Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/11415627. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Rick_and_Morty Relationship: Rick_Sanchez/Morty_Smith Character: Morty_Smith, Summer_Smith, Jerry_Smith, Beth_Smith_(Rick_and_Morty), Rick Sanchez_(Rick_and_Morty), Rick_Sanchez, Birdperson_(Rick_and_Morty) Additional Tags: Kidnapping, Underage_Sex, Manipulation, Emotional_Manipulation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Rape/Non-con_Elements, Yandere_Rick, Actually_really_sad depressed_Rick, Minor_Birdperson/Morty, I'm_Sorry, Stockholm_Syndrome, Stalking, Grandfather/Grandson_-_Freeform, Incest Stats: Published: 2017-07-06 Updated: 2017-08-04 Chapters: 4/? Words: 15087 ****** Ricked By Sorrow ****** by AmberSurge Summary In another dimension where Morty never meets his Grandpa a Mortyless Rick takes a liking to him. Haunted by his own grief, this Rick becomes possessive and relentless, stalking this dimensions Morty. However, as much as he wanted this Morty, he couldn't find it in himself to randomly show up and live at his daughter's house. So, he found the next best solution. Notes This is my first fanfic I'm writing by myself i'm so sorry i made this its going to be a really dark fanfic later on that i'm creating. I wanted to write one where Morty gets kidnapped by Rick and all the angst stuff. >_< So if you like really dark fanfics I hope you enjoy! ***** Taken Away ***** At the beginning, Morty was excited when summer started. That meant that he could relax all day by himself playing video games, watching TV, or masturbating to porn, all whilst forgetting everything he had learned that year. Unless of course one of his family members wanted to spend some time together or force him to do tasks such as chores. As much as that may have sounded unpleasant it turned out to be much, much more unfortunate for Morty. Because even if his mom did, in fact, have a bad relationship with his father she had to agree. It was just as any other mundane time, eating dinner with his family, when Jerry demanded that Morty should attend evening classes. Morty knew that this was all because of his horribly low grades, that he had no friends, and would waste away the summer again. Nonetheless, his efforts in trying to plead his way out of it failed. “Don’t worry, son! It’ll be great.” Jerry tried to exclaim on the positive note. “The thing about these evening classes is that you’ll be able to still have fun in the morning all the way until 4 o’clock.” Despite that, Morty’s facial expression remained the same. So, Jerry carried on, “Y-You could even try making some new friends as well since they’ll, w-well hopefully, be different from your classmates. They’ll also end at 8 PM. So don’t worry about not being able to get back home on time to go to bed.” He attempted to show some compassion for his son. Morty, on the other hand, wasn’t worried about not being able to go to bed on time, but was upset that the classes had to be so late. Well, his dad was right, he would definitely prefer going in the evening rather than extremely early in the morning. Much like every school in existence. As such, it’d be just four hours of ordinary teaching for Morty… It could be worse. At least he’d have the weekends. So he just continued to eat as his mother began to speak as well. “And who exactly is going to be driving Morty back from this summer school?” It wasn’t a question, everyone at the table already knew the answer. It’d be Jerry of course since Beth always had to work. “If I come home before Morty does it’ll be your fault, Jerry. So please, make sure you pick my son up on time. It’s bad enough you’re unemployed.” Beth always had to fluster around about her mistakes and how she had to have married a poor excuse of a man. Here she was, with a doctoral degree, performing heart surgery on horses all whilst trying to support the family on her own. She hated how the man she had to marry wasn’t even making any income. Now he decides he wants to help out with Morty’s education. “Not to mention I’ll also have to be paying for these classes too! This better not be an excuse for you to run off after you drop him off doing whatever YOU do and using this as your defense.” Beth and Jerry started to argue with each other again. It was never anything new. It was, however, always traumatizing for Morty. He hated listening to his parents fight. Especially at the dinner table where he couldn’t just decide to awkwardly leave and go to his room. “Ugh, why don’t you just have Morty volunteer? He’s like, what, turning 15? It’s not like he’ll learn anything anyways.” Summer decided to look up from her phone when all she wanted was for the sound of her parents loud bickering to stop. She honestly didn’t really care for her brother at all. He was a loser at their school, getting bullied by Brad or embarrassing himself in front of Jessica. Summer was glad she wasn’t like her brother and at least got better grades than him. Thus, her parents didn’t have to bother her as much as in comparison to Morty. She’d be home free and able to hang out with her friends or just chill on the couch thanks to her dumb little brother. During this moment, all Beth wanted to do was complain about her husband and how she wished her family was better. “Well, sweetie, why don’t you ask your father since he’s SOO good at working!” Beth sarcastically waved her arms around in the air. Sometimes when she’d get really agitated she’d start crying about her own parents and how they left her. Especially her father, which would make Jerry roll his eyes at her. Beth liked to think that he did it because maybe her husband was also upset that her parents abandoned her. That probably wasn’t the case though… Jerry coughed. “Summer, your mother and I’ve already decided on taking Morty to summer school in the evening.” Jerry stated as a matter of fact. “Aren’t you like 17 years old? You haven’t even started volunteering and you’re going to college soon!” Jerry laughed, but it was a good idea for Summer to start now if she’d even be able to get a scholarship. Jerry looked back at his wife to see her looking down at her food uninterested. At this, Summer tried laughing it off with Jerry as she hoped her dad wouldn’t pursue this topic any longer. “Yeahhh, yeah you’re right evening c-classes, uhhh, schooling? Anyways, sounds great.” Summer hurried to eat more of the leftover food on her plate so Jerry wouldn’t continue to try and talk to her since she had her mouth full. Morty sighed. He obviously knew what his sister was doing now but didn’t seem to care enough to call her out on it. Morty just sat there, silently picking at the food on his plate so he wouldn’t accidentally join in on the conversation and make something worse for himself. It was somewhat self-centered but so was everyone else in the Smith family. Sadly, for Morty, dinner went on and so did his parent’s conversation about him attending evening classes. Every day, Monday through Friday, 4 PM to 8 PM. Morty would be dropped off at this new summer school at 4 o’clock and then picked up by Jerry at 8 o’clock. Therefore, when 2 weeks of this torturous procedure go by he doesn’t expect anything different. Teacher says class dismissed, everyone packs up their supplies, and all the students go wait outside on the small campus for their ride. As time passes by, students fade away, hopping into their car rides and leaving to finally go home.   It’s 9:00 PM.   An hour went by. Morty looks around while sitting on the bench, clutching his phone tightly in his right hand like a lifeline. He’s the only one left on campus. No big deal. It shouldn’t be a big deal. Why's he acting like it’s a big deal? In the past, one or two of the days he spent here during his two weeks, Morty would prank his dad by riding a taxi home instead. Morty tried getting out of school early to do this and arrive home quicker so he could tell his mom. He didn’t do this because he hated his parents, no. He did it so that maybe if his mom got upset enough she’d reconsider leaving Morty at summer school and that the whole thing might have been a bad idea. But all it did was get him in more trouble with his parents. They came to a resolution on taking away a part of Morty's allowance so that it didn't happen again. Morty didn’t remember to bring change for a taxi anyways. He glanced down at his phone and pulled up contacts. His thumb hovered over the phone screen, there, on the flashing device, were 4 visible names. His mom, his dad, his sister, and the home phone. His heart sank and all he wanted to do was be alone in his room and watch porn or something. He didn’t want to sit here alone on the dark cold bench of another horrid school under the darkened night; looking at his phone and… Crying? Morty couldn’t help it. He felt like such a loser sometimes, and he knew he was. It was even evident with how his family treated him. And it was right in front of him too, with the number of his pathetic contacts only being 3 people out of that very family. Where the hell is dad? Morty wiped his tears on the front of his yellow shirt and decided on being angry instead. Why hadn’t he called him earlier? Who the fuck was he to wait here an hour without doing anything? Jerry should have picked him up and left already. When Morty got home he’d never let this go past his mom and get out of this godforsaken school. Finally, Morty tapped on his screen to go and call Jerry. Surprise, surprise another 10 minutes go by with 5 attempts at calling him and no response. Okay, he’ll just have to see how he likes it when Morty starts to call mom. Of course, no response. She’s always working late at the horse hospital performing surgery. Morty still starts to panic though. What if Summer doesn’t answer? She could be at some party for all he knows and his sister never seems to care about him that much. So even if she sees him calling she might decline. What if everyone’s dead? What if someone broke into his house and murdered everyone? Morty didn’t want to call Summer directly so he dialed the home phone to see if anyone was there. Ring, ring… The phone went off at the perfect time for Summer. “UGH, are you fucking kidding me?” She was just lying on the couch watching some dumbass chic flick on TV. Summer didn’t want to have to get up and check to see who was calling so late at night. And to add on top of that, just at the right moment ads started playing.   “Hello?” Summer answered the phone. “S-Summer.” Morty was even more anxious, breathing heavy, he needed answers. “Wh-what are you d-doing? Wh-WHERE’S DAD?” He raised the tone of his voice a little so that he didn’t have to stutter and would sound more serious. “Oh.” Summer payed no mind towards his actions and glanced back at the television screen. “He went to go see mom cause he thought she was cheating on him with that other dude that works with her.” This doesn’t make any sense.Why would Jerry be at the hospital with Beth? Morty’s mom should have gotten angry at him already and told him to go leave to pick up Morty at summer school. If he couldn’t reach them on the phone Summer wouldn’t be able to contact them either. Suddenly Morty starting trembling a little. His heart beat quickened. “What was his name again? D-Dave? David? Oh, right! Davin.” Summer was just rambling at this point. “I don’t know why I even bothered remembering his name.” Summer snickered. “I think it was because dad talked about him before he left.” Morty wanted to cry again. “A-Are you kidding me?!” What Summer was talking about wasn’t important. “I-I’m I’ve, I’ve been st-stuck out here a-all by myself w-waiting for him a, an wh-whole hour!” Morty lost track of his words sometimes when he got real nervous and frustrated. “I’ve, I’ve been calling mom a-and d-dad and ney-neither of them’ll p-p-pick up my phone call!!” “Yeah well then what makes you think that I’ll be able to contact them? Mom and dad won’t even let me drive yet, plus both the cars are gone.” Summer was growing bored of talking to Morty on the phone as her TV show went back on. Morty was seething at Summer’s attitude and just hung up on her. That was when he realized that his phone was running out of battery power. The cloudy night sky, above the dimly lit campus bench, conflicted with Morty's eyesight. Maybe he could just find his way back onto the city and walk on home from there. Morty shoved his phone back into his pocket. Feelings of uncertainty hit him fiercely, a sudden unease pouring inside the hole of his beating heart, Morty felt like he was being watched. Watched from a distance. He turned to look everywhere around him. Nobody. He actually was concerned that a figure might have been watching him the whole time. Like this feeling of being observed happened every time he got picked up from school. It was more than likely his anxiety disorder kicking in.   Approaching him through the darkness of the night, the shadowy figure of a man walked towards Morty on the bench.   Holy shit. It was too dark to make out who it was but it looked like his hair might have been electrocuted. It was spiky, pointing up in all sorts of ways. This was just a joke, right? Morty stood up and took a few steps backwards in another direction. As that flight or fight instinct came into effect Morty’s body decided on running away. But, instead of turning the fuck around to run better he decided to just keep on going backwards, like a part of him was afraid to turn his back on the man. Morty should’ve turned around though because as he took another step backwards he hit something hard. He couldn’t have hit a wall or a pole because he knew that he was at least walking on the damn sidewalk. His heart was pounding and his body felt rigid. Morty tried dashing away but the… soft… arms? … FEATHERS?! The feathery arms grabbed him around his waist tightly. Morty then tried kicking his legs to the best of his ability, which wasn’t much since Morty was weak for a boy. His fists also started punching back but he couldn’t move his arms. They were strapped down to his sides by this monster thing… Goodbye world, not like anyone really cared about me anyways. Today’s the day I die.Morty whimpered as he felt a piece of cloth cover his nose and mouth. Morty only felt it as he wasn’t looking anymore because somewhere in this mess he had to have closed his eyes. Lost in the adrenaline of fear Morty wasn’t even sure if he was screaming for help or just silently taking it. Throwing his head around like a maniac Morty tried shaking this person off him. It didn’t help as he had to hold his breath while doing it, guessing that whatever cloth they put on his mouth wasn’t good. Morty felt like he was in one of those stupid action movies and almost wanted to laugh. This, however, was no movie. This could be the way Morty died, right here, right now. That thought made his blood run cold, it was almost enough for him to stop moving all together. So, he started kicking again and tried to get his arms released. At least, Morty thought he was doing this, but they were starting to go numb. In reality, Morty was only wiggling around like a rag doll in this man’s feathery… arms. Morty squeezed his eyes shut tighter, he didn’t want to see what was going on. He thinks he heard some footsteps from that spiky haired shadow man and thought he heard him call his name. He wasn’t sure because everything was starting to quietly faint away. Morty was going to wake up soon and this will all be just a nightmare. That’s what Morty had to keep telling himself. Even so, the logical part of his brain, if he had any, was yelling at him telling Morty that he was being stupid and that he knew exactly what was going on. This wasn’t a nightmare, this was really happening. Morty was being drugged and God knows what’ll happen to him now. The dizziness in his head made Morty feel light, he could barely hold himself up. Morty believed that he had turned into air. Was the person holding him turning him around? The last thing Morty tried telling himself, before falling completely unconscious, was that he’d be alright. ***** Day One ***** Chapter Notes So Morty doesn't get to talk to Rick that much in this chapter & theres a small cliff hanger at the end so I promise to make the next chapter even longer but it could take awhile. ^^; See the end of the chapter for more notes Day 1   As Morty rubbed at his eyes, he leisurely started opening them slowly. His senses were coming back when he noticed that he had a major headache. The throbbing in his head was unbearable, where am I? Morty heard the rattle of a chain move across the floor as he sat up. He was… he was lying on a mattress and had a few blankets covered over him. There was also a small pillow where he had rested his head on. He went to call out for help, but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a muffled noise. Something was stuffed in his mouth… Like a gag or muzzle. His eyes widened and that was when the recognition of what happened last night caught up with his brain. He was kidnapped. Somebody grabbed him and made him inhale some sort of chemical which made him pass out. Now he was chained up in a room where he couldn’t even yell for help or try to escape. Worst part was that he didn’t even know who, or what, IT was. Were they going to rape him? Murder him? Torture him? Morty knew that they didn’t want any information from him. He was stupid as hell. Morty shook his head quickly with his eyes closed, he wasn’t going to think about what they’d do to him. He needed to keep a clear mind and figure out a way to get out of this place. When Morty sees the guy that did this to him, he swears to God, he’ll attack him without a second thought. His heart was racing in his chest. Continuing to survey his surroundings, Morty realized that he was chained up to the wall, and to his right there was a crank with a key hole under it. Maybe that was to make the chain longer? With how long it was now he’d be able to walk to the center of the room, that was about it. The metal around his wrists weren’t too tight, but they weren’t loose enough where he could slip his hands out of them. On the left side of him there was a door a short distance away; he could go in there if he wanted to. Straight on ahead of him lying on the bed was another door, which he couldn’t reach. It seemed to be the door that led to the entrance of this room. And on the wall to the right of him, just far enough down to where he couldn’t reach it, there was yet another door. Okay… So, let’s see what’s going on. “Nnn…” Morty whimpered as his head started to pulsate again. His legs were a bit wobbly as he went to stand up slowly. So, he was chained up in a room, but the chains could get longer. Morty went over to try turning the crank, except it wouldn’t budge. Disregard that, they can get longer, but you must have a key. Morty rolled his eyes, which earned him another throb in the head. It appears everything liked being against Morty today… or tonight. Sadly, he had no track of time. Morty reached up his hands around the back of his head. He wanted whatever the fuck it was out of his mouth. There wasn’t a tie though, he felt a little padlock on the leather. Dammit. He was extremely angry now. Normally people would be crying or in shock, but in this occurrence, he was pissed off. Maybe it was only because he was alone in this room and had no control over his situation. No one else was in here with him and he was starting to feel claustrophobic. How would he react when he saw the guy that did this to him? How many people were there? Was it the guy that held him or the one that called his name? How did they even know his name? Morty was scanning the walls again, anything to tell him that this was all a dream. He was doing the best to ignore the pounding in his head. Then he found it.   