Chapter 7
The Lesson
It wasn't long after Rick helped you back into a sitting position on the couch that the family car pulled in, both kids bringing in large shopping bags. Rick chuckles and helps to smooth down your hair, laying one last kiss on your forehead. He leaves to the kitchen as the family comes through the door.
"Tess! You have to see the dress I picked out…" Summer started in her almost valley girl voice. "It is totes adorable."
"If you think a high slit past the thigh is adorable…" you hear Beth mumble heading to the kitchen herself.
"Sure Summer. Go put it on and come back down." You looked at Summer, smiling. You really hoped the flush on your cheeks had subsided a bit. No one seemed to notice or say anything. As you close your eyes you hear Beth starting to cry from the kitchen. Rick's voice is heard soothing her as Morty comes to sit beside you.
"Mom is having a hard time with Dad gone. Sometimes she does well and others… Gosh, I wish there was something I could do you know?" Morty said staring off into the kitchen.
"Well, just letting her know you love her and that you'll support her will help."
"Yeah…" Morty got up and joined the group in the kitchen. Not wanting to interfere on a family issue, you get up deciding to meet Summer in her room to view her dress.
The rest of the evening goes well between the official viewing of the homecoming dress, talking about the type of shoes that might match, to the type of music the school should play. You knew more about that high school and everyone who attended then you needed to. It was cute to hear about Morty's crush; learning she had red hair almost made you choke from laughing. I guess that is where Rick's genes played out then. The more time you spent with Morty and Summer the more envious you grew of their lives. You also envied this semi normal routine of dealing with family problems, behaviors from siblings and stress about traffic. You also knew that it would drive you crazy after a month; you were definitely NOT Susie Homemaker.
As day turns to night, you yawn while listening to Morty talk about his last math test while still in Summer's room. Both kids suggested that you get some sleep and Summer shows you to Rick's room. Once inside you scan the room and remember what he told you; he barely ever slept. The room had papers with notes and blueprints scribbled across them, old shirts thrown to the floor and the comforter was balled up at the foot of the twin bed. Another yawn escaped as you smoothed out the blanket and crawled on to the bed. The softness of the mattress along with the smell of Rick on the sheets lulled you to sleep.
Sometime during the night you wake up covered in sweat, plasma bursts ringing in your ears. You take a moment to steady yourself then decide to walk out to the garage. Being half asleep, you didn't realize until the cold air hit you from the garage that you had no pants. You tilt your head back to stare up at the ceiling and moan not wanting to return back upstairs. As you survey the space around you, you notice a washer and dryer along the wall and lean down to pluck a pair of pants from the dryer. As you close the door you notice an odd electrical port against the lower wall. With another one so close and plugged into the units, there was no need for another in such an old house. Curiosity pushes you closer and you press against the plug, finding the material give way to form a pressed button. Behind you a small round elevator raises from the ground and you step in smiling. Just like back home.
The lift comes to a stop and opens to a new basement fitting the lair of a genius better than the common place garage. The walls were lined with weapons from various species and backlit to showcase the more dangerous ones. You smile darkly, proud that you could identify every piece of weaponry and knowing that you could dismantle and reassemble many from memory. The room was longer than the garage and you soon found Rick sitting at a smaller table talking with someone on a holographic computer; not just someone, another Rick. The Rick on the computer had a shaved head a scar along his left eye. You purposely stayed away from the conversation and waited until he turned the screen off before making a small noise.
"I knew you would find it." Rick chuckled turning around in his chair. "Like what you see?"
"I'm in heaven you know. I think I must have used all but two of these weapons over the course of my life. A couple I modified for other environments. A few I know are illegal…" Your smile widens.
"You going to turn me in babe?" he teases back at you. "All of this is just in case… I've been involved in too many scenarios unprepared. By the way… thanks for not eavesdropping. It… means a lot."
"Dude, whatever…" you play it off, "I get it. You might be finding things out about me that I am not ready to handle. I trust your opinion on when to let me know." And just like that Rick got up from his chair, cleared the space between you and pulled you against him for a long kiss. The heat expands from mouth to stomach as he slowly removes his lips. You stare at him not knowing exactly where that came from, but not hating it either.
