He woke up from another nightmare. Rushing down the road toward the end of the valley, the tall trees towering above him on both sides. He had a wound in his gut. A deep, stabbing pain so vivid he could have sworn it was real. The feeling of running from something you can't describe, yet you know you don't want it to catch up with you. But when he lurched awake all he could feel were the sheets he had fallen asleep in. The area around his pawpads were again damp with his sweat. Nothing was after him.

It was another fall morning. And a frigid one. It had gotten so cold during the night that the frost had caused many of the leaves clinging to the trees to fall to the ground. A little less than half. The bare patches of limbs and branches made it easier to see deep into the woods. It was fairly early. Around half-past seven. The sun was just peeking over the mountains to the east. Gus sat down at his kitchen table and turned on the radio.

The sound of classic country at a low volume echoed through the room as he cooked breakfast.

After quickly downing a bacon and egg sandwich, Gus washed his hands and rolled out a sheet of paper. He began drawing designs with the dimensions he had measured from Toriel's kitchen. He was part way through his first design when he heard a tap at his front door.

A few seconds passed without anything following, so he went back to scribbling. A second tap rang through the kitchen. Gus wasn't the type to believe that ‘third time’s the charm’. He grumbled, slowly got up, felt his knees pop, and took a sip of his sweet tea.

He opened the door and was immediately pelted on the forehead with something. It didn't hurt too bad, but it elicited a groan from him. He opened his eyes and looked down. A pebble. He looked back up to see the girl from across the street standing there, on his front lawn, with a startled expression.

"Oh. Hello." Gus rubbed the sore spot on his forehead.

"Hey uh. I'm uh, headed to school." she said, sliding her hands into her jacket's pockets.

She threw pebbles at his front door to tell him that? Odd, awkward, and unnecessary, but Gus stopped himself from getting cross, and instead opted to be more polite.

"Well then, have a good day. Make sure to be safe getting there, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." She said awkwardly as she backed up toward the road, she began walking down the street, and she waved bye. Gus gently waved back.

He shut the front door behind him and sat back down at the table, taking another sip of his tea. As he looked back down at the paper, he broke into a slight smile, the painful memories of last night fading slightly. He had the odd sense that things would be alright.

Gus finished his drawings of ideas for the cabinets, lingered around like a fat bastard for the next few hours, and then stopped by Grillby's before he went to Toriel's house. She'd be home earlier today, so he found himself at the bar at the unusual time of half past two in the afternoon.

The graffiti was now almost completely gone. An entire two thirds had been vigorously scrubbed away and now only the first words of each line remained.

"It's about gone by now." Gus heard a discussion behind him.

"Yeah. They still got no clue who did it. But most people are in agreement it was one of those kids from the school."

"You never know..." Gus heard the sound of a zippo lighter clink open. "...could've been some other loon."

"Yeah..."

"Snowy have any idea what's going on?"

"I asked him if it could be that purple girl, but he said she doesn't have a problem with humans. Remember? She's hanging out with that human boy Asgore and Toriel adopted."

"Oh yeah..."

"As a matter of fact, he says the other day she even jumped to the kid’s defense."

"From what?"

"He didn't want to say..."

"What's that girl's name anyway?"

"I think it's S-"

Gus felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped in his seat.

"Hey, Gus!"

By the fucking Angel. It was Arnie.

"Just wondering, if you were interested in talking about that offer I had."

Gus turned to face Arnie and gave him a look that shot right through the fat cat.

"No."

Arnie's face dropped.

Gus turned back to the bar and rapped his knuckles on the bar. "Grillby, the usual!"

Both shots went down smooth this time, the bitter taste less of an issue. Gus walked out as quick as he came in, satisfied.

Toriel's minivan was already in the driveway by the time Gus pulled up. He knocked on the door and was surprised to see it answered by - of all people - the purple girl he’d come to know as his neighbor.

"Oh, why uh... hello," he said, straightening his cap.

"Hey" she said, looking more surprised than he was. "So... you're Gus."

"...yeah."

Now that Gus was up close, he noticed she stood just a bit lower than his shoulders, maybe a little over six feet. She wasn't thin, though. She seemed to be naturally stocky.

"Susie? Is that Gus at the door?" he heard Toriel calling from inside the house.

"Susie, huh?" he asked, with a cocked grin. “That’s a nice name.”

"Shut up and get in the house, old man" she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it's him!"

"Should've figured it'd be you from the way Miss T described you." Susie said as walked in and sat on the couch.

Kris was sat next to her with an enormous bowl of popcorn in his arms. He smiled and waved to Gus. Gus waved back and walked past them.

Toriel was in the middle of making a pie crust when Gus walked into the kitchen.

"I take it you're busy at the moment?"

"Unfortunately so. Didn't expect you to show up so soon!" She turned back and smiled at Gus. "I'll be done in just a few minutes, make yourself at home, please! Watch TV with Kris and Susie!" She went back to furiously rolling out the crust.