There was a camera up in the left corner of the room. It was positioned so that all the tiny room could be seen. Morty flipped off the camera and hit his fist against the wall that was behind him. This had to be a joke. Guess the only thing left to really do was check out the door Morty could reach. He prayed to God that it was the door to get out of this room. He’d open it and his family would be there laughing. They’d all go on about how scared he was when they took him and then they’d all happily go home. Fine, he’ll play along. Morty put his hand on the door knob, but paused before opening it. Who was he? Telling himself lies just so he’d feel better… his family never really cared about him. All he’s ever been was a nuisance. The memories of the night before… Was it even the night before? What time is it now? There were no windows in this room, how long has it been since he’s been kidnapped? A few minutes? Hours? Days maybe? His heart rate was beating so fast. That guy had called his name… Morty’s breathing turned into hard labored breaths as his throat grew dry. It was hard to swallow with this damn thing in his mouth as his heart kept hammering away in his chest. If this was really the door to leave… And he wouldn’t be able to leave… Did he really want to open it? Did Morty want to see who kidnapped him? What if no one was there? What if they just put him here in this room to keep him all by himself until he died from starvation? Maybe he was only a victim of human trafficking and would live the rest of his life as a slave. If that were the case, why would they give him a mattress and stuff? Right, because a bad guy can’t be fully bad. Morty rolled his eyes at his sarcastic thought, it helped calm him down a little. Not enough to do anything, but just enough for him to gain some courage in seeing what was behind the door. Morty closed his eyes as he flung open the door and held his breath. Before opening his eyes again, he let out a sigh. In that moment, he couldn’t tell whether he was filled with disappointment or relief. The door didn’t lead to a way out, not at all. It led to a small room with nothing but a sink and a toilet. There was a mirror above the sink, but other than that there was nothing else. Morty flipped the light switch to turn on the little light in the room. At least it was powerful enough to fill the whole room with light. Morty took a step into the room and was already at the center of it, yes, it was that small. He was able to reach everything in here. So, the guy that drugged and kidnapped him was going to let him use the restroom when needed. Morty was trying to make himself be as sarcastic as he could. However, he realized it could be a lot worse. What if Morty was locked in here, as punishment, with nothing, nothing but the cold floor. Strangely enough, when he looked down, he fathomed the floor of the main room which had carpet. This bathroom also had tiles. All his clothes were on, his short sleeved yellow shirt and his jeans. Even his socks and shoes were still being worn on his feet. Who abducts someone and treats them so nicely?Morty would've clenched his teeth if it weren’t for the gag. It was as if Morty was being treated like a guest, well, if you overlooked the chains and gag. He couldn’t let his mind wander too much, Morty had to keep himself angry. If he let himself be overrun by fear then he wouldn’t know what to do. He needed to be pissed at this mysterious man. Or maybe men… Or women… It didn’t matter. If Morty thought about his situation too deeply, he might freeze up completely, and that’s not the type of person he wanted to be. Without hesitation, Morty could have the upper hand. Therefore, he had to come up with a plan. Morty gripped the edge of the sink until his knuckles turned white. He wouldn’t let himself go into denial about the state of his condition. If he did, it would be hard to tell what’ll happen next. Morty couldn’t just run out of the door when they opened it. Whichever door that happened to be, his chains wouldn’t allow that. Would they be dumb enough to get close to him? If they were maybe he could choke them? Or at the very least throw his shoes at them? All things considered, if he did that it wouldn’t exactly help him. Morty needed the key to unlock himself, and he wasn’t going to get that if he choked them. Unless they had it on them when he killed them… But was that a risk Morty was willing to take? He knew that there were two guys, could he really kill both? If he did that what would he do if they both didn’t have the key on them? Wait, my phone!!!Morty felt the hope rising within him and dug his hands into his pockets only to come up empty handed. Dammit! Fuck! Aw geez, that’s right…Morty ran his hands through his hair, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. Morty’s phone was already about to die last night. He didn’t care what he was going to do anymore. There was no way Morty would be able to carelessly kill two people. He needed to get out of here alive and killing them wouldn’t help him unless he knew for a fact that they had what he needed. Morty was going to have to “play nice” as much as that killed him on the inside, as much as the thought made him sick to his stomach. But, he would not. He would not let these people take advantage of him. Morty was trying to piss himself off again, trying to make his blood boil. That’s what he wanted, no… It’s what he needed. More than anything else right now, Morty needed to stay strong. Looking at himself in the mirror, Morty shook his head. He wanted that thing out of his mouth, and he wanted out of this damn room. He looked down so that he wouldn’t have to look at himself anymore. That’s when he saw that the sink had cabinets under it. Morty was trying not to get his hopes up in thinking that there’d be something useful, but it was too late to push all his thoughts away. Quickly, Morty opened it up. There was no relief in his system for what he found, only another wave of disappointment. The only items in the cabinet under the sink were a few boxes of tissues and some extra toilet paper. Morty slammed his fist down on the tile and if he could, he would’ve screamed. There was nothing in that room that could have helped him. With his hope gone, there was only anger left. Morty exited the small bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. Sitting down on the mattress, Morty glared ahead of him at the door in front of the bed. He spent the next five minutes thinking about everything and what he wanted to do to the people who put him in here. He started to shake, making himself so mad. Good… Keep that emotion. That’s the only emotion he’ll need to have while imprisoned. Morty wasn’t going to let them break him. He wouldn’t let fear overtake him. As if something was taunting his thoughts, everything Morty was feeling up until now left him as soon as the door knob in front of him started to move. Morty’s blood ran cold and the color drained from his face. He was sure he looked like a ghost, but honestly, being a ghost would be a lot better than being in this circumstance. He was desperately trying to go back to how he was feeling just seconds ago, but nothing he did worked. His throat felt tight and maybe there were even tears forming in his eyes. He couldn’t tell if they were there out of frustration or fear. I need to stay strong if I’m ever going to get out of this and see my family again… Oh God… Why did he have to bring up his family again? Does Morty get off on making himself suffer this way? He must be so naïve all the time in telling himself that there’s a reason for him to keep on living. If anyone gave a shit his dad would have picked him up instead of running off, whining about his mom cheating. Morty wouldn’t be in this mess crying about how he wanted to go back and continue living his sad life with a dysfunctional family. Did anyone even notice he went missing? Did they just move on and figure that he must of ran away? Is that what they think? Did anyone—No. No one saw that he was taken. Everyone left with their parents, like he should have. Morty’s breathing sounded wheezy as it came through the small holes in the gag. He found himself curled up, his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Why did he have to react this way? He didn’t mean to. It was just happening. Morty could only hope that he wasn’t going to have an anxiety attack. He was acting so helpless and vulnerable and he couldn’t stand that. The door opened slowly and his breath hitched in when he saw his face. He had a pale grayish complexion and narrow eyes which looked as if they had seen everything. His eyes alone were enough to burn holes through Morty. He was a tall, lanky old man. It was the same spiky haired man but this time Morty could tell that the color of his hair appeared to be grey-blue. He also had a unibrow. What was surprising to Morty was how old he was with his face being wrinkly and having dark bags underneath his eyes. There was green spit on his mouth too which grossed Morty out. He looked very unhygienic. Morty didn’t want to be anywhere near this guy who happened to be part of one of the individuals who kidnapped him. Morty didn’t want to offend anybody as well, but the only thing he could think of when he saw this old man was that he might’ve been a pedophile. What he was wearing made him look even creepier. The elderly man had a white lab coat on with a light blue shirt underneath. He also had on brown pants, a dark brown belt with a yellow buckle, and black shoes. Morty got real nervous seeing this. He was probably going to be abused by this man. Guessing by his lab coat, he could be a doctor and might use him for testing illegal medicine injections or needles. Or perhaps he was some sick, twisted mad scientist which seemed to suit him better. The more Morty looked at him, the more he felt afraid and disgusted. It beyond freaked him out when Morty caught the smile he had on his lips, which accentuated the wrinkles around his mouth. Morty didn’t know what else to think about him, a mixture of emotions went through him. Anger and fear being the two that won out. He was smiling down at a kid he took in the middle of the night. What the fuck was wrong with him?! At the same time, it kept Morty from getting up and trying anything to attack him. Who smiles at someone like that? What was he planning? What was he even thinking? Morty was too lost in his thoughts that he hardly noticed when the man walked into the room fully and closed the door.  “H-Hey, Mmm-Morty…” He said Morty’s name softly, like it was some fragile thing that could break with the wrong tone. It twisted Morty’s stomach in ways he didn’t want to think about.     Chapter End Notes I feel so guilty for even writing this. I thought that if Morty never knew Rick or that he was his Grandpa he'd be pretty grossed out. Like its this disturbing old man especially since he just kidnapped him... What is wrong with me D: ***** Day One Part Two ***** Chapter Notes I just wanna say that I love all of you and thank you to all the people who've commented on my work, it really means a lot to me especially since I feel like my writing isnt that good. :) I tried making this chapter longer than the others as well. I also had no idea how to write burping and read a lot of RnM fanfics so if you see the "URP" or "Urpgh" italicized I just wanna make it clear that its Rick burping, lol. XD See the end of the chapter for more notes Day 1 Part 2   Morty tried to calm himself. He watched as the man put down a bowl, a bottle of water and a container of pills. Is he going to drug me? “Let me get that off you.” The elder walked towards him and Morty went stiff. Everything he had done prior to remain composed vanished as the man paced closer. What was once a relaxed state of mind jumbled into chaos. Morty cringed as the man reached into the pocket of his lab coat. The next thing he felt was the ball being removed from his mouth. His jaw was sore. When the old man hunched over and bent his knees, their eyes were level. At this, Morty could smell the scent of alcohol oozing off the exterior of his body. Reminiscent of the same way you can smell the stink of a cigarette off a heavy smoker's clothes. “S-sURPHorry about th-that, I didn't wanna to put it on you, but B-Birdperson told me I should so y-you wouldn't act like a lil' shit, screaming and causing a scene wh-when y-you wOUGHke up.” The man stated nonchalantly, as if he weren’t committing a crime. He had a very bad breath which was terrible, the stench of liquor being unbearably hard to endure. As unpleasant as his odor was so was the way he burped. That asshole also just insulted him too. It was another reason of why Morty started to hate this man. Did he not have any manners at all? Morty flinched away as the elder reached a hand towards his cheek. Much to Morty’s amazement, he looked disappointed and a little hurt before lowering his hand back down. “I’m Rick, i-in case you wanted to know.” Rick got up and went back to where he left the items he brought in. Morty rubbed at his jaw which was still a little sore from the gag. What was up with him? Morty wanted to yell and ask why he was here and what was going on, but the words were glued to his throat. It was almost like they were purposely clinging on to the inside of it, begging not to be released into the air. “H-here, take some Advil. I wasn’t sure if y-yoURPH-you’d be in pain, well p- probably, since you Morty’s are all so sensitive.” Rick belched as he grabbed the container of pills, which might’ve been the Advil, and opened it up to take some out before walking back over to Morty. Holding them out for him with the bottle of water Morty almost didn’t take it. He didn’t understand what was happening. Why was this man doing this and why did he refer to him as “Morty’s”? This wasn’t how things worked out in the movies… Glaring up at him, Morty held out his hand where Rick dropped the pills into and took the water from him. When the elder turned back around Morty examined the pills before putting them in his mouth and swallowing. They looked fine, at least to Morty. He didn’t think he’d be able to tell if they looked any different anyways. “I-I also brought in some grapes.” Rick picked up the bowl, Morty began to realize Rick also had a stutter like himself. “I-I waURp-wasn’t sure if y-you’d be hungry. Plus, chloroform makes some people such as your-URPGH-self nauseous.” He explained and Morty’s face paled. That’s what they used on him. Rick and… that Birdperson. Which made a lot more sense now, but… “I-I’ll leave these here.” He placed the bowl of grapes down on the bed, cutting off Morty’s thoughts. It looked like Rick was about to say something else, but he didn’t. Morty’s heart was racing, should he say something? Would it make this situation better? Would he be able to leave any sooner? Was Morty going to be able to leave at all? “Thanks…” Morty whispered, he wasn’t even sure if the words left his lips or not. But he knew the man heard him because when he glimpsed up at Rick, he had a light in his eyes. One a child would have after getting their first puppy. Rick stretched out his hand down to ruffle Morty’s hair and Morty had to bite the inside of his cheek not to pull away. Why wasn’t he pulling away? Why wasn’t he letting him know just how disgusted he was towards him? Why didn’t he just slap his hand away? Was Morty honestly that scared that he didn’t want to anger him? With how old he looked it should've been easy to fight him off. Or… No… That wasn’t it. Morty knew why he wasn’t fighting him. He wasn’t fighting him because he was being a nice guy. Yeah, well, sort of, he kidnapped him, but… He wasn’t hurting Morty. Rick was playing the good guy in this scenario, or at least as close to the good guy as he could get. That caused all Morty’s normal reactions to get muddled up. He didn’t know what to do, any sane person would’ve still said he deserved to be treated badly. But… Maybe that’s what was wrong, a part of Morty didn’t want to anger him too. Why though? No, remember, for now he just needed to play along. This was all a game. Morty needed to get his thoughts in order. He wouldn’t let himself think about his feelings concerning this man, Rick. He needed to get out of here and it looked like working with him was going to let Morty achieve his goal a lot sooner than working against him would. Morty had to hold on to his morals though. He doesn’t care how much Rick asks for, this is as far as Morty will go. He will not kiss this weird old man, and won’t let him touch his body either. The only way Rick was going to be able to do that was if he killed Morty first. The cognition repulsed him. Morty felt like he was going to vomit imaging the elder taking advantage of him. Staring down at the bowl of grapes, they looked a little odd but Morty shrugged it off. “I-It’s eight, I-I’ll be baURPck in at nine. But, i-if you need anything before that let me know. D-Don’t, don’t want to overwhelm y-you or anything, Morty.” There it was. The way he said Morty’s name. It still made his stomach twist and knot. Rick didn’t wait for a response from Morty and reached into his lab coat to remove his flask and take a long drink. It smelled awful but instead of expressing his contempt Morty did nothing. He only waited until the man left and heard the door close. When Morty looked back up from the bed the gag was off the floor, Rick must have taken it with him.   After he left Morty could still feel the tension in the air. And suddenly he realized just how lonely this room was… He’d have to get used to this quiet room. It wasn’t that big, but when you could only go into the restroom and halfway across the floor… The room seemed as big as a country. Morty glanced over at the last door in the room. He now knew the way out and the restroom so far. Even so, what was in there? Torture devices? Morty quivered. Don’t think about it. He sighed and picked up one of the grapes and inspected it. Yet again, it looked okay to him… But Morty already knew he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. So, he popped it into his mouth and chewed it up before swallowing. Well… It tasted okay. He decided to eat a few more before scanning around the room again. There weren’t any clocks… Rick said that he’d be back within an hour. There was no way for Morty to know when that hour was over… And—wait. Was Morty looking forward to that? Did he want this man back into this room? No. Morty was a person and people crave human contact, that’s all there is to it. Plus, the more Morty talks to him, the faster he can escape. That’s what it was. Morty wanted to know how a different person would’ve reacted in this situation. He didn’t want to think about Rick, Morty needed to focus on himself and how he was going to start behaving. You know what? Fuck it. Morty was going to get a clock in here… He needed something to do before he went crazy. Morty took off one of his sneakers and threw it at the door, “R-Rick!” Morty shouted. The door opened again and Morty could see into what appeared to be a hallway. Was Morty in this man’s