Yay! New chapter!

This was supposed to come out the day after the last, but people kept sending me harassing PM messages and it made me rewrite the whole thing multiple times. I can take constructive criticism, but if you have to go out of YOUR way to send me a nasty PM because YOU know that if you posted it in the normal reviews people would call you out for it... Don't do it. If you can't take people getting mad at you back, you shouldn't be sending mean things.

Alright! Done with my rant. The winner of the Chapter Contest is listed below if your interested! A huge thank you to all that entered, I really appreciate it. Enjoy a chapter of tough Morty and Rick being a dick.

"Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen"

Orhan Pamuk

Cruelty

This was not how he wanted today to turn out. Rick chased after his asinine grandson, weaving through the crowd and receiving a few yells as he shoved aliens out of his way. Why the hell did he think that this was a good time to run away!?They were on another fucking planet! A relatively safe planet, but Morty didn't know that.

Rick sent a bug-like alien sprawling into some sort of stand, trinkets clattering across the sidewalk. Was he going to pull this shit every goddamn time they went somewhere? THIS, now this was a stupid move. Hell, the sheer idiocity of the action made him feel like his IQ was dropping.

Though they were most likely the only humans on the planet, Rick struggled to keep sight of Morty. The boy was just so damn small. The kid could fit through even the smallest gaps in the crowd, even going so far as to run underneath the legs of some of the taller beings. The only thing Rick was grateful for at this point, was that Morty had decided to wear a white shirt along with those red polka-dot boots. It helped Rick distinguish him from the mass.

Rick was trying to keep up, because right now, he literally couldn't lose Morty. Not because he was worried that the crowd would swallow him whole, but for his own well being. If he lost the kid, he always had the DNA tracker to find him. The problem lied within the fact that he didn't know how far away he could get from Morty, before the boy's brainwaves would stop shielding him.

Rick only knew snippets about all Mortys shielding abilities, the tidbits he picked up out of earshot on his rare visits to the Council of Ricks. He was not about to let the boy bring the entire Galactic Federation down on them.

The thick bustle finally broke, and he was sent into a clearing. It was a vibrant town square, that he guessed was the center of the wealthiest side of the city. Rick had lost sight of Morty, so he did a quick spin, scanning the area.

The square was surrounded by trees that greatly resembled Earth's cherry blossoms, large and intimidating, with dark purple petals that fluttered across the clearing. Below him, the ground was studded with smooth, shiny stones; fitted together to form a mosaic flower that matched the trees petals. A few fancy cafes and park benches were arranged in a semi-circle around the entire square.

Rick finally caught sight of his grandson standing off to the side, a panicked expression on his face, as his head swung back and forth, trying to identify possible threats. The kid's back was to him, which made it easier to walk up on him.

A light breeze sent loose blossoms flying, just as Rick came closer to the boy. The wind caused Morty to turn around, and his eyes held a flicker of recognition mixed with wild fear.

Rick cursed when Morty's body lurched forward to run, and he lunged for him; his fingers managing to catch the collar of Morty's shirt. The force jerked Morty backward, and into the the ground, Rick losing his footing and tumbling down with him. Rick landed hard on his ass, Morty on his back.

Morty lifted himself up on his elbows, dazed. In a second, Rick was over him, gripping his shoulders, their faces nearly nose to nose. Rick noticed some movement in the corner of his eyes, but ignored it.

"How stupid are you Morty! You cant just run off li-" He was too late to notice Morty's fingers curling around a loose stone. He brought it forward, slamming it into Rick's face with all of his strength.

Stars exploded behind Rick's eyes, letting go of Morty's shoulders and reeling back. "Fuck, that hurt you little bastard!"

Blood gushed from Rick's nose, and before he could stop his grandson, Morty wriggled out from beneath him and bolted into an alley. Rick growled, scrubbing his face with his sleeve and effectively staining it bright red. Was he just getting rusty? Because he getting his ass handed to him by an underweight nine-year old.

Rick stood up and rolled his shoulders, feeling his bones grind against each other. A few people were staring. "Got something to look at!? Huh!?" He startled them, and they began to pretend to go back to their normal business. Typical.

He headed off towards the alley. All right, now he was angry, and he couldn't be held responsible for anything that happened when he got his hands on Morty.

