Archive of Our Own ^beta

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.

Chapter Text

“Dad? Wh-wh-where are we going?”

Morty was struggling to keep up yet again as Jerry moved swiftly through the dense jungle forest.

“You might want to rethink this,” Morty added hastily, glancing nervously behind him, “Rick won’t—he doesn’t like stragglers—”

“Oh he doesn’t, does he?” Jerry kept his eyes straight ahead, lest he glance sideways at the kid and snap.

“N-no,” Morty shook his head firmly, “he doesn’t! Dad—”

Morty yelped, stumbling as Jerry swung around, nearly colliding with him on the path, the other practically snarling in his face,

“Oh will you just STOP IT with this whole stupid ‘DAD’ business!?!”

Morty felt his insides grow numb. “...Huh?” He blinked up at the behemoth of a man standing over him, suddenly shrinking back, almost afraid. “Wh-what do you mean—”

Jerry had to grit his teeth to keep from screaming, only managing to declare what was painfully obvious to him: “I’m NOT your ‘DAD’ anymore, Morty!”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Morty could only blink back, stunned. “O-of course you’re my dad—”

“AM I!?!” Jerry all but thundered, towering over him as Morty shuddered and shivered beneath, “I haven’t been anybody’s ‘DAD’ in YEARS, MORTY!” Jerry snapped, “YEARS! And come to think of it,” Jerry added thickly, “I haven’t been YOUR father even LONGER than THAT–!”

“Woah, woah!” Morty backed away, horrified by the other’s intensity, “T-take it easy—”

“How do I even know you’re MY Morty?” Jerry growled. “You could be lying your little tongue off—” His eyes narrowed dangerously and Morty felt his stomach quake, “--you and Rick could both be taking me for a ride—”

“We want to!” Morty protested, “and—of course I’m your Morty—” He shut his eyes trying to remember, something that he could prove their connection was real—and suddenly it came to him, “Remember, um, my seventh birthday? Y-y-you got me a telescope,” Morty blurted, “like your dad did, a-and, then, we looked through it together in the backyard—remember?” Morty forced a smile, “---and we, we saw Jupiter and Saturn and—” He froze as the other’s expression suddenly went slack and Jerry became very still. “---What…?” Morty whispered, terrified of the silence and the look in the man’s eyes.

“...I do remember,” Jerry murmured. “I remember everything…” He shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs. “That still doesn’t mean you’re for sure MY Morty….and even if you were…” Jerry swung around, facing the shadows beyond. “I don’t know what to say to you,” he muttered, glaring at the ground before turning slowly towards Morty, who simply stared in shock, “You got another father at home,” Jerry asked, “another Jerry—right?”

“...Yeah…” Morty felt something in his stomach sinking fast. “...but…Two moms!” he added quickly, “remember? Space Beth—”

“Right,” Jerry exhaled slowly, “The Badass.”

“Yeah,” Morty grinned meekly. “She’ll love you.”

Maybe she would, thought Jerry grimly, but I couldn’t love her back.

“I doubt I’d be welcome now.” He spoke with his back turned so the kid wouldn’t see the ache in his eyes. “You don’t give rides to people after they punch you.”

“Maybe,” Morty nodded with a shrug, “but Rick’s changed—a lot! He’ll forgive you.”

Jerry’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound like the Rick I remember.”

“He’s not the Rick you remember.” Morty gave the older man a gentle pat on the side, “he’s better.”

“ ‘Better’?” Jerry laughed out loud in disbelief. “But how?”

“I dunno…” Morty shrugged, “he just is.” He licked his lips nervously, looking up pleadingly, “Please…just give him a chance?”

Jerry blinked in disbelief. “This is the guy who caused all of this, Morty.”

