Work Text:
If it had come from literally anyone else, if some random Beth had come up to her and given her a flyer for a fucking “support group” for Beths who lost their son to their egocentric, bad-touch father, she would have laughed in their face and told them to fuck off. But it wasn't just anyone. It was her sister that was asking.
The other Beth–her sister or clone or original or whatever–thought it would be good for them. For all of them. She was the one who reached out and offered a safe space for other Beths to come to their dimension for an understanding ear. She was the one that put this crazy thing into motion.
For the record, Space Beth (she prefered Liz nowadays thank you) always thought this was a bad idea. But her sister had looked at her with pleading eyes.
“It's better to let it out and acknowledge what happened. Pretending that it didn't doesn't help anyone. And I want to help others like us.”
She'd eventually relented.
They meet once a week on Sundays. It's supposed to be for the Beths whose Ricks have disrupted the family and/or corrupted Morty. But it turns out they have quite a lot of problems about quite a lot of things. Sure they complain a lot about their father, but also about Jerry and their marriage and their job and their lives in general. Anything that's bothering them really. It's…well, it's sort of nice having friends who get it. Who get you and what you're dealing with. She's not Rick, she can admit when she's wrong. Not only is it not the shitshow she expected, it's something she actually looks forward to now. Ugh, how lame was that?
Today it was C-279’s turn to bring the drinks. She was quiet most of the time. She didn't like talking. She would normally just sit there and listen, nod, and then go home. Not everyone liked to share and that was fine. Rick was a hard subject to talk about.
Lizard Beth had offered to go first today. She struggles to find her voice as she speaks.
"I was just...so happy he was back, you know?"
The other Beths nod in understanding. They'd all been happy too. The feeling that their father still cared, that he hadn't forgotten about them–it had been blinding.
"I didn't care what he did or who he did it to so long as he didn't leave."
They'd only been meeting for about a month now. Their sessions are around one to two hours as they sit in a circle in the living room. They don't have any rules beyond letting those who want to speak their peace say what they want to say without interruptions.
Lizard Beth finishes and someone else begins. They go around the group, taking turns talking and trauma dumping. If anything, this should prove to Liz that her father needed to be put down now more than ever. But Beth would never forgive her. Morty either for that matter.
It was overwhelming to think about; that Rick would do this in other universes. That it wasn't a fluke or a misfired synapse. This awful thing had happened multiple times. It wasn't an accident. This wasn't a coincidence. Their father always had the potential to look at his grandson and feel something monstrous.
"Beth? C-279? Would you like to share today?"
She shakes her head. Liz wonders what her deal is. Everyone else has said at least something. But she's not about to ask her. If just listening helped her cope then maybe that was enough. It had to be at any rate.
-
There's one Jerry in the group. He came to them only a week ago, having heard about their meetings through the grapevine.
He raised his son and daughter almost single handedly. His Beth was a bit of an alcoholic. She'd lost her job as a surgeon because of it and couldn't hold one down afterwards. It had fallen to Jerry to step up and provide.
When his wife's father came home she'd been overjoyed. The two of them would get drunk together and Jerry had been so afraid it would send her into an even deeper spiral of misery and destruction. But as it turned out, he should have been far more worried about Morty.
"He'll never admit it, but all his favorite things about Morty come from me." Jerry laughs. It sounds like a cry. “My son is so willing to forgive those who don't deserve it, and he gives kindness to those who need it."
Tears gather in his eyes and he wipes them away. Not because he's ashamed to cry but because he wants to be stronger. He needed to be for his family.
The Beths gather around him, hugging him tightly and giving encouragement. Needless to say, they all stop complaining about their marriage so openly around Jerry after that.
-
Beth Smith has been given a nickname: Rogue Beth. She rather liked it. It went well with her sister's nickname Space Beth. They tell her it's because her Rick is considered a rogue. That he burned down the Citadel and killed thousands of other Ricks. She's not sure she likes the nickname so much after that. Nevertheless it sticks.
She listens to Alpha Beth's story. She'd no idea something like secondary genders could be a thing. Ruts and heats didn't make much sense to her but she grasped the concept well enough. If she could accept a Lizard version of her, an Alpha was child's play.
"They don't know that I know,” Alpha Beth says softly. Her hands wring in her lap. “I could never bring myself to confront it. I want to continue pretending it's not real. But that doesn't make it go away."