Rick stood staring at the dead end of the alley. He took a moment, trying to catch his breath. At the back wall of the alley there was a small space that separated two buildings; a gap that he was sure that Morty had managed to wedge himself in.

Rick groaned and kicked a metal trash receptical. It gave a satisfying rattling sound, crashing to the cement. Pissed was an understatement; he was absolutely livid.

As he reached the gap, he felt the inside of his coat for his flask. Rick pulled it from his jacket with shaky hands, only to find it empty. He gave made an annoyed noise, before shoving it back in his pocket. He was going through withdrawals, and he knew it. And he certainly knew it was making him edgy as fuck. His temperament and control was shot to hell.

Rick gazed into the dark space, his eyes adjusting to focus in on his Morty. Wild eyes; they were the first thing he locked on to. Just like the day he retrieved his grandson from the basement. Wonderful, he was reverting back to the way he was when they first met. He'd pushed too hard. Morty held his stare, giving a deep warning growl.

Rick sniffed, the blood drying under his nose becoming more of a reminder of what happens when he lets his guard down. He underestimated the kid, but he wasn't one to be fooled twice. Rick learned from his mistakes, adapted and survived.

Rick had three options: carve his way through the building with his laser gun and risk a collapse, leave this Morty here to fend for himself, or attempt to talk him back into his senses. Maybe a few bribes of food or physical contact? God knows the boy craved it.

He gave an attempt at reaching for his grandson through the small space, going up to his shoulder and pressing his face against the side of the building. He couldn't reach. Though Rick already knew he wouldn't make it. Wishful thinking?

Rick took a deep breath, reciting a few lines in his head. Alright, something reassuring, something to lure the little fucker close enough to grab. Morty's eyes sized him up as he straightened out. He hoped that the kid still retained some grasp of language. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Lu, look Morty, I know the universe is a big, scary place," Rick pulled his hands from his pockets to make quotations with his fingers. "Bu, but you have to learn to dea, deal with it. Grandpas gonna be he, here to guide you through all this, but ya, you can't keep runnin' off like this Morty." He crouched down to Morty's level and the kid inched closer. Just a little more.

"I, I'm not angry Morty." Rick outstretched his hand and Morty scooted towards him. He was lying through his teeth, he was going to wring the kid's neck when he got hold of him. "I, It's okay, grandpa's not gonna hurt you." Oh, he was so going to hurt him. Rick's lips strained with a gentle smile. Morty moved closer.

Just as Morty came within reach, the boy shot out of the crevice and between Rick's legs. Rick whirled around, snatching Morty's forearms before he could escape back into the city. He pulled them over the kid's head so that Morty couldn't get his body in to bite. Morty struggled, panicked cries echoing in the alley.

Rick glanced nervously towards the square. The kid was making too much noise; he was going to attract unwanted attention. He had to defuse this situation. Now.

Rick gave a hard yank at Morty's arms, and he squeaked before quieting. Rick lowered himself down to Morty's level and the boy flinched away as Rick forced him to maintain direct eye contact. "Don't you understand?" He hissed, his voice toning to a whisper. "You don't have a choice in this Morty. You have to do whatever I say, go wherever I want."

Morty tried to pull away as Rick's face got closer to his, and Rick tightened his grip on Morty's wrists. He should stop. He should stop NOW. He was going to say something horrible, he felt it thrumming in his chest. But he couldn't, because somewhere deep down he wanted to make Morty hurt. Hurt like he did – to drag the boy down with him.

"And if ya, you don't like it, why do, don't you go cry to your Mommy or Daddy?" His voice rose with the words, and regret was already digging hooks into him. Stop. Stop. STOP! "Oh right," he mocked. "Mommys dead an, and Daddy doesn't give a damn!"

The whole world seemed to have paused. Rick dropped Morty's arms, taking a step back, like he was burned by his own calculating cynicism. Morty stared up at him with a heaving chest, clarity returning to his eyes. He knew what Rick had said. It felt like a knife digging into his heart. Betrayal flashed in his grandson's eyes, mixed with broken innocence and misery.

Morty slid back against the wall and curled into a ball; burying his head in his knees. Rick ran his hands through his hair, his mind a kaleidoscope of thoughts. This is why he couldn't be sober, he couldn't control himself when he was sober. He could feel guilt when he was sober. He sighed, hands returning to his pockets.

