This one's a little long, but I put a lot of heart into it! I hope it shows!

Don't own R&M.

The months passed. Beth's anxiety grew bigger than her baby bump, the former lessened occasionally when Summer or Morty came up to give the latter a kiss. When the baby started kicking, they took turns feeling it and marveled at how such a thing could be possible. Summer was overjoyed to be a part of the baby preparations, as she was a toddler when Morty was born and didn't remember much. Morty began eagerly counting the weeks and proudly wore his "Big Brother" t-shirt, a Christmas gift from Jerry's parents, everywhere he went (it took all of the energy Beth had, which frankly wasn't a lot, to convince him to wear a different shirt once in a while so she could wash it).

Beth called Rick every few days. Knowing that her dad really was on the other end of that phone number gave her confidence. He answered almost every time. The few times he didn't, Beth never took it too personally; all the times he did answer made up for it. She'd update him on her pregnancy ("Baby's kicking up a storm now…no, we haven't found out what we're having yet…"), update him on the kids ("Fourth and first grade…where did the time go?"), and reiterate her excitement on seeing him again ("I'll call as soon as my water breaks! We're so excited to see you!"). She had long stopped asking for a confirmation that he was coming, but when she said things like that, it just made it seem more real. Even if he did remind her that he was really going to try.

As much as it annoyed and confused Jerry that his wife would want to maintain contact with the man who abandoned her (twice), in time he came to accept it, hoping against hope that his father-in-law had changed and that Beth's heart wouldn't get broken again.

After grappling with whether or not to wait until the baby's birth to find out the sex, then grappling with some creative way to tell the kids if they were getting a brother or sister, Beth and Jerry ultimately decided to just bring the kids along to the mid-pregnancy ultrasound so they could all find out together.

The kids were fascinated by the ultrasonography process, but their impatience was showing. Almost as soon as the baby was visible and pointed out to them on the sonogram screen, Morty asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

The kind technician smiled and looked at Beth and Jerry. "Do we want to know?"

Beth smiled and glanced at her daughter, her hands folded together in expectation, and her son, biting his lower lip with his eyes as wide as pancakes.

"I think we do," she answered, taking Jerry by the hand. "Everybody hold hands."

Summer eagerly took her father's other hand and Morty reciprocated, slipping his small fingers into his sister's open hand.

Everyone held their breath as the technician studied the screen.

Finally when it seemed like all four of the Smiths were going to pass out and/or squeeze the life out of each other, the technician looked at Summer and Morty and announced with a smile, "Looks like you guys are getting a little sister!"

Summer immediately released the hands of her father and brother to pump her fists in the air and shriek a thunderous "YES!" Morty, happy with the results because either way he was going to be a big brother, jumped up and down and clapped his hands excitedly.

Jerry closed in on his wife, who had tears of joy streaming down her face. He planted kisses all over her forehead and knuckles. Beth gave a wobbly smile and looked at the ultrasound.

"Another granddaughter for you, Dad…" she whispered.

She called Rick as soon as they got home.

He didn't answer.

Three weeks went by, and Rick still didn't know that he was getting another granddaughter. Pregnancy hormones compelled Beth to call every day, sometimes twice a day.

At night, Jerry held Beth as she cried and he furiously prayed that whatever the hell was going on, Rick would get his shit together in time for his youngest grandchild's arrival. He did his best to comfort Beth, warning her that too much stress wasn't good for the baby.

After a month, Beth gave up. She vowed not to call again until the baby arrived.

Around the 7-month mark, Jerry's parents arrived. With two active and busy kids and one more on the way (and Rick nowhere in sight), two extra pairs of hands were welcome and needed. As overjoyed as the kids were to see their Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Leonard again, Morty couldn't help but ask his mother as she tucked him in that night, "So when's Grandpa Rick gonna get here?"

Beth bit her lip as pulled the comforter up to her son's chin. "Soon, honey," she said with as much confidence as she could slather on. "He should be here by the time the baby arrives." The way Morty's little face lit up filled Beth with guilt. She felt like she was lying. She really didn't know if her dad was coming, or not coming…or if he was even alive.

6000 light years away, Rick was still very much alive and, against his wishes, very much sober.

After catching wind that the Galactic Federation had a lead on him, Rick had fled to Planet Squanch where he had indefinitely moved into the underground bunker of his close pal Squanchy. No one knew where he was except for Squanchy and Birdperson, who also went into hiding with close relatives just to be on the safe side but told Rick that he was more than welcome back in his home once this blew over.

Squanchy brought Rick food and (when he could) alcohol. While Rick was grateful, it was never enough and he spent many a restless night riding out fierce withdrawal symptoms.

His days were spent sleeping, and worrying. Sleep kept the worries at bay, but without the constant stream of alcohol to keep him out, Rick never slept very long; only a few hours at a time and then he was up and worrying himself sick again.

He was worried about his family. He'd had to move quickly, so he hadn't had a chance to pick up the phone and let his daughter know that he was going away for a while. He worried about how many times she had called, and if she was angry at him. He wondered how the baby was doing, always ignoring the gnawing ache in his stomach because he didn't know if he was getting a granddaughter or grandson. He thought about the kids, and how disappointed they'd be if he didn't show up when the baby arrived. He internally raged thinking about Jerry, because, well, Jerry.

Rick hadn't brought much with him to the bunker, but there was one thing he always kept close at hand that quelled his fury and anxiety and calmed him down; a little pocket calendar. Rick looked at it at least once every day, and it became his visual sedative. But it was one date in particular that had this soothing effect on him.

Whenever his emotions got out of control, Rick would fish the calendar out of his lab coat and flip to the date Beth had given him, the one he'd circled in bright red.

It was labeled: "G-Baby #3 due!"