"You…" he sighs and pulls you towards to desk to sit you down in the chair. "Alright," he starts again changing his tone, "we have found some things out. More questions than… than answers really." He spins the chair to face the holographic screen and reaches around you to type out some information. A multidimensional intergalactic map appears in layers. A few more lines of data typed in from Rick and the map separates, layers peeling off to disappear past the screen. A tall stack of layers are still present as Rick starts to explain. "These layers are all the ones that confirm the destruction of your species. Some happened hundreds of years ago, some happened decades… all were gone before you were born." More data is typed into the computer as those layers disappear and a handful appear. "These layers include your home planet with your race still alive… but you cannot be accounted for." More data and then one layer remained. "This is your layer. The only one where we can track down your specific genetic code that was left with several medical units. The only one." Rick turns you around to face him as he lowers to his knees, looking at you.
"The only one? Wow. You actually found my dimension…" You let the weight of that sink in for a few moments. "Why are you still watching me though… what else is there?"
"Babe. A woman like you, with such a significant impact on a Rick's life… you… you should be in more dimensions along with mine. But you… you're not. This poses questions and problems. Why just one dimension? You know the… the rarity of that? Why? What about the dimensions where no one could locate you? And why did your people attack Earth specifically where you were?" That last piece was new to you.
"What do you mean, specifically where I was? I thought they were attacking Earth? In my dimension Earth was able to fight off the Galactic Federation. Other races saw this and wanted to know what made us so special that the fucking Federation ran away." Your voice started to hold that tinge of panic it did when remembering the way the ash scattered on the grass.
"Stay with me babe…" Rick's voice cut through the panic and you focused on his eyes. "It wasn't all of Earth. It was your street. Your house. You. Rick saved your life. Now I'm going to do the same…" Rick's voice held such determination that you knew it would happen. He had that same commanding spirit that made you believe and trust that he knew the way.
"Okay." you breathe and look back at the holographic screen. "Okay."
"Babe…" Rick's voice was a whisper at your ear again. Warm arms wrap around you from behind as he rests his chin on the top of your head.
"We need to find out about that portal. Has anyone else recognized it?"
"Nope. And that… that worries me. We need to find out babe. What if it was created by your race? That means they have a way to travel across the dimensions. Currently… only Ricks have that ability." Rick's arms tighten and your mind starts to work.
"Only Ricks huh? And it appeared after mine… I didn't even see it. I don't remember much after grabbing the plasma rifle and blowing the shit out of that chick." Rick tightens behind you and pauses… even his breathing slows.
"Another girl? I remember you talking about blowing away another girl… Can you remember any guys?"
"I distinctly remember four women I killed. One before, one directly after and two more mixed in with the rage. They were wearing… black and green uniforms. All had darker, slicked back hair. Larger assault type weapons, nothing small." You start to feel frustrated at the lack of memory after your Rick fell. It would be so helpful right now. You hated feeling this useless. Your body tightens up as the anger causes your fingers to tense around the table. From behind, Rick messages your shoulders and starts to rub along your arms, kissing the top of your head. The movement helps you relax as you let go of the anger you feel.
"So… you now have the option to return to your dimension." Rick starts to say.
"Fuck no. There is NOTHING there for me. I never want to return…" you spit out, the anger returning. Rick turns the chair around to face him; he's on his knees.
"You can get clothes at least. You can show off your weapons lab…" Rick wiggles his brow again and winks. That brings a smile to your face. You would love to show off. Your Rick never fully understood what you were doing in your lab so he never went in. Now you can actually bring in someone and geek out. And it would be nice to have your own clothes. And you can raid the Earth currency you had set away for emergencies.
"Okay…" you breathe out. "But I am NOT going to Earth. My lab is on another planet and I have stuff I can get there as well. If you want to travel to that Earth feel free." You add quietly, "At least with this lab I don't have to worry about seeing any of his stuff… That would kill me. He never visited me there. Never really understood… I never really understood his crap either… chemical compositions and reactions… I only cared about the ones I could sell…" You were rambling now out of nervousness.
"Well…" Rick lifted your chin to look directly at him again. "I would love to see what you can do…" His voice was seductive and that heat built around his hand on your chin. You lean in to kiss him as he pulls you to your feet, his hands gripping your face spreading the warmth. Rick breaks the kiss to wrap you in his arms. "Did you even sleep?"
"Not much… bad dreams."
"Well, let's see how you do with me cuddled around you."
Rick walks you back to him room and wraps his body around you as you fall asleep on the pillow.
