Hello, my lovelies! So excited to finally post this! Started writing this in the beginning of season 2 of Rick and Morty and finally found the time to finish it recently. Thus, the time period for this story takes place between season 1 and season 2. Rick and Morty is one of my favorite sci-fi cartoon shows and I've had this story flitting around in my head for a while. Disclaimer: I do not own Rick and Morty for that wonderful pleasure goes to Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon.

Enjoy reading! :)

"Morty, down this way!"

Morty Smith yelped as his grandfather yanked him into an abandoned alley. His lungs burned as they continued to run. He began to wonder how he got into this position. Scratch that. How he ALWAYS got into these positions. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed fate led him to this outcome on their adventures every single damn time; running away from either an intergalactic gang of flesh eating aliens or from the law itself. This time it happened to be both.

Sirens wailed behind them mixed with the thunderous noise of gurgling screeches. Morty bit down on his lip as he ran faster, not daring to glance back. How could it have gone so wrong? This morning he was feeling rather confident on how today was going to go for him. It was going to be a perfectly normal birthday, and nothing was going to ruin it.

His grandfather, Rick Sanchez, was the unfortunate exception to this rule.

It was horrible enough that he was taken on highly dangerous and mentally scarring adventures by his drunken genius of a dickhead grandfather every day, but the fact that he had not taken into account that today would be another one of those days was laughable at this point. What in the hell was he thinking when he agreed to go to this dimension? Did he really hope that Rick actually had a birthday surprise for him? Morty had scolded himself profusely at his gullibility.

What surprised him was that he hadn't seen Rick the majority of today, which he reluctantly admitted was a little discouraging. He though Rick would have at least cared that he was turning another year older today, but it seemed not. His parents and sister celebrated with him that morning, making a special breakfast for him and acting less apathetic for a change. It lifted his spirits to see this and even school wasn't as horrible as it usually was. He was on time for his classes, had felt more awake than normal, and didn't run into any problems that Rick usually set up for him. In fact, it felt downright odd to him. He was so used to the abnormal that it quickly became his normal and had accepted that for a good year. It was rare for any normal days to happen at all.

He spent the rest of his birthday with his family, sans Rick, and found himself enjoying a nice simple cake as his sister texted nonstop on her phone and his parents argued over something trivial like any other day. Yup. Definitely a normal day for him, which he was fine with, but he could feel that strange itchiness in the back of his head that happened whenever he hadn't seen Rick in a while; and that usually meant trouble. He ignored it.

After opening his gifts, which were mostly comprised of items he wasn't too crazy about—like his father's lucky nine iron club—he thanked his parents and especially his sister, Summer, for barely managing to break off a fight beginning to swell between his parents about the gifts. ("Really, Jerry? You got our son a golf club?" "What? It's better than your lame ass sweater idea. I think I'd know what our son would want, Beth.")

When the itch continued to bug him, he gave up and decided to ask his family if they knew where Rick was, but the separate responses weren't helpful.

"Morty, sweetie, I'm sure dad went to go get you something special for your birthday. He'll be back soon… at least I hope he will be."

"Son, let's just be glad that Rick isn't here to ruin this day for all of us, because god knows we'd all be horrifically sewn together ass to mouth by now like that human cockroach movie."

"Grandpa Rick is most likely drunk out of his mind right now in a dimension filled with sexually repressed women."

He hated the fact that Summer's answer was the most logical. He forced himself to accept this answer so that he wouldn't be surprised and hurt if that really was what was going on with Rick. He wouldn't put it pass his grandpa to do something like that.

As it turns out, hours later when Morty was ready to retire for the night, Rick hadn't been doing any of those things. Morty jumped when the sound of a portal opening rippled through the air inside his bedroom.

"W-what the hell? Rick?" Morty questioned in shock as Rick entered his room.

"Yeah, no sh-IIGGH-t, M-Morty," Rick belched, "Now shut up and get in the portal." He gestured to the open portal, the swirling green mass glowing hauntingly in Morty's eyes.

Morty sat back on his bed, crossing his arms and defiantly glaring at Rick. The brilliant scientist hadn't shown his face all day and now—of all times—he wants to take him somewhere in the universe without so much as a happy birthday? Anger bubbled inside him at this.

"Y-Ya know something, Rick? I-I-I-I'm not going anywhere with you, you…you inconsiderate jackass!" Morty's glare deepened and his fists clenched as he continued, "I mean—I mean jeez, Rick! You don't, I mean, I don't see you all day a-a-and y-you just… show up out of nowhere and expect me to—to go with you i-into that portal? Well you can just forget it, Rick! Not this time!"