It reminded him to stay strong. No matter what obstacles he faced, he had a family back home that was waiting for him. He was going to get home and see this baby if it was the last thing he did.

It was the reason he was still alive.

That reason for Rick to live had now logged over 8 and a half months in the womb. Beth's stomach had swelled to such ginormity that it prompted Morty to ask, "Are you sure there's just one baby in there?"

Beth had entered a state of perpetual exhaustion that had yet to cease. Her in-laws were a godsend; they dropped the kids off at school in the mornings and picked them up in the afternoons, they made dinner almost every night, and when Beth's feet were too swollen to fit into any pair of shoes she owned, they took over running errands. Beth felt guilty that everyone felt the need to make such a fuss over her, but she was ever grateful for all of the extra help and she would miss it when Joyce and Leonard left.

The kids' excitement grew as the big day neared. They were more attached to the baby bump than ever before. Morty always found an excuse to cuddle up to his mom so he could drape an arm over the bump and feel his baby sister kick. Summer always made sure to give the bump a kiss whenever she gave her mother a hug. While Beth was overjoyed that her kids were so eager to meet their sister, a nauseating twinge in the pit of her stomach refused to go away as she knew that the baby wasn't the only person the kids were expecting soon.

She tried to stop thinking about, but reached her breaking point after putting Summer to bed one night and hearing her whisper, "Please come soon" as she put a small hand on the bulge that was the baby.

Beth whispered these same words to the night sky as she stood on the balcony, Jerry waiting for her in bed.

After four months in the bunker, the Federation closed their reopened investigation and Rick was once again free. He and the guys decided to commemorate their liberation by spending the evening at a bar owned by a close friend of theirs who had ways of making sure no one reported the felonious trio to the Federation if they had a mind to.

Rick was hammered before he even left the house. The moment he'd gotten back he had torn into Birdperson's liquor cabinet, and was a giggling, swaying mess by the time he portaled into the bar. The rest of the evening was drowned in more alcohol, a few illicit alien substances here and there, and a dash of promiscuous female-type humanoids that Rick probably had his way with (his full lucidity was gone by 9 o'clock).

At midnight, his portal gun ran out of charge. Birdperson carried his intoxicated roommate home on his back.

Back on Earth, it was also midnight.

Beth's water broke on her way to the bathroom.

The house was immediately abuzz with activity. The kids were roused, bags were packed, Leonard ran out to warm up the car, and Beth feebly hollered at Summer to call Grandpa Rick.

Morty, tired from being woken up in the middle of the night and confused from the frantic goings-on, began to cry. Grandma Joyce held him in her arms and stroked his back, gently reassuring him that his mother and baby sister were both going to be alright.

Ten minutes later, Beth, Jerry, and Leonard were pulling out of the driveway. Joyce was going to stay home with the kids, hopefully get them back to sleep, and then get them up and off to school in the morning. Although Summer had begged to go along to the hospital, Jerry promised that she and Morty would get to meet their baby sister soon. Joyce eventually got them both back to bed.

As the hospital came into view, tears filled Beth's eyes.

"Please come soon…" she whispered for the final time.

Rick woke well after lunch to a splitting headache and an annoying beeping sound.

Sitting up and downing the aspirin left next to his bed by none other than Birdperson (something told Rick he owed Birdperson big time), he slowly regained his senses as he tried to gather memories from the previous night, and could not. It was hard to think with that beeping going on every 10 seconds.

Groaning and putting his head in his hands, Rick wished aspirin didn't take 20 whole minutes to kick in. He'd heard about a dimension somewhere that had manufactured an ibuprofen that relieved pain instantaneously, but of course no one seemed to know which dimension it was. He'd find out someday. If he was gonna have another wild and crazy night, he would need to. GOD WHERE WAS THAT FUCKING BEEPING COMING FROM?!

Shooting his head up out of his hands (and wincing from the head rush), Rick finally registered the continuous beep as an alert from the phone.

A voicemail alert.

Wait a second…

Oh shit.

Ignoring the still-present throbbing in his head, Rick scrambled for the phone and jabbed the "play" button. An automated voice proclaimed: "You have…one…new message." What he heard next made his heart stop.

"Hi Grandpa Rick! It's Summer! Mommy's water broke, so we're gonna go to the hospital so she can have the baby. We don't know why you're not here yet but we can't wait to see you! We love you!"

Rick felt as though all of his blood had stopped flowing. He frantically hit another button, and the automated voice that was almost mocking informed him that that voicemail had been left twelve hours ago.

He had to get to them. Now.

Rick shot out of bed and was fully dressed in less than 15 seconds. He roughly ran his fingers through his hair, having deemed his hair un-brushable years ago. Taking a swig of mouthwash, he vigorously swished it around his halitosis-ridden mouth as he beelined for the satchel where he always stored his portal gun after a long night.

It wasn't there.

Rick tore his bed apart, accidentally dribbling some mouthwash on his pillow in the process, but it wasn't there either.

Birdperson hadn't emerged from his room to see what the commotion was about, so Rick could only assume he wasn't home. This left the scientist stranded. Hoping against hope that his roommate was home and merely sleeping through this, Rick spit the mouthwash into the bathroom sink and ran from room to room looking for him.

"BIRDPERSON!" Rick shouted. "This is an emergency! Have you seen my por-"

Birdperson was nowhere to be found. But Rick did find his portal gun.

At the kitchen table, fully charged, the coordinates of the hospital already typed in.

Rick fell to his knees. He did not deserve Birdperson as a roommate or a friend.

A/N: Just so none of you are confused, Rick went to the bunker when Beth was five months pregnant, so he was there right up until the baby's due date.

Baby's on her way! Stay tuned!