sans purred deep in his chest and pulled her body even closer to his own, protectively and securely. There was nothing that would take this new life, this new beginning away from him, not if he could help it.
It took three more days of unknown sickness and (Y/n) nearly fainting from merely walking ten feet, but Alphys finally called Sans in with results. He took his mate and teleported her in to the lab, anxious for the news of what was going on. The lizard seemed none too surprised to actually see the pair appear, instead having them sit down first so that she could give them the analysis.
“It would seem,” she said with a soft sigh, “that (Y/n) is having issues with processing the magic stored within her body from the pregnancy. Her body is protesting the higher magical content that is naturally caused by this type of pregnancy. This puts both her and the baby’s lives at risk of… well, complete failure, because the baby needs magic to survive. Should (Y/n) make it through this, there is a high chance she may never be able to bear a child again and... there is no guarantee that she or the baby will survive.”
Sans felt his soul drop in his ribcage, and (Y/n) let out a sob from beside him, her hands resting over her belly. Tears were pouring down her face and the skeleton could only pull her into his lap in an attempt to comfort her. While he was broken over this, that their family could be torn apart, he was almost certain that this was hitting her harder than it was hitting him. Alphys allowed them to have their moment of mourning and adjusted her glasses on her face carefully.
“There… there is a chance that she’ll be okay though, right?” Sans finally asked, cuddling his mate closer to his ribcage. “There’s gotta be somethin’ we can do about all of this? She can’t… there’s… the baby can’t die….” He refused to accept that there would be no making it out of this, that (Y/n) wouldn’t survive; both she and their baby had to make it, they had to.
“I have developed some experimental supplements that could help her to have less of a risk in her pregnancy,” Alphys said cautiously. “She may not be in the best of conditions, physically speaking, while she’s taking them, but it would greatly assist in making sure that the baby survives as well.”
Sans’ eye sockets sparkled with hope, and the two immediately agreed to try the supplements with a regular check up every week. Alphys handed over the first regiment of (Y/n)’s medications, gave them strict instructions on when and how to take them, as well as to call her if anything happened, and the two were on their way back home. For the first time since he had left the Underground, Sans was afraid, frightened of what the future may hold.
Everything had been going so well for him, monsters were free from their prison and thriving, he had found a mate that he loved with all his soul who also loved him, and he was expecting a family. Then, of course , the universe decided to laugh in his face and start to rip all that he worked for away from him. His mate’s body wasn’t processing magic in the right way, so she could die from it as a result, and not only that but the baby could die too. Even if they both made it, (Y/n) may never have the ability to have children again, something they had already discussed.
Sans didn’t need to look at (Y/n) or check her soul to know that she was heartbroken over this news. He had expressed that, if they ever made it out of the Underground, he had always wanted to have a decent sized family, with two or three, maybe even four, kids. (Y/n) had been much the same, and now they were practically condemned to just one, maybe not even that. He was clinging to the one chance that they had for their family, slim as it was, with all his hope.
“You’re gonna be okay, sweetheart,” he said softly, nuzzling into (Y/n)’s hair as he laid her back down on their bed, her tears still pouring down her face. “You an’ our little baby are gonna make it, and they’ll be the strongest little squirt to ever walk on the planet. They’ll have your determination, an’ my strength, an’… an’ they’re gonna be okay, you’ll see….”
The night ended in tears, the pair clinging to each other and hoping to whatever higher power was out there that their little family wasn’t going to be torn apart so suddenly. Papyrus peeked into their room at one point to check on them, but quickly left, recognizing that they needed some privacy. Sans and (Y/n) were both grateful for that, knowing that neither one of them could handle sharing this news with anyone else at the moment.
In the morning, Sans explained everything to his brother while he let (Y/n) rest a little longer, knowing that they had a long, rough journey ahead of them. The taller skeleton was sympathetic, even going so far as to offer support to the couple as needed. Sans felt relief fill his soul, knowing that his brother had their backs, and he expressed his gratitude to Papyrus.
The following weeks were gruesome for the whole household, most especially for (Y/n). The supplements she had to take made her body weak physically speaking, even though it allowed her to process the magic she and the baby needed. Sans ended up carrying her almost everywhere, something he was more than happy to do for her, but he knew (Y/n) was bothered by it. She also had to quit her job, at least for the time being, so that she could try to be safer and regain some strength.