"Lu, look Morty," Morty didn't raise his head. "My daughters dead, my wife left me, and most of the universe hates my guts." He fiddled with a loose screwdriver in his pocket, eyes lowered to the ground. "Uh, I don't want to add you to that list." Morty rose his head a little.

Rick rubbed his nose with the back of his sleeve, some dried blood coming loose from the friction. "Sorry kid, but I'm all you've got. Thems the breaks."

Morty shifted, uncurling. He lifted his arms up to his grandfather, still hesitant. Rick exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding in, and went to pick Morty up. As the boy's arms wound around his neck, Rick shifted him to one hip and headed out of the alley. All was forgiven.

Rick didn't feel worthy of such forgiveness.

Evening was fast approaching and Rick was making his way to the rundown side of town. He passed a bar lit up with neon lights, and was sorely tempted to drop everything to get a drink. One hand was occupied, cradling Morty to his side; the other was twitching from alcohol withdrawals. It could wait till they were back home.

Rick felt Morty's chest rise and fall with slow breaths, his arms loosely wrapped around Rick's neck. He had fallen asleep shortly after the chase fiasco. Rick guessed that the adrenaline had quickly worn off, dropping the kid like a fly. The streets were getting darker as he continued; not because of the slinking nighttime, but because of the descent into the poorer slums of the city.

The bright advertisements and colorful signs were dissipating as they crossed the thin line between the rich and the less fortunate. The crowds thinned before eventually trickling to nothing more than the occasional prostitute dotting each block. Smoke poured from the stacks of old factories, polluting the air. Graffiti marking gang territories and proclaiming rebellion. Old crumbling apartments mashed together, a parallel of the freshly painted buildings that were seemingly a world away.

Rick stopped at a food cart that was selling the alien equivalent of meat dumplings. He placed Morty on his feet, shaking him awake. Morty blinked blearily up at Rick. Rick cracked hid back, before dropping a few coins in a jar sitting atop the cart. The vendor – a green alien with multiple arms and red bug eyes – filled a small box with the alien food.

Morty was fisting his pant leg, still oblivious to his surroundings in a state between consciousness and sleep. He rubbed his eyes lazily, leaning into his grandfather's warmth. Morty was way too clingy for Rick's liking, and he hoped the food would distract the kid long enough to give him a break.

Rick pushed the box into Morty's hands and headed down the street. Morty followed. He was confident Morty would eat the food, considering the meat content. He watched his grandson out of the corner of his eye, and the boy doing the same. It made no sense: one minute the kid was running from him, the next he was clinging to him like a leech.

Rick almost jumped for joy when the shop came into view. Finally, an end in sight to this grand fucking day. He couldn't wait to go home and drink himself into oblivion.

Morty sat outside the shop, watching Rick through the glass door. Apparently there was a strict 'No kids allowed' rule that the shopkeeper refused to let slide. After giving Morty firm warnings along the lines of 'If you move your ass from this spot, I swear to God I'll get you a baby leash', Rick entered the store to bargain with the keep.

Rick occasionally glanced back from the counter, to make sure he was still there waiting. Morty rocked back and forth, holding the box of food Rick had given him. Anxiety gnawed at his gut. He had ran away today. Ran away from the only person he had. Most of the memory was a blur, even though it had happened only hours ago.

Morty could recall getting sick all over the sidewalk, and then he panicked. Everything morphed back into the basement, like a nightmare, but he was awake. Then Rick had him on the ground and it wasn't Rick anymore. It was the men from the basement, and he had picked up a loose stone before he knew it – slamming it into his attackers head.

All he could think of was that he was not going to be a victim ever again, that he was never going to let them hurt him ever again. He messed up.

Morty looked in at Rick. He was getting animated in the heat of bargaining, using over the top hand gestures and switching between languages. Morty's stomach ached with hunger and he opened the box in his lap. He ate one of the doughy spheres after inspecting it thoroughly. It was a weird flavor, sort of like a mix of chicken and beef. They were bland and unseasoned to Morty's relief, so he ate another.

He stared across the street at a gathering of some girls. Well, at least they appeared to be girls. They were aliens of course, one lime green and round, another tall and dark purple. They were looking at him and discreetly whispering to each other. Morty shifted uncomfortably.

There was a rustling sound to his left, followed by the metallic crash of a garbage can tipping. Morty was torn between wanting to investigate and running into the store after his grandpa. He jolted at a high-pitched yelp that carried over from the can. Morty observed curiously, and his breath hitched at the creature shuffling out of the trash.