The only response he received from his outburst was the predictable rolling of the eyes and frustrated noise from his grandfather. This furthered his anger.

"L-Listen, Morty, i-if you don't w-AAUGH-n't to receive your dumb birthday surprise, then, by all means, stay here for another—BELCH!—for another lame birthday. But don't say I didn't do you any favors, ya little shit!" Rick glowered, a finger jabbed in his direction.

Morty's glare melted to one of astonishment at Rick's words, anger gone for a moment.

"Birthday surprise?" Morty asked quietly.

Rick raised one side of his eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, duh, Morty. W-w-what did you think I was doing all day today? Entertaining Jerry with my absence?" He took out his flask, unscrewing it, "I don't even wanna know what gift that moron blessed you with." He took a swig out of it, a pool of saliva already gathering on his chin.

Morty thought back to the golf club before discarding it, looking at Rick almost shamefully. He was out all day preparing his birthday surprise? The thought warmed him greatly. He knew he had school tomorrow but didn't want to disappoint Rick. Eh, what the hell? He smiled.

"O-okay, Rick. I'll come with. It's, ya know, really cool that—that you'd do something like this for me. I—"

"Yeah, yeah, c'mon, Morty, l-EEGHH-t's just go already, alright?" Rick interrupted sounding miffed. His tone had Morty hesitating for a second before deciding to trust his eccentric relative on this.

Morty followed Rick into the portal, experiencing the familiar feel of stepping through a thin wall of gelatin—the sucking sensation applying a small amount of pressure on his body before releasing completely when he stepped out on the other side. The first thing that caught his eye were the many flashing lights shining dazzlingly around him. His mouth fell into an 'o' shape as he took in their surroundings.

The first thought that came to him was Blips and Chitz, the colossal arcade they used to visit, but this place was a lot smaller and more personal. The other major difference was that there were no arcade games, but a lot of what looked like gambling tables and slot machines were scattered about. He spotted a few bars here and there filled with drunken creatures shouting. Squinting, he could make out a dance floor near the back that seemed to be getting the most attention as the mosh pit continued to grow.

There were many crazy looking aliens here this night as they pulled levers, threw small round objects as if they were dice, and jubilantly conversed with one another at the bars. Morty was glad he didn't smell any kind of cigarette smoke floating around, but he was aware of a few aliens smoking unidentified drugs.

"W-Wow, Rick," Morty breathed out, "Is this some sort of casino?"

"Ah, ah, Morty," Rick said, a grin growing on his face, "Not just some sort of casino. This is THE casino, Morty. The best one in the galaxy. Basically, Morty, what you're looking at right—right here, Morty, is the o-OOGH-rigin of gambling. The best kind, too, before it all went to shit." He clapped his hand on Morty's shoulder. "Plus, some of the best drinks in the universe are served here."

Morty was impressed by the information from Rick, but then he became confused. Gambling and drinking? Was that all there was to do here? He was fifteen! What was Rick thinking bringing him here? Was he not aware of his age?

"R-Rick!" Morty nearly shouted, turning to glare at him, "I-I-I'm not old enough to—!"

Rick suddenly clutched his shoulders and shook him slightly. "But that's the best part a-about it, Morty! Here at Gurdenko Casino, there is no age limit! They literally. Do not. Give a fuck! Y-y-you can drink and gamble to your heart's desire, Morty!"

Though Morty was glad that he didn't have to worry about the fact that he was underage here, this did little to encourage him. He had never done any of those things in his life and he wasn't sure if he wanted to start here on his fifteenth birthday. It didn't seem that Rick cared, however, when he started making his way to the bar closest to them, urging Morty to follow him.

"B-But, Rick!" Morty called after him as he bumped into a few figures, getting some slime on him in the process. He snatched on the tail end of Rick's lab coat to stay with him. When they arrived, Rick casually leaned up against the counter and held up two fingers, ordering his drinks. Almost immediately, two glasses were placed in front of him. He ordered Morty to sit on the stool next to him and Morty wordlessly sat just as Rick passed him one of the drinks.

The teenager eyed the drink suspiciously, not liking the way it was bubbling like that. The glass was bulbous shaped and rather tall, filled to the brim with a bright orange substance, slightly frothy at the top like beer, but bubbling. Colorful sea green marbles gathered at the bottom of the drink, seeming to be dissolving slowly. It looked a lot like a tropical drink, which he reluctantly admitted looked rather delicious. Giving it a sniff, he recoiled in surprise at the sweet aroma it gave off. He was used to the bitter smells of the stiff drinks Rick always had in his flask, but this… this was totally different.