While she hated being so helpless, (Y/n) knew that this should help her to keep the baby for the entire pregnancy. Her body was constantly in what felt like a “power-down” mode, where she could pass out or fall asleep at any moment. Additionally, her whole body was aching, from her head to her toes, no matter how many times Sans tried to give her massages to relax her. Most simply, it sucked.
“Sans,” (Y/n) called weakly from their shared bed one morning before he went off to work. The skeleton appeared from a teleport, kneeling next to her and tenderly taking her hand in his much larger one. He gently brushed his teeth against her knuckles, then looked up at her with worried eye lights.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I’m ‘ere, what is it?” he asked softly. (Y/n) made no response, but instead pulled his hand down to her waist, flattening his palm against her stomach. Underneath his bones, Sans could feel a distinctive bump pressing up through his mate’s flesh. Instantly, he had both his hands over the spot, feeling for their baby’s soul that laid in her womb, which came to his attention a moment later. It was weak, frail, and trembling under his phalanges, but it was there .
“It’s only been a few weeks,” (Y/n) said, drawing his attention back up to her. “I shouldn’t have a baby bump yet, not from what I’ve heard about pregnancy. I… I’m worried something could be wrong.” Sans pressed his teeth to her forehead gently and stroked some of her hair out of her eyes.
“I’ll call Alphys an’ see if we can talk to her today ‘bout it, alright?” he hummed, feeling the tension in his soul ease up when she nodded. “Now you just sit your pretty self here an’ don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. I’ll be back before three today, ‘n’ Paps is gonna be workin’ from home. Call me if you need anythin’, okay sweetheart?”
Just as he said, Sans was back after working before three in the afternoon, and managed to get (Y/n) in with Alphys. The lizard woman ran a few tests and stared at her screens for quite some time, running over data while (Y/n) sat anxiously. Sans held her hand while they waited, and finally Alphys turned to speak to them.
“Wel, it appears that the supplements are doing what they should be doing, so you have no problems processing magic at the moment, (Y/n),” she said, adjusting her glasses. “The accelerated growth of the baby won’t really pose a problem until you get closer to giving birth, so-”
“But what’s causing it?” (Y/n) asked, her grip on Sans’ hand tightening. “They shouldn’t be growing that fast, should they?” Alphys appeared a little stunned, looking back over her data. Sans hung his head a little, not looking at (Y/n) while the lizard monster searched fruitlessly for an answer.
“It’s cuz’a me, isn’t it?” he muttered after a few moments, scratching the back of his skull with his free hand. “I think because I’m so big that it’s no big surprise , heh, that the kid’s takin’ after me some in how quick it’s growin’. Must be my magic, or somethin’ like that.” (Y/n)’s eyes widened, and she instantly was clinging to his hand more, trying to apologize for making him feel guilty.
“It is a possibility,” Alphys said with a short sigh. “Sans’ magical signature would be all over the baby, and it certainly is possible that if he was the same way before he was born that his children would follow in his steps. It shouldn’t have any effect on the supplements you’re taking or anything like that. That being said, I’ll make some adjustments to your supplements, and then you should be all set to go.”
Sans took (Y/n) home after they received their supplements, Sans’ gaze cast downwards at the ground. The moment he set her feet back on solid ground, (Y/n) had her arms around his body as best as she could. He reluctantly pulled her into a full hug, mindful of her belly and kneeling as he did so. The fact that she was so stressed and worried about the baby was making him stress out, but as he held her close to him, all Sans wanted to do was bury his face into her hair.
“I’m sorry, sugar bear…,” (Y/n) mumbled into the neck of his sweater, her voice muffled by the soft fabric. Sans turned to look at her, pulling her away from him for just a moment to see tears wobbling in the corners of her eyes.
“The hell’re you sorry for?” he almost snarled, remembering at the last moment to tone it back down. “If anythin’, I should apologize to you for makin’ you worry about somethin’ stupid.”
“No, I need to apologize to you because you can’t help that you’re…,” (Y/n) made a vague gesture to his body, seeming to struggle for the right words. “You. Your magic is what it is, and it was stupid and insensitive of me to think that you could make it not affect the baby in some way.” Sans pulled her back into the hug, stroking her hair gently with a soft growl.
“We’re gonna get through this jus’ fine, sweetheart,” he murmured, hoping that he sounded more convinced than he felt. “We’ll work through this, I promise.”
