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“I’ll be okay. Bye, Morty.”
The words didn’t sit right with Morty, the strange formality completely unlike Rick.
“So… you’re coming back?”
“Morty, if you go where there’s a bunch of ice cream and don’t come back, you haven’t actually gotten ice cream. You’ve just gone where ice cream is.”
Rick rolled his eyes and continued walking.
“I won’t let you.”
Rick paused, turning back to Morty, eyes narrowing at Morty. Morty held his ground, fists clenched.
“I don’t know what you’re- where you’re going, Rick, but I won’t let you.”
Rick sighed out loud, refusing to turn to address Morty.
“I told you Morty I’m-”
“Do you expect me to believe that? We’re- we’re on the run and you think I’ll buy that you’re just going to get ice cream?”
Rick paused, fists clenching, hoping no one else would over hear.
“You’re right. That was a- a shitty lie. I really should’ve thought that one through better. Going to get ice cream? What’s next, I’m going to buy some cigarettes? Losing my touch.”
Morty grabbed Rick’s sleeve, pulling his arm back.
“Just- just fucking sloppy,” Rick continued, mumbling at this point.
“If I let you go, what will you do?” Morty interrogated, hand clenched tight on the white fabric.
“What do you- what do you think?”
Morty huffed, “How am I supposed to know? You’re the genius here I’m just- I’m just a-”
“Morty. I’m turning myself in.”
Rick tried to tug out of Morty’s grasp, grunting when he felt Morty not only put more strength into his grip but wrap his hand around his wrist tightly.
“What?! You- you can’t- you said prison there is-”
“Why do you care, Morty?” Rick cut him off, wrenching his wrist from Morty’s grasp and glaring down at him.
“I’m a fucking criminal, Morty. I’m a bad man- how do you not get that?”
Morty’s face contorted, “So what?! We all care about you Rick, we don’t care if you’re a terrorist or whatever!”
Hands suddenly curled in Morty’s shirt, pulling him up.
“Dammit Morty! Just fucking let me do this for you!”
Rick breathed hard, eyes widening. He quickly retracted himself from Morty while Morty stored, biting his lip.
“I can’t, Rick. I can’t let you turn yourself in- not when- not when I did bad things too.”
Rick rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, seething and teeth exposed but Morty continued.
“I can’t let you take all the blame, Rick!”
Morty leapt out, curling his hands in Rick’s labcoat again, as if the only thing keeping Rick tethered to the small world was Morty’s will alone.
Rick looked down at his hands and then laughed low and bitterly.
“Fine. You want to go down with me? I can’t stop you, Morty,” Rick shoved his hands in his pockets, “You want to make your mother cry? You want to rip this family apart? Have at it.”
“Oh, fuck off, Rick!” Morty pulled hard on his coat, Rick forced to crouch and look into Morty’s face as tears trailed down his cheeks, “You’re one to-to talk! This family is falling apart no matter what, and you know it!”
Rick laughed again, this time almost too softly to hear.
“You’re smarter than I thought you were, Morty.”
Rick pulled himself up, running his hand through Morty’s hair as he guided him to the van.
Summer waved out as the approached, brows furrowing when they opened their respective doors.
“Where you guys going?”
“Ice cream,” they answered almost in unison.
Summer narrowed her eyes, her lips a hard line.
“Bye.”
As the ship lifted off the ground Morty stared down at the control-board.
“Do you think she knows?”
“Do you think she’s stupid? Of course she knows.”
Rick turned to Morty, a bitter smile on his face as he pulled out the intergalactic communicator panel.
“Now how about that ice cream?”
Morty found himself laughing out of the absurdity of the situation, quieting as Rick dialed.
“Yeah, this is Jerry Smith. I know the whereabouts of Rick Sanchez and his accomplice- that wanted criminal.”
Morty’s mouth dried as he watched Rick talk, staring out at the expanse of space with a hard look in his eyes.
“You have a tip about Rick Sanchez?” Answered a voice on the line.
Rick tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, “Yeah, he kidnapped me and my family, he left us on Dwarf Terrace-9. He and his accomplice said they’re going to the Plimplomp Tavern. And listen- I’m doing what’s right for the galaxy- so if we come back to Earth, will my family have a normal life?”
“All we want is Sanchez and any conspirators, your family will be fine.”
“Nice! Thank you. I’m Jerry Smith and I love licking big sweaty dicks and licking disgusting, furry testicle sacks!”
Morty shot a glare at Rick, who only gave him a shit-eating grin in return.
As the call shut off Rick laughed, “Now how about I go buy you your first drink, Morty?”
“You’re gonna need it.”