Beth takes a drink of the punch. Jerry had brought the drinks and food today. The punch was a bit watery but the little sandwiches he provided had been a hit.
“It was the clothes of all things. Rick never bothered changing them before. He always had on that lab coat. I guess he thought it was funny to live up to the mad scientist stereotype.”
She tries to give a smile but fails spectacularly.
“Morty was visiting over break and we'd gone shopping. It was just a few errands I had to run but he offered to come with me. He's thoughtful like that.
“Anyway, I was getting a few new things for Jerry when I noticed Morty was picking out shirts that were too large for him. I thought, hey, if that's what he wants to wear that's fine. He's an adult and I've never cared about his wardrobe before.”
Alpha Beth pauses then. She takes a sip of her drink, clutching the cup like a lifeline.
“Several months later–I think it was Thanksgiving–I couldn't help thinking that Rick's shirts were nicer than usual. The pattern was familiar for some reason. And then I finally realized, I'd seen that exact same shirt and pants in Morty's hands at the store.
“Maybe it was just a birthday present. Rick is a hard man to buy for. He can just make anything he wants. Or steal it anyway. I reasoned to myself that it wasn't that weird for my son to dress my father.”
She trails off, staring emptily across the way. The other Beths wait patiently for her to continue. The process could not be rushed. Everyone moved at their own pace here.
“I'm pretty sure their bonded now. The last time they visited, Morty wore scent blockers. He hasn't done that in years.”
Redheaded Beth raises a hand. “Bonded?”
Alpha Beth had explained most of the basics of how secondary genders worked, but some of the terms were a bit strange.
Alpha Beth nods. “It’s this thing that happens in my universe. Marriage is for people who want to be recognized by the government. Mates are people who are together or dating. But bonding is permanent. When an alpha bites the scent gland over the neck, it mixes their scent with their partner's. It's forever.”
Forever. It's what every Rick always told his Morty. One hundred years, forever and ever.
“It’s not supposed to happen between family members. Biologically, we've evolved to recognize potential mates. We can tell who's suitable according to their scent. The more pleasant it is, the more it affects us. A family member's scent smells like pack. They're not supposed to smell viable at all. Our instincts would automatically reject someone that wasn't a match.”
Beth swirls her drink, listening to the story. This wasn't supposed to be a pissing contest of who had it the worst, but she had to hand it to Alpha Beth, that sounded like hell. It was one thing to live in a world where anyone could potentially fuck anyone. It was another to live in a universe where you had biologically evolved to sniff out a compatible partner and then found out your son and father were perfect fucking mates or some shit.
Alpha Beth changes the subject, clearly wanting to focus on something else. No one begrudges her. “My Morty, he's well known. He revolutionized omega centers by creating the self defense program. Every center across America now teaches omegas how to defend themselves. I was so proud of him when he told me.”
The emotion in her voice is thick. She breathes in slowly, trying to gather herself.
"Intelligence tends to skip around generations," she continues quietly. "Summer got it. Morty didn't. He was never much good at school. I didn't have high hopes for him. Which is a horrible thing to say about your child, but it didn't change the facts. The most I ever hoped for was that he'd have a fair minimum wage job. But he's thriving. Against all odds he's made it in life."
She shakes her head with a fond smile. It slides away and then her face falls as her memories take a darker turn.
"Is that because of Rick, or in spite of him? I ask myself that all the time. Did Morty succeed because of his own merits or because of something Rick taught him? And if that is the case, would I rather Morty have failed? Would I rather him be miserable and alone?" She clenches her fists. “What kind of mother wants her son to fail?”
Beth speaks up, feeling compelled to through some form of comradery. "Mine is famous too,” she offers gently. “He's a YouTuber, practically a celebrity. He's been on every talk show and then some. But everytime I see Morty on the TV I have to see him sitting beside him or standing somewhere in the background. And I think, would Morty be just as happy if he wasn't with him? Or would he be miserable? Do I want him to be miserable?”
The silence hangs heavily over the room. Finally, a Beth in the corner opens her mouth.
“I'm from universe C-279.” Her jaw moves like it's glued in place and she's trying to unhinge it. “I don't know about anyone else, but without Rick my son would be dead.”
Her voice is thick, like she's too tired to cry or scream or do anything but accept the truth.
