(A/N): Hey, guys! Sorry it's been eighty-four years since I last updated. :,) I've been busy with work and spending time with my new puppy, along with the fact I haven't been sleeping very well at all due to paranoia and one other thing that I don't feel I should mention publicly.

Anyways! I managed to finally find time to finish up this chapter! I hope you like it, and if anything needs to be fixed or changed, just let me know. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Every fish they had caught was thrown back into the lake, save for three, which had been set in the cooler for the night's dinner. Jerry watched the water shift and move under them as Jacob rowed the boat back to shore. It calmed him, to some degree; made his heart ache a little less, as if seeing the fish swim just below the surface and the bugs settling over various floating debris to soak up the warmth of the sun was enough to remind him that he was okay in the present moment, that he could take some time and breath.

"Did you have fun?" Leonard stared at him expectantly, a small smile on his face.

Jerry continued to stare at the water, "Yeah, I did," he muttered, and he really meant it.

"Good," Leonard replied, a content air settling over him, "I'm glad."

The trio remained quiet as they dismounted and gathered their supplies, heading back to the car.

"You seem a little troubled today," Dr. Wong noted as she took a seat across from Jerry, "Did something happen?"

"Ah, well…" Jerry rubbed the back of his neck, eyes downcast to focus on the carpet, "I…" he swallowed thickly, mind searching for the right words, "Um, I've been… since our last meeting, I've been trying to be more," he made a vague gesture with his hand, "I guess, open? Like, I—I've been…" he paused, briefly thinking over the events that took place the last few days, "I don't know… things haven't really seemed to… change," he quietly admitted.

"How so?"

Jerry grimaced, "I took up… a new hobby, just like you recommended, and when my family asked about it, they…" he sighed, leaning back against the couch, "They didn't really care, but… more than that? Like, they only asked me just because, and not because they wanted to hear about my day."

Dr. Wong hummed in response, "Did you tell them how that made you feel?"

"… I did…" he quietly replied, "But… I guess I could have said it better," he fiddled with the button on his sleeve, "I mean, I wasn't really specific about why it upset me. I just, kind of… asked them what was wrong with it… asked if I was allowed to be happy…"

"And how did they respond?"

"They didn't."

They were just coming into town when Jerry saw the movie theater sitting a few blocks across the street, its sign faded with a paper sheet taped up on the door that read "CLOSED," while a list of times sat under it. He vaguely remembered the last movie he saw there, having been around ten. If he remembered right, it was the first movie that he officially saw by himself, and even paid with his own money.

What was it called again…? It was animated, and there was definitely a llama involved. At some point, someone had made a joke, and leaned over the seat beside him, offering gummy worms…

"Hey, could I…" Jerry turned, leaning forward in his seat, "Is it alright if I walk the rest of the way?"

Jacob couldn't help the surprise that crossed his face, "You sure?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, eyes still on the road, "It's a pretty long walk, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I, uh…" Jerry shrugged, trying to think up some sort of excuse, "I wanted to explore a little bit on my own, I guess."

"I don't see why not," Leonard smiled, making a small gesture with his hand, "Here, pull over, and we'll drop him off."

Despite his noticeable hesitance, Jacob did as instructed, putting the car in park and unlocking the doors. Jerry wasn't exactly sure why Jacob was so nervous about the whole thing. He was acting as if Jerry didn't know anything at all about this town, and would get kidnapped if he so much as drifted out of sight.

In some way, it felt a little patronizing, and reminded him of his family, just for a second.

"I'll call if I need anything," he gave a reassuring smile as he stepped out of the car, waving goodbye as they slowly drove off.

It was about three in the afternoon, which meant, if Jerry wasn't mistaken, that his cousin would be working at aunt Sohpiá's diner. He hoped he was, at least. For all Jerry knew, their diner could've been shut down, or maybe he had moved on to bigger things.

Maybe he finally became a game designer like he always wanted…

"Only one way to find out," Jerry muttered to himself, taking a deep breath and starting his walk through the ever quiet streets.

The sign hanging over the building was a vibrant blue, and the letters curved and looped as gracefully as the day Leonard and Cornelius first built the place. Some part of him was glad that there wasn't much of a change, glad that everything still looked bright, because it meant people were still eating there.

Suddenly, in a blurred haze, two figures ran past him, their excited giggles rippling through the air, tugging the string of a far off memory that had been packed into a box so long ago.

"Last person there gets all the pestiños!" his cousin shouted over his shoulder, a wide grin on his face as he ran towards the front door.

"Hey, no fair!" Jerry smiled, chasing after him, "You got a head start!"

There was a beat as Jerry let the memory settle into faded laughter before carefully following it inside of the building. The bell chimed overhead, echoing in the quiet of the room.

"Just a second!" a voice that, despite their time apart, was still somehow so recognizable to his ears drifted from the kitchen window.

Jerry glanced around at the empty tables that had recently been cleaned and reset for the upcoming evening rush. His eyes caught sight of it–the memory.