A lifetime of fond recollections filled his heart. One word ringing in his fractured mind.

Doggy!

A small alien puppy lifted it's head in his direction, nose twitching at the smell of food. It caught sight of Morty and slunk after him. It had green fur, underbelly speckled black. A few large black spots decorated it's coat like a beagle. It had long ears nearly trailing the ground, and a long tail that whipped around with the flexibility of a cat.

Morty set the box of alien food on the cement, as the puppy closed in. It's eyes were odd: white irises that were ringed with black, catlike in appearance. It sniffed at him and wagged it's tail, giving a small yip. The sound of it's bark was different, almost haunting. It sounded like the reverberations given when a person screamed into a metal can, or the echoes of a cave.

The puppy took no time in burying it's face in the box. Morty reached out and ran his hands through it's fur. He was trembling with joy. It had been so long since he'd touched a dog. His eyes burned with tears. The puppy finished and Morty hauled it into his lap, his hands running up and down the creature, as if to assure himself it was still there.

Doggy,doggy, doggy! Excitement washed over him.

Morty was standing his ground, the puppy hugged to his chest. Rick had finished his shopping, walking out of the store to find Morty with a yaught hound.

"No Morty. No goddamned way." He stared up at his grandfather defiantly. "You don't even know what that thing is Morty!" He gestured toward the dog in Morty's arms.

"That's a yaught hound Morty. The, those things are made to rip people apart. Sure it's all cute and fluffy nu, now, but that things gonna turn into a killer Morty!" He went to grab at the creature and Morty backed away. Rick ran a hand down his face. "Morty, level with me here. These things get bigger than any Earth dog you've ever seen."

Morty still shook his head, shaking a bit from fear. He wasn't sure if it was fear for himself or his new friend. He could tell that Rick was getting irritated, but he had to save this puppy. It was like him, all alone in the world. Morty knew what it was like not to be saved. Maybe that was why he had to save the puppy. Because he saw himself in it.

Rick crossed his arms. "Alright, how bout because I am the adult and I get to make the decisions Morty. Remember the little discussion we had back in the alley Morty?" He leaned in, snatching the puppy out of Morty's arms and dropping it on the stoop of the store. It whimpered and Morty cried out, his arms outstretched in it's direction.

Rick opened the swirling green portal back to their world, and dragged Morty behind him; now screaming in protest and digging his heals into the pavement.

Morty attempted to bite him, and Rick shoved Morty backwards. He almost fell, but righted himself to meet Rick's eyes. Morty fought to keep his glare and not flinch away, as Rick bent forward to face him, hands on his knees. "Okay Mooooooorty," He drug out his name with a condescending twist. "If you want the dog sooooooooooo bad, just say it."

Rick's eyes narrowed, challenging him. It was a dirty, dirty blow. And Rick knew it was. Morty's mouth hung open in exasperation, and Rick gave a smug smile. Rick put a hand to his ear, mocking him. "What? I thought so."

Rick snorted and stood back up. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the portal, before turning on his heel. "Come on Morty."

"R-r-rick." It came out butchered, Morty's vocal cords scratchy from years of misuse. Rick stilled mid step, stiff as a board. He didn't turn around.

Morty still had no idea how to connect words, and his grasp on language was slipping through his fingers from the desperation. "Duh-d-dog-ee, Ru-rick. D-doggy." Morty felt the tears rolling down his face as he lifted the dog back into his arms. It licked the tears from his chin.

Rick never turned around, but his shoulders slumped. He mumbled and then raised his pitch high enough for Morty to hear. "Yeah Morty, Doggy." Morty could tell that Rick was forcing his voice to stay even, but he failed and they came out all wobbly. "Lets go home."

Morty followed Rick through the portal, his doggy safely cradled in his arms.

I admit I cried a little at the end. Reviews help me update quicker! Next chapter is the Fan Chapter from the contest!

The winner is QuirkyRevelations! Congratulations! Next Chapter is yours!

Second is MyLovelyShadow! I just want to let you know that the only reason I didn't pick your story is because I have something EXTREMELY similar planned in the far future. So technically, parts of you idea will pop up in the far future ;) I'll use your quote on the next chapter as a honorable mention.

Third is tied between the anonymous reviewer from Tumblr (you know who you are), and Kitty9!