(Y/n) made sure that she kept up on her supplements, taking them as necessary and as directed by Alphys. She was extremely grateful that, despite the harsh mentality of the Underground, most monsters were quickly moving past it into something more supportive of others. Papyrus was always trying to find some new recipe that would be both easy on her stomach and also nutritious, Alphys was literally keeping her alive, and Sans’ love and support were something she desperately craved.
Most days, as time went on, (Y/n) found herself trying to be useful, or at least trying to do something that wasn’t just her laying in bed all day, only to have someone, be it Papyrus, Sans, or both, gently scold her and tell her to go rest. As the months progressed, it became easier and easier for her to follow those notions of just resting all day, much to her own chagrin.
Because of the nature of Sans’ magic which made him a literal beast in terms of size, the baby grew quicker and larger than a normal baby. Once (Y/n) hit her seventh month, she could have sworn that she looked almost ready to pop, then and there. Sans joked that it only made it easier for him to grab a hold of her because she was “so damn tiny all the time”, though he never once picked her up by her stomach.
He was so fascinated by the fact that the baby was even there, that they were alive , that any time he had off from work he simply would hold her belly. Whether (Y/n) was asleep, reading, eating, whatever, he would pull her as close as he could to his body and hold her stomach. Sans made sure that the baby was fed enough magic as often as he could this way, knowing that they needed it to survive, but not so much that (Y/n)’s body would have problems processing it.
It was exhausting, just to try and keep such a delicate balance in place with all the medications, work, magic sharing, and preparations for the baby in general. Alphys had even upped the amount of supplements (Y/n) needed to take, as the woman had started to develop a tolerance to the previous dosage. Sans and Papyrus dutifully kept track of what she took and when, adding it to her food or giving her the dosage at the right time.
Sans finally asked for enough time off that he would be home roughly around the time when (Y/n) would be giving birth. The observatory was understanding, and they even gave him some extra time leading up to it, just in case. (Y/n) was more than happy to latch onto him once he told her that she was going to have extra snuggle time with her mate, as her hormones had made her especially clingy in the past few weeks.
“Not too much longer now, huh?” Sans asked, one of his hands resting on her swollen belly. “The kid’s soul is practically buzzin’ like a bee in there, tellin’ me they want out. You think we’re ready for’em to finally show up?” (Y/n) let out a soft hum, her hand resting on top of his. Even with how big her stomach had grown, Sans’ hand was still able to cover a decent portion of her skin, and her hand still looked absolutely tiny in comparison.
“I hope so,” she finally said, nuzzling into his embrace carefully. “We went through so much just to make sure that they could be here safely, I don’t want anything to happen to them now. We’ve worked so hard….” Her voice choked on the last words, and Sans quickly began to plant kisses on her face, shushing her softly as she began to cry.
“Hey now, sweetheart, no need for th’ waterworks,” he said, brushing a few tears away with his phalanges. “Alphys said that their soul’s doin’ great right now, and you’re perfectly healthy too, so we ain’t gotta be worried ‘bout a thing. The baby’ll be fine, an’ you’ll be fine.”
Sans started to rub soothing circles on (Y/n)’s belly, the baby’s soul humming under his fingers as he let some magic flow into them. Eventually, the two of them slipped into slumber, their worries temporarily relieved about the future. The morning came quickly, and with it came an onslaught of fear, as Sans woke up to the phrase he had been both dreading and anticipating for nine months.
“I think the baby’s coming,” (Y/n) said, a hand to her stomach as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her face was contorted into a confused frown, and Sans felt his soul leap at the words. In an instant, he was at her side, checking on the baby, trying to get her to lay back down, already a sweaty mess.
“Oh shit, uh, ‘re you sure?” he asked, hovering uncertainly over his mate’s stomach. “I can call Alphys up, an’ she can check on you, make sure you’re really goin’ an’ stuff, or, uh… I don’t know what to do.”
“Can you help me get up first, sugar bear?” (Y/n) asked, holding her arms out to Sans. “I need to use the bathroom really bad, and if I’m actually going into labor, I don’t want to be a mess. You can call Alphys while I’m in there, okay?” Sans nodded, pulling (Y/n) very carefully to her feet and allowing her to shuffle her way to the bathroom. Once she had disappeared, he teleported downstairs to the kitchen where he knew Papyrus would be making breakfast.
“Pap, (Y/n)’s goin’ into labor,” he said the moment he saw his brother standing by the magic powered stovetop. Papyrus turned from his cooking with raised bone-brows, spatula still in his hand.