It smelt like a bouquet of fruit flowers… was this even an alcoholic drink? It must be. Rick ordered himself one. He wasn't sure if he'd ever even seen Rick drink anything nonalcoholic before… Still, Morty wasn't too adamant on drinking alcohol no matter how good it looked and smelled. Alcohol was alcohol in any shape or form. Pushing it away slightly from him, he turned to Rick once more.

"Rick, d-did you just take me to gamble and drink? I'm—I'm not so sure about this…"

He wasn't expecting Rick to become so exasperated at this. He let out a loud noise of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Jesus, M-Morty! W-w-w-why do you always gotta qu-EEGGH-stion the-the-these so called un—unethical situations, huh? I-I-I mean, shit! Live a little! You're only young for so long, Morty! You-you think it's gunna get better than this? W-well, here's hearing it straight outta the horse's shit infested m-OOUGH-th, Morty. It doesn't. So relax for once in your goddamn life and drink up," Rick spat out, ending his rant by taking his drink and downing it.

Morty was at a loss for words as he watched his eldest relative chug down his drink. He wasn't sure how to respond to what he just heard. He had felt apprehensive at first, but now all that was left was a hollow sadness. Who he was sad for, himself or Rick, he didn't know. He realized in that moment that questioning any of these things was futile at this point. He eyed his drink once more before taking it in his hands and letting out a defeated sigh.

He sipped timidly to soak in the taste. It was a lot better than he imagined it would be. It was sweet; almost too sweet, but the slight tanginess of it sparked the flavor to his favor. He hummed in delight before diving in again, taking bigger sips than before and nearly drinking it like water. The exotic fruity taste was exhilarating and before he knew it, he had reached the nearly dissolved marbles at the bottom. He heard a good-hearted chuckle beside him.

"Let me guess… sweet and sugary, right?" Rick crossed his arms with a knowing smirk.

"A-A… huh?" Morty questioned distractedly before looking down at the empty glass in his hands. "O-oh. Uh… y-yeah, Rick. It is. Why? Is it… is it not supposed to be? I-I can, ya know, I can hardly taste any alcohol in this."

"Yeah, th-AAGH-t's the beauty of these babies here, Morty," Rick burped out, "Shink-A-Dinks a-a-are very popular to those from different galaxies. There's more alcohol in that thing than you think, M-Morty. You just can't—BURP!—taste it. The flavor varies for whoever is drinking it. And since you don't drink, I-I figured your preferred taste would be closer to a bowl of fruit loops."

Morty couldn't hide his amazement. "That's—that's amazing, Rick! So what flavor is yours?"

"Let's just say that it's a better brand of whatever's in here," Rick said, brandishing his flask.

Morty nodded and mentally checked himself. He felt fine. Other than the warm pleasant purring in his stomach and the slight burning of his cheeks, his functionality was in working order. Licking his lips, he found that he was still a bit thirsty, getting the feeling that the Shink-A-Dink had something to do with it. He turned just in time to see Rick put two more fingers up. He secretly hoped it was the same drink. God, he was thirsty.

To his disappointment, a completely different mixture was served to them. This one looked a lot less appealing due to its muggy brown texture. To him, it looked like a cup of mud. He grimaced.

"Uh, h-hey, Rick. Maybe I should, I don't know, t-take it easy for a bit on the drinking for now," Morty piped up as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Right, sure, and maybe I should drop every characteristic of mine to be a proper grandpa. Qu-IIGGH-t being a pussy, Morty, and drink it. Just be thankful I'm not letting you drink a Pan Galactic Garble Blaster."

"A-A what?" Morty questioned, still not wanting to drink that sludge.

"Pan Galactic Garble Blaster," Rick stated dryly, slurping down his drink noisily, "That shit reeeaally f-UUGH-cks you up, Morty. Said to be the best in the universe, but after taking a few of those the novelty starts to wear thin."

Morty eventually took a small sip of his drink after Rick nonstop ranted about how denying an alcoholic beverage was an extreme insult to these people and that they'd beat him up for it. He was going to call out on Rick's bullshit but decided not to tempt the fates. It was bitter, but it wasn't too bad. The dirtiness appearance deceived how it would taste, which he found to be better than beer. He continued to take tentative sips when Rick's voice alerted him.

"Ooohhh, shit, dawg! Splanex! Get your sorry punk ass over here!"