house? “Yeah, Morty?” The way he said that got under Morty’s skin. It wasn’t just the way he said his name, but those two whole words put together. It was as if Rick was excited to have Morty call him, like meeting a long-lost lover, although also having an apparent ting of annoyance. It was like this was something he wasn’t necessarily expecting, but intrigued him nonetheless. Just from that it made Morty want to throw his other shoe at him. Morty frowned over at Rick and slipped off his other sneaker. That’s when Rick stepped into the room, glanced down and mockingly scoffed, “Want your shoe back?” He laughed and that’s when Morty threw his other one at him. It would’ve hit him right in the stomach, if his reflexes weren’t so fast. Rick ended up knocking it away with his hand before it even landed. An unamused look was manifested on his face. “Y-You think that this’s some funny game for you, d-don’t you? Huh, Morty?” Caught in Morty’s throat was his breath. He tightened his jaw and stared up at Rick. “Y-You little dumbass!” Rick was now acting visibly hostile. “Don’t you have any idea what kind of fucking position you’re in? I’d fucking keep still if I were you, unless you wanna try fighting me?” His vicious demeanor was to be expected by Morty, yet still intimidated him. “Go on! Why’d the fURP-fuck you try hitting me?! T-Tell me wh-why you’re upset right now cause d-don’t think I already know the answer!” The expression on Morty’s face sent Rick a flashback to the past and everything stopped… “What did I ever do to you, Morty…?” His features softened. Rick looked pitiful, like he was now seeking comfort from Morty. Was he honestly not that angry anymore? Morty thought Rick would yell more, hit him, punish him. Something, anything else in a negative way, but instead he got this. He couldn’t make eye contact with Rick, it would make him lose his nerve, so Morty looked past him at the door. “I-I want a clock.” Morty said, voice sounding forcefully stern, but quiet as well. He was afraid to talk any louder, Morty didn’t want his voice to waver. “Yeah? Digital or analog?” Everything about Rick and what he said was neutral. He had no readable characteristics or expression. Rick was completely detached, uninvolved with Morty. “Digital.” Morty uttered, he just wanted to make his life easier. Rick knowingly raised his brow at him, almost wanting to sneer at him and question Morty’s intelligence. “I’ll send Birdperson to go get one, I-I’ll have him get the ones that hang on the wall.” And with that he left. Rick was gone for quite some time and Morty thought he heard a few things being thrown. What was happening out there? Were those two fighting? Was the other guy pissed at Morty? Who the fuck even has the name Birdperson? His parents must’ve hated that guy to name their son Birdperson. Maybe it was a nickname. Morty didn’t get a good look at him the night he was kidnapped, but he felt like that Birdperson guy wore feathers. Morty also knew that Birdperson was not the type of guy he wanted to get into a fight with. Rick walked back into the room, “He’ll—URPGH—b-be back in a while.” Rick peered at the items he gave Morty. “Need any more Advil?” When Morty didn’t respond, he took a few more steps closer and picked up the bottle of pills, “I’ll keep these with me, d-don’t need you overdosing.” Morty stayed silent. Why were they fighting out there? Rick didn’t have any bruises or marks on him… So, he wasn’t hit. At least not where Morty could see. And he didn’t want Morty to overdose? So…He was planning on keeping him alive. But, for how long? “Wh- Why am I here…?” Morty whispered before Rick left. He turned back around and stared at Morty, waiting to see if he’d continue to speak. “…Are you going to rape me? Murder me?! Am I really just here for some sick game?!” Morty asked louder, his voice growing more confident. Despite that, Morty couldn’t look at Rick. He was fearful of what he would see.  If Morty saw that Rick was angry or could tell that Rick would get physically violent… Morty didn’t want to catch sight of it. He might’ve already been panicking. “Ha.” Rick chuckled. “A game, huh?” He asked as if he were thinking about the option. “No, Morty… It’s not a game, and… I can’t exactly tell you why you’re here. As much as it kills me not to, I can’t. I don’t need to overwhelm you or brush off my reasoning.” They both stayed quiet for a while, “So that you’ll stop acting like a bitch, I’ll be more clear. I-I don’t want to hurt you. I won’t touch you unless you want it too and I definitely won’t kill you.” Morty heard him walk closer to him before glancing up at Rick. He was squatting down to be at eye level and was at the front edge of the mattress. “…What the hell does that even mean?” Morty almost yelled, Rick said he wasn’t going to kill him. Morty didn’t believe that, but it was enough to calm his nerves and say something about it. “Are, are you just going to k-keep me here?! For what?!” Morty tightened his fists, “I-…I have a family a-and they’re probably w-worried sick right now! I’m making them worry because some sick old man decided to chain me up, God knows where!” Morty was scowling, but when he saw that Rick had a slight tremor Morty had to bite down on his tongue to make sure that his expression didn’t soften. Morty didn’t want to show this man any pity. Didn’t want him to know that Morty could relate to his hurt feelings. “Morty…” Rick said tenderly. That was enough to break Morty a little bit, chest tightening and anger fizzling out. Morty bit down on his lip and shifted his gaze to the side. He swallowed a few times… Why was Morty doing this? Morty’s stomach was in knots and he felt kind of nauseous. Maybe Morty was going about this all wrong? What if they were set up to kidnap him? Like someone threatened them if they didn’t? That could be why they abducted Morty. What if… What if this Rick was just a normal guy? Should he ask? Should Morty ask if they kidnapped him because they were threatened? Or maybe it’s better not to know? “I should go for now…UGRP—I-I’ll be back in at nine thirty or whenever your clock gets here. Wh-whichever comes first.” Morty looked over at Rick when he stood up and knew it was a mistake. In his eyes, Morty saw something that fueled the anger again. Rick looked down at Morty like he understood… Like he understood what it was like to be held up in a room against your will, not knowing where you are or who you’re with. And Morty had to bet that he had no idea what this was like. He couldn’t… Because if he did, Rick wouldn’t have done this to Morty. He didn’t care if Rick was being forced to do this or not… Morty would have done something different. Like just locked the door or kept the person in the house, not in a small room chained to the wall. At first Morty wanted to ask for something else to do, but he was too distracted now. Morty turned away from Rick like he was roadkill and after a brief period Morty heard a sigh, footsteps, and then the door opening and closing. Morty let out a frustrated groan and looked down at his sock covered feet… He never gave me my shoes back. He didn’t really assume Rick would, not after Morty threw one at him. Well, he did offer earlier… But that went out the window as soon as they started to talk. Morty hated this, he hated being alone. He didn’t want Rick in here though, he didn’t know what that guy was capable of. Rick was probably lying earlier, about him not hurting Morty. Not knowing what Rick was planning on, Morty didn’t want to find out. He ran his hand through his hair, it didn’t feel bad now, but Morty knew in a few days his hair would feel disgusting. There wasn’t a shower in here, as far as Morty knew… So, that meant Morty would have to end up asking for one. What if that old creep only let Morty take a shower with him? Morty wouldn’t ask, not now though, no. He could still last a few days before he gave into a tedious need. It was obvious Rick was going to do something bad to Morty. So, why lie? Just to make Morty feel better? Or maybe to gain his trust so that Rick didn’t feel like a dick throughout the whole ordeal. To betray Morty later on… Wouldn’t that hurt more if they got close? Morty whined to himself and covered his face with his hands. He hated this! Morty wanted to go home and just see Summer and mom and dad again… He didn’t want to see this old man anymore. He didn’t want to be chained up here. He didn’t want to be on this mattress… He wanted to go home… “I want to go home…” Morty mumbled to himself. He felt hot tears burning in his eyes as he kept thinking about his life.   