“Are you certain?” he asked calmly, turning the stove off and facing his elder brother. Sans shuffled his feet and shook his head. Something in his soul was telling him that it really was time for the baby to be born, but he was so nervous and scared that he couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination or not. Papyrus let out an agitated huff and began plating the breakfast foods anyways, having finished what he was doing.
“Well, if the baby makes an appearance soon, then we shall certainly see,” he sighed, even though Sans already knew he cared a lot about his niece or nephew. “For now, we can have breakfast, and I certainly hope that you will not let (Y/n) waste too much time upstairs. Have you called Alphys yet with the news?”
“Not yet, but I think we may have some time before things really get movin’, y’know?” Sans said with a shrug. “(Y/n) didn’t seem too concerned just yet, nothin’ too spectacular with her announcement this mornin’. Didn’t seem like it was urgent yet.” Papyrus nodded, satisfied with this answer as he finished serving out the food for the morning, a few supplements by (Y/n)’s plate.
A few minutes later, (Y/n) appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, her face beaming at the smell of freshly made food. Papyrus glanced over at Sans skeptically, uncertain if she was actually in labor with the casual manner she had on currently. The shorter of the two skeletons merely shrugged, digging into the meal set before him with gusto. (Y/n) seemed to do the same, only to set her fork down a moment later and put a hand to her mouth.
“Is your stomach bothering you again, (Y/n)?” Sans asked, rubbing her back with a worried look. She nodded and stood up as quickly as she could, hurrying to the downstairs bathroom before she could vomit all over the table. Papyrus and Sans shared another look between each other, and Sans let out a sigh.
“I dunno if she’s really in labor or not, Paps, cuz this is just an ordinary day so far,” he muttered, picking over her plate since she was unlikely to eat it now. “Sucks, but it’s true, an’ we both know it.” He let out a dejected sigh, then pushed both plates away from him so he could check on (Y/n) instead, teleporting to her side.
“You doin’ okay in here, sweetheart?” he asked, pulling her hair away from her face. (Y/n) nodded, but groaned into the toilet bowl, one hand on her belly in an attempt to soothe it. Sans shushed her gently, then prepped a cup of water for her when she was done emptying her stomach.
“I thought I was going into labor, but I guess it was just another Braxton Hicks,” she muttered, wiping her mouth clean with a damp rag. “It felt like I was going into labor, from what I’ve read so far, with a really strong contraction. Guess I was wrong about it, sorry Sans….”
“You got nothin’ to be sorry for, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her forehead gently. “You were just excited, ’s all there is to it. Couldn’t wait for the baby to be here so you thought they were already on their way. ‘S kinda cute actually.” (Y/n) found herself blushing at the way Sans called her cute, then pushed him away playfully, though he didn’t actually move much.
“You wound me, sweetheart,” he said, dramatically clutching at his chest while (Y/n) started laughing. “I’m hurt an’ all broke up over your sudden but inevitable distaste for my compliments. Guess I’ll have to start complimentin’ you even more now so you get used to them all over again, huh?” He accompanied the statement with a wiggle of his bone-brows, only making (Y/n) laugh harder.
Her laugh was suddenly cut off by a small squeak of pain, and (Y/n)’s hands flew back to her stomach. A frown settled over her face, eyebrows scrunching up momentarily, before she let out a soft sigh and relaxed again. Sans watched her with worry, one of his hands coming to rest over her belly as well, a touch of magic coating his palm.
“Just some Braxton Hicks,” she breathed out, though she didn’t sound fully convinced by her own statement. The two made their way out of the bathroom together with (Y/n) holding Sans’ hands for support. Breakfast was finished on a somber note, much to everyone’s displeasure, and the day seemed to flow normally from there.
(Y/n) decided against telling Sans about every little twinge of pain she felt in her body, knowing that he would only stress more and more. Despite the fact that she knew he cared about this kind of thing, she didn’t want to give a false alarm to the house like she already had this morning. So, she kept trucking on, gritting her teeth as the twinges eventually became more like cramps in the late afternoon.
“Y’re sure you don’t need anythin’ while I’m at the store?” Sans asked, his eye lights slightly hazy with worry as he leaned down to kiss (Y/n). “I hate leavin’ you alone like this, y’know, wish I could take you with me. ‘Specially if you think the baby’s comin’ soon.” He had to get some groceries for the house, as Papyrus was called away for a meeting today, and wasn’t able to take care of it himself.
