Saturday rolled around and Rick was emptying the last of the old boxes that Beth had packed so long ago. She was young at the time, but she still took the time to wrap each one in newspaper to ensure it wouldn't break. Rick had forgotten all about his few inventions that he left behind. He had been called many names in his lifetime but sentimental was not one of them. However, he couldn't help but smile when he picked up one of his half built robots. It was for Beth, she asked if they could have a maid robot. So for her birthday, he was going to make a maid robot that would hand you anything you wanted. However, it was never completed. Very few things could get through Rick's tough exterior but his little girl was one of those few things.
There was a knock on the door of the garage, Rick looked up then furrowed his brow and forced a frown. Jerry was standing at the doorway and started talking before Rick could mention his distaste. "I got Beth out of the house for a few hours. I'm starting to set up now. You interested in helping me?"
"Set up for what?" Rick asked setting the robot beside him.
Jerry looked taken aback. "Her birthday of course. What kind of father forgets their child's birthday?"
Rick thought back on the day, shit. It was his daughter's birthday and he completely forgot about it. "What's your plan?"
"A surprise birthday party. I spent all last Saturday planning everything. It took a lot of smooth talking to get her to believe me when I said I was golfing."
"Yeah because she believed you really well that you were golfing." Rick muttered remembering waking up to the screaming and seeing him sleep on the couch that night. "I'm going to just unpack my stuff. Have fun with setting up."
"Come on Rick! It would be a good father son bonding experience."
"No." Rick furrowed his brow before explaining his answer. "You're not my son, I'm not your father and there will be no bonding."
"Well…I could at least use the help if you don't mind." Jerry muttered.
Rick shrugged and stood up. He was almost completely unpacked so he had nothing better to do. "Fine. Let's see what your dumb ass comes up with."
"Ouch." Jerry said rubbing the back of his head. He walked off not wanting to say anything else.
Rick followed hoping to witness something pathetic like Jerry falling off a ladder. Yeah, that would make Rick's day.
Everything was up in an hour. Rick did the bare minimum to help but he had to admit, it didn't look half bad. Above the door was a 'Happy Birthday' sign above a door frame, balloons all over the place. Rick even took it upon himself to quickly portal to and from a planet to grab some glowing floating orbs to mix with the balloons. It gave the house a light green and purple glow. Rick even got to witness Jerry almost falling off a step stool, thanks to his foot 'accidentally' kicking the ladder.
There was a knock on the door and Jerry went to answer it. Several different people with presents in their hands were standing outside.
"Thanks guys for coming. Beth will be so surprised!"Jerry squealed, he hugged each person as they entered. Rick crossed his arms, why was his daughter so boring? She was smart, she could have done so much more with her life. Why'd she pick to have a family with this pathetic looser and friends with these pitiful people.
One of the females noticed Rick standing with his arms crossed, "You must be Rick!"
"Who's asking?" Rick questioned quickly.
"I'm Maybeth and this is my husband Hector. Beth called me the other night ecstatic that you were back from a long trip. How was your trip?"
"Okay. Lost a few good friends along the way but that's life." Rick said, he grabbed his flask from his coat taking a swig.
"Well, I guess that's expected to lose some good friends at your age."Maybeth said. "When my father turned 80 he only had one good friend left. And those two actually forgot about each other. Alzheimer's can be a real downer."
Rick was about to explode at her, she knew nothing of his past, what he did, where he was…instead he just said the only thing he could think of saying without harassing one of Beth's friends, "I'm 59."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you just…you look…"
"I look old? Is that what you are going to say?" Rick asked about to punch out the woman's lights.
"Well…look, we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry." Maybeth said, holding out her hand.
"Apologies don't mean anything." Rick walked off. He sat down at a table as the house filled with Beth's and Jerry's friends. Rick felt something get strapped to his head. He jumped up quickly ready to kill whoever it was. Then he realized it was Maybeth. She had put a party hat on his head.
"You have to be festive! This is a big day!" The woman said.
Rick glared at her then sat back down, leaving the hat on. She then popped a noise maker in his mouth. He grabbed it out and looked at it. Then he put it back in his mouth to blow on it. This was what his life was reduced to. He was once feared by the universe, the federation shook in their boots when they heard his name. He killed so many, destroyed so many planets and here he was celebrating a birthday with a dumb hat and a stupid noise maker. Not to mention, learning within the past week that he would have to be escorted by a young teenager who knew nothing about life for the rest of his life.
"Everyone quiet! Summer just text me. They're here!" Jerry yelled ecstatically. The lights went off and everyone attempted to hide, excluding Rick who just sat at the table.
Beth walked in with a hand full of groceries and the two kids behind her. She stopped when the lights came on and everyone yelled, "Surprise!"
"You guys!" Beth said ecstatically dropping the groceries. "And to think I thought no one remembered!"
"Planned the whole thing last Saturday!" Jerry said enthusiastically handing her a glass of wine.
"I knew you were lying when you said you were golfing. You've always been a bad liar." Beth said then whispered. "Sorry for making you sleep on the couch."
"Don't worry about it." Jerry grabbed the grocery bags. "Go enjoy yourself, all your friends are here. I was up until midnight that night ensuring everyone could come."
Beth ran around the house talking to each. Most of them she hadn't seen in years. Jerry must have gone down her old telephone book that she kept hidden in her closet.
Rick stood next to the booze bar for most of the night.