“I-I know but—” Morty grimaced. “I-it really was an accident….” He couldn’t bring himself to tell Jerry the truth: it was all because of him, all because he’d wanted to go to a dance with Jessica….if his father knew, he would never be able to face him again…. “He-he didn’t mean to,” Morty shook his head, “he–he was just reeeally drunk that day…”

Jerry scoffed. “Figures,” he muttered bitterly. “Some things never change…” He paused for a moment, looking down at the boy as he seemed to be considering something, something important, and then Jerry let out a sigh that seemed to come from his toes. “Alllright, kiddo…” he nodded, “Let’s go.”

“B-but—” Morty blinked with surprise, “weren’t you—didn’t you want to—”

“Just needed to cool off some steam.” Jerry shrugged as if the delay didn’t matter. “I’ll be fine. Let’s get going before he leaves us behind.”

“Rick wouldn’t do that.”

“Uhuh.” Jerry kept walking, avoiding the others’ eyes digging into his back. He didn’t understand the boy’s unwavering faith in this man who was responsible for their entire world going to shit….for the death of his mother and sister….Jerry’s hand tightened its grip on the cane as he kept walking, picking up his stride, secretly enjoying making his young companion struggle to keep up.

They returned to find the ship was still in the clearing, including Rick, who was getting more and more impatient by the minute. “Took you two saps long enough.”

“Yeah—he’s real nice,” Jerry groaned, rolling his eyes at Morty (who wisely chose not to respond).

Rick’s head snapped up. “What was that, Jackass?”

“Oh, nothing,” Jerry shrugged facing the other while forcing a pleasant smile and showing all his teeth, “I just wanted to apologize for punching you in the face and to thank you for finally coming back and rescuing me after all these years of waiting and waiting and waiting and—”

“Apology NOT accepted.” Ignoring the man’s sending daggers at his back, Rick quickly swept Morty aside and lowered his voice so they were out of earshot. “You sure we can trust this guy, Morty? I mean—really? Look at him—he-he-he’s like some caveman or-or-or-something, Morty—!”

“Shhhshush!” Morty snapped, “Of COURSE we can trust him, Rick! He-he’s my Dad,” Morty glared, “and you’re gonna give HIM a chance! B-b-because he’s HERE,” Morty stammered, “and I’m NOT leaving him!” He stuck out his lip for emphasis, fists clenched, determined. “He-he’s all alone here, Rick!” Morty whispered as the other continued to stare back in stony silence, “P-please,” Morty pleaded, his voice practically a whimper. “Th-this is my fault a-and—” he shuddered, struggling to breath as he forced back a sob, “A-and I-I can’t lose him again—”

“Alright, already!” Rick huffed, pinching his nose with a groan. “You through with the waterworks? JERRY!” he snapped over his shoulder, “Be there or be square! Let’s GO,” he barked as he dragged Morty along.

“Fucking FINALLY.” Jerry sidled into the backseat. It had been so long since he’d ridden in any vehicle and the metallic smell was so strong he nearly vomited. “Jeeze Rick—” he chided snidely, “you—you upholster this thing lately? It’s looking CHIQ—”

“SHUT it,” Rick snapped as he pushed the gears into full-throttle, “SEASON ONE JERRY!”

Jerry blinked in confusion. “Ex-CUSE me—?”

“Ummm—” Morty winced, “H-he does have a point, Rick—”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH MORTY!” Rick snapped, “I-I’m trying to THINK HERE, dammit, and you BOTH are gonna get us stuck in–in–in HYPERVERSE if you don’t SHUT THE FUCK UP—”

“ ‘HyperWHAT’---?” Suddenly feeling very nervous, Jerry gripped the seat.

“UGH now I have to explain EVERYTHING!” Rick groaned at the ceiling. “Y-you missed five whole fucking seasons so—so here’s the skinny: portal travel is TEMPORARILY broken—”

“Because YOU broke it?” Jerry grinned despite himself only to be silenced by a glare from Rick.

“--- And we’re kind of stuck in between dimensions until Summer completes the Portal Protocol.”

“---What the—” Jerry paled. “Why is SUMMER completing PROTOCOLS—?”