“I’ll be okay for an hour or so while you shop,” (Y/n) replied, kissing him back tenderly, one hand cupping his face while the other rested on her belly. “And I have my phone charged and ready to go, so if anything happens, I am going to call you and then Alphys. I’ll be oka-!” She cut herself off as a particularly painful cramp hit her stomach, Sans’ hands immediately going to support her.
“Tha’s it, I ain’t goin’ anywhere ‘less I can take you with me,” he said in a firm tone that told (Y/n) he wouldn’t be swayed. “You’ve been in pain the whole day, ‘n I can see it, even though you wanna hide it from me. ‘M startin’ to think that you may’ve been right with what you said earlier this mornin’, sweetheart.”
Sans quickly ushered her back into the house, making her sit down on the couch while he went to call Alphys. (Y/n) ran her hands over her belly as she waited, anxiety coursing through her soul at the thought that the baby would actually be coming. There had been so many sleepless nights, so many medications and appointments, so many tears shed just to get them to this point. Now, however, (Y/n) was terrified.
The threat of her baby, or her, not making it was still looming over her head like a dark shadow. Giving birth could go wrong in so many ways, she could bleed out, the baby could get stuck, or… or she could be fine…? The glimmer of hope in (Y/n)’s chest was still there, but her worries were getting the better of her.
Sans returned shortly after making his phone call, and sat down next to (Y/n) pulling her into his lap to comfort her. She clung to him desperately, allowing her body to sink into his with a shuddering breath. For a minute, there was nothing said, even though it was highly likely that Alphys had some things she wanted Sans to relay to (Y/n).
“You’ve been gettin’ cramps since this mornin’, right?” Sans finally asked, only receiving a nod from (Y/n) in response. “Alphys said that you’re probably in labor then, an’ to take you to the lab once things start gettin’ more intense. You doin’ okay so far?”
“I’m okay for now,” (Y/n) said, leaning her head onto his clavicle, a sigh passing through her lips. “I just… I’m scared.” Sans’ hands rubbed her back and stomach reassuringly, trying to soothe her troubled mind, though with little success.
“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he murmured softly, resting his chin on the top of her head. The next few hours were passed with the pair watching television on the couch, getting a few light snacks, and trying to take the edge off their anxieties. Papyrus arrived home at about four in the evening, angry that Sans hadn’t gone shopping, but he quickly relented once he was updated on (Y/n)’s condition.
At about seven in the evening, (Y/n)’s water finally broke while she was trying to help clean up in the kitchen after dinner. Sans was in an immediate panic, ready to snatch her straight to Alphys’ lab, until Papyrus forced him to slow down and take a breath. (Y/n) had already technically been in labor for over seven hours, rushing in the last ones wouldn’t do them any good.
One car ride from Papyrus later and the trio was outside of Alphys’ lab, waiting on her to open the doors. (Y/n)’s breathing was starting to get a bit more ragged now, the contractions picking up in intensity the longer they waited. Both skeleton brothers were starting to get anxious now, worrying about her and the baby making it out of this okay. (Y/n)’s physical condition had been on the decline, both from the supplements she had to take in order to keep the baby alive, and from the fact that her body was simply too heavy to move most days.
Will she even have the strength left to make it through the labor and birthing process?
Sans didn’t linger too long on that thought.
Alphys took all three of them into the small side room she prepared for the occasion, a magic monitor and some equipment off to the side and a large padded table by the wall. It was almost like a hospital room, sterile and clean, only without the nurses and doctors bustling about. (Y/n) seemed to relax, if only slightly, at the idea that it was just like any other delivery.
“You just get comfortable in here, alright (Y/n)?” Alphys said, taking a few notes on the woman’s condition. “I’ll be checking in on you frequently, and Sans can call me at any time if you need anything. Until you start getting close, however, I can’t do much for you. I’ll be just down the hallway.”
The trio watched as the lizard monster vanished down the hall, leaving the odd air of finality behind her. (Y/n) wormed her hand into Sans’, squeezing it for support as she shifted and settled on the chair, which more resembled a hospital bed, now that he looked at it. Papyrus took up a spot nearby in a chair, setting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fist. Sans settled for sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking his mate’s hair soothingly while she tried to calm her breathing.
