Epilogue
The locket was something that each of them wore at one point and time or another on any number of adventures and close shaves. Morty had begun considering it a tailasman to fend off evil (when in fact it was, he just wasn't aware of it). Ricki, Morgan, Sal, Geraldine and Biff went back to their own plane, of course, Ricki making snide remarks and using the usual sarcasm about how much better off she was in her own multiverse. In essense though, she would miss her friends, even if they were herself in another timeline. She knew that Rick understood what it meant to feel paternal and that he did care about his family even though he had a very eccentric and unusual way of showing it. Most of the time it came out as laconic or self-deprecating but at its core, it was extremely affectionate and loyal.
Somehow, Ricki felt that she would be seeing Rick again. Maybe to help him out of a tight spot that he couldn't escape from, but knowing his ingenuity and genius, it was more than likely that Rick would find his own way out of any pickle that he found himself and Morty in. Summer had grown to enjoy the wisdom of her counterpart and found it fascinating that life as a man was just as she thought it would be. It wasn't easier and it carried just as much responsibility as that of being female. She knew that being human was challenging enough and she didn't wish to become anything other than what she was. She was content with her surroundings even if Morty made her grate her teeth occassionally.
Once everyone had said goodbye, Ricki opened the portal and Beth was certain she saw the trace of tears leave her eyes. It might've been that sunlight had been blinding Ricki but she didn't hold the fact that Ricki could show emotion against her. Rick had cried himself, even if it wasn't in front of his own family. Everyone hugged, knowing that time and space wouldn't be screwy if they touched and in their own way, knew their connections even though they would be far from each other. Nonetheless it had been a learning experience for each of them in their own unique, individual ways. Strangely, it had been Rick who had been touched by the whole experience, even if he didn't admit to it outright. He would definitely be more receptive, seeing as how Ricki had been so successful (even moreso than him), but not to the point that he would be seen as being soft. Ricki wasn't a 'soft' individual herself. She was a tough cracker and he admired her for that. 'Someday', he thought, as he wandered back into the lab, 'We'll definitely be in a pinch and need you, and that's what we have the pendants for.'. He finished tinkering, yawned and stretched, but before returning to bed, he quietly kissed Summer and Morty goodnight. 'Even though you don't know it, I love both of you little farts.', he said, quietly as he crept out of their bedrooms and strode into his own. He would always adore them and he would die at a moment's notice to keep them safe, and he knew they would do the same.
The End