"[You boys remember to share, understand?]" Sophia warned, setting down a plate at one of the booths, turning her focus to her son, "[I don't want to hear any fighting while your father and I work.]"

"[Yes, ma'am,]" they replied in unison.

"I'll be damned…"

It had come out so faint, just below a whisper, but Jerry still heard it, and soon his eyes met with a familiar green, while an awkward smile pulled at his face, "Um… hi, Neil…"

Same dark, unruly hair. Same pale skin. Same freckles. He was so much the same, that it briefly made Jerry wonder if he looked the same. Maybe it was just his eyes that changed, or maybe it was his entire face, full of creases that came with the stress of every little thing that had been going wrong in his life.

Neil had been wiping his hands on his apron when he stepped out, leaving them in a bundled mess at the front of his shirt as he slowly registered who it was that was standing in front of him. Then, he chuckled, just as awkwardly as Jerry smiled, before releasing his apron and stepping over to his older cousin, "It's been six years you little shit," he couldn't keep the fondness from his voice, socking Jerry square in the shoulder.

"Sorry," Jerry muttered, rubbing at his new injury, "I just, it's been… you know, um…" he tried to find the right words, to find some sort of reason why he hadn't kept in touch more, why he had just… stopped talking…

Truthfully, there was a reason, really, but it was small, and stupid, and selfish, and he'd rather pretend like there wasn't a good excuse at all, because that was less painful to think about than the truth. It was easier to pretend. Easier to forget.

"I get it," Neil sighed, crossing his arms, "Life hits us all, so I'm not too mad," he suddenly pulled on a mock frown, "I'm just a little sad. Why, I've cried myself to sleep because of how much I worried for my dear cousin," he sniffled, dabbing at his invisible tears with an invisible handkerchief, "But I understand. You have no time for me."

"Well, it's good to see you're as serious as always," Jerry smiled.

Neil smiled back, his eyes shifting over Jerry's face for just a moment, catching sight of something, "That's new," he tapped at the bride of his nose, "You get that fighting crime?"

Ah… he forgot about that…

"Oh, this, uh…" Jerry scratched at the scar Neil had been referring to, "I kinda got this from a fishing accident," he chuckled nervously, silently hoping that he would believe him. After all, he doubted "My father-in-law got me involved with a world war he started in some alternate universe and I nearly got my entire vision destroyed when pieces of shrapnel were flung at my face," would sound believable. Sure, it was one thing for his parents (and Jacob) to know about it, but that's because they've actually seen what Rick is capable of doing. Neil hasn't.

Actually, now that Jerry thought about it, he never really mentioned Rick to Neil at all. Maybe that was for the best.

"Oh, right, right," Neil winked, using air quotes, "'Fishing accident.' Totally not fighting the Green Goblin."

"Actually, it was Dr. Octopus," Jerry couldn't help correct. In some way, he supposed he wasn't lying either. While the aliens they ended up running into weren't exactly like Dr. Octavias, they were close enough that he couldn't help make the comparison in his mind. Hell, even Morty pointed it out when they had gotten back home.

"Anyway," Neil chuckled, "I get off work at six today if you want to hang out," he offered, "We could get some sodas and take my van up to the cliff like we used to."

It felt surreal to imagine them there again. Drinking, listening to music and just… talking. About anything.

"Yeah, I'd…" Jerry smiled, the words coming out quite, "I'd like that."

A grin pulled at Neil's face, "Awesome! Are you staying around town or heading back to your parent's place?"

Jerry glanced down at his watch that read 4:30PM, "I think I'll just stay in town," he replied, "Kinda want to see what all's changed."

"Cool! Meet at Rusty's Comics?"

Neil looked so… happy, and Jerry couldn't help but be reminded of his daughter for just a moment, because she really was like Neil in so many little ways that he never brought up to anyone else before, because he knew that no one, aside from himself, actually cared about something as stupid as that.

"You okay, Jer?"

"Huh…?" he blinked a few times, having been pulled from his thoughts by his cousin, who stared at him with just a little concern, "Oh, um, yeah, sure," he slowly replied, offering an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, just, uh… something I remembered, that's all."

"Alright…" Neil carefully replied, his excited smile returning, "Well, I'll see you later then!"

"Yeah! See you later," Jerry offered one last smile as he exited the restaurant, watching Neil wave as he turned back into the kitchen.

Well, that had gone a lot better than he expected.

"Care to explain why our therapy bill increased by seventy dollars?"

Jerry's breath hitched, eyes widening.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. He forgot to pay for his last visit.

He kept his head down and focused on the dishes in the sink, "Um, I'm not sure," he replied, scrubbing at the grime on the plates, searching his mind for some sort of explanation, "Maybe–um, you think Morty or Summer decided to–?"

"No. It's neither of them."

Her voice was so stern, cold. Frustrated.

