Chapter Text
Once upon a time, Morty had told himself a beautiful lie: he didn’t need his original family, the one they’d left behind in the so-called ‘Chronenberg dimension’, destroyed by a backfiring love potion serum created by Rick that had transformed everyone into mutants—except, apparently, his family…because here was his original Dad, standing right in front of him: and his father was planning to leave.
“Please don’t go!” Morty blurted out in desperation. “I-if Rick comes back,” he stammered awkwardly, “we can find you a-a new reality! A new Mom,” he pressed, “a-a new Summer! A job!”
A stony silence returned the offer, met with a strange and glazed-over stare that gave him shivers, but Morty stood his ground. This was his father, after all: could he really abandon Morty, after losing his mother and sister so tragically? Could he really hate Morty for leaving them? Morty held his breath and waited as Jerry seemed to be considering his options.
Meanwhile, Jerry was trying to convince himself that this conversation was actually happening. He didn’t know why the kid was back here in this desolate jungle, but he suspected he knew who had left him behind: the same one who was responsible for destroying his home planet:
Rick Sanchez—who was nowhere to be found.
He looked down at Morty and tried to see a kid (the innocent boy he once knew) but instead, in his place, he saw a monster.
So many times (too many), this exact conversation and exact scenario had played out in his head: the possibilities of what he would actually say or do, if Rick and Morty ever actually did come back. (Surprisingly, too often, the answer seemed to be murder involving one or the other or both.) Jerry wasn’t a murderer, and he’d never considered murder as a solution, at least not before the untimely deaths of his wife and daughter.
Now that he was actually standing in front of the ‘son’ he’d once raised and cared for with great affection, he now felt a strange twinge of pity for the boy who seemed to have replaced his own mother and sister (and him) as though they meant nothing. Did he think Jerry—the last human being on Earth—was just going to forgive and forget?
"A ‘new mom’, Morty? A ‘new Summer’? You think that will solve everything? Keep me from remembering? Keep me from wanting to die a merciless death and join them because all I have is myself and the night?"
This was what he could have said—had wanted to say for years….
…but he didn’t, because an idea was forming: an idea that was so crazy, yet seemed so foolproof that he couldn’t let it go. “You know what, Morty….” Jerry let out a heavy sigh that seemed to contain the weight of the world on his shoulders, before forcing his lips to turn into a smile and a nod. “I will go with you,” he said in a voice as sickly-sweet as he could muster.
“Wh-wh- really ?” Morty’s face lit up (with an innocently joyful expression that made him want to vomit), “Oh—tha-tha-that’s great , Dad!” He didn’t see the wince in his father’s eyes as he eagerly returned the hug, gratefully burying his face in the man’s strange armor to hide his brimming tears. “Also g-guess what?” Morty exclaimed excitedly, “We—we got TWO moms now in–in my reality!”
“... ‘Two… Moms’…?” Jerry’s eyes narrowed darkly, but Morty was too happy to notice.
“Y-yeah!” Morty grinned with delight, “Rick accidentally, y’know, made 2 clones of Mom because she, uh, wanted a clone to stay at home so that she could go into outer space or something?” Morty laughed nervously. “Space Mom is awesome, though! You’ll like her,” he added, seeming not to notice the twisted grimace on Jerry’s face in response. “She’s like Mom only more—more badass!”
Your mom was totally badass, was what Jerry could have said (but wisely chose to keep his mouth shut). “That-that’s great, son,” he forced a grin (and the bile) back down his throat, swallowing as he turned to survey their surroundings, “but–tell me,” Jerry continued as he placed a steady hand on Morty’s shoulder (the boy’s eyes widening with surprise at the gesture), “how did you get back here? And where is Rick—?”
“Oh—” Morty winced. “Long story actually, ummm…” (How would he explain this one?) “See—the Citadel was destroyed along with—along with Rick’s portal gun and—he had to fix the gun’s ability to portal travel but—he accidentally ummm—” Morty blushed with embarrassment, “he accidentally set the gun to portal travelers instead of dimensions and—so we all got sent back to our original, ummm, dimension,” Morty said in one gulp and then smiled awkwardly in spite of himself. “We—we almost died when the Citadel crumbled,” he added for good measure, watching as Jerry’s eyes grew wider and wider with each word—and then, to his astonishment, the man laughed out loud,
“Well isn’t that something? You each got sent back to your original dimension? So—Rick’s not actually from here, then,” Jerry concluded sagely (secretly drumming his hands together with pleasure at the revelation). “Now that’s interesting.” He found himself almost smiling, knowing he could use that knowledge later for his benefit: another way he could make Rick suffer, Jerry thought.
