After Many a Summer
Hello, people. This is so weird because this is my first story on this account, but it isn't my first fanfic. Check my profile for the deets, my people. However, this is my first Rick and Morty Fanfiction.
Summary: "I wanna be just like you, Grandpa Rick." "Fuck that, kid. Be better than me." Summer nodded. Rick smiled softly, staring at the teen as her eyes widened to comedic proportions out the window. "You know what, no one can be greater than I am, so just stick to being like me." "Okay." "That a girl."
If some of you came for a story about Rick and Morty, I am so sorry. Because Summer Smith is by far my favorite character, I wanted to somehow recreate Rick and Morty with Summer taking Morty's place. If some of you aren't interested, you really don't have to read this. Hm.
Anyway, this is purely fanfiction, meaning that besides the characters of Rick and Morty, and a few ideas, most ideas belong to me.
Also, Rick and Summer are two very complexed as well as complicated characters. Seeing the deep emotions of Rick and giving reason to the crazy emotions of Summer is a privilege few of us have. Hehe.
And finally, this story has adventure, but it seldom follows the comic or television series. Moreso, it focuses on the relationship of the characters.
So I do hope you all enjoy this story because it's starting now. Tout de Suite.
Who is the Rickest of Them All
"I always knew she'd become a surgeon."
Rick turned with a grimace on the bar stool to Rick Sanchez of Earth Dimension J19Z7, otherwise known as Doofus Rick.
Despite knowing everything, he didn't know why the idiot sat near him at the citadel's bar.
"What the fuck are you on about?"
The Doofus Rick smiled brightly and pushed closer to Rick. "Beth. She's finally becoming a surgeon."
"You don't have a -eurp- a Beth, dumbass."
The other smiled. "I know, but it's good to know that if I did, she'd be a surgeon. Although, I'm opposed to her not keeping the child."
The short conversation sent Rick searching around. After leaving when Beth was just ten, the man hadn't seen his daughter in nearly ten years.
The other Ricks confirmed what Doofus said. Beth had somehow, despite Rick once telling her to keep away from the human race, gotten knocked up the night of her senior prom by some fucking loser by the name of Jerry.
It didn't matter anyway. Because every Rick had told him that she'd gotten an abortion and ditched the loser, finding her path at med school.
Rick had been proud of his only child. She'd gotten her mother's good looks and kind heart, but if there was anything he'd wanted her to have, it was his intelligence.
Whether it be the intelligence to understand atomic manipulation or the intelligence to stay the fuck away from the human race, he was fine with it.
So maybe he'd stop in on his own Beth to see how she was doing. To see how well she'd been. To see how far she'd gotten without him.
Clearing his head, the drunkard grabbed his portal gun, shifting the coordinates to Earth Dimension C-137, not yet knowing that he'd receive more than any Rick could ever bargain for.
Despite his gruff and uncaring personality, the memory of his daughter made him sad. He could often remember how much she clung to him as a child. How often he would reveal more and more about the fucked up universe as she sat on his lap, his voice hoarse and heroic to her ears.
But he never really thought back because, fuck that, Ricks didn't get 'sad.' Often enough, they'd drink their problems away. But the feeling of Nostalgia did not miss his mind when he showed up aways from Beth's kitchen window. Because his daughter, after all these years, remained beautiful.
Beth had always had a sort of understated beauty because she'd always been unaware of it. She stood at the kitchen sink scrubbing away with dishes, giving half the attention to that and half of it to someone behind her; her teeth held tight and her eyes annoyed.
Curious as he was, Rick moved around the nice house to find out more. The home itself was beautiful. Beth had really outdid herself with this one. It was large and seemed comfy, at least two stories high with a large backyard. Her surgeon work was paying off, and Rick felt proud.
Opening a window slightly, he crawled in with his head down. It was a tight spot to get in, but he did his best not to mess up anything and alert his daughter.
"Fuck." the hiss was nearly silent as he stood and froze. A feeling had come over him. And there was really not a single word to describe the feeling he felt as he stared at the small child within the crib.
He felt lost and confused, but happy and certain. Like a ball of tangled yarn. The parts that were untangled were available, useable; the rest was a mess, useless until it was untied. That mess felt endless and at most times unyielding.