“Because she’s the SHIT, JERRY!” Rick snapped. “And you’re not gonna ask any more questions, only ANSWER them! Because I’ve got a question for YOU, JERRY,” Rick twisted around in the seat as the ship began to pick up speed, “WHY the HELL are you coming WITH us?”

“RICK!” Morty groaned, clutching the chair as well as his stomach, “Don’t ask him that a-a-a-and—HOLY CRAP— WATCH where you’re GOING—!”

“I KNOW how to DRIVE my own SHIP MORTY!”

“THis doesn’t even LOOK like your ship—”

“Well it IS!”

“Will you two stop ARGUING?” Jerry fought back bile as the ship started going into hyperdrive.

“Since when do we listen to YOU?” Rick glared. “You’re gonna have a LOT to explain to the two Beths when we find them—”

“Yeah—” Jerry glared back, “ about that—”

Something beeped on the monitor as a hologram appeared. “GRANDPA—?” A crackling voice that everyone recognized as Summer’s snuck through the transmission. “GRANDPA RICK—!”

“YES!” Rick exclaimed with triumph, “SUMMER! I KNEW you could do it—”

“We—we’re in tr-ble—” Summer’s voice continued to glitch. “We-we’re being sur-nded by Ferkisians—”

“On our way!” Rick shouted over the din, zeroing in on the Beths and Summer’s location and pushing the ship to as fast it could go as the ship continued to speed through the wormhole.

“Holy SHIT—!” Jerry moaned from the back.

“Almost there dad!” Morty grabbed his father’s hand and clung on.

Jerry’s head spun as he gripped Morty’s hand. “I-I think I’m gonna be sick—”

“Hang on Dad!” Morty yelled, “we’re almost there!”

Somehow Jerry managed to maintain his composure as the ship careened through the atmosphere, landing unceremoniously on an unsuspecting Ferkisian just as it was about to pounce on Beth, Space Beth, and Summer.

“DAD!” Both Beths ran towards Rick and Summer threw his arms around him.

Instead of hugging her back Rick took a step back and glowered. “You really oversold this emergency, Summer,” he chided.

“Yeah,” Summer grinned, “looks like we make a great team after all—” She froze at the sight of Jerry. “Hoooolly shit—”

Beth and Space Beth turned to stare as Jerry stepped gingerly out of the space cruiser. “...Jerry…?” stammered Domestic Beth.

“Holy SHIT, Jer—” Space Beth looked highly amused. “What the hell happened to YOU?”

“And how did you get him from his original dimension so fast—?” Summer added, eyes narrowed.

Jerry looked between the three staring women, noting the two (admittedly gorgeous) versions of his dead wife (just as Morty had described), and the exact replica of his dead daughter as she had looked before everything changed.

And then he turned and vomited all over the floor.

Chapter Text

Everyone was talking at once: voices that he’d tried to forget ever existed, rising and falling and colliding with each other in tandem:

“But this doesn’t make any sense!” argued Domestic Beth, “Jerry isn’t this badass—”

“Season ONE Jerry IS—”

“What the hell, Dad?” Space Beth chimed in, “What’s this ‘Season One’ crap?”

“Wouldn’t YOU like to know!”

“He’s my original Dad, Mom,” Morty piped up from behind Summer, “he’s been stuck on our home planet, and he’s the only human left be-because everyone was transformed into horrible mutants—”

“ Your work, I presume?” Space Beth deadpanned dryly looking directly at Rick who remained suspiciously silent.

“Takes one to know one!”

“What the hell does THAT mean—?”

“It means, I Know What You Did Last Summer—”

“What?” interrupted Summer, who everyone conveniently ignored.

“He means that this Jerry and I are from the same dimension,” Morty tried to explain again but nobody seemed to listen.

“He looks feral,” Summer snorted.

“He’s had to survive eating mutants, Summer!” Morty glared, “what do you expect?”

Summer snuck a glance at the ship’s lone inhabitant. “Where’s HIS Beth and Summer?”

