Today wasn't the best day of my life. Horror had joined our little family about six months ago, which meant that I had been taking care of my children for nearly a year; I loved them both so much. In that time period, I hadn't been captured once...until today. I couldn't really argue, since I had had some time to get used to having the boys around. If anything, I was lucky to make it so far without being captured, but the multiverse would do what the multiverse would do. Thankfully, the other side allowed me to make one tiny phone call to Killer and Horror, just to let them know I wouldn't be coming home for a bit; they were now in the other house, probably making endless unhealthy desserts - I knew them better than they thought I did. I was now sitting in a prison cell, wondering when I would get the chance to leave; in the past, it would range from three minutes to three months, which wasn't exactly promising. I would wait as long as I had to, though; my boys were capable of taking care of themselves if I happened to be gone for a while..I hoped they would eat something healthy. They would probably put some fruit in their desserts, if nothing else.

During the past few months, much had happened. Horror had had his birthday, making him six, now; they were growing so fast. His appetite hadn't changed, though; that would probably end around his teen years - or, at least, I hoped it would. In addition to that, one of Killer's teeth was becoming loose. Although skeletons didn't have the exact characteristics of humans - like being composed of magic - there were some similarities, such as losing baby teeth. Skeletons generally lost their baby teeth between the ages of six to ten, but they also had multiple sets of adult teeth. Humans only received two sets of teeth in their entire lifespan, but skeletons had virtually infinite, shedding one set every twenty years or so; it was helpful if an adult tooth was knocked out. I was brought out of my thoughts by a struggle; I found it odd, since the portion of the prison I was in was only for "inter-AU" criminals: those who had commited crimes across multiple AUs. As far as I knew, those were few and far between; honestly, I was the only one I was aware of..besides Ink, for making my job harder, but he didn't count, since everyone saw him as a hero.

"I'm sorry!" The voice was rather high-pitched..almost like.. 

"Quiet, kid." A judge from an unsavory AU - Underfell - was speaking. "You've done enough damage."

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't mean to!"

"That's what you said the second time, and somehow, you're here again."

"It was an accident!"

"An accident. Sure. Kid, things that happen more than two times in succession are not accidents. Stay here a while, and we'll make sure to find a nice reform school..or maybe not."

"No, no, don't leave me here!"

"Not listening." The judge opened the door to my cell, obviously not noticing that I was present; I had blended in with the shadows quite well, apparently. "Have fun." 

The judge threw the prisoner into the cell, where I realized..it was a child. At that moment, I wondered how many children I would have at the end of this. The judge left the child in the cell and closed the door. The child cried harder than any child should have ever had to cry; I had the chance to help, and I wouldn't shirk from it.

"Hello?" I probably startled the child, since he flinched.

"H-huh?!" The child looked around. "Wh-who's there?!"

"A friend."

"..." I could feel pure fear coming from the hooded child.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I don't..w-want friends..."

"How about someone to keep you company, then?"

"I..g-guess.."

"Do you want to talk about something to cheer you up?"

"No..I-I can't.."

"Why not?"

"I-I hurt everyone.."

"I do, too."

"Wh-who are you?"

"My name is Nightmare."

"Wh-why do you w-want to be n-nice to me?"

"I'm not always as bad as people say."

"Wh-where are you?"

"I am right here." I stepped out of the shadows, allowing the child to see me; he flinched backwards. "I am not here to hurt you."

"Wh-why not?"

"Because I don't want to. Why are you here, young one?"

"I-I was bad.."

"What did you do that was bad? Surely, you did nothing wrong to be here!"

"I killed people.." The child began to cry harder.

My eyelight widened; how could a child be convicted of murder?! "How old are you?"

"Five.." 

"How could they say you killed? You are but a child!"

"Doesn't matter..they're d-dead, now, and..i-it's all my f-fault!"

I scooped the child up in my arms. "I am sure it is not your fault."

"B-but it is!"

"It isn't the fault of a five-year-old that anyone has died."

"Y-yes, it is! I-I k-killed them.."

"You did not kill them."

"St-stop saying that! You d-don't know!"

I sighed. "You're right; I don't. Why are you crying?" 

"B-because they're g-gone.."

"Then you're sorry for what you did?"