"Are… are you sure?" Jerry chuckled nervously, "I mean, because I'm not–"

"Dad said that he's seen you there," she paused, as if to let the words sink over him, her voice raising just slightly, "In fact, he said he tracked you there five times over the last two months. Why?"

Jerry swallowed, trying to ignore the thudding in his chest and his shaking hands. Of course Rick had a tracker on him, and of course Beth went to her dad first, because she knew that Jerry would probably lie to her because he was the worst, "I–just, it…" Jerry couldn't manage anything. He couldn't manage to say a goddamn thing, because if he did, he'd start to cry, and the last thing he wanted was to feel even more pathetic than he already was.

"... well?" Beth was glaring at the back of his head, her arms crossed, "Why are you going to see her?"

He opened his mouth, managing to force out a single name, "Lucy…"

That wasn't the only reason, but as soon as he said it, there was a heavy silence, and Beth's glare shifted into mild frustration that mingled into understanding. He waited for her to say something, to scoff, snap at him for keeping it a secret, anything, but all he was met with was silence.

"I'm… sorry," he muttered.

She sighed, and walked off, leaving Jerry with nothing except a sinking feeling of regret.

Jerry wasn't exactly sure where he was walking, and yet the longer he walked, the more he noticed the pull in his chest, the subconscious need to check something. He stopped very briefly to glance at the playground filled with excited, shouting children and unbothered parents exchanging their own colorful conversations.

His eyes caught sight of the unoccupied swing set. It would probably be weird for him to just… sit down.

"You know," Beth was staring down at her feet as she approached the swing set, avoiding the stray puddles of water from the afternoon storm, her hands buried deep into her coat pockets to protect them from the cold, night air, "Sitting in the dark, at a playground, completely zoned out is kinda creepy," she offered a tired smile, giving the empty swing a once over before sitting down next to Jerry.

There was a beat of silence that passed between them.

"You, uh…" her face twisted into a mix of confusion and uncertainty, wondering what exactly the best thing to say was, "You skipped out on dinner," she leaned forward, trying to get a better look at his face, "Joyce seemed kinda worried."

Jerry's stomach churned, his lips parting to try and form a response, yet all he could manage was a humorless laugh, blinking back the tears that were threatening to slip from his eyes.

"How… are you feeling?" she asked the question slowly, yet Jerry could still hear it. That small hint of frustration, because he wasn't being honest with her and just telling her what was wrong.

He sighed, trying to find his voice through the haze, "... Beth… do you…" he turned to look over at her, swallowing hard, "You… love me, right?"

The question had come out so quiet, so careful.

"I… yeah… I think so…?" she tried to force a laugh, "I mean, I kinda have to, don't I ?" her hand moved to her stomach, feeling just the faintest of kicks, "We're stuck with each other, so might as well make the best of it."

He hummed, staring off into the distance, making out blurred shapes in the dark.

See? She doesn't love you. Not really. Not like I do.

Jerry clenched his teeth, his grip tightening on the chains of the swing, "We should move."

Beth blinked, staring at him with some surprise, "W… what for?"

"You wanted to move. Let's move."

"Well, yeah, I did—do, but…" but you don't, went left unsaid, "Why the hell are you bringing this up? I mean, just last Friday, you said—"

"I know what I said!" he hadn't meant to shout, but he did, his voice echoing down the empty streets, slipping into dark alleyways, lost in the dark. Jerry turned to look at her, "I–I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell, I just…" he offered a forced smile, "Um, I just realized that, maybe it would be better for us to move. Maybe closer to the city? Find an apartment near that college you like?"

Beth seemed to hesitate for a moment, eyes searching his face, because something was clearly wrong, but she couldn't tell what it was. Any sort of hint was hidden away, locked tight in a box, buried deep underground, "Alright…" she finally replied, "That would… be fine."

Jerry often wondered how different things would've turned out if he had just been honest with her, told her why he wanted to leave, why he was so… off.

He supposed he could always find out the answer with those interdimensional goggles Rick had somewhere in the garage, but, in truth, he was too much of a coward to actually check and see.

So, he was just left to wonder.

Forever wandering the vast crevices of his mind, left with nothing but the constant question of what he could've done or said differently to avoid every little thing that had gone so very wrong with his life.

(A/N): I want to apologize if the dialog seemed boring or long winded when it came to Neil's introduction! I wanted to try and show his relationship with Jerry through how they addressed each other, and how comfortable he was talking with Neil despite their gap in communication.

If there's any area I can do better in with Neil in the future, please let me know! I plan to incorporate him in future chapters (and possibly future R&M works, but we'll see). I also decided to give a name to the unnamed uncle in "Anatomy Park," along with making him Leonard's brother, to try and add more into Jerry's background.

Again, though, if I messed up on anything, please feel free to let me know! Along with anything that I can utilize more in future chapters (like concepts you enjoyed, and stuff like that)!

Also, before I close this off, I have a ko fi now ( is not letting me post the link, but I'll leave my user at the least):

memyselfandi2008

So, if any of you would like to donate to that, I'd really appreciate it, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this story!