“Dead.” Rick took a swig from his flask.

“Fuck,” Space Beth muttered. “That sucks.”

“What about OUR Jerry?” Domestic Beth sapped. “We’re just going to leave him in his new dimension now?”

“Don’t see why not,” Rick shrugged smugly.

“But Dad!” Beth exclaimed with shock, “We’ve come too far in our relationship to just let it all go—”

“Yeah hon—” Rick rolled his eyes. “Sure you did—”

“Hey–” Beth snapped, “we’ve come a LONG way—!”

“Suuuure, Beth.”

Beth’s eyes filled. “We DID—!”

“EVERYBODY QUIET!”

Everybody turned towards the ship where Jerry Prime was now standing beside, and to everyone’s surprise, he was holding a GUN : a little black handgun he'd seemed to materialize as if from nowhere: and the gun was pointed directly at THEM.

“DAD–!?” Morty gulped in disbelief, “Wh-wh-what are you—”

“SHUT it, MORTY.” Jerry cocked the gun directly at Morty’s face. Speechless, Morty nodded and refused to move a muscle.

“Jer-JERRY—?” Domestic Beth stammered. “Wh-wh-what the hell are you—”

“QUIET!” Jerry screamed. “Now LISTEN UP and LISTEN GOOD because I am ONLY going to say this ONCE! You are ALL going to GET IN THE DAMN SHIP,” Jerry ordered in a voice so calm it made Morty shiver, “ NOW. And you are going to ALL DO WHAT I SAY,” Jerry declared darkly, looking directly at Rick (who remained curiously silent). “INCLUDING RICK.”

Rick held up two hands in mock defeat. “Listen, Jerry—”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” Jerry screeched and everybody jumped including Rick (who was definitely not expecting that reaction—sure, he expected something , but definitely not that). “I’m SICK of EVERYONE LISTENING to YOU, you SICK, SELFISH SLIMY, COLD-HEARTED BASTARD—”

“DAD!” Morty yelped, and after the gun pointed at him once again, immediately falling silent.

“And NO MORE of this ‘DAD’ stuff, Morty, because you GAVE UP THAT TITLE when you ABANDONED US and YOU SUCK ASS,” Jerry sneered, “and EVERY BODY KNOWS IT!”

Morty’s eyes widened only to immediately fill with tears. Helpless to do anything to defend himself, he could only stare down mutely at the floor.

“You ALL should know what THESE TWO did to MY original dimension,” Jerry declared, “and I will be HAPPY to INFORM you on the ride to your house where I am SURE that Rick has a box labeled ‘Time Travel Stuff’ in the GARAGE—”

“Uh, Jerry—” Rick started to protest but was again immediately silenced by the gun practically shoved in his face. Any other time Rick wouldn’t have been afraid (because Rick could reverse almost any bodily harm) but a blow to the head was another story—the brain was irreparable—and Jerry was holding the gun to his temple with the intent to shoot him dead on the spot. “OK, OK—” Rick backed away as Jerry followed unrelentingly. “What—what the hell do you want?”

“I want YOU to turn back TIME,” Jerry hissed, “because I KNOW that you can.”

“Pretty sure that box is just for decorative purposes—” Summer flinched as the gun turned towards her.

“You’re on his side too, huh?” Jerry glowered at this strangely smug and self-assured alternate version of his daughter. “Figures,” he muttered, “you never did like me in my dimension either….”

“I’m not on anybody’s side,” Summer snapped, glaring back, “but you should know you SUCK as a Jerry—”

Jerry’s hand curled tighter around the gun. “Hey, you know NOTHING about me!”

Summer smirked, “I know enough.”

“Summer—” Rick warned from behind.

“QUIET!” Jerry barked. “EVERYBODY GET IN THE CAR!”

Morty grabbed for Summer’s hand as she led him and followed everyone else into the car.

“Alright Rick.” Jerry held the gun pointed at Rick’s head from the backseat. “Drive.”