“When I found out what he did, I made my Rick erase himself from everyone's memories except Jerry, Summer, and myself. I thought I was protecting my son. I had made the monster go away. I made it as if he were never even there to begin with.”
Dust settles over the far corners of the room. Every breath feels herculanean.
“Life went on without him. Morty was friendless. Other students bullied him. And whenever he tried to reach out and socialize, he'd just have his efforts thrown back in his face. He struggled to fit in. I could see him drowning but I didn't have any way to help him.
“I…I overheard him talking to his sister about it. He would have killed himself before the end of senior year.”
If the tension had been heavy before, now it was utterly impenetrable.
Her voice has gone empty and devoid, almost broken. “I didn't know what else to do. So I…I did the only thing I could. I asked Rick to come back…”
Silence falls. No one moves. No one breathes.
“You did what you needed to do.”
C-279 jerks her head up. Beth gives her a nod and a tentative smile.
“On my Morty's graduation day, Rick was standing in the parking lot outside. Even after everything that bastard did, he still had the audacity to come back. And I couldn't…” She sighs. “I knew I couldn't keep them apart anymore. Morty would have never forgiven me. So I let him go. I had to." She swallows thickly, pushing the tears away. "Morty still visits sometimes. He'll tell me how he's doing. He looks well and seems happy. I suppose I can take comfort in that if nothing else."
The Redheaded Beth nods at both her and C-279. “We can't control our father and we can't control Morty either. We have to let people live their lives. I banished the both of them the moment I found out. I don't even remember what I said. I felt hurt and angry and disgusted. I haven't seen or talked to either of them in years. At least you two still get to talk to your sons. I don't get that anymore. I would take everything back if I could. I just want to see my boy again. I want to know he's okay.” She's shaking by the end of it, overcome with grief. “I don't even know if they're alive.”
Liz chugs the rest of her punch. She always put a little alcohol in there. These things weren't the kind of thing you wanted to experience sober.
"I tried to kill him when I found out."
As the other Beths (and Jerry) look over at her, she receives various looks of understanding. They'd all wanted to kill their father at some point. A lot of them still do.
"I was looking right at him with my gun pointed at his lying face. I wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything else. And that's when Morty gave me this." She gestures to her cybernetic eye. "Little shit shot me without hesitation. He would have finished the job too but that bastard stopped him.”
Beth looks at her with wide eyes. Liz hadn't told her this story. She hadn't even told her she'd gone after the two of them. It wasn't that she meant to keep it a secret. But her sister had been far more forgiving of the situation and for some reason Liz hadn't wanted to disappoint her.
She'd found them at Blips and Chitz of all places. She knew most Ricks favored the same places so it wasn't that hard to locate him. She had barreled through the crowd straight for him. Rick had seen her and immediately known something was wrong. It must have been the bloodlust in her expression. Either way he turned tail and tried to run like the coward he was.
She quickly caught up with him and punched him in the face as hard as she could. She remembers hearing a satisfying crack.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Liz yelled.
"I dunno, everything?? Listen, a-a-are we gonna do this tango every time you have a fucking epiphany about what a goddamn asshole I am?" Rick spat. "Jesus, you're less well adjusted than Morty!"
"Keep my son's name out of your mouth!"
Rick barely ducked the blast in time. Patrons screamed and ran in all directions.
"The fuck is your problem?!" He yelped.
Rick was going easy on her. She could tell. It pissed her off. He had no problem corrupting an innocent boy, but physical violence was apparently where he drew the line.
"I knew what kind of man you were!" She said hatefully. "I knew you were a murderer and narcissist! But I never once thought you would be a pedophile!"
She saw the moment he froze. His eyes widened. He kept so many secrets from the family. But not anymore.
Rick scowled and his eyes hardened. "What, y-your gonna lump us all together like that? There's versions of you that are a literal serial killer! I don't fucking hold that against you!"
Even now he was trying to bluff. Acting like he wasn't one of “those Ricks.” Fucking asshole.
It didn't even matter that she had already talked to her sister to confirm it. Even if Liz had not known for a fact that Rick had stolen Morty away, she would still be here trying to kill him. Even if 99% of Ricks across the multiverse never touched their Mortys or looked twice at them, she would still be here with a gun in her hand.
Because the truth is that Liz never would have believed any version of her father would ever dare. And he had shattered that belief into dust. She could never trust him again. He was a sick, sad, lonely little man who latched onto the only person who gave him the time of day.
