Welp, this is probably the last chapter, unless I decide to include one of Rick and Moty's 'talks' after this. Please review!

He put the metal to his forehead, ignoring how he was practically drenched in alcohol, tears streaming down his face as he knelt on the pavement, in the dark, alone.

He didn't focus on is blaster, though, or his flask, laying in a puddle of spilled booze beside him. He looked at the orn picture in his other hand, rapidly wilting as a stray tear landed on it.

"I'm sorry, Beth- I'm sorry. Daddy's not there- Daddy thought he was doing greater things with science. Daddy was wrong."

The picture fell from his shaking hand, landing in the puddle of booze. He stared at it tearfully- it was soaked, now, it was ruined. Fitting, poetic, even- he couldn't even keep a picture of his child safe, let alone be a functional parent. Instead he was running around other dimensions, he'd deluded himself into thinking he was actually doing the world some good.

And he'd lost everything. He'd come back to see Beth for her eighth birthday only to find both her and her mother gone, the house for sale- hell, Beth probably didn't even remember him, anyways. He was hardly ever around.

"I'm sorry." he took a shaking breath, his lip quivering as his hand shook from the sheer emotions he was expiriencing. He was the smartest man in the world- but he couldn't even keep his family together, couldn't stop all his relationships from fracturing-

Worthless. the wind seemed to whisper to him as he looked up at the cloudy night sky. Pathetic. You can cross the cosmos, transcend to other worlds- but you will never be loved.

He grit his teeth, pressing the barrel into his temple harder. He had the capability to do anything- but all he was left with, no matter the feats he achieved- was nothing.

He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.

He'd expected to just cease existing. There was no god, after all, no afterlife- his nerves wouldn't have the capability to make sense of the blaster hitting his brain before he was dead. There would be no pain- just- oblivion.

Which was why, seconds later, he opened his eyes, surprised he was, in fact, still existing.

He pulled the blaster away from his head, examining it in his hands, turning it over, opening the compartment to scrutinize the inner workings, before throwing back his head and laughing.

The fucking battery had died. "Useless piece of shit." he growled, chucking it across the deserted parking lot before flopping onto his back, into a puddle of more of his spilled booze. "Fucking universe." he didn't have the coherency to get up, and he spent the time watching the clouds move across the night sky idly, shrouding the moon, until he eventually passed out only to wake up in the morning around dawn and stumble to his feet, retrieve his blaster, and grumble before he was stumbling down the sidewalk towards wherever. He'd done his damndest- he just wasn't going to die yet. Fate was a cruel bastard.

He looked up from the memory- he'd been repairing the very same blaster, though he hadn't touched it or even really moved in nearly half an hour. He sighed, dropping the screwdriver onto the metal table with a clang, getting to his feet and crossing the room to sit beside Morty, who was still sleeping.

He knew he'd never have this conversation with the boy if he were awake, but that he had to get it out. He ran a hand through the boy's brown hair absently, looking down at his grandson. He was young- far younger than he'd been when he'd first tried to off himself. He didn't know wether to be impressed or horrified by that fact, and the underground room was silent, save for the beeping of the monitors.

He was sure Morty was out of danger now, but he'd left them hooked up anyways- the beeping, the very sound of the boy's heartbeats, was soothing to him.

"It was never supposed to be you." Rick admitted sadly. "I mean, me- I-I just figured I'd get drunk or sad and off myself someday. Y-you were my hope, Morty. You were the reason I didn't down pills with all the alcohol one night, and the reason I didn't fly myself into a black hole after things didn't work out with that one girl... Because you had to have someone to have adventures with. Every Morty needs a Rick." he smiled slightly at the last part- it was ironic- Morty had been unable to cope without him, and the boy didn't know how much spending time with him motivated him to stay alive, as well.

"And that's far too much to ask of anyone, Morty. Let alone a fourteen year old kid. But you did it, Morty. Y-you surprised me, you surprised everyone- you better not fucking remember this when you wake up, because y-you don't need to be worried about your Grandpa. You have enough going on as it is."

"I never thought you'd do this, either. I never knew I meant that much to you- I don't think I've ever meant that much to anyone, buddy- but I'll try not to disappoint you." he smoothed the hair back from the boy's forehead, smiling.

"You'd better wake up soon, you little shit. It's not the same without you asking pointless questions about everything."

He turned around, going back to work on his blaster. Morty didn't look as pale as he did before- he was on the mend. Now all Rick had to do was try and teach the kid some damn coping skills so he didn't try this again. But there was plenty of time for that.

"H-hey, Rick?" it was two days later when Morty was able to walk around without looking like complete shit that he peered in on his grandpa, looking slightly excited.

"Yeah, Morty?"

"C-can we go on an adventure?"

Rick grinned. "I thought you'd never ask." in an instant, a portal was spattered on the garage wall, green light alluring.

Before Rick could even come up with a jab at taking forever, Morty was through the portal.

He shook his head, grinning, before checking his cloaking device. Everything was still go- he'd wired it to receive signals from Morty's cloaker, as well. It would shock him if the boy's vital signs dropped below normal levels, and he grinned.

"Aaaand the Grandson has landed." he managed, before jumping in after him.

It was just a regular day for Rick Sanchez. But Morty's world was about to get a whole lot bigger.

Well? What do you think? I know the last few chapters didn't have burping in the dialogue, but I figured Rick could repress the urge to do so, since they were having such a meaningful conversation.

Rick isn't going to treat Morty any differently after this- he'll still look out for him, like he always does, but they may sit down once a week to check in on Morty's state of mind and go over coping skills, like the chapter says, so Morty can live a sucessful life after Rick's gone.