"Y-yes.."

"Then it doesn't matter. If you're sorry, I'm sure they've forgiven you."

"Th-they haven't..I know th-they haven't.."

"Why not?"

"Th-they hated me.."

"How could they hate someone so pure?"

"I-I'm not pure..I k-killed them.."

"Who did you kill?"

"M-my..m-my p-parents.." The child seemed to hold tighter to me. "M-my b-brother..a-and th-the others..the ad-adoptive p-parents...an-and the f-foster p-parents.."

"Seven people?" I was astounded by those numbers; a child shouldn't have had to go through that pain.

"M-mhm.."

"How was it your fault?"

"I w-was there.."

"That doesn't make it your fault."

"Y-yes, it does! M-Mama and Papa fell down the stairs..Papyrus t-tried to push me..but he fell..ad-adoptive parents hurt me..I-I tried to run..a t-truck hit them..f-foster parents hurt me w-worse.." The child sobbed too much to continue, but I understood clearly.

"You had people in your life that were not kind to you.."

The child nodded, curling up in my arms.

"I know that feeling." I noticed the child looking up at me.

"B-but you're s-supposed to be.." He was cut off.

"I'm supposed to be evil, I know. Well, what do you think made them think I was evil?"

"Y-you hurt people?"

"Indeed, I have hurt many people. Do you know why I hurt them?"

"Wh-why?"

"Because they hurt me first. It was wrong of me to do, and I regret it. The difference between you and me..is that I actually murdered them; you did not."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Child, you are not to blame for your parents falling down the stairs."

"B-but I was there..Papyrus said I killed them.."

"Papyrus was angry; that doesn't make him right."

"B-but he t-tried to push me and fell.."

"He fell down those stairs on his own."

"B-but I moved out of the way..i-if I hadn't, he would be alive!"

"And you would be dead."

"..." The child paused before looking at me with a sincere look in his eyelights. "I'm not important."

"Yes, you are."

"B-but I killed them!"

"You did not kill them."

"Th-the truck hit my a-adoptive-" The child was once again cut off.

"The truck hit your adoptive parents because they didn't look both ways before they crossed the street. You did not kill them." 

"M-my foster p-parents.."

"I'm sure you aren't responsible."

"Wh-why are you being so n-nice?"

"Because all I see is a scared child; you don't deserve to be seen the way you are."

"Yes, I-I do.." 

"What is your name, child?"

"I don't remember..th-the police c-called me Dust, c-cause everyone around me..t-turns to dust.."

"That isn't fair."

"D-doesn't matter..i-it's my name, now.."

"Well, Dust..what do you think of me?"

"Y-you're nice.."

"Dust, did you know that I have two sons?"

"No.."

"You remind me a lot of them."

"H-how?"

"Well, Killer and Horror have both gone through struggles in their lives."

"Have they k-killed people?"

"No, but Killer has been hurt by others."

"Wh-why is he called th-that when.."

"I named him; he thought the name was cool."

"Oh.."

"Dust, would you like to come home with me?"

"Y-you mean.."

"I'd like to adopt you."

"B-but I'd hurt you! I-I don't wanna h-hurt you!"

"Dust, you won't hurt me."

"..Y-you don't kn-know that.."

"Dust, I promise you will not hurt me."

"..." He looked up at me once more. "You promise?"

"Of course."

He clutched to me tightly. "O-okay.."

We spent the next few hours talking and telling stories; it was mostly his asking me to tell more stories, but I wouldn't deny him. At the end of three hours, the cell door opened rather quickly, and Ink walked in; Dust hid behind me.

"It seems that someone has been placed here by mistake." Ink stated. "I'm here to take him to a different cell."

"There is no one here but me." I lied.

"Don't play games with me, Nightmare."

"I'm not playing."

"Where is he, Nightmare?"

"Where is who?"

"The little brat!"

"I haven't seen any brats." I was honest, that time; Dust was anything but a brat.

"The little killer!"

"Killer is safe and sound in my house, not here."

"The kid who killed his entire family! Where is he?"

"I've seen no one matching that definition; are you feeling well, Ink? Most people don't go around asking these types of questions."

"Just show me where he is."

"Ink, I've already told you, there's no one here but me."

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"Ugh, fine.."