God, he was just like Jerry.
Knowing that Rick was indeed capable of such depravity made her want to scream and scream and scream.
But before she could pull the trigger, something hit her eye and she stumbled back. Liz gripped her face, hissing in pain. She looked up in shock at her son. Morty now stood between her and Rick, pointing a gun at her. Liz had been stunned to the spot. She couldn't believe her son would ever be so willing to pull a weapon on her.
“Morty stop!” Rick tried to take the gun away from him.
“No Rick! She's going to kill you!”
“So you kill her??”
“She's not my mom! Besides, I've killed hundreds of versions of myself before!”
“She IS your mom, stupid! Or she may as well be! Killing yourself is very different from killing your mother! Trust me Morty, you don't come back from that!”
That seemed to snap Morty out of it. The gun shook in his grip as he lowered it to the ground. As the adrenaline started to leave him, he looked back at Liz, horrified at what he'd almost done.
“Morty,” Liz coughed weakly, holding her eye in pain. “Please, I love you. Just get away from him. I can…I can protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” He asked. He hadn't even known why they were fighting. He saw Rick in trouble and had jumped in with no questions asked.
“She knows,” Rick answered, and Morty's face went slack.
“He manipulated and brainwashed you,” Liz said.
But Morty shook his head. “No he didn't.”
“You can't see it because you're too young! Morty you–”
“I don't wanna hurt you, but I won't allow you to hurt Rick either. Please just go.”
“I can't! I can't leave you with him ever again!”
“Beth,” Rick tries.
“It's Liz now!” She snaps.
Rick winced. “Liz, l-let me fix up that eye for you, yeah? We can talk about this.”
She backed away, scowling at him. “Like hell I'll let you touch me!”
She looked back at her son and her heart broke. She couldn't accept this as her new reality. She just couldn't.
As she talks, the other Beths take in her story with a hushed awe and silence. Liz finishes her tale with a solemn ache that she knows the others feel just as intensely.
“I promised I'd be back for him. But then I…” she shrugs. “I guess I realized it was futile. If I kill Rick, then Morty kills me, and then the cycle of violence continues. I don't want that. I never did.”
She holds a hand over her damaged eye and strokes it. She doesn't mean to share this next bit. She hadn't wanted to share at all when they first started this group, but now that she's talking, she finds she can't stop. Turns out talking it out really did help.
"There was an odd version I ran across once, a young Rick. He wasn't de-aged. He hadn't put himself into a younger clone body or time traveled or anything else. He was legitimately younger. Around twenty nine I'd say.
“It's rare to find one like that. The big bang that creates the universe tends to happen all at once at the same time. But apparently that event happened later.”
She shrugs. She doesn't really understand the science behind it. She didn't need to.
“Anyway, this Rick, he was so different from what I thought he'd be. I always imagined my father to be just as much of a cocky asshole back then as he is now. And while he was definitely arrogant, it was in a way that didn't piss off everyone around him. His shoulders were free of the burden of too much knowledge. His eyes were…they were softer around the edges. Somehow kinder.
"He even had a Morty. It should be impossible, but apparently they met by accident. And as I watched them interact it was apparent that even then–even then–they couldn't let go of each other. They were always together, always talking or joking or laughing and I just–” she sighs and shakes her head. “I thought I understood before; why this awful thing had happened. Why Ricks would ever do this to our son. Maybe Morty reminded him of his youth. Maybe something about Diane.”
Ricks didn't tend to settle down until they were in their thirties; too full of drugs and bloodthirsty power trips before then. But this one, this young Rick was doing all of those things–the drugs and sex and rock and roll–and he still held Morty so tightly. So fondly. And it had unnerved her to see a Rick so utterly happy and content with his life.
"But now I realize, it's just Morty. It's always just him. No matter what age either of them are, no matter the circumstances, no matter if they are related, it's just them."
How's that for a big fuck you from the universe?
-
The next time they meet, Redheaded Beth shares her story. It sounded similar to Rogue Beth's but in a slightly different way. Her Rick had also turned himself young. He got into guitar again and Morty had asked him to teach him.
She'd caught them practicing on Morty's bed. She'd felt uneasy without being able to say why. They'd always been close both physically and emotionally, but this felt different. Rick had sat behind him helping position Morty's hands on the strings. They strummed the guitar together, creating soft music.
