Prompt by Wolowizard.

"I can't believe I have to come to this stupid place just to get some Kafadiam crystals," Rick grumbled as he moved through the crowd if Ricks.

Morty never liked visiting the citadel. It always made him feel worthless, like he was reduced to just an accessory at Rick's side. He looked around. Most of the Morty's here looked miserable. And he hadn't forgotten the way the Council of Ricks had offered his grandpa a replacement Morty coupon.

"Here we are," Rick said, sliding into a booth at a diner across from another Rick and Morty pair. Morty kept his head down as he listened to his grandpa speak.

"Do you have the Jaxemoniom?" other Rick asked.

"You bet," Rick answered with a smile, setting a bag on the table. "You got the Kafadium crystals."

Another bag was placed on the table. "Yep," other Rick answered.

The two Ricks exchanged materials. Rick was about to get up and leave when other Rick asked, "How are things going with your new Morty?"

That caught Morty's attention. He looked up at his grandpa in shock, who was trying to hide an expression of pain. "Oh, you know," Rick said. "Business as usual. Come on, Morty, let's go home."

Morty followed his Rick back to the spaceship. Once inside, Morty said quietly, "I'm not your original Morty?"

Rick gave a long, pained sigh. "No, kid," he answered. "You're not."

Morty blinked back tears. His grandpa was his only friend in the universe, and he was just a replacement to him; disposable. Morty's heart sank. If Rick grew displeased with him, what was keeping him from replacing Morty with another one?

When they arrived home, Rick payed no attention to Morty. He quickly moved to his work desk and unloaded the new material. Morty sulked his way up to his room and closed the door. Being around his family was the last thing he wanted right now.

Morty sighed and curled up on his bed. He wasn't Rick's original Morty. That bothered him more than anything else Rick had ever said to him before. He honestly didn't know why Rick stuck around. Morty knew he wasn't smart, and Rick often complained about his tendency to whine. Oh, god. Morty realized that his replacement was inevitable, that he meant nothing to the one person who meant the world to him.

His heart was in so much pain. There was only one thing he could think of to end it. His life didn't matter. He may as well just throw it away.

With a blank face, Morty walked back down to the garage. Rick didn't even look up as he entered. Morty cleared his throat. "What do you want?" Rick asked without taking his eyes off his work.

"Can I take the ship to go get some ice cream with Jessica?" he asked nervously, hoping Rick would believe the lie.

Rick tossed the keys back to him, still not looking at him. Morty sighed. He would never be important to his Rick. Morty climbed into the ship wordlessly, backed out of the garage, and took off into the sky.

He parked himself on the tallest building in the city, an office building used by many companies. Morty sighed. He stepped up to the ledge. "Angels can fly," he whispered, and prepared to jump.

Before he could move, he heard the noise of a portal opening behind him and cursed Rick and his timing. "Hey, Morty, I need your h-" he cut off. "M-M-Morty, what the hell are you doing?"

Morty sighed. "I don't matter to you, so there's no point in going on," Morty said.

"That's dumb," Rick replied. "Why would you think you don't matter to me?"

"I'm not even your original Morty!" he exclaimed. "The council's just gonna give you another Morty after me, so go away. I don't want you to see this."

"Morty, no," Rick said, and Morty must have been mistaken because he thought he heard pain in the old man's voice. "Just here me out, okay? Give me five minutes to tell you why you are MY Morty."

Morty stepped away from the ledge. "Ok," he said. "You have five minutes."

"My original Morty was smart," Rick started. "Too smart for his own good. He was also bitter about being just a Morty. He thought he had something to prove. Morty, he destroyed my whole dimension just to prove he was smarter than me."

Morty's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-your whole dimension."

"Yes," Rick replied. "Everyone I loved, gone. And that Morty? I had to kill him to save the multiverse, but I'm the only survivor from my dimension. I-I couldn't save it, Morty."

"Oh my god," Morty said as tears started to overflow from his eyes. "Rick, I'm so sorry."

"But you know what?" Rick continued. "That Morty wasn't one of the people I loved."

"How could he not be?"

"He was evil, Morty. Even as a kid, he'd always had a mean streak. Adventuring with him was a nightmare."

Morty let Rick's words sink in. He was still a replacement, but he felt too sorry for Rick to feel sorry for himself.

"After he destroyed my dimension, I fled to the only place that was safe for me: the citadel. That's when the council cloaked me and placed me with you. And from the moment I met you, I knew you were different. Those bright eyes looking up at me with wonder and curiosity, that special smile reserved just for me- Morty, it was only a couple of months before I knew I loved you."

Morty wiped the tears from his face. "You love me?" he asked.

"Yes," Rick answered. "And I always will. You're not just some Morty to me. You're my Morty, and that makes you the most special Morty in all the multiverse."

Morty couldn't take it anymore. He broke into an ugly sob. "I-I-I'm sorry," he cried.

Rick quickly walked forwards and wrapped Morty in a hug. "Shhh, it's ok," he said, running his fingers through Morty's hair. "How about we get back in the spaceship and go home?"

"I'd like that," Morty replied. "And for the record, I love you too."