“Yeah—” Morty winced as he realized he’d let that bit of information slip, “Rick—he’s actually not my original grandpa—or Mom’s original Dad,” he added hastily, “it—it’s a long story and—I’m not really sure if I should be the one to tell it,” he added vaguely. “But—I’m guessing he’ll be coming to get me,” he added hopefully. “Annny second now…” He looked around, half-expecting Rick to appear, emerging out of the dark jungle, portal gun intact.
The woods stayed silent and Jerry did too, watching Morty and actively listening.
“Look Morty—” Jerry cleared his throat. “If I’m coming with you two then I’ll need to grab some of my belongings. Why don’t you follow me back to my hideout?”
Morty frowned at the title. “Is that what you call our home?”
“Mmm.” Jerry turned his back and started walking into the forest. “Haven’t thought of it as ‘home’ in quite some time….”
Morty had to run to catch up. They walked the rest of the way in relative silence, Jerry humming a tune that Morty didn’t know as they kept walking. Somewhere deep in the jungle Morty could hear noises: beasts that lurked there, that his father somehow coexisted with on a daily basis. Morty didn’t want to think about what his father had needed to do in order to survive….and what his mother and sister hadn't been able to do---
He suppressed a sob and kept walking, hurrying after the older man that he hardly recognized as his own dad, through the jungle and towards what was left of the house that he’d once called home.
Once inside, Morty waited on the beat-up couch while his father went about gathering provisions. He tried to ignore the discarded Downbeat box and the note his father had left before taking off. He tried to reassure himself that Rick was actually coming back. He tried not to think about what his family must have felt when he’d disappeared and everything turned bad. He tried not to think about anything and just sat and waited patiently while his father rummaged around upstairs.
Finally his father appeared, and Morty could see him stuffing a family picture into his rucksack. It made his stomach ache, knowing that was the only reminder they’d have of his original mother and sister. He wanted to go upstairs and take something too, but somehow, he knew better: he didn’t deserve their memories.
“Well…” His father surveyed the half-standing room and threw his bag over one shoulder. “Guess that’s everything,” he concluded simply.
Just as they were starting to leave, a thunderous boom sounded from outside and the ground below their feet began to rumble and shake—and Morty smelled fuel exhaust.
“Rick!” he exclaimed, relief flooding his veins as the two ran in the direction of the smoky trail billowing through the trees.
They arrived in a clearing where Morty could see the downed spaceship, still intact, and Rick was already waiting for him outside. “Rick!” Morty cried out, breaking into a run. “I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t leave me!”
“Of course I wouldn’t ‘ leave you ’, dumbass.” Rick smirked down at Morty only for his head to snap up and his eyes to grow wide at the sight of a ghost walking towards him: Jerry Prime?
“ Jerry ?” Rick blinked, momentarily dumbfounded, as he stared at his would-be son-in-law.
“Hello, Rick.” Jerry observed the other passively from a distance. (Secretly, he couldn’t help but enjoy the element of surprise.)
“Holy shit, Jer—” Rick clucked his tongue, “you really arc’ed out, huh? I mean wow—you look ah-maaazing,” Rick sneered as he blandly took in the other’s survival apparel. “So—where’s the rest of the clan?” He glanced around, warily half-expecting Summer and Beth to come bounding out of the jungle in tandem with spears held erect and ready to strike. “Do they look as badass as you do? Because if they do—”
“Um, Rick—” Morty interceded before Jerry could lose his cool (as he could see the anger blazing like wildfire from behind the other’s eyes, flames getting stronger by the second) “---Mom and Summer—” Morty lowered his eyes. “---Th-they died—,” he croaked out, instinctively clinging to his father.
“Shit…” That was the last thing Rick had been expecting. “Jeeze, buddy, I-I’m sorry…that’s a rough break.” Rick shook his head, looking everywhere but Jerry to avoid the dangerous eyes sending daggers of rage at his back. “I-I-I’m really sorry, Jer, but uh, we, uh, we couldn’t—” Rick didn’t have a chance to finish as white-rimmed knuckles connecting with his face sent him sprawling to the ground, stunned momentarily before turning a glare up at his attacker: one Jerry Smith, who had never laid a hand on him before (and if he had anything to say or do about it, never would again). His face was throbbing and blood was spurting from his busted lip.
“DAD!” Morty exclaimed, “wh-wh-what the hell—”
“THAT’S for destroying this planet,” Jerry growled, “ buddy .”
“Hey FUCK you—” Rick snapped, “it was a fucking ACCIDENT—”
“Classic Rick,” Jerry shook his head, “never accepts any responsibility for anything! I’m going for a walk.” With that he turned on his heels, but not before calling, “You coming or not, Morty?”
Morty took one look at Rick, who hadn’t moved from his spot on the ground but remained glaring at Jerry’s back. “S-sorry,” he whispered guiltily, “we-we’ll be right back,” he promised, before immediately turning and running after his dad into the shadows.