"It was happening right in front of me and I didn't even notice. Or maybe I did notice but I didn't want to acknowledge it.”
How cruel it is to watch one's son fall in love right there in their room.
“I told him that if he needed guitar lessons I could find him a teacher. I didn't know why I said it at the time. I just didn't like the way they were sitting. But my son shook his head saying he wanted Rick to teach him. So then I said ‘It's been awhile since he's picked up a guitar. He probably doesn't even remember how to play.’
“Part of me was just poking fun at him, I guess. But Rick never takes anything lying down. So of course Rick then huffed and grabbed the guitar. He stood up and proceeded to absolutely shred it, playing some rock song. Maybe it was ACDC? I dunno, something complicated. By the end of it Rick was heaving and out of breath, pushing his stupid hair up out of the way. But Morty looked…” she shivers in disgust. “He looked enthralled. I thought it was just hero worship at the time.
“That's when Summer came in to see what the commotion was about, and that was the end of it. Or the start of it anyway. They decided to form a band together. He called it Flesh Curtains Two. He made them t-shirts and everything. Summer was on drums, Morty on bass, and Rick on guitar. They mostly just played out of the garage."
She loses track of her thoughts. There had been a point somewhere in there, she thinks. But she doesn't know anymore. Perhaps the point was to get it off her chest.
"Why does it always turn out this way?" She asks herself. "Why are they happier together? Why does the universe continue to play this–this sick joke?”
Every Beth thinks the exact same thing at the exact same time: it would have been better if Rick didn't actually love him. It would have been better if he'd been a pedophilic bastard who preyed upon children, grooming Morty to be his servant. Because then Beth could hate him fully and wholly. Then she could kill him without remorse. Then she could snatch Morty away and not constantly question whether or not she was doing the right thing.
But he wasn't. Rick genuinely and whole-heartedly loved his grandson. And that was the entire problem.
-
Once, years ago, before her sister Liz came back from space, before Rick had turned himself young, before the whole fiasco with President Morty and the escape from the Citadel, Beth used to sit outside and talk with her father. It wasn't for long, and it wasn't very often, but it was like a secret. Morty got his adventures, and Beth got this. Just this one thing.
She doesn't remember what they'd been drinking that night, and she doesn't really remember what they'd been talking about, but one thing led to another and they somehow ended up on the topic of Diane.
“I miss her,” Beth whispered quietly. “I miss her a lot sometimes.”
Rick raised his glass and took a drink. “Me too Beth. I fuckin–I fucking loved that woman." Then the smile slipped and he lowered his voice "Sh-she wouldn't love me the way I am now though."
Beth frowned. What did that mean? So she asked him.
Rick took another swig, a bigger one this time. "The Dianes that actually lived, they all just divorce us in the end. It all just...i-it all falls apart."
"Dad,"
Rick shook his head. Beth sat quietly, pondering this new knowledge. She didn't know that other Dianes divorced their Ricks. Surely some version of her mother out there had stayed with him? Like with her and Jerry. They didn't always get along, and a lot of their versions got divorced, but some of them were happy. Couldn't that be the same case for her mother and father?
But then again, if he always ended up having an excessive drinking problem, extreme paranoia, and a crass attitude while refusing to admit he was ever wrong about anything, then yeah. She could see it ending in divorce.
"That woman would have–euurrp–she would have dropped me like yesterday's trash," Rick chuckled. "She was smart like that."
Then he sighed and turned somber again. "One way or another she gets sick of us in every reality. I'm not...I'm not good for her...I always thought that if given the chance, I could have been. I-if I'd been given a chance to love her, then I would be the exception to the rule. I'd be the one to treat her right." He laughed like it was all a cosmic joke. "But I'm not. That's the thing Beth, there is no different kind of Rick.”
“A different kind of Rick?”
“We're all monsters deep down.”
Beth sat up, getting angry on his behalf. “You're not a monster! You're my father! I love you! Summer loves you! Morty loves you!”
But he only winced at her words.
“For now,” he said, sounding terrifyingly sober. “But you won't always.”
She'd been so upset by that, that she'd gone back inside. Beth hadn't understood then what he'd been talking about then. But she does now and she wishes she didn't. She had always thought her father was complex, but when it came down to it, it was actually quite simple. He was a bottom feeder. And he'd attached himself to the only person willing to put up with his shit.
Or perhaps, rather horrifically, he'd attached himself to the person he loved the most, and then made sure that Morty could never leave him the way Diane did.
Beth still remembers that one horrible adventure she'd been pulled into. Rick had called it a “season 3 episode” whatever the hell that meant. Her children had been captured and sentenced to death. The alien had forced her to choose which child lived and which one died.
Rick had shown up right after she'd chosen Summer. She thinks about that sometimes. The guilt was overwhelming. She hadn't known until that singular moment–that when put to the test–she loved her daughter more than her son.
The whole “loving all your kids equally” was bullshit. Parents were straight up lying if they said otherwise. But she'd never actually thought she'd have to examine her own feelings on which child she preferred. Rick had erased that moment from Morty's brain to give him a peace of mind, but Beth wanted to live with her actions. She'd declined to have it erased.
Sometimes, her thoughts would lead elsewhere. What if it had been Rick in her situation? He would unequivocally and undeniably, choose Morty over Summer without hesitation. She knew it in the depths of her soul. But what if the choice was between her children and her?
Her heart rejected the idea that Rick loved Morty more than he ever loved her, but her mind knew the truth. And maybe that was the real reason why he abandoned her in the first place. Rick hated himself, and she was too much like him. But Morty was nothing like Rick.
Beth has wanted her father's love and attention for her entire life. But Rick didn't want to give someone his love. He wanted to take it. He wanted to be the center of the universe both mentally and emotionally. He wanted to be everything or nothing at all.
-
It's a stupid idea, even dumber than collecting Beths from across dimensions to have group therapy, but once again Liz finds herself agreeing to whatever this farce was. His sister insisted that this new venture would help. That confronting the problem was the only solution. They had to do this for both them and for their counterparts. It was the only way to move forward or some bullshit. But considering the support group had worked in a way, Liz guessed she should at least try this new tactic out.
But she still holds the right to kill him if she wanted to.
“Beth?”
Beth stares stiffly at the wall clock overhead. The Ricks and Mortys had arrived first. None of them knew what this was about. Only her father and son did. In fact, her Rick had been the one to help her convince the rest of the Ricks to attend whatever this thing was. They're a paranoid lot by nature so it was a miracle they'd even agreed.
She's been standing in the kitchen with a plate of cookies for about ten minutes now. The other Beths would all be coming soon. She sees now that it looked like a bit of an ambush, but it's too late to back out now.
Beth blinks put of her trance and looks down at the cookies. Rick liked snickerdoodle. It was his favorite.
Liz pats her shoulder, trying to encourage her. “If you want me to go out there and–”
“No! No, it's fine.”
“I'm not gonna just start shooting him on sight, you know. Thought you’d have more faith in me than that.” She smiles, trying to lighten the mood.
Beth gives a dry chuckle. “Well, can't blame me for being cautious.”
Outside, they hear voices carrying in. Two Ricks were leaned up against the side of the house under the kitchen window. Neither one of them have noticed Beth or Liz.
"So your Beth doesn't know yet?" A Rick with a scar over his eye asks.
"She's never gonna know if I can help it," the other Rick says.
"I dunno man, She might already. She's smart like that."
"Maybe...it's just I don't exactly know how to tell her that–"
Beth's grip tightens on the plate. That he was molesting her son? That he was a sick pervert?
"–that I'm in love with Morty."
She nearly drops it. Her vision goes white.
-
Rick C-279 snickers. "Dang yours has you good, huh? Fucking sap!”
"Newsflash we're all saps! Also maybe you should try it sometime! Mine goes crazy whenever I tell him!"
"Mine already knows! The hell do I need to say anything for?!"
"Alright man. Just saying."
Caring for your Morty? You were teased for it, sure, but it was otherwise fine. But falling for your Morty? That was it. You were done for. Other Ricks would judge you to hell and back. But probably no more than they'd judge themselves.
C-279 heads over to grab another bottle of beer. Thank fuck there was drinks at this thing.
The Mortys were all currently to the side talking amongst themselves. It was weird how they tended to gather around each other like that. By default Ricks didn't like other Ricks. But Mortys never seemed to have a problem with one another.
"Why are we all here again?" He asks aloud.
"Rogue's Beth set it up," Alpha replies.
C-279 snorts. "Which one? He's got two of them."
"Two? The fuck would you clone a Beth for?!" Alpha snorts, looking over at C-137, the infamous Rogue Rick himself.
"Hey fuck you, pal!" Rogue snarls.
"Rogue's just fucking weird," C-279 says. "Does things differently."
Alpha scoffs. "If by different you mean burning down the goddamn Citadel!"
Rogue flips them off. "That place sucked ass! You're fucking wel–eroUOugh–come! Also that was Evil Morty not me! You know, the fucking President that you all voted for??”
"Well now I can't get Simple Rick bars anywhere else thanks to you, asshole!"
"Of course," Rogue smirks. "Only a simple Rick would like Simple Rick bars."
"Fuck you!"
"Rick." Rogue Morty comes up to him, not wanting the yelling to escalate. He looks almost disappointed. "You promised to try and get along."
Rogue folds his arms angrily, simmering down.
"Pussy whipped!" Alpha Rick chides.
Omega Morty looks over at him, raising an arched brow. Alpha winces, scratching his cheek.
C-279 watches all of this with a frown. He squints at them. Something was off here. Something was…
He stills.
He looks between Rogue and his Morty. Off to the side, Lizard Rick is standing suspiciously close to Lizard Morty. The omegaverse pair was the most obvious about it, but the others?...
It hits him all at once. He drops the beer in his hand and immediately spits it out. He tries to shove his fingers down his throat and vomit up anything he's swallowed.
"The fuck is with you?" Alpha growls.
"All of the Ricks here are with their Mortys!” C-279 gasps.
Alpha Rick pauses and looks around. His eyes widen with the same daunting epiphany. He then drops his beer, coughing loudly and clutching at his throat. Shit! He needed to get his antidote! Fuck, it was in his other coat!
"Holy shit, this whole thing is a trap!" Lizard Rick shouts.
The Ricks fall into a panic, convinced they're here to be executed. They all drop their beers, terrified they've been poisoned. Only the Rogue doesn't react. In fact he seems suspiciously nonchalant about the whole thing. But before anyone can call him out on it, the sliding door to the house opens.
It's then that Rogue Beth and Space Beth (or Liz, as they've been told) step out into the yard. Their presence only causes the Ricks to panic more. They make to grab their Mortys and flee.
"Rick, what's happening?" Lizard Morty asks.
He shoots a portal at the ground and grabs his wrist. “No time to explain! Get in!”
He jumps into the green, pulling his Morty behind him. But instead of disappearing, the both of them bounce back. They land on the ground hard.
“What the–?” Lizard Rick looks back at the Beths. “You sabotaged our tech!”
Liz rolls her eyes. "We didn't gather you all here to kill you. We just want to talk.”
"Then why gather us at all??" C-279 spits, reaching for his weapon.
At the sight of the gun, Rogue Rick, his Morty, and the two Beths pull out their weapons as well. It causes every other Rick to reach for their guns in turn. The rest of the Mortys are in various states of fight or flight. C-279 Morty is shaking behind his Rick. His goggles are now firmly on his face and his hands are over his ears.
They all stare at each other in a standoff worthy of a true American western classic. Cowboy Rick would have loved this.
"Quit being a bunch of paranoid idiots and put your guns down!" Liz snaps. "Not everything has to be about you!"
Rogue Beth steps forward. "This is supposed to be about me! About Beths! About our acceptance of you and your inability to keep your goddamn hands to yourself!"
This does not help. The Ricks tense even more. So do the Mortys.
Rogue Rick winces beside her. “H-hey, uh, sweetie could you calm it down a bit? Yelling isn't gonna make them–”
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
"..." Rogue turns his head muttering at the ground. "He was nearly eighteen anyway."
"Nearly?!" Alpha exclaims. "Jesus! You are a pervert! I didn't even do anything until mine was twenty!"
"Oh don't judge, asshole! Y-you wanna point fingers, how bout that one over there?? His Morty was still sixteen!"
C-279 hisses. "Mind your own business, fuckwad! We're all perverted shits! Don't matter who's the biggest!”
A gun goes off. All the Ricks flinch and look towards Liz who has fired her weapon straight into the air. She's glaring daggers at the lot of them.
“Shut the fuck up and listen! We are going to have a civil goddamn conversation! And then when the rest of your Beths get here in ten minutes, you're going to arrange the chairs into a fucking circle and have a goddman talk with your daughters!”
“...like a fucking support group?” C-279 asks.
Rogue Beth holds up her forgotten plate. “We also have cookies.”