A Morty-less Rick, and a Rickless Morty. Takes place after the events of evil Rick and Morty.
A/N: The lead Morty will be called Môrty, just so you can tell him apart from the other Mortys. The lead Rick will be called Rîck, for the same reason.
Disclaimer: Indeed, I am not the owner of the Rick and Morty world.
The building was like an adoption center, filled with Mortys that were evacuated, each with a yellow shirt and jeans. They sat on benches, or along the walls, waiting. Waiting for a Rick to come along and take them, or perhaps to be recruited into some alien labor force. The Mortys were supposed to be taken to their home planets, but some Ricks couldn't resist the profit potential, not to mention the fact that it would take a lot of effort to get each Morty home, which quite a few Ricks were willing to neglect.
The first Rick that came was quick. He came in with some sort of measuring device, and scanned a few Mortys, before grabbing one, paying an amount of money to their 'handler', and leaving with the dazed teenage boy. Later, a group of aliens had come and grabbed ten Mortys, before also paying and egressing into a work van.
Before the week was over, there were only about thirty Mortys left in this center. This one in particular was quite happy to be left alone. Unlike the other Mortys, who sat dazed, staring at the door, this Môrty was calm, and read a book. He had no Rick where he was from; they had likely died in his universe, and so he had to familiarize himself with these new concepts. As a result, this Morty was reading a copy of 'Rules for Ricks'. According to their handler, a scruffier-looking Rick, most of the Ricks never read it, but it should give him the basic idea of how the system was supposed to work. And that it did, clarifying the multiple universes, and the uses of a Morty.
The door then opened, revealing a very normal-looking Rick. The eyes of every Morty, except for this one who was reading, swiveled immediately to the spikey-haired figure, and because Môrty stood apart with his book and demeanor, Rîck's attention was drawn immediately to him.
Môrty knew that the Rîck was there, but chose to ignore him in favor of reading his book. He was on rule #17, with the heading of "No Rick can harm another Rick or his Morty". Clearly that rule had been violated several times. Ricks probably wouldn't follow the rules, even if they knew what they were, mused Môrty.
The Rick in the room approached Môrty, who upon noticing this set his book down, and made eye contact. He noticed that this Rick seemed different than the other Rick's, and was not sporting an angry expression, rather, a more melancholy one. As Rîck came to be but a foot away from Môrty, Môrty instinctively held out his hand palm up. He didn't know why he did it, but he did.
Rîck's eyes had widened, before softening some. The Rick set his hand in Môrty's, and their fingers entangled, then Rîck pulled him up from where he sat, and took him to the counter. "I'll have this one," he said, handing over a check, and pulling Môrty out the door.
Somewhat dazed, it was only as Rîck had already started the vehicle and was hovering that Môrty remembered the book he had left behind. It was trivial, but somewhat regrettable at the same time.
Môrty glanced over to Rîck as they went through a green portal. The Rick looked barely different from the base Rick template, and Morty wondered what odd quirk might surface. Was he completely sadistic? Did he have a crushingly low self-esteem? Before Môrty's imagination could wander too much, Rîck spoke, "I know this is a bit sudden Môrty, but uh, you are my Morty now."
Môrty nodded, "So I had gathered."
"What, no protest? No long monologue on how unfair it is, or how you enjoyed hanging out with the other Mortys?"
"No sorry, I-I'm more of an introvert..."
"An introvert huh, well so am I. I guess that's what sets us apart from the other Ricks and Mortys eh? I don't have a Morty in my universe by the way, he was never born. Care to tell me what happened to your Rick?"
"I have no idea, I never met him. I-I didn't even know Ricks existed until I was kidnapped by Evil Rick."
"Ah."
The car lapsed into silence, as both parties ran out of things to say. True to their natures, they were both clueless on what to say next.
They eventually arrived at an Earth that looked remarkably like Môrty's, descending and parking in the garage of a house that looked-also-remarkably like Môrty's.
"Since Morty doesn't exist here, you don't have a room," explained Rîck, "You will have to sleep on the couch until I get Beth and Summer to clear an area for you. Uh, everyone here is mildly depressed, um, j-just ignore that I guess. You can hang out and do anything, I'll just be- be in the garage."
Môrty nodded, and checked the time. It was approaching dark, so he grabbed a blanket from a closet and tucked himself into bed, or rather couch. He was still assimilating the events of the day, and barely minded his sleeping environment. He was quite fine with the couch. And after a while he drifted into sleep.
Rîck wiped sweat from his brow as he finished his projects for the night. He could see only darkness outside, and knew he should get rest. He left the garage, intending to go straight to his room, before heading to the living room to check on Môrty.
Môrty was wrapped in blankets, and looked very cozy on the couch. Rîck approached, slightly unsure of how to treat his new grandson. Perhaps a symbol of affection would be appropriate? Rîck remembered kissing Beth on the forehead many times as she slept in her youth. Smiling to himself, he pressed his lips to Môrty's forehead, before heading up to his room.
Getting a Morty was likely the best idea he had in ages, Rîck mused to himself, after all, he had kind of needed a change in his life.