Reality was sinking in and it was hitting Morty hard. He wasn’t going to get out of here. He knew that he would only end up rotting away in here and no one was ever going to find his body…. These guys…They were going to hurt him. Morty didn’t care at this point. He just didn’t care. He was grabbing at his hair, tears streaming down his face. “Why did this happen to me…?” Morty whispered, his throat felt tight, like it was on fire. He hid his face under the blankets and let the pillow soak up his tears. Morty didn’t want that monster to see him like this. He wasn’t going to let Rick know how he was being broken so badly. Morty wasn’t sure when he fell asleep or how long he was asleep for. Rick must have been watching him because the second Morty sat up, the door opened. Rick walked in first, but as revolted as Morty was with him he didn’t have the energy to do anything about it. Rick looked at him with concern, “Y-You okay, Morty?” Morty guessed the man saw his tear stained cheeks. In response, Morty looked down at the bed. He didn’t want to talk to him… His throat was still dry. He wanted to drink some water and relieve his bladder, but he wasn’t going to do that with Rick here. Soon after, another man walked in behind Rick. He looked somewhat human with bird-like features. Morty could now tell why his name happened to be Birdperson. He had a tuft of feathers on his head, a big nose, and piercing eyes that could freeze Morty on the spot. He was the man which held Morty down while he struggled… The most striking thing Morty found about him were the giant wings coated around his torso. Morty played with his hands and looked down for a second to relax himself. He understood that this was not a time for laughter and shook with the repressed giggles. Being aware that he was still able to laugh in this environment gave Morty a little hope that after this was all done and over with, he wouldn’t be that messed up. “Morty.” Birdperson spoke Morty’s name in monotone, which snapped Morty’s attention back up to Birdperson. “Where do you want your clock?” Birdperson had an odd voice, it twisted Morty’s stomach more than Rick saying his name. His speech was dull, it made Morty feel uncomfortable. It was how… How apathetic he sounded. Whether he was used to doing this or he just didn’t care, Morty wasn’t sure. Examining him thoroughly, Birdperson had a bruise on his cheek and a few more on his arms… Was that from all the noise Morty heard earlier? “…By the door to leave…” Morty croaked out, his throat was extremely dehydrated. It was the door he ended up looking at most of the time, so that would be a good place. Birdperson nodded and started hammering a nail in the wall. It was one of those clocks that told you the time and day and all that other useless junk. “You should drink some water…” Rick moved towards Morty, it looked like he was going to pick up Morty’s water bottle. So Morty snatched it off the ground before he could. “I will.” Morty snapped, looking away from him.  “Holy shit. I was just trying to f-fucking look out for you...Your throat seemed dry.” Morty wanted to yell at Rick about how if he was looking out for him he wouldn't be locked up in here. “Ugh, URPP—I-I can’t stand this shit. It’s noon... Did you want some lunch?” He asked when he realized Morty wasn't going to drink anything. “...No.” Morty prayed that his stomach wouldn't rumble. Rick was silent and stared down at Morty for a moment, “Done. The clock is up and working.” Birdperson broke the silence turning around to look at the two of them. He walked over beside Rick but wouldn't meet his eyes. “Yeah.” Morty said in response hoping they would leave, he was getting anxious and scared. His stomach felt queasy and he wanted nothing more than to be alone. This tension in the air was getting to be too much for Morty to handle. He met Birdperson’s stare, only to feel even more uneasy. He was looking down at him, his eyes running all over Morty’s body. It made Morty feel dirty just by him doing that, like Birdperson was undressing him with his eyes. And before Morty looked away he saw him lick his lips, which was almost enough to make Morty puke on his feet. “I’m not gonna make you feel better by acting l-like your mom but you’ll need to eat sooner or later.” Rick urged. “I’ll be in the living room.” Birdperson told them before walking out and didn't say anything more to Rick. Morty made Rick realize that he wasn't going to have lunch. “Fine. If y-you don’t eat lunch then you’ll eat a lot for dinner, got it?” “We’ll see….” Morty muttered. “Morty.” This time Rick sounded gruff, adding edge to his tone when he said Morty’s name. The way he said it made Morty want to swallow down his nervousness. “I’m not leaving until you promise me, Morty.” Both kept their eye contact, Rick inaudibly challenging him. Morty wasn’t sure what Rick saw in his eyes, but he hoped it wasn’t fear. He wanted to look away, but somehow, he was able to keep himself from doing that. “Promise.” Morty said weakly. With that one word Rick’s eyes did a one-eighty. He was looking back down at Morty with care and compassion, whatever anger there was, was now gone. There wasn't even a lot to begin with, but seeing him this way made Morty become less tense. “Later...” Rick inched up a small smile and left. After the door closed Morty let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. His lungs were immediately thanking him as the burning sensation left.   After that encounter, Morty spent the rest of the day laying on the bed, occasionally getting up to use the restroom and staring at the clock. He started to notice that Rick would come in to check up on Morty every hour. The first couple times he would bring in more water and ask if Morty was hungry or anything. Morty would tell him he wasn't and after that he managed to pretend to be asleep during the rest of Rick’s visits. Morty didn't want to see him, he didn't want to talk to him, and he didn't want to be here. Whenever Morty was awake, Rick would stay longer and try to engage with him. If Rick thought Morty was asleep he would walk over to him and maybe fix the blankets before leaving again. He’d also take any empty bottles Morty had. When dinner time came around Morty was woken up by Rick gently shaking his side and saying in a low, raspy voice that it was time to eat. Morty sat up and rubbed at his eyes before he started to eat what Rick gave him in silence. Rick ended up sitting beside Morty and tried speaking with him. Morty did his best to ignore him, but found himself occasionally nodding or looking over at Rick. He learned that Rick was a genius scientist who also had addictive alcoholic tendencies. Rick showed Morty his portal gun and went on about several different dimensions. Morty thought that he was crazy and didn’t believe him. He went to test out the portal gun but was halted when Rick grabbed it back from him. Rick explained and went into precise detail about his complex scientific inventions. Morty didn’t know why he was being nice. A part of him knew that he had to, he didn’t want to get hurt and didn’t know how far he would be able to push Rick. With the meal being finished, Morty stopped pretending he was asleep when Rick would come in to check up on him. Morty wouldn’t really talk to Rick, he might have said a few things, but that was all. Rick did most of the discussion and Morty enjoyed not being alone for a few minutes. By midnight Rick said he was going to sleep and that Morty should too. He told Morty he’d be back in when Morty woke up. Morty even let Rick tuck him in. As much as Morty hated this man and as much as he still didn’t trust him, Morty didn’t like being alone. He was going to go insane without some form of human contact. And maybe it was because Morty was finally deciding that he was going to play Rick, like Morty thought Rick was playing him. He wanted Rick to trust him, to think that Morty wasn’t going to leave, that Morty didn’t want to leave. But, the first chance Morty got, he was going to take it.   That was his plan. Chapter End Notes This chapter was so hard to write and I feel like it may be sort of OOC? I'm just glad I got it finished. c: For some reason at the last chapter I had 2 end notes and I didn't know how to get rid of the other one and ended up having to delete my last note from the first chapter so thats what happened. Anyways, I know I mentioned this in the first note but I really do admire all the comments, kudos and stuff! <3 Hopefully the next chapter wont take so long to update ***** Day Three ***** Chapter Notes I am so so sorry it took me this long to update. I've just been really busy with my life, family stuff and all that. I'm also really nervous because college is starting back up for me in like 2 days and I'll have a LOT of work to do and it's so painful. ;_; I actually had this chapter finished awhile ago and said I was going to upload it the next day but I had to proofread all my mistakes and never got around to doing that so that's what I feel really guilty about. So please understand that I do plan to finish this work and I'd never discontinue it without saying so. :) In that case, please enjoy cause I'm really happy you all like this fanfic! See the end of the chapter for more notes Day 3 It was almost ten, Morty woke up not that long ago… Rick would be in here soon. Today was the day Morty was going to ask for something to do, hell, he’d even color in a coloring book. He couldn't take another day of sitting around, doing nothing, but staring at the clock and thinking about how much he wanted to leave. Preventing himself from feeling sick was inevitable, knowing the only way out of these chains was if Rick trusted him enough. Morty ran his hand through his hair and grimaced. He needed a shower today. Morty had to ask Rick about where he could shower and pray that he’d let him. Yes, Morty knew, it was such an odd thing to worry about... Showering.... In his situation. It’s been a few days and Rick hasn't done anything yet... It should be fine. He WAS cautious about Birdperson though. He shivered at the thought of him, that guy put him on edge. He makes Morty’s stomach twist more than what Rick saying his name did. The good part, if you’d consider it that way, was that Morty was getting a little used to Rick saying his name the way he did. Having said that, there were still those certain looks Rick would give Morty that made his blood boil. Besides, it’s only been three days... Yeah... Only. Morty rolled his eyes at the thought. Three days too many. Morty scared himself whenever he had those thoughts, like... What if he got used to living life this way? If he got used to not trusting and fearing these people? It’s a fucked-up thing to think about and Morty knew it.... Just... What if he was stuck here for months? Years? Morty shook his head, no. His mom or dad or Summer had to have been looking for him. They called