Morty looked to see Rick waving over a rather large looking alien. That very familiar feel of anxiety made itself known when he caught sight of the large tusks jutting out from the alien's lower lip, making the horns on the top of its head look diminutive. It wore a charming black blazer that barely covered its protrusive pig belly. Its small ruby glinted eyes darted to Rick, and Morty heard it rumble with laughter, barging through scowling figures to get to them. One of the odd things Morty noticed about this guy was that it looked like it was wearing a sleeked back toupee between two of its larger horns. Was that…was that even necessary?

Morty steeled himself when the alien jutted its stomach between him and Rick, clapping a clawed hand to his grandfather's back firmly.

"Rick! You sick twisted sonuvabitch! What in Garbin's name are you doing here?" As expected, the voice booming out of Splanex's mouth was deep and guttural.

"Ahh ha h-AAGGH! W-Well, you know me, Splanex, just livin' life one Pan Galactic Garble Blaster at a time. Eh, yo! G-G-Give me a-and my good buddy one here, will ya?" Rick called out to the bartender.

Splanex let out a boisterous bark of laughter. "Now that's the Rick Sanchez I remember!"

A moment later, two Pan Galactic Garble Blasters slid over into Rick's hands. The glasses were slightly taller than an average shot glass. The liquid was a purplish-blue color that swirled nicely together, and it looked like someone had sprinkled in a jar of glitter into the mixture. It was slightly mesmerizing to Morty, almost like looking into the heart of a galaxy. Rick passed the other drink to Splanex and together they held their glasses up.

"To the Clackspire Labyrinth! For without it, we would have never met!" Splanex toasted.

Morty nearly choked when he mentioned the Clackspire Labyrinth. He and Rick had "visited" just last month after the time police had shown up to arrest them for abusing time once more. He had foolishly allowed Rick to convince him to become rich only so they could prove his father wrong that having a job is the only way to get where you want to in life. He should have known the easy way to things would have dire consequences. He was lucky enough to get out of the labyrinth alive with the help of Rick seeing as how he built the thing in the first place. I mean, for god's sake, the entire name was an anagram for 'Rick's Place'. Hearing Splanex admit that he and Rick had been there together instantly made him nervous (who knows what that alien has done?) and a bit surprised. He had no idea Rick had been imprisoned there more than once.

"To freedom and getting shit faced on a Tuesday! Let's do this, muthafucka!"

As soon as Rick belched out his last words, the two clinked glasses and Rick immediately downed nearly the entire glass casually, seeming to have no reaction to the drink. Morty really believed that Rick had taken one too many of these before. Splanex tipped his head back and threw the drink into the back of his throat, shivering in response. Morty didn't even wanna know how someone like himself would react to swallowing this stuff.

Rick let out a loud burp before wiping the residue from his mouth with a laugh. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Morty squirmed underneath the gaze of Splanex as the beast suddenly noticed there was another person among them. He pointed a clawed finger at him. "Rick, what am I looking at here? A side experiment you're working on?"

Rick's eyes swiveled to take in the sight of Morty and he grinned as if seeing him there for the first time that night. Morty gave a sound of discomfort as Rick threw his arm around his shoulders and drew him in close enough to where the boy could smell the stench of alcohol on the old man's breath. His body swayed in time with Ricks; perhaps that drink did more to him than he let on…

"Thi-this is my grandson, Splanex. M-Morty. But-but don't be fooled by his dumb looks," Rick ignored the glower from Morty, "He's proven to be a really good h-EEGGH-lper to my work and..."

Rick's eyes widened suddenly. "Holy shit! He's turning another year older today! Morty!" Morty's head rocked back and forth as Rick shook him. "W-w-w-w-we gotta celebrate this, Morty! I-I-It's a big day for you, M-OOGH-rty!"

"Rick, I thought that's why we were here in the first pla—"

"H-here, Morty! Have—URP!—Have some of this!" Rick interrupted as he pried Morty's mouth open and threw the rest of his Pan Galactic Garble Blaster into it.

Oh, shit, looks like Morty's going on a trip. Thought I'd thrown in a couple of other references such as Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the first comic of Rick and Morty (Clackspire Labyrinth). Next chapter will be up soon! Had a lot of fun writing for these two! :D Until next time! *POOF!*

Mr. Meeseeks: I'm Mr. Meeseeks, look at me!

Mr. Meeseeks: Hi, Mr. Meeseeks! I'm Mr. Meeseeks, look at me!

Mr. Meeseeks: Hi!

Mr. Meeseeks: Can you help me get to strokes off of Jerry's golf swing?

Mr. Meeseeks: Ooh! Can dooo!