( 1495 words)

Your POV 

Getting back to the Smith's I looked to see what time it was. Sighing I looked over to Rick and Morty. 

"I should get home. It's getting late" 

"See you tomorrow, (y/n)" 

"Have a nice night, sweetie" 

Nodding I walked out of the garage and started walking home. Sighing as I turned the corner to my house I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Hearing my father yell at me I closed the door and rolled my eyes. 

"Where were you this time? Better not be that stupid scientist!" 

"It doesn't matter where I was Dad!" 

"The hell it doesn't. Tell me or you're grounded" 

"Now, Harold." 

"Don't 'Now Harold' me Deanna. She's our daughter and she needs to tell us where she's going. I don't trust that old scientist guy" 

"She's our daughter, not yours. Both of us decide what happens to her" 

"He's my friend! I should be able to hang out with my friends!" 

"Your friend? He's 70 goddamn years old!" 

"I don't care, Dad! He's my friend and I care about him" 

Running up to my room I closed the door and flopped onto my bed. Sighing deeply I rubbed my eyes as I grabbed my bag to work on some homework. Hearing my door open I glanced over to see my mom. She sat on my bed as she started talking. 

"Your father worries about you. He loves you sometimes he just doesn't know how to show it." 

Turning in my chair I crossed my arms. "You've told me that my entire life and it's never once felt like he has." 

She sighed as she looked at her ring and spun it a little. "He just doesn't know how to express it." 

"Or the fact that he's never once said I love you to me." I said as I picked up my pencil and turned back around. She stood as she shook her head before she left the room. Running a hand through my hair as I looked at my worksheets. Getting up I got changed into pajamas. Sitting on my bed as I put my hair into a bun. Crawling into bed I laid down as I stared at the ceiling. Falling asleep shortly after. 

~Next Morning~ 

Getting out of bed I shook my head. I got dressed and made my way over to Rick's garage. Turning the corner I saw Rick as he was dissecting a rat. Morty came out of the house and said good morning before he walked into the wall as he was heading to school. Looking over to him I rose a brow as he stood and left. 

"That was weird" 

"It was. Don't you have school too?" 

"I don't have to be there until after lunch, that's way I can sleep in later." 

He nodded as he looked at me. Watching Beth walk outside she looked over to us with a blank face. "I am going to work" she said as she got in the car and drove off. Glancing to Rick as he furrowed his unibrow. Turning back to his rat I shook my head. 

"Something's going on." 

He hummed a little before I looked to see what time it was. Sitting on the counter I fiddled with an old Rubik's cube. Nearly throwing it as Rick stood up and started yelling. 

"We're in a simulation!" 

He grabbed my hand before he dragged me into the downstairs bathroom. Closing the door he took off his lab coat and shirt. 

"Take your clothes off, (y/n)" 

"What? Why would I do that you're crazy!" 

"We're in a simulation, the Zigerions that are running the simulation are really uncomfortable with nudity" 

"Then I don't have to take off my clothes, just you do." 

He sighed as he nodded before he stripped entirely. Looking at him I rose my hand to block his junk. "Now what do we do?"

"They're trying to outsmart me in order to get my recipe for concentrated dark matter." I nodded as we left the bathroom. We left the house as we walked down the street. Getting to the park I watched as Rick pulled out some gold necklaces with giant pendants on them. Looking over to me he put on a baseball cap and turned it before he pulled up a pant leg and let his pants sag. He ran his hands through my hair as he messed it up before he smiled gently at me. Going to the stage he sighed as he looked at the crowd. 

"Looks like we can't play our new song about concentrated dark matter with this small crowd." 

We turned around as we started to walk off the stage. Hearing cheering we turned around as the crowd was nearly three times the size. Smirking Rick looked at me before he started to tell the crowed to do a bunch of things. 

They stopped as a couple sounds were made. Rick dropped the microphone and grabbed my hand as he pulled me along. "Come on" 

"Where are we going?"

"With the simulation frozen we can get out of here, the system runs like a conveyer belt. As we move through it the front of it processes it in front of us while it fades behind us." 

We slid as we hit the end of the simulation. Rick hopped down before I smirked gently. "I'm on the edge, of glory, and I'm hanging on the moment of truth" Hopping down I looked over to Rick as he shook his head. 

"2011 just called, it wants its terrible joke back." 

I giggled as he smiled gently at me before we ran off and tried to find a way out of the ship. Running into a room we started to fill our pockets with crystals. Getting as much as we could we found an escape pod as Rick started the vehicle we were on our way back to our planet. After we landed I watched as Rick punched in the code for his safe only for it to be denied. Raising a brow he turned to me before he tried it again only for the garage to fade away. The Zigerions started to laugh and came around the corner. 

"You're still in a simulation that's inside another simulation." 

Turning around I stopped Rick as he wanted to punch his lights out. He put his hands on my shoulders as he glared at them. Grabbing Rick's lab coat we took off towards the other part of the ship as we tried to find an escape pod again. Finding it we got into the cockpit as he got ready. Looking over to me he hummed gently. "We should get moving faster" 

I nodded as he told me to grab a couple things. Mixing them together he looked at me as the pod faded away. Sighing heavily I walked over to the prince as he laughed at us. "You're in a simulation, inside another simulation, inside a giant simulation!" 

Swinging I punched him as he held his face with two of his hands. "What was that for?" 

"I don't appreciate getting messed with, asshole!" 

A coulple guards grabbed Rick and I and took us to an actual escape pod as we shook our heads. Leaving the ship this time we heard the ship of Ziergonians explode. Turning around to see the fireball I looked at Rick as he smirked and sipped his flask. I thought he was going to quit drinking? shaking my head I decided to address it later. 

"You knew?"

"I knew from the entire time after my safe wouldn't open." 

"So you blew them up?" 

"Damn right, motherfucka" 

Giggling a little we got home where I grabbed his hand before he could get out of the ship. 

"I thought you were going to quit drinking"

Sighing he pulled himself back into the car as he looked at me. "I know, I know. I shouldn't have said that to you. I've done some thinking and I'll keep drinking" 

I frowned as I pulled away only for him to stammer at me. "W-wait I'm not finished. I'll still drink just not as much. I can't just cold turkey my habits like that, it'll be bad." I looked down as I felt his hand on my cheek. "But I can start letting people in, starting with you. Deal? I'll let you in and you can know how I feel from time to time, while being a better role model to Morty and Summer while telling Jerry he isn't an idiot, most of the time" 

Lookin over to him I nodded. "Sounds good, Rick." Getting out I closed the door harder than usual. He looked over to me as he sighed gently. Something was on his mind but I didn't care to ask. He did practically lie to me. But it made sense. Old habits die hard, I just had to support him in his journey. But I need some AA tokens first.