“This is happening, it’s really happening,” she breathed out, her tone slightly awed as her free hand came up to trace on her belly. “After all the time we’ve had to get here, it’s finally time for the baby to come here.”
“You say that like you haven’t been tiring yourself out every single night worrying over your child’s life,” Papyrus said bluntly, though his words were not intended to be damaging. “Can you not accept in the moment that all your work is finally going to pay off?”
“Aw c’mon boss,” Sans said with a cheeky grin. “I did some work for this too, ‘less you’re forgettin’ how many times I had to be there for (Y/n).” Papyrus rolled his eye lights at that, sitting up to cross his arms over his ribcage in agitation.
“Yes, you actually did some work for once in your miserable existence, you lazybones,” the taller skeleton fired back, and Sans began to laugh. Soon, all three of them were laughing, the tension fading from the room and from their bodies. (Y/n) was able to get herself settled, though she told Papyrus he was welcome to go home at any time if he needed it. Surprisingly, he refused, preferring that he stay close by in case either of them needed the extra support.
Hours crawled by, and although Alphys checked in every thirty minutes or so, very little progress seemed to be made. (Y/n)’s contractions grew stronger and closer together, but by midnight, the whole group was starting to grow concerned. Alphys managed to pull Sans aside for a minute out of the room while Papyrus distracted (Y/n).
“If she is unable to move forward in labor soon, I may have to induce it with some human medicine,” she said in a low voice. “I know that is not preferable, but with this being a high risk pregnancy, I know that we need to make some choices. I’ll come back in an hour or so, and let you have some time to discuss it with her. For the sake of her and your baby, okay?”
Sans was clenching his fists so hard that he didn’t know how they weren’t causing scratches on his bones. He managed to nod in confirmation, then glumly returned to the room, where Papyrus was telling some tale from being in the Royal Guard to (Y/n). She looked extremely tired, but was listening with rapt attention to how his brother was giving the story. Sans briefly pictured the same wonder on his child’s face as they listened to their uncle, a twinge of hope stirring in his soul.
He re-took his spot sitting next to (Y/n) and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, making her hum in appreciation. Papyrus wrapped up his story fairly quickly, then both turned to Sans, fearful and hopeful of what was to come.
“What did Alphys need to talk to you about, sugar bear?” (Y/n) asked, taking one of his hands and tracing idle shapes on the bones. Sans steeled himself, knowing that if Alphys’ statement hadn’t gone well with him, that (Y/n) was going to take it even worse. He let out a short sigh, pulling her gently to him.
“She said she might hafta start usin’ meds to get the labor kicked into high gear if nothin’s come of it so far,” he said, noting how (Y/n) stiffened in his grasp. “I don’t wanna do it, but she’s worried ‘cuz your pregnancy’s been risky this whole time an’ she wants ‘em to make it out alive too.”
“No,” (Y/n) said softly, her fists coming up to clench the fabric of his sweater, trembling. “No, no, I don’t want that… I… She… she can’t!” Sans brushed a few tears off her face, shushing her softly. He decided that for now it would be best to not bring it up again, and instead to hope that the next hour or so would be better.
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep, sweetheart?” he said, adjusting her in his lap a little. (Y/n) was quick to remind him that she had tried, several times in fact, for the past four hours with no success. She had grown uncomfortable lying down on her back and on both sides, and sitting on the chair Papyrus was in was out of the question.
Sans readjusted how he was sitting so that she could try leaning forwards into his body to rest that way. Much to his relief, (Y/n) was able to get slightly more comfortable and soon was lightly dozing on his shoulder. The skeleton kept one hand on her belly, trying to make sure that the baby was getting its magic, and one on her back to keep her steady.
“How far ‘part are her contractions, bro?” he asked in a low, whispery tone, turning his head very slightly towards Papyrus. (Y/n) shifted in her sleep, but thankfully didn’t stir, and Papyrus pulled out a small notepad he had in a pocket to scribble an answer. He held it up for Sans to read, knowing that his voice was likely a bit too loud for the calm environment.
“Damn, she’s really picked up the pace then, huh?” Sans muttered to himself. “Only four minutes apart now? Maybe we won’t have to get those meds Alphys wanted to give ‘er. She seems a lot closer ‘n before when we got started this mornin’.”
(Y/n) woke up about forty minutes later, complaining that her stomach was aching unbearably and asking for Alphys. Papyrus saw to it to get the scientist, returning only minutes later with her. Alphys did a quick check, and announced it was time to get a move on in the process, sending both fear and excitement into the room.
