Puzzle Pieces

Alone

It was another two day of sleeping on a lumpy couch before he was able to convince Ebony that he was well enough to go home despite the still blank holes in his head. A sight he was sure unnerved the human every morning when she saw him for the first time. Of course it took a lot of convincing and promises and a whole amount of he'll come visit soons.

Of course none of that settled his own unease of returning back to his own home. Of the possibility of seeing Red, of the mess he surly would have to clean up. He was just glad he could clean up what he could here, despite his constantly protesting bones. Either way he needed to go home and address his emails and text messages and voicemails, all of which he didn't want to do in front of the human. He was in enough pain already, was enough of a burden.

So with a very tense hug given to the human he left and returned home.

He was glad he had half a mind to shut the door before he left, but he had to scowl to find he left it unlocked. He supposed half of the deal was better than none, and entered the house. He was first and foremost surprise to find little mess in the house its self. Sure there was a burn in the rug and along the one wall, but any marrow in the rug hand been scrubbed clean and he could smell his cleaner emitting off the rug itself.

There was the possibility Papyrus or Blue had come over after he didn't answer his calls in worry. They could of showed up fond him gone and the marrow and worried cleaned. He couldn't even phantom the idea of one of the others coming over and doing anything of the sort. Either way they were gone now and the house was empty.

The house was empty.

Papyrus sat heavily into the couch, springs digging into his pelvis and his shoulders slumping heavily. Had anyone even gone looking for him, it wasn't as if he was trying to hide. He was honestly surprised the Embassy didn't send police after him. They were trying to blame him for- no he wasn't going to think of that, or as to why Sans was gone. How it wasn't a dream and that he wasn't going to come apologize because that was beneath him. He wasn't going to think of any of it.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket first, going through his email. Most were work related and customers asking if a date for instalments were good. He would answer those later. There were a few from the Embassy, all of which he trashed, and another few that were unimportant.

Then he went to text messages, there being half a million from a mix of people. He started from the bottom where he found Sans's simple reply of 'ok' to his earlier request and there were no more texts from him after that. Next there were many from Papyrus that started with reminders about 'family' events that slowly morphed into worry over the days. Then there were Blue's all starting about the Embassy and how he was heard he was requested again, about legal things and those too morphed in to worry. There were a few from Rus about where he was and then there were some worried ones from Stretch a few threatening to come home in order to whop his coccyx for not replying and worrying him. None from Red.

Then he checked his voice mail which was full all consisting of the same messages only with voices that made his soul hurt with guilt. He shouldn't be worrying people like this, it was bad enough Ebony had to see him in such a state. He could simply answer the messages now, but he didn't want company right now, didn't want to explain because at the very end of the chain of messages there was either anger or disappointment. He was in the wrong again in everyone's books and his brother was in the right, because who knew what he told them.

The house was empty.

What did that matter any more. He was alone and he knew deep down this was coming ever since they came here. He wanted to be home in Underfell where things were easy, because all he had to worry about was doing his job. He didn't have to worry much about politics or payments, or food. Not after becoming captain. Now he had to worry about all that and so much more, he was worried about home.

He could deal with an empty house no matter how much it hurt.

No matter how much the garbage over flowing with mustard bottles reminded him of Sans. Of the sock in the corner ripped to shreds along with various sticky notes. The stains on the couch and floor he couldn't get out no matter how much he scrubbed. The smell of old cigarettes. Sans's muddy boots at the font door. Sans's door seeping pollution. A crack in the wall. The collar in his inventory.

Edge chocked on a lump in his throat, his breath wheezy and pained. He stood up and headed up stairs. He passed his room and stood in front of Sans's. He shucked in a breath before opening the door and looking over the frightfully messy room. The one that only got clean when he grouched long enough or did it himself. The one that hasn't been touched in the past week. One with en empty mattress sitting on the floor without sheets.

He laid on it and stared at the ceiling. Would the Embassy come after him for this too? Come into this room and say he was abusing Sans when he could use any money he wanted? When it was his own fault the room smelt like rotting mustard? Would they just finally put him in jail? Would he just dust? Would everyone just watch?

He curled up on his side and pulled out the collar from his inventory and placed it in front of him. Then he pulled out another, charred and stained but intact and also placed it before him. Two of his biggest failures. His failure as a brother and his failure as a captain. His failures.

His phone was going off again, Stretch's absurd ringtone filling the air and he took one glance at it before tossing it so it slid across the floor and into a pile of socks. He was sure he heard the screen crack, but was much too tired to care.

He pulled himself closer to himself despite every bone's protest, the collars constantly in his line of sight. At least till he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. He blessedly dreamed of nothing that night.

A/N: I want to say there will be another up spree. How long it will last I am unsure, but I'm hoping to make it to chapter 34 and I know last time I said I want to work on math but I'm making it work!