“The-the car has to recharge, Jerry—” Rick gripped the wheel. “I-I can’t just force it into hyperdrive anytime I—”

"DRIVE!"

Rick bit his tongue, put the throttle into gear and, slowly, the ship began to move.

"Faster Sanchez," Jerry snapped, "I know you can do better than that---"

"Working on it!" Rick choked the throttle and the ship began to sputter, then slowly, finally, begin to increase its speed.

“This is SO messed up,” Space Beth muttered from the backseat.

Jerry glowered at her. “QUIET, Badass!”

Space Beth blinked. “Excuse me?”

Domestic Beth leaned over. “He said ‘Quiet, Badass’---”

“I know what he said—”

“Seriously!?!” Jerry snapped, “I will shove you both into the void right this second if I have to!”

“Fine, Psycho,” Space Beth rolled her eyes. “Have it your way.”

Jerry snickered. “You didn’t tell me she was a bitch too, Morty.”

Morty wisely ignored the remark, sunk back as far as he could into the seat and pretended to disappear.

Finally the car began to pick up significant speed, moving faster and faster through space. They warped through a wormhole, taking them directly to Earth, and finally they were home, but nobody cheered. They were shellshocked and silent as they piled out of the ship.

“Everybody get inside!” Jerry herded them like sheep into the garage. “Alright, Rick,” he growled, “about that box of ‘Time Travel’ stuff—”

“Like Summer said,” Rick interrupted, “it’s just for show.”

“Suuure it is.” Jerry strode directly over to the box with purpose and began rummaging through it. “What the hell is this shit?” He narrowed his eyes at Rick holding up a fake rubber alien with purple tentacles, a spinning top, and a toy replica of the TARDIS from “Dr. Who”. “You shitting me right now?” Jerry glowered at Rick, “this is a box full of props—”

“Er—” Rick’s face was unusually red. “She DID try to warn you Jerry—”

“SHUT UP!” Jerry barreled like a bull towards Rick shoving him hard against the far wall. “EVERYBODY OUT!” he screamed, “and if you LEAVE you DIE!”

“Jesus Jer—” Rick groaned, “dramatic much—”

“FUCK you,” Jerry growled, “this is BULLshit!” He began to stomp around the garage like a toddler throwing a fit as Rick unstuck himself from the wall and rearranged his lab coat. “I just want everything to go back to normal!” he screamed to the sky. “FUCK—” Jerry slammed the gun down on the table. “I didn’t want it to be this way!” Rick watched silently as Jerry dropped to the ground. “I just want them back…” He curled into a ball, whimpering like a child. “I just want them back,” he sobbed.

Rick watched him somberly for a moment. Then he spoke. “Me too, Jer,” he nodded, “Me too. Time travel? It doesn’t work. Trust me,” he laughed bitterly in spite of himself, “I gave it a shot but—it just left everything in a time loop. It’s not what you think—”

“What—” Jerry lifted his tear-stained face to stare up at Rick, blinking with confusion, “what are you talking about—?”

“You think you’re the only one to lose their family?” Rick laughed darkly. “Think again, Jerry. Your story isn’t original. And this shit—” He picked the gun up from the table and emptied the cartridge. “Enough.”

Jerry sat on the floor blinking at the older man in front of him—suddenly understanding a lot more about this man who he’d always hated—but with whom he suddenly seemed to have something in common—and he looked away as his eyes filled with tears. “I-I’m sorry, Rick…” Jerry shuddered as he realized the implications of the other man’s words. “I-I didn’t know….your wife,” he whispered, “too—?”

Rick nodded silently. “And daughter.”

Jerry watched mutely as Rick gathered all the items he had dropped on the floor and shoved the box marked ‘Time Travel’ against the wall for safe keeping. “Who?” Jerry asked, face pale.

“Another Rick.” Rick quickly turned to face the wall. “And I’m going to find him soon,” he declared, pounding his fist. “And I’m going to get my revenge.”