"Fuck." Came the hiss again. He'd repeated it, which almost seemed profound, as if maybe he'd been drinking a bit too much and the fears he'd drunk away had manifested themselves.
Because his Beth had kept the child.
She was silent, oblivious to the yelling downstairs as her chubby hands assessed what seemed to be a television remote. Despite his conflicted feelings, Rick remained watching her. Beth had to be around nineteen and getting pregnant her senior year made the child at least a year old.
She had to take after her loser of a father because her facial features, although pretty, weren't his or Beth's. Unlike him or his daughter, the child had ginger tufts, sticking every which way.
He snorted softly. Just like Grandpa, he thought.
After a while, the child took to chewing on the rubber buttons of her desired device and somehow, the yelling downstairs grew louder.
"The remote was just here yesterday, Beth! If you don't want me to watch television, just say it!" The pathetic voice must have been that of her loser husband.
"Jerry…" Hearing the voice of his daughter after nine years almost made him smile had it not been this circumstance. "If I didn't want you watching my TV, I would make that clear. Why don't you spend time with your daughter instead of lazing around?"
"Don't put Summer on me, Beth. She's fine. And don't make it seem like I'm a bad father because you're the one who wanted to get an abortion."
"If I hadn't gotten that flat tire…."
Rick chose the moment to drown out the argument and look back at….Summer. What kind of a name was that? Rick was sure about a thousand kids had that name. She chewed ferociously on the rubber buttons and he winced.
"You stole it, huh?" He knew she wouldn't answer and he was ready for some cries when her head turned sharply in his direction.
Summer regarded him for a while, assessing his question, he supposed. Eventually, a small glint overtook her eyes, as if she knew she stole it.
Rick looked away slightly. So I guess she isn't like her loser of a father. "That's kind of a dick move, kid. Making y-y-you're parents argue like that."
"Abbababaa" She nearly yelled.
He looked back to her, but the child's attention remained on the buttons before her. "And it's pretty- pretty dangerous too."
His eyes caught the pacifier upon her dresser and he reluctantly moved forward, grabbing the small object.
He wasn't the best father he could have been, but he knew if any of those buttons unleashed, Beth would be saying goodbye to her child. And still, it was obvious the one year old was teething.
Grabbing the remote from her grasp, the scientist quickly placed the pacifier in Summer's mouth. "There. You gotta- gotta really be careful, kid. No one likes a mischievous brat."
Despite what he thought, Summer did not cry, but only stared at him with her big eyes narrowed.
"I know you're teething or whatever, just use that."
After a while, Summer's attempt at anger subsided and she took to sucking the pacifier with ease. She seemed stubborn, like he and Beth. And he smiled because obviously she was giving that loser Jerry hell.
But still, some Beths had been smart enough to give what would be Summer up. They became surgeons or doctors, anything but housewives. Of course there were some who kept the baby, but rid themselves of Jerry. And then there were some who'd gotten rid of the baby, but still chose to marry Jerry, hoping to have a child at the right time.
And yet, all those Beths were successful. If Beth kept the baby and the loser, how the hell did she have a nice home?
Rick walked around the crib as Summer kept her curious gaze on him. "Not really like your dad. Of course, you look like him, but you're kind of like me."
Summer smiled wide at something in the air, paying no attention to Rick at all. Still, when she smiled her pacifier met gravity and some gargled spit kissed her chin.
Rick laughed loudly then, grabbing the baby and raising her high. "Just like me."
Summer giggled loudly and Rick supposed she was a happy child, despite hearing her parents argue over the dumbest shit.
Summer made grabby hands for his face and hair and he let the girl touch the blue locks. "Pretty neat, huh?" He questioned.
Beth's voice cut him off as he heard soft footsteps marching at a steady pace.
Summer was returned to her crib and Rick put a finger to his lips as he moved to her closet. He could have left, but he wanted to see Beth. He wanted to see how Beth treated her own daughter.
The door opened and in came Beth, not a year over nineteen. Rick grit his teeth at the wet marks on her face. But not so much, because he knew that pussy Jerry was crying too.
Summer turned away from the closet and looked to her mother, making grabby hands. "Aah. Ababab."
Despite what she'd said downstairs about fate and the abortion, Beth stood straighter, stronger and smiled at her child.
"Hi, baby. Hi. Hi." She lifted Summer and kissed her face all over. "I'm so sorry you have to hear all this. Me and your dad are just really stressed right now. And you know nothing is your fault."