Gus put the roll of paper he had drawn his proposals on in a corner, and walked over to the couch. There was just enough room on the left side of it for him to squeeze in, but he didn't feel quite comfortable sitting with them, so instead he decided to sit right in front of the couch on the floor. As he went to sit down he noticed that Kris tossed a piece of popcorn at Susie, and she snatched it out of the air with her jaws. It brought a smile to Gus's face and Kris chuckled.

Gus lowered his lumbering frame to the floor and he removed his cap, brushing his unruly tuft of hair from his eyes. He looked at the screen and recognized the movie. It was an old western from the early eighties.

"Oh, I know this one." he said. "My mother took me to the theater to see it with my little brother."

"Does it have a good ending?" Susie asked.

"I ain't spoilin' nothin'. Just you keep watching if you wanna know."

The girl grumbled and chomped down on a handful of popcorn.

Gus felt a nudge on his shoulder and looked behind him to see Kris was offering him the bowl of popcorn. Gus smiled and accepted the gesture, pulling the bowl down and grabbing a handful for himself before sending it back up to the boy.

On screen, a robber pulled a revolver on an old shopkeep, and after a few tense seconds the shopkeep snatched a hand up as fast as lightning, and he put his thumb in front of the hammer, preventing the gun from firing.

"I've been waitin' fer a day like this," the shopkeep said. Putting a mare's leg to the robber's stomach and blasting him away.

"Wooooooooahahahahahah holy shit." Susie laughed.

"LANGUAGE!" Toriel shouted from the kitchen.

"Sorry Miss Toriel." Susie said sheepishly, retreating into raised shoulders. Kris giggled.

"Shut up, freak" she said playfully, nudging him.

This was the most relaxed Gus had felt in years.

Toriel had chosen the last design Gus had drawn. Something a tad unconventional. Instead of a wide, shallow drawer on top, there would be a single square drawer on the outside corners of the cabinets to contain silverware and utensils. Underneath this would be a still-centered walnut inlay of the insignia she had under her roof.

Everyone finished watching the movie together before they ate. It was getting dark outside by the time supper was to be had, but Toriel insisted Gus stay at the very least for a slice of pie. He agreed to have supper with them and Susie. There was only one side, and it was some strawberry tarts with whipped cream on top. Everyone had a glass of milk and once Toriel finally sat down, done with her work, they all dug in.

It was baked perfectly, and held together well, the only crumbly part being the crust itself. Gus had thought the reheated pie was good, but this was absolutely heavenly. It amplified the dish's quality by tenfold to have it served fresh.

Toriel and Kris ate delicately, using both a fork and a knife to cut off chunks, which they chewed through thoroughly.

Gus was a little less reserved in that he did not use a knife to eat his pie, he just scooped chunk after chunk off with the fork and quickly ate it. It was so good the thought of chewing it through was absent.

Now Susie, god damn there was no stopping Susie. She was like a woodchipper. She used her hands and wolfed down an entire slice in the space of ten seconds. It was ungodly and impressive. Toriel stared warily, but cut her off another slice and Susie dug in again.

It upset Gus a little, making him wonder if she got enough to eat. But seeing her tear through it also made him happy to see that she was enjoying herself. He almost wanted to stand up and cheer her on like it was some sort of eating contest.

By the time dinner was over, everyone had had their fill. Gus had eaten a quarter of the pie while Toriel and Kris happily shared another quarter together, but Susie had downed nearly the entirety of the other half, saving a thin slice for later along with the strawberry tart in a plastic baggy.

"Susie, dear..." Toriel began, wiping her chops with a napkin. "...would you like to stay the night?"

"Man, I would- I'd love to but I can't." She slumped in her seat.

Susie sipped at her fifth glass of milk. "My fuhhhhhh-"

Toriel's eyes narrowed and a scowl drew across her lips, reminding Susie that she was not to use foul language in this house. At least, not in her presence.

"-my mom needs me early tomorrow for something and she'll kill me if I skimp out of it."

Gus had the unshakeable feeling that Susie meant that very literally.

"Well, I guess I can drive you home, would you like that?" Toriel asked.

"NO!" Susie shouted, shooting up out of her seat and bumping her knees on the table. Silverware and plates shook. The ferocity with which she asserted her refusal caught Kris and Toriel off guard, but Gus merely shut his eyes and breathed deep, finding that he understood something he really, really wished he didn't.

As Toriel and Kris were staring at Susie after her outburst, she tried to ease their concerns.

"I mean, no. No. Sorry... uh... It's just that it's late, and you shouldn't have to drive me somewhere you'll have trouble getting to in the dark."

"Sweetie, didn't you say it's just outside of town? I'll be fine driving you there." Toriel offered.

"No, no. I can walk there." Susie got out of her seat and began walking toward the front door.

"But it's so cold!"