the cops, Morty bet, and knowing Beth she’d be worried to death about Morty. Having lost another member of her family, Beth would be looking, not all around town, but all over the world. Morty knew they had to be, ...Right? Maybe they’d get some sort of clue as to where he was and they’d come rescue him. Morty had to think positively. He would get found in no time... Until then he needed to follow his own plan. Hopefully Rick would start trusting Morty sooner than he thought and let him wander around. Even if he didn’t do that... At least Rick wouldn’t hurt him, right? Morty never possessed the answers to his questions. Instead, Morty bit his lip and thought about his first day here and the condition Birdperson was in. That had to of been Rick.... Who else would've done it? And if Rick could do that....to Birdperson who looked stronger than he was... Morty didn't even want to try thinking about what Rick could have done to himself. Morty let out a shaky breath to calm himself down again when the door opened. “Rise and shine, m-my little Morty.” Rick teased and stepped in, closing the door. “Want some breakfast?” “...I uh... I-I have a f-few requests.” Morty managed to get out. This was stupid, he was a damn prisoner, not at a hotel. “...I-I wanted some-something to do. And... I-I wanna sh-...shower.” “Yeahh... th-thought you would.” Rick looked Morty up and down. “So, I got some coloring books and puzzles and regular books? I-If you’d-URP-like that.” He offered ignoring Morty’s request for the shower. “Y-Yeah, c-can I have those?” Morty hated reading, but if he had to stare at the clock for another hour, he would rip his eyes out. “After breakfast.” Rick instructed. “And....uhh... A-About the shower?” Morty wasn’t getting more confident in talking to Rick. He tested it out a little yesterday and when Morty realized he couldn’t talk like himself, it made him stressful. “You haven’t been here that long and I-I don’t trust taking the handcuffs off you yet... So... I can make them longer for you to go into the shower.” Rick gestured towards the other door in the room. Ah, that’s what was in there, a shower. “But, uh, I-I’ll need to be there in the room as well.” Morty’s face went slightly pale. Before he could say anything about that Rick continued, “I can look at the ground when you, you’re changing or something. If you’re uncomfortable...I won’t touch you, but, i-if you notice the chains starting to rust let me know so I can clean it... Hopefully if you’ll behave you won’t need to shower with those on very much.” "Um....Okay..." Morty agreed, he knew that this was the only way he was going to be able to shower. "Yep..." Rick smiled slimly, showing off his yellow teeth. Gross. "Wh-What do you want to eat?" "...I-I don't care...." Morty said quietly, but instantly regretted trying to rebel against Rick. Morty honestly didn’t know what else to say when Rick asked him that. It made Morty uncomfortable. It wasn’t as if he were at home or at a friend’s house (if he had any). He was.... here. "You like pancakes?" "...Yeah." Morty held their eye contact. "I'll go make some. B-Be back soon." And with a final glance from Rick, Morty was alone. Why? Why was Morty here? He got a chill that ran down his spine thinking about how weird it was here. Maybe Morty would’ve felt better if they threatened to hurt him or something. He didn't know...but it would be a lot more normal... Morty was lonesome, having no one else present, for a while. It felt like the more time he spent alone, the more he got sick of himself. That wasn't good, he didn't need to go begging for Rick to stay longer all whilst not knowing how long he would be trapped in here. Morty didn't want to make himself go crazy.   He wouldn't lie, though, Morty was a little excited to see the shower. It was another room that he would be able to see, to explore in a way. Something else to soak in about his new environment. He was craving something new.... Or maybe something old. Maybe he wanted to find something that reminded him of home.... Anything. Hell, it could even be the shower. If the shower was the same as the one Morty had at home, it would bring him a little peace of mind. Morty was hoping for something that had a small chance of happening. Is this who he was now? After only two days, going on his third.... Morty was being driven to the point that he hoped Rick had the same shower?! No, Morty would not let himself turn into that type of person. As he told himself before, Morty needed to be strong, even if that meant lying to himself. He could pretend that this was a sleepover, one where Morty had to stay awhile longer because he didn't feel like going home. As long as Morty didn't mix up the lie with reality he’d be fine. Just needed to make sure he didn't forget his plan. Getting Rick to trust him.... Morty had no idea how well that was going to work out. Would Rick ever trust him? He wanted to accept it as true.... Enough for Rick to let him explore the rest of the house? Possibly. But it was hard to tell, Morty didn't know him. As much as Morty thought he did, he really didn't. Still, Morty hadn't a clue why he got kidnapped. That’s what endlessly bothered him, he didn't know what Rick was planning. Yeah, he seemed like he wasn’t much of a threat. If Morty was going to be nice, but is that the kind of person he is? Is Rick as willing to not harm Morty as he's letting on? Morty had a hard time believing that, because if he was the one that beat-up Birdperson....Then there's a whole other side of him that Morty hasn't seen yet. And maybe he should keep it that way. Thoughts were hasting away in Morty’s head when he heard the door start to open. He hated to admit it, but Morty started to calm down a little bit. Seeing Rick and reminding himself to stay focused on the task before him would help Morty. That and food never hurt anyone. Morty couldn't deny that he was hungry. After all this time his brain was somewhat relaxing which caused his stomach not to be as knotted. But the man he saw at the door just caused his nerves to kick up on high and put him on guard. It was like his brain was telling him: "stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger." Which was almost comical, since Rick was also a stranger. Even worse, Rick might be the one behind this whole thing.... So, you'd think Morty would be more afraid of Rick than of Birdperson.... However, his brain didn't get that memo. "You aren't allergic to any foods, right?" Birdperson asked, and there was no smile on his lips. There was no warmness in his eyes. His voice might have been softer than normal, but Morty couldn't tell. Suddenly his mouth felt like a desert, throat tightening up. Whatever words Morty was going to say, got stuck. They were grasping onto the sides of his flesh inside his mouth, firmly held back. Morty couldn't keep his eyes trained on Birdperson, they kept darting around the room. Trying to find something, anything, to focus on. When Morty finally decided on just staring at his hands, Birdperson asked again, "Well, are you?" He bit into his lip, like Morty was purposely trying to help keep the words down. He didn't know whether they would be safe to float in the air between them. Morty shook his head. "It should be done soon, then." Morty could feel him standing in the room, eyeing him down. He was looking at him, or at least it felt like Birdperson was. What kind of expression did he have? Was he angry? Did he have a look that said he could kill? Or was it one of sadness? Did he pity Morty? Or.... Was it one of a hungry passion? One that said he wanted to devour Morty? And the other question was, did Morty really want to know? Morty knew he wished it was none of the above, but if he had to choose, he'd rather have Birdperson pity him than he be angry or...pervy. Morty swallowed and as his brain was screaming to look up, he couldn't let himself. He had to keep looking down.... Morty could now feel his cheeks heating up. Why was he getting embarrassed? Tell him to leave… Go on, do it. Morty just needed to take a deep breath and say it. Well, he didn't want Birdperson to hurt him for what he was going to say, but with Rick this close he didn't think he would. Heh, why did Morty think that? Why did he think that because Rick, a man that chained him up, was close by, Birdperson wouldn't hurt him? Did Morty honestly think Rick was going to protect him? Did he forget that Rick was the one that put him in this mess to begin with?! Did he forget that Rick was just as much as the bad guy as Birdperson was?! Did he really let himself think that Rick was some good guy? That he wasn't at fault? That he was some knight here to protect Morty from the big dragon? Holy shit.... Morty didn't know whether he was losing his mind or he was just that plain stupid. Rick is a part of this too. He could physically hurt Morty just like Birdperson could. Rick was keeping him here and in the same way, so was Birdperson. Rick wasn't some knight in armor here to save him. He was a villain wrapped in tin foil. And it was one of Morty’s goals to tear it off him. To get close to him, Morty needed to tear off that foil Rick had on. He needed to destroy Rick’s walls and not let himself get attached. If Morty got attached, he’d feel bad. He couldn't let that happen. He needed to think in Birdperson and Rick's perspective. Morty couldn't let their thoughts bother him on a personal level. He needed to think of only himself. What was best for Morty and only him. How was he going to survive this and make it back home? That's what he needed to think about. Morty couldn't care less if they were abused when they were little. Didn't care if they were raped or even if they watched someone get killed. Sympathy was an