When Morty awoke the next morning, he couldn't remember how they had gotten back from Nafdrib, but he was laying on the pull-out couch with his back pressed firmly into Rick. Oddly, he felt safe. This man was still virtually a stranger to Morty, but he had appeared like a fairy godmother, giving him everything his heart could desire.
As he heard his mother and Summer laughing from the kitchen, he smiled. A week ago, being reunited with his family seemed like an impossibility, yet here they were. And it was all thanks to the man laying beside him.
Morty got up as quietly as he could so as not to disturb Rick and made his way to the kitchen. His mother and sister were seated at the small table, drinking coffee and catching up on what had been happening while they were separated. Morty opened his mouth to call out to them but was frustrated when no noise came out. Sadly, he sighed as he joined his family. It appeared last night had been a one-time thing. He wondered what it was about Rick that made him feel safe enough to talk.
"How are you doing, sweetie?" Beth asked, smiling down at her son. Her eyes held a quiet fear in them, as if she was afraid that Morty could be ripped away from her again at any moment. Morty simply smiled and grabbed his mom's hand, squeezing it comfortingly.
After a few minutes, Rick stumbled into the kitchen, hair rumpled from sleep. "Ready for another adventure today, Morty?" he asked groggily.
Absolutely, Morty signed.
Rick frowned, causing Morty to squirm in his seat. He hoped the man was not disappointed that he was unable to talk again after last night's events.
"We need to go to Ufbon. Their electricity conductors are the only thing powerful enough to run my super computer," Rick explained.
Morty nodded in understanding. The sooner they got Rick's super computer up and running, the sooner they could go home. Not that Morty was ungrateful for Birdperson's hospitality. But it was a little cramped, and Morty wanted the opportunity to attend school again.
Rick had a glass of water before pulling out his portal gun and setting in the coordinates. "You ready to go, bud?" Rick asked, giving Morty a concerned look.
Not wanting to give Rick anything to worry about, Morty shot him a smile and nodded eagerly. He hopped off his chair and made his way to stand next to Rick. His grandpa shot a portal into the wall, and Morty quickly followed him into it.
On the other side, Morty gasped in awe. They were in a forest, surrounded by trees taller than Morty had ever seen before. Little spots of sunlight peered through the leaves and hit the ground. Rick looked back at him with a smile. "What do you think?" he asked.
"It's beautiful," Morty replied, suddenly finding his voice again. The sound of his own voice shocked him, and he quickly raised his hand to his mouth, not quite believing the sound had come from him.
Rick raised his monobrow in surprise. "So, you speak now?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
Morty flushed and looked down, unable to meet Rick's eyes. "I can't exactly control it," he replied in his shame. "I tried this morning, but it was like a brick wall was in my throat."
His grandpa put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's ok," he said gently. "You don't have to talk for anyone, but I'm honored that you feel safe enough to talk to me."
Morty met Rick's eyes and saw the sincerity there. He smiled faintly, realizing that he had found a safe space in Rick. How it had happened, Morty had no idea. Perhaps it was fate or destiny that brought them together. Perhaps God had seen his trauma and sent him the one person who could help him heal. Either way, he was grateful.
"Can you just do a me a favor?" Morty asked quietly.
"Sure, what do you need?" Rick agreed.
"Can you not tell the rest of the family that I speak to you?" Morty requested. "I don't want them getting jealous or pressing me to talk or anything."
Rick nodded. "Your secret's safe with me, Morty."
Morty felt a sigh of relief escape him. He followed Rick as they trekked through the forest. "So, how do we get this conductor?" Morty asked.
"Well that's the fun part," Rick replied with a sly smile. "This material, called aberul, is actually illegal on this planet because of how powerful it is."
Morty looked up at his grandpa in confusion. "So how do we get it then?"
Rick's smile turned into a grin. "There's a black market for it. I happen to know a guy," he explained.
A light chuckle escaped Morty's lips. "You just like trouble, don't you?"
"I suppose I do," Rick answered, looking back at Morty with a mischievous look in his eye. "But don't worry. I won't let you get hurt."
Morty gently bit at his lip. A part of him wanted to say, "It's too late for that." But he didn't want to place that guilt on Rick. After all, the man had come for him as soon as he learned about his existence. So instead, he replied, "I trust you."
Rick's expression turned soft, and if Morty wasn't mistaken, a little bit nervous. As he thought about it, he realized that Rick had probably been alone for most of his life and wasn't used to having people depend on him. At the same time, Morty wasn't used to depending on people. Ever since Jonathan had entered his life, his innocence had shattered. He learned that the world was a dangerous place and that there were always going to be people trying to hurt him. Even though his mother had taken most of the blows, Jonathan had still gotten some swings in. And then there was that one night.
But as much as he was looking for a new beginning, it seemed that Rick was too. Maybe they could find it in each other.
As they reached the end of the forest, a small hut came in to sight. "This is it," Rick announced. "Now, this man can be a little... testy. I want you to stay behind me at all times and let me do the talking."
"Okay," Morty agreed, a hint of nervousness touching his voice.
They entered the hut, and Morty could see a blue toad-like creature with lumps all over his body. Remembering what his grandpa said, he hung back, staying close behind him. "Sanchez," the alien croaked out. "How can I help you?"
"You know what I'm here for," Rick replied. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a bag of coins, and set it down on the counter.
The alien grinned. "Straight to business as always, Sanchez. That's what I like about you." Suddenly, the alien turned his hungry gaze to Morty, causing him to squirm uncomfortably. "Who's this?" he asked, grinning even wider.
"Not important," Rick replied shortly. "Now, do you have the aberul or not?"
'Not important.' Those words cut Morty straight to the core. Just when he thought he had someone who cared, Rick had to go and say something like that. He crossed his arms and shrank back, trying to make himself as small as possible.
The alien turned his attention back to Rick and growled. He slammed a handful of metal wires on the counter, which Rick quickly scooped up and placed in his pocket. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, as always," Rick replied, his tone neutral.
Just as he was turning back to Morty to leave, another alien blasted the door off it's hinges, weapon in hand. "Nobody moves, and nobody gets hurt," the other alien instructed. "This is a robbery."
Rick quickly grabbed Morty's waist, picking him up and diving behind a shelf. As fast as possible, he set in the coordinates for his portal gun and shot a portal underneath them.
They landed a few yards in front of Birdperson's house. Morty was shaking, his eyes wide in terror. Rick gently put his hands on Morty's arms and looked into his eyes. "I told you I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you," he said softly. "Are you okay?"
Morty opened his mouth to answer but found himself once again rendered mute. He sighed, ashamed of himself, and nodded his head. Physically, it was true. Emotionally, Morty wasn't sure.
Rick's eyes suddenly filled with worry. "Alright," he replied hesitantly. "Let's get back inside then."
