Disclaimer: I don't own "Rick and Morty".

Morty just stared between Rick and Summer, completely speechless and flabbergasted. It was up to several seconds in f

act before he could speak. When he did, he stammered, "Wh-what the hell...are you kidding me, Rick? That-that's just crazy; how, how could that even happen-"

"Easy," Rick muttered flatly, his eyes looking even more tired than usual as he carefully observed Summer from a distance, "she somehow switched places with our Summer, who, I hate to say it Morty, is now in Chronenburg world-with my extra portal gun-which I can't afford to lose, so, we're going to have to take a little...erm...trip."

Meanwhile, Summer was looking around the garage, seeming to be absolutely mystified for some reason by her surroundings; leaving Rick to wonder if perhaps something had been dislodged from her brain during the switch. Her eyes were wide and looking all around, her mouth slack with astonishment, as though she had discovered a new alien species.

"But-b-b-b-but-" Morty was hyperventilating again, "how can I even go there, Rick!? W-w-w-w-won't they eat me!? My DNA, you know? The, th-th-the serum-"

"-wears off over time, Morty, so count yourself lucky-because, if you've been Chronenburg'd, there's no cure for what ails ya." Morty watched with disbelief as Rick strode nonchalantly over to Summer, who was still, it seemed, in her own little world. "Yo-Summer #2." Rick waved a hand in front of her face in an effort to get her attention. Summer blinked and, when she finally noticed Rick hovering right in front of her face, she nearly stumbled backwards. "I'm guessing that whatever encounter you and Summer #1-"

"STOP CALLING HER THAT!" Morty exploded with venom from behind him, but Rick didn't bat an eye and kept right on talking.

"must have had before you went down the rabbit hole must have been pretty, uh, awkward? Did she tell you where she was going?"

"We...uh...don't exactly have a house like you do here," Summer murmured as she slowly returned to the room, though it was clear she was still in a daze, "so...I suppose she was looking for Mom and Dad."

A significant silence as loud as the calm before the storm fell over the room. Even Rick couldn't bring himself look Summer properly in the face, and Morty had started up his whimpering again.

Great, Rick thought to himself bitterly, she didn't go looking for Morty...she went looking for them. At this point, they'd probably have to fight tooth and nail to get her back.

"...Morty?" Summer questioned, eyes wide and looking at her brother with astonishment, "are you...crying? What...what's wrong?" Rick winced as Morty broke into sobs, holding his head in his hands, refusing to look his sister in the face.

"Th-they're d-d-dead," Morty sobbed into the palms of his hands. "They're dead, Summer."

"What?!" Summer was shouting in spite of herself; she had never seen her brother this way. It had been enough of a shock to find that he was still alive. Now, he was talking about death. She was shaking all over. "Morty-talk to me! WHO'S dead!? Tell me right now: what happened?! Grandpa Rick, what's going on?"

Morty, it seemed, couldn't talk, so Rick forced himself to step forward towards his granddaughter, who was holding her brother as he wept like a baby, uncontrollably, onto her shoulder. Looking at the two of them, so scared and small and looking up at him, Rick halted in his tracks, wondering how he was going to even tell her. This wasn't his forte; he was not the kind of person who knew how to handle situations like this. This...this kind of thing this was way out of his league.

"Morty," Rick muttered, his eyes falling to the floor with defeat, "tell her."

"I...I can't," Morty pleaded. "You-you do it."

"Rick?" Summer prompted, as she tried her best to comfort Morty by holding him and rubbing his back, "what the hell is he talking about? Who's dead?"

"Beth," Rick forced through his teeth, "and Jerry."

Summer's hand swayed and she nearly fell over; Morty, somehow even in his state, managed to keep her from falling to the floor. "Oh...oh my God...are you serious? Morty? Is he serious? Why-how-?"

"Car accident." Rick took several gulps from his flask. "Their funeral was today."

"OH-" Summer gasped, and started to cry herself as she held Morty close. As she cradled him like that-something neither Summer had ever done-her brother broke down yet again, in spite of himself. "Oh-Morty-I'm so sorry."

"And now everything's all messed up," Morty shook his head through his tears, "and it's all my fault!" He stomped on the floor with frustration, before pacing back and forth, wringing his hands with self loathing, "I should have left a note! I didn't expect she would follow me all the way over here! Oh, this is so awful! if only I had known, I would have-"

"Not your fault Morty." To Morty's surprise, Rick had laid a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder; it was an unusual as well as surprising comfort given the circumstances. "Grieving people are prone to chasing ghosts. Figures she'd choose the worst possible coordinates."

"I honestly thought I was dreaming," Summer said softly as she gently stroked Morty's head. "We built a-uh-fort of some kind to live in after, well, the house got demolished...and this other me just came barging through-I wasn't sure what to think, and she was staring at me like I was the weird one."

"How'd you wind up here, anyway?" Rick demanded. "Did you two have a scuffle? Was it every Summer for herself?"

"Don't joke Rick," Morty snapped. "This is serious! Summer's lost in another dimension-Mom and Dad are-" He stopped himself, afraid that the tears might start up again. Morty didn't think he could bear any more embarrassment.

"She-just kind of went-I dunno-crazy?" Summer shrugged with confusion. "She just basically hurled herself into me, grabbed me, and I guess she pushed me through the portal window, because one second I was there, the next, I wasn't."

"She does sometimes have a super human strength," Morty, whose nerves seemed to have calmed a bit, pointed out. "Right, Rick?"

"Too strong for her own good," Rick agreed, holding his palm out expectantly towards his grandson, "Morty-hand me that portal gun-we're gonna take a little trip to CB Town."