evil emotion in this case. Morty couldn't let it taint or phase him. He needed to turn that emotion off, this needed to be all about himself. He couldn't even care if they were kidnapped years ago, if they were in the exact same position he was in. Morty had to just tell himself that it didn't matter. What mattered was what he was going through right now and how much stress and worry he was putting on not himself, but his family. Somewhere in his thoughts, Morty’s throat loosened up and he was calming down. Morty was going to tell Birdperson to leave. He was going to push Birdperson to his limits. He would just have to hope that Rick wouldn't let anything bad happen to Morty. As for Rick.... Morty needed to stick with his plan. Being the most likable version of himself that there ever was. Morty raised his head slowly, he was going to stare right into Birdperson’s cold eyes and tell him to leave the room. But....he wasn't there. Morty guessed that while he was lost in his thoughts Birdperson ended up leaving. Morty let out a long breath of air out his lungs. All the determination leaving with it. Morty wouldn't forget what he needed to do, but he also really needed to work on getting more confident. Before he had the chance to even glimpse up at the clock, the door opened again and this time it was the tall lanky old man that he was almost happy to see. It was time to put his plan into action. He needed to really stick with it. Morty was going to talk more about himself and ask Rick about his life. Then they’d be able to get more intimate.   ===============================================================================     It was almost noon and Rick said Morty could shower then. When Rick had dropped off the pancakes, Morty was about to ask him to eat with him but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Morty went on to eat alone and shortly after when Rick returned he gave Morty the items he asked for. Morty didn't let him leave right away though, he complimented Rick’s cooking which made his brow raise up. Afterwards, Morty tried his best to start a conversation without making it sound forced. Morty was scratching at his head when Rick came into the room with a towel and washcloth. “Ready?” He asked. “Y-Yeah.” Morty nodded and tried to keep the excitement out of his voice. He was excited to take a shower, to do something normal. He watched as Rick went into the room that Morty was desperate to look into. He came back out without the towels and was reaching into his pocket to grab something. Rick took out a key and went towards the keyhole under the thing that Morty’s chains went into. After he twisted the key into place he started to crank the lever and Morty watched as his chains got longer. “Okay, that should be long enough.” Rick said after a few moments, he took the key back and put it into his lab coat pocket. Morty stood up and followed Rick into the room. Morty held his breath as he looked around, it was a little bigger than the restroom. There was a medicine cabinet in here and of course a shower. They were on opposite walls and much to Morty’s dislike... The shower wasn’t similar as the one Morty had in his house. “Something wrong?” Morty supposed that he let the disappointment show through. He quickly covered it up with a smile, “N-Nothing just u-uh...” Morty needed to think of something, but without taking too long. He glanced down at his shirt. “H-How am I supposed to get my shirt off w-with the chains?” “The chains are long enoURPgh s-so when you slip the shirt over your head we can just pull it down the chains so it won't get wet.” He explained. “Oh o-okay....” Morty was expecting that Rick would see a flaw in this and take the chains off. It was a small hope that Morty had, but he wasn't going to let this crush his determination. After he undressed and got into the shower Rick moved his shirt down. That’s when Morty turned on the water, he wasn't lying... Rick didn't watch him undress, he didn't touch Morty... He didn't do anything. Morty heard Rick sit on the tile while he was letting the warm water run through his hair and over his body. “Hey, Morty, can I ask you a question?” “....” Morty swallowed and found the shampoo and started to pour it into his hand. What was he going to ask? “S-Sure...” Morty prayed that Rick didn't hear how nervous he was with his stutter. He chuckled a little, “What do you think of me?” Morty’s hands were in his hair and he froze. This question was like a double- edged sword, if Morty said he liked Rick, he might try to do something. But, if Morty said he hated Rick he could threaten him. Morty was thinking through his options, was there a way to avoid the question? He didn't want to answer something like this, especially when he was so vulnerable. He tried to quickly play through what could happen in his mind with different responses. Sadly, Morty didn't know Rick well enough. He didn't know how Rick would react to what he had to say, Morty only knew how he wanted Rick to react. Morty was silent a lot longer than he thought because Rick spoke again, sounding impatient. “Fine, you don’t need to answer. I was just curious if you had an opinion.” He mumbled out, and Morty could tell he was a little disappointed. That was his chance, it was an excuse not to answer, so why couldn't Morty stop the words from recklessly tumbling out of his mouth? “Well um.... I-It’s not that...I-I just.... I do h-have an opinion...” Morty trailed off and he could have punched himself in the face. Why was he doing this? Why couldn't he keep his mouth fucking closed? “Hmm? Oh really?” Rick had an amused tone in his voice and Morty could almost see his smirk and raised eyebrow. “Y-Yeah... It’s just…” Morty gulped, he had no idea what he was going to say. Whenever Morty was like this, a mess with his words he ended up either lying, which got him in disputes he hated, or he ended up spilling the truth. Which... Now, both would get him in a load of shit. “Well... Yeah you see... I-I uh...” Morty removed his hands from his hair and let the water rinse out the shampoo. “I-I don’t hate you....” Morty said quietly and he wasn't sure whether that was a lie or the truth. He couldn't hate something that didn't hurt him, right? But no... Rick was hurting him. He was hurting Morty mentally and confusing him and making him question everything. “...You really don’t?” Rick asked and it made Morty sick with how much hope he heard in Rick’s voice. His blood ran cold and despite the hot water running down his body, Morty shivered. It felt like his face was pale and he was ill towards his stomach, did he just fuck this up? Or was Morty doing exactly what he needed to? “I was thinking you were going to hate me again....” Rick sighed and Morty bit his lip to keep from saying anything else.   They were silent for a while longer and Morty continued to wash his hair. After it was clean, Morty started on his body. “Can I ask another question?” “Sure.” Morty said and this time there was some confidence in his voice. After that last question, Morty could handle anything. He was back on his toes and he’d be able to think of any answer in a matter of seconds. No other question was going to knock him down like that one did, or that’s what Morty thought. “What do you think about Birdperson?” When he asked that...When that man’s name left his lips Morty felt himself freeze in place. His heart was racing and he thought it was about to jump out of his chest and run for its life. He was horribly wrong when Morty thought that he could handle anything. This was a question he honestly had no idea how to answer. Morty didn't know how close Rick and Birdperson were so he didn't know whether he should lie or not. What if Morty said he liked Birdperson and Rick saw him lying? Or what if Rick got jealous? What if Morty said he didn't like Birdperson and Rick got pissed at him? His head was wobbling, as if the room was spinning. This time Morty knew Rick wasn’t going to offer him a way out. Morty could answer that last question, so why couldn't he answer this one? Morty felt Rick’s eyes staring at him through the shower curtain. They were burning into Morty, digging holes into his deepest thoughts. Before Morty could come up with a proper response, the truth came flooding out. Well, most of the truth before he was able to stop himself. “...He makes me uncomfortable...” Morty cringed at his own words, he mentally punched himself. How could he just tell the enemy something like that? Something Rick could use against him? “Why’s that? He told me you acted weird whenever he came into the room.” It sounded like Rick was talking through clenched teeth, was he? Or was that just Morty’s imagination? Who was he mad at? “He just--” “He didn't touch you, did he?” Rick cut Morty off and Morty could feel tension in the air. He was almost afraid to answer Rick’s question. “No…” Morty said quietly, which made him wonder... Was Birdperson planning on touching him? Would Rick let that happen? “Okay…” And Morty could feel the air start to relax, like someone was no longer stretching the cord as tightly as before. It made it a little easier to breath. “W-Why…?” “I-I was just—URP—making sure. I didn't want you to be hurt or anything, Morty. A-And this might sound a bit egotistical, but I want you to trust me. I want you to be able to tell me w-when something makes you uncomfortable, o-okay?” Rick told Morty gently and Morty agreed. There was that thought in the back of Morty’s mind that kept telling him to yell at Rick. That if he wanted to know what was making Morty uncomfortable it was him. It was him being so damn nice, it was being chained up in this damn room when Morty should be at home. Morty should be going to summer school normally