Summer did not regard her words, but kept her eyes on Beth's.
Beth inhaled and sat her down back in the crib. "Mommy loves you. You know that, right?"
Summer stayed silent, listening to Beth as she sang while cleaning around the pink room.
And just as she kissed Summer one more time and left, Summer's big eyes went back to the closet.
Rick moved out and smiled. "Just me. Grandpa Rick."
The name sounded weird rolling from his tongue. Foreign and memorable and undeserving.
And still, he couldn't deny the pride that coursed through him. The fact that he was one of the few Ricks who could call themselves a grandfather. At least for now.
Summer's eyes darted to her dresser and she whimpered slightly, pushing her tubby fingers forward. His own eyes averted to the bottle of milk upon her dresser, right where he'd placed the remote.
"You hungry, kid?"
Summer whimpered again and pushed forward, nodding her heavy head as Rick grabbed the bottle and moved even closer.
"Chill, kid. I haven't done this shit in like twenty- twenty years." He grabbed the one year old and tucked her in a cradle position against his chest. Again, the foreign, nearly proud, feeling coursed through him as Summer greedily grabbed the bottle and began drinking its contents.
"Geez, Summer. It's not going anywhere." He nearly grimaced, but unconsciously pulled her closer to him. "You were really hungry, huh?"
Her big eyes found his and she laughed, as only a baby could laugh. A sweet sound unblemished by the hurts of life. Her little face glowed from a light within, and her miniature fingers grasped Rick's, and held tight.
His eyes widened. She knew.
Somehow it felt like Summer knew that he needed comfort in the dead silence of the day; she knew he needed joy in the midst of his pain. And so Rick held her just a little tighter, reluctantly vowing to never let the precious bundle go. No matter what came, he would protect her. Even to the point of death.
Summer was a bit frail, so it was no surprise that she moved the bottle away from her mouth and yawned. Grabbing hold of Rick's wrist, her eyes fluttered for some time before closing. Rick smiled. Even her snores were tranquil.
"You know, kid." He began, knowing she couldn't hear. "I always knew I was more Rick than any other. I always knew that whatever happened in my dimension was the original way to do things. The other Ricks had Beths that ditched your dumb father; Beths that gave you up any way they could. If they kept you, they ditched Jerry or even vice versa. But, I suppose you aren't that annoying. And I guess you're not a dipshit like you're father. And Beth doesn't treat you like a pain in the ass. My Beth kept you and the loser and she seems successful. Maybe that was the right thing to do? So what do you say, huh? Rick and Summer for one hundred years?"
Later, when he left C-137, he thought maybe he could try the family thing out in some year.
Scaunchy had asked him countless times why he was so obsessed with whatever was going on in C-137. Because there wasn't a year where Rick didn't peek in. On Summer's birthday. Her first day of school. The birth of Morty Smith. Summer's growth of imaginary friends as her parents coddled Morty, the expected child, more and more.
Hed seen her first crush. And her second. Her nervousness for high school. He'd seen her display her report card to her parents, none of them ever containing a B, C, D, or F. He'd seen her become second in her class, despite her chill personality.
But what he'd seen the most was Summer falling deeper into an unconscious hole. The one where she'd been ignored so much that she needed attention.
Scaunchy stared at him as he pushed an arm through his lab coat. "Where the scaunch are you going?"
Rick inhaled then exhaled. "Home." He spoke evenly.
The scruffy cat-person raised a brow. "You haven't been home in nearly twenty years, though."
Not that home, he wanted to say. He was going to Summer. The other Ricks had already started taking their Mortys around on crazy adventures. But Summer seemed to be into knowledge and science more than anything. Home wasn't exactly Beth's nice house that smelled of purple flowers.
But Summer. Home was right where he'd left it. Summer was somehow still in his arms all those years ago. It was, perhaps, why he traveled so lightly, never venturing too far from C-137. He needed only the memory to be healthy and whole and that was something he trusted only Summer to give.
So Rick decided, she saved his life once….why not save hers?
"I know. I guess it's just time to go back."
Hope you all liked the prologue. This isn't a one-shot. If anyone has read my UzumakiFlame stories, I tend to update over a three day span. My updates are NEVER a week apart. Love you all. :)