A female walked over to him standing next to him. Rick took a sip from his red cup in his hands peeking out the corner of his eyes. The girl coughed. Rick ignored her still standing next to the bar. She coughed again.
Rick looked down at the girl, he was sure she was a teenager, "What? The bar is wide open, go get a drink. No need to fake cough. Or are you too young to drink? Go ahead anyways, I don't judge."
"Well I am too young to drink, I'm one of Summer's friends." The girl said placing a hand out.
"Summer isn't here so you should go…" Rick took a sip from his red cup, "find her."
"She said her grandfather was back, I wanted to meet you."
Rick glared at the girl. "Why?"
"Well…I…"
Morty walked over to Rick allowing Rick a chance to get out of the dumb conversation, "Dad said you helped him set up."
"I did a few things." Rick said.
"Mom loves it!"
Rick let out a grunt then walked off. He went into the garage with Morty following. Rick grabbed the robot he unboxed earlier. He started to tamper with it and move items around. Morty watched him tamper with the robot for awhile before he started to get tired. Morty found himself leaning against a wall still watching his grandfather work. He knew he should go to bed but he enjoyed watching his grandfather work.
Eventually, Rick closed the robot and turned it on. "Pass the booze." Rick said.
The robot picked up the red cup and brought it to Rick. "Thank you!" He said snatching it. This would be perfect! His daughter was sentimental; she would remember when he said he was going to make a maid robot. This would win him brownie points! "Now arrange my desk neatly."
The robot started arranging his items on the desk in neat rows.
Rick stood up with the robot in his hands. Morty was passed out in a corner of the room, Rick looked at the time, it was one in the morning. He should have known the kid couldn't hang.
Rick walked through the house, most of the party guests were gone save one or two that were getting ready to leave. He was looking for Beth until he heard her in the kitchen.
"Jerry, this party was amazing! I'm sorry of accusing you last weekend." Beth was clearly drunk but she seemed excited.
"It's no problem Beth. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Jerry sound stupid like always.
"I know Jerry. I just…I guess I saw my dad and suddenly all the memories of my mom waiting for him to come back sprung at me. Then that time she found out he was with another woman. That was all I could think about. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry."
"You know I'm not like your father." Jerry said softly.
Rick held his robot to him.
"I know you wouldn't leave without talking to me. Tell me, did he even know it was my birthday today?"
"Of course he did." Jerry said lying through his teeth. "He helped set up with me."
"Jerry, you're lying. He didn't know. You know I can tell when you're lying."
"Okay, but he did help set up and the glowing floaty orbs were his idea."
Rick started to feel a pane inside him. He dropped the robot allowing it to break on the floor. He grabbed a half empty bottle of wine that was sitting on the floor. Rick walked upstairs and into the furnace room. He sat on the cot downing the half bottle of wine. Fuck Emotions!
He looked up when his door opened. "Hey Rick." Morty said rubbing his eyes.
"Morty go to bed." Rick said staring at the bottle in his hands.
"Everything okay? I woke up when I heard the garage door open. I was about to go upstairs when I saw you run up here. You seemed upset."
"I'm fine Morty."
Morty walked over and sat on the cot next to him. "You don't seem fine."
"What do you fucking know Morty? You've known me for all of a week." Rick put the bottle on the ground still staring at it.
"I know you like drinking more than mom." Morty said.
Rick rubbed his hands through his hair. He needed a night out. His late night bar runs were what gave him a night to not think. He hated emotions and thoughts; they got in the way of everything. Why did he have to be human? His mind was always working, it was always thinking. "You up for a night out kid?"
"I don't know, mom said no going out after ten."
"Live a little." Rick said grabbing the kid's arm. He opened a portal and walked through still holding Morty's arm. He couldn't explain it but he didn't want to be in this house right now. Rick walked through and walked into his favorite spot. Aliens were dancing and stripping in different parts of the club.
Morty looked around, "I don't know about this Rick."
"What? You going to chicken out?"
"Mom said that no one should pay for strippers."
"What?" Rick questioned. "No one here is a stripper, they are exotic dancers. Don't ever belittle someone with a name like that! Everyone here is trying to make a living doing what they love and it's people like you that call them appalling names and say they can't do their job."
"I'm sorry Rick. I didn't mean to be like that."
"Think next time you speak Morty."
The two walked up to the bartender. "What can I get ya?"
"Straight vodka." Rick said. He then looked at the kid who was climbing onto the bar stool. "And whatever he wants."
The alien poured the vodka in a shaker with ice mixing the two together then poured the vodka in a cup. It was about to put the vodka away when Rick spoke up, "Leave the bottle out." He said handing the bartender a plastic card.
The bartender then looked to Morty, "Do you have soda?" He said.
Rick grumbled before stopping the bartender. "He'll have a rum and coke."
The alien stared at the old man, "How old is the child?"
"Old enough to get drunk on my planet." Rick said. Earth wasn't known in most galaxies. So most aliens didn't know Earth customs.
The bartender was good with that answer as he grabbed some alien rum off the shelf and topped it with a soda. Morty stared at it, his first drink. He went to take a sip then spit it out, "This is horrible!" He screeched.
To be continued…
So I've working more than 12 hour days at work the last few weeks and while I work overtime, I don't get overtime (salary baby!). Anyways, everything is back to normal and I'm up on sleep. That being said, sorry about the last chapter. I was so exhausted that I don't remember actually submitting the chapter. You see, I have the skeleton of every chapter up to the end written but I typically add and take away before I insert the chapter.