Ink left the cell, grumbling. He was grumbling so loudly that he didn't hear his keys clattering on the floor; I waited until he was out of earshot to grab the keys.

"Well, Dust, would you like to taste freedom?" I looked to the child on my shoulder.

"How'd that happen?" Dust was unsure.

"I'll tell you, later."

"Okay.."

I unlocked the cell with the keys and started my escape; it was rather simple, since the multiverse needed me around. Within ten minutes, I was making a portal home and bringing our new addition along. As I revealed the secret entrance to the basement, he seemed fascinated with it, but I could feel a lot of fear radiating from him, as well. In fact, ever since I first sensed his feelings, they had mostly been pure fear; I could only imagine what had been done to him for him to have fear for everything. I wasn't going to bring it up, but I had felt it as clear as day when he was even scared of a room. He was scared of the door to my house, he was scared of the door to my room, and now, he was hesitant to walk through the passageway to the other house; I spent five minutes trying to convince him that it was safe, and even then, he only agreed to it if I would carry him. I wouldn't force the boy into anything he didn't want to do; I could see that he had been through that enough in his life, even at such a young age. I carried him down the steps, not saying a word about his frightened whimpers as he clutched to me. When we made it down the stairs, we were promptly met by Flapjack, who scared Dust greatly; he let out a small scream when he saw the pet, making it back down a bit.

"It's all right, Dust; Flapjack won't hurt you." I calmed the child.

"What's going on?" Killer peeked around the corner, Horror behind him. "Dad!"

"You're back!" Horror came running up to me, and Killer followed suit.

"It's nice to see you again, too, boys!" I gave them a calm smile; Dust's fear rose.

"Who's that?" Killer noticed the new arrival.

"This is Dust, someone I found while I was..contained." I knelt down to let Dust walk, but he didn't seem to want to. "It's all right, Dust; nobody will hurt you."

"Okay.." Dust cautiously slid off my shoulder and touched the ground.

"Heya, kid!" Killer greeted.

"Nice to meet you." Horror joined.

"U-uh..h-hello.." Dust seemed to cling to me.

"Is he our new brother?" Killer hoped.

"If he'd like to be." I nodded. "Would you like to, Dust?"

"I-I don't know.." Dust was shivering. 

"Is he okay?" Horror wondered. 

"He's a bit scared." I revealed. "He's been mistreated much in his life, possibly as much as both of you."

"Oh..sorry."

"It's all right, Horror; he just needs to get used to us."

"Wanna be friends?" Killer asked the new arrival.

"No!" Dust seemed to fear the word, clutching to me harder.

"Why not?" Killer was saddened.

"N-no.." Dust began to cry.

"Boys, I'm going to have to see what's wrong." I sighed, picking up the crying child. "How about you go play a game together in one of your rooms?"

"Okay, Dad.." Killer and Horror ran off, followed by Flapjack.

I sat on the large couch with Dust, comforting him as he sobbed. I honestly wondered why he was afraid of friends; had he been hurt by friends before, or was it something worse? We spent half an hour together before I asked the question; he had calmed down by that point.

"Dust.." I began. "Why are you afraid of friends?"

"F-friends hurt.." Dust answered my question thoroughly.

"Who hurt you?"

"When..I was with the foster parents..the other kids said they w-would be my friends.." Dust winced slightly. "Th-they wouldn't stop.."

"What did they do to you?"

"Th-they.." Dust's breathing hitched for a few moments. "Th-they c-called it f-fun.."

"Called..what fun?" I didn't necessarily want to know, but if Dust was going to have serious fears, I wanted to know what was considered rough territory for him.

"B-b-bones.." Dust was practically shaking in my arms. "C-crack.."

"They broke your bones?" I felt sorry for everything he had to go through.

Dust nodded slightly. "Th-then..th-they would...h-hit me.."

"I'm so sorry, Dust.." I held the child closer; he shouldn't have been exposed to that at such a young age.

"D-don't take me b-back.."

"I won't, Dust. I promise."

I wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

~~~chapter end woot~~~

Night bean adopt Dust bean!

I find that the worse experiences someone goes through, the more I want to keep him safe and want to see him happy.

Thanks for reading my awkward writing!

Bye!