"I've done it before I'll be fine, thanks though." She opened the door a crack.

"I can drive you." Gus blurted. "I live right across from you, after all."

Susie closed the door and turned round, looking back at Gus.

"Oh, I had no idea you two were neighbors!" Toriel beamed. "How lovely!"

She gulped and stood perfectly erect for a moment, frozen in thought. Her eyes darted left and right while she thought of an answer.

"Y-yeah, sure."

"Just uh... gimme a minute. I need to freshen up." Gus said, reaching into his front pocket.

Gus tossed Susie the keys to his pickup and with some fumbling she managed to catch them. He knew she probably wouldn't want to stick around to talk after nearly having an episode in front of her friend and his mother.

"Just wait out in the car, okay? Listen to whatever music you like and uh... turn the temperature up as high as you want. My heater works pretty fast."

Gus went into the bathroom. After using it, he washed his hands and his face, and found himself breathing fast and heavy again. He dry heaved a few times, until a little bit of spittle came out. He managed to keep the rest down and flush what was left down the sink drain. He heard a knock on the door.

"Gus! Are you alright in there?" Toriel's muffled voice came through the door.

"Yes, Miss Dreemurr, I'm... I'm just fine. I'm just fine..."

By the time Gus got into the truck, Susie was huddled up, tightly hugging her knees to her chin and still shivering from the cold of the late night as the heater was trying its damnedest to warm up the cabin of his pickup. Grunge was playing on the radio at a low volume.

"Sorry." Gus sighed, "It's usually faster than this. Let's get movin'. You buckled?"

She unfolded her arms and legs to reach for her seatbelt, and as soon as she buckled it she was back to huddling herself - the sound of guitars barely drowning out her shivering breaths, each one ejecting a misty cloud from her mouth and nostrils.

"Yeah," She said.

"Don't worry, it should warm up soon enough." Gus turned the air vents on his end toward her, and backed out of the driveway.

It was about a minute down the road that the near silence, save for the radio, was broken. And it was Susie that shattered it.

"So. What's your deal?"

"...What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You've lived across from me for a year straight."

"Yes..."

"You didn't even talk to me until just a few days ago, and out of the blue you're being nice. So, what's your deal?"

Gus breathed in. He came to a stop sign and deliberated on that. Once he eased to a stop, he had found his answer to this question.

"Well- I uh... I been distracted... with things. Life has been awful hectic in recent years. Kinda got stuck in a place where it was hard to notice anything but the problems right in front of me. I actually had no idea you were there."

"...Man. You are... a strange old dude." She shivered out a laugh.

Gus smiled and chuckled. "I guess I am."

"You gonna tell me exactly why you've been so nice?"

"Well uh... it's just in my nature, I guess. I like to be kind. It's... well it's good to be kind."

"Nah, that's bullshit."

Gus bubbled his lips. "What makes you say that?"

"I see the way you look at me, the way you talk about my mom, ask me if I'm alright, tell me to take care."

Gus's heart sank.

"You pity me." Susie said, a kind of judgemental, sarcastic smile on her face, baring her teeth. "I don't need anyone to pity me."

Gus thought before he spoke, about whether he should veer away or further prod at the subject. He chose to prod.

"I'd guess that's why you stopped Toriel, then?"

Susie was taken aback.

"Would explain why you took up my offer instead of her's. I seen your house, seen your mother. You already think I pity you, what's the harm in it being me then? But someone else, and a close friend maybe even? Nah. Nah you couldn't have that."

Susie remained silent.

"And I do. A little bit Susie, I do pity you. But I promise you there's more to how I act toward you than pity. I would... I wanna see you get away from that, you know. What you’re dealing with right now… it ain’t no good for you."

She seemed to tense up a little.

"I know you know it's more than pity, too. You wouldn't've let me know you were on the way to school this morning if you didn't."

Susie turned to face out the passenger window, her arms folded.

"I just told you so you wouldn't come out to bother me yourself, old man."

'Oh is that so?' he thought to himself, coyly.

"Besides, you don't know what I deal with."

Gus eased to a stop outside his house.

"I might." he said.

Susie turned back to face him. Gus lifted the sleeve of the right arm of his flannel shirt and exposed a nasty scar. A long line of pink, exposed skin instead of fur. The look on Susie’s face said more than words ever could. Her eyes wide, seeing how long the scar was. She was probably wondering what could have possibly made that, imagining how agonizingly deep the wound itself actually was when it was made.

Gus pulled his sleeve back down.

She was speechless as she exited the passenger side of the truck, never taking her eyes off of Gus. Gus on the other hand didn’t face her at all. He just kept looking straight forward.

"I'm sorry..." she said softly.

"It's okay." Gus said. "I know how it is."

Susie reached for the door.

Gus gave her his parting words. "Take care of yourself, Susie. Goodnight."

"Y-yeah. Goodnight." Susie shut the door.