“I will be in the hallway, brother,” Papyrus said, placing a hand on his Sans’ shoulder, turning to leave before he stopped. “Good luck, I am rooting for both you and (Y/n) in this.”
Sans was grateful once again for his brother’s support, but his attention was brought back to (Y/n), who was beginning to cry and whine in pain. Alphys set up all the necessary equipment, though the skeleton noted that her claws were trembling a bit. She was nervous too, just like they all were. Sans himself set (Y/n) back on the chair, kneeling next to her on the ground, but still able to reach her easily.
(Y/n) was more than ready to start pushing by the time Alphys was finished setting up, even though by now it was a little past one in the morning. Her body was aching, pleading with her to get the baby out, though her pain was skyrocketing the moment she actually began to push. Sans was doing his best to encourage her, soothe her, and Alphys was giving gentle instructions, but after another thirty minutes of nothing but excruciating pain, (Y/n) was giving in.
Her legs and arms were shaking uncontrollably, her mouth had gone dry ages ago, and she had begun to sob at some point. Nothing was happening, the baby wasn’t moving, despite her pushing, and her whole body was alight with fiery pains. (Y/n) was clinging to Sans’ hand, but even that was losing its strength, slipping a little more each time. He was quick to reassure her that everything was fine.
“I-I see the head!” Alphys suddenly cried out, jumping in her seat. “K-keep going! The baby’s a-almost here now!” Sans hadn’t heard the scientist stutter like that since everyone’s mentality had gone down the gutter. Regardless, he clenched (Y/n)’s hand a little tighter.
“C’mon, sweetheart,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to (Y/n)’s temple and giving her a loving smile. “The baby’s almost here, you got a little more in you to get them home?” (Y/n) was sobbing too hard to give him an answer, which worried the skeleton a little. Fortunately, Alphys seemed to have a good handle on the situation, working on getting the baby born on her own end.
After a few more heart-wrenching moments, Alphys stood up from her chair and placed a wet bundle of bones on (Y/n)’s chest. A skeleton monster, which made Sans’ soul swell with pride that his species would be able to go on. The joy didn’t last, however, as the baby wasn’t moving or breathing, like they should have been.
(Y/n) choked on the air she was trying to breathe, her arms clutching at the small skeleton to cradle them. Sans felt the baby’s soul was wavering, and for a terrifying moment, he could feel them slipping away, dusting in his mate’s arms.
No… no no no please, you have to survive, little baby, you have to!! You can’t dust on us right now, you have to make it!
Suddenly, the baby gasped and began to cry, their soul stabilizing to a much stronger level than it was previously. Sans felt something in him snap, and he began to sob, his free hand coming to gently caress the baby’s head. He took a quick look at the baby to see that it was a boy, and his tears began afresh again, partially out of relief. He had a chance to fix in his own son what his father had failed in him and Papyrus.
“Look at that,” he blubbered, not really caring that his image of being tough was shattered into nothing right now. “We got ourselves a little boy, an’ he’s just as strong as I told you he’d be, sweetheart! Thank the stars, he’s breathin’, he’s fightin’ for his life now an’ he’s got it! Paps, get in ‘ere an’ meet your nephew already!!”
Papyrus came in, spotting the group all in tears and almost rolled his eye-lights, but came over to stand by them regardless. He even cracked a small smile at the babybones, noting that they already had a lot of resemblance to their father in their bone structure and the reddish tint of their magic.
“What did you decide earlier for their name?” he asked softly, waiting until he was given the okay by Sans or (Y/n) before he touched them. (Y/n) sniffed and smiled up at the taller skeleton, still holding the baby in her arms.
“Fenix Jaldi Gaster,” she stated proudly, and Papyrus couldn’t help the smile tugging at his teeth. Sans took a turn holding little Fenix, who looked absolutely tiny in his massive arms. He was fairly certain that he could cradle the baby in just one, but he wanted to be extra careful with him, since he had a rough time just getting here.
“Y’re a load a trouble already, an’ you jus’ got here,” he chucked, tracing a phalange very gently across Fenix’s cheek. “Don’ worry ‘bout it though, squirt, we’ll take great care o’ you. After all the work we had to get through jus’ to get you here, you’re gonna be the most protected ‘n loved monster on the Surface.” That was a promise he intended to keep until his bones turned to dust.