Chapter Text
Morty’s birthday passed like any other. His mom bought his favourite cake, just how she’d done every year before that. His dad put out the decorations around the living room, just how he’d done every year before that. And Summer made sure to dab icing on his nose and to take embarrassing pictures of the aftermath, just how she’d done every year before that too. Despite all this, this year his birthday felt different.
He was 14 now! He was starting high school — a brand new place where he could make many new friends! Or so he hoped, at least. And so what if he barely had any friends before? They say special people get into relationships later in life! And his parents did mention he was “special” in hushed voices when they thought he wasn’t listening.
Morty felt it in his bones. Even as his first month of high school wasn’t what he expected. Even as his teachers were so boring, and he was already being targeted by bullies. Morty had a strange gut feeling that something was coming into his life this year — something that would change everything.
It was sometime after dinner, and Morty quietly dried the washed dishes his mom passed over to him. Over in the living room, his dad watched TV and loudly commented about everything on screen, while Summer sat on her phone. This was so unfair. He swore it wasn’t his turn to help do the dishes. Still, one hard look from his mom, and there he was, by her side. Morty had tried to start a conversation, but somehow everything he tried seemed to go wrong.
“Mom, did you know that they’re releasing a new Pokemon game? Like, literally later this month–”
“That’s nice, sweetie.” She spoke without looking up from a particularly stubborn stain on a frying pan “How’s school going?”
“It’s… Fine.”
“Are you making any friends?”
“No.”
And with that Morty was back to being silent. Thankfully, his mom didn’t push any further. He looked away to avoid her sad and concerned gaze. C’mon, making friends wouldn’t be any easier with her worry-nagging over him. He was working on it.
Morty dried his hands after they finished up. He was just about to sneak off to watch TV, avoiding any further questions from his mom, when suddenly a loud crash sounded from the garage. The ground shook and the kitchen windows darkened with smoke as the whole area felt way hotter than before. His dad complained loudly as the TV snapped to static a few too many times, audible even from the kitchen, and finally both him and Summer appeared at the door to figure out what the issue was.
His mom edged closer towards the garage door, the only one of the Smith family brave enough to approach whatever had just most likely crashed into their garage. Morty didn’t want to admit it, but he could feel himself start to shake as he slithered to hide behind Summer (who whipped out her phone, already recording just in case it was something cool or if they needed insurance proof).
With one brave move forward, Beth swung the garage door open, causing smoke and heat to enter the kitchen. Morty coughed as his mom gasped. She rushed into the smoke-filled garage, hands in front of her mouth, and Morty couldn’t see her anymore. He would’ve followed behind (after dad and Summer had gone first, of course) but then the fire alarm decided to go off. Thankfully, he didn’t have to do anything as his father rushed to clumsily try to turn it off, tripping over his own feet as he grabbed a chair from the island to stand on. A few wobbles later, he called Morty over, as he was “lighter” and “more nimble”. Morty rolled his eyes but climbed on the chair.
By the time he managed to turn off the alarm, needing a few well-placed hops (curse his short genetics), both his dad and Summer had gravitated towards the garage in curiosity. Morty shoved the chair back in the general vicinity of its place, and rushed towards the door, wanting to see whatever meteor, or small aircraft, or motorcycle, or UFO crashed into their house.
“Please– Please come in. Oh god…” His mom spoke, voice watery for some reason. “This is Jerry, my husband. This is Summer.”
“H–urp–ello… Ugh, what a fucking downgrade, Beth, jeez.” A rough, unfamiliar voice came in response, but Morty couldn’t see who it was because of stupid Summer blocking his view. As if by muscle memory, she pushed her annoying little brother back to the kitchen without breaking eye contact with their guest.
“Mom, who’s this?”
“Y– yeah, honey, who’s this… Old man…?” Jerry asked uncertainly.
“Summer’s a nice na–urp–me, sweetie.”
“Summer, let me see!” Morty yelled, voice cracking in two different spots.
Suddenly, the seemingly intoxicated individual (judging by his slurred speech) pushed forward past Jerry and partly into the kitchen. Unfortunately, that was when Morty attempted to ram past his family to see, so instead he ended up colliding into the old man. Morty fell backwards, sitting down on the floor with an oomf, and the stranger paused.
Morty looked up in awe. Before him stood indeed an old man. A man wearing a labcoat like it was normal attired. A man with wild, blue hair, which felt like it didn’t really fit with his age much. He blinked at Morty with an unreadable expression, slightly swaying back and forth.
“And this is Morty.” His mom finished off awkwardly, standing just behind him as they all stared at the man in shock. Only now, looking past the staggering stranger, did Morty see the tears staining his mother’s cheeks and the trembling smile she tried to keep steady. He’d never seen her like this before.
“M– mom?” He asked, trying not to sound as scared as he was. He tried to ignore the heavy stare the old man had fixed upon him.
Beth inhaled sharply.
“Right… Right.” She began, wiping her eyes. “Family… This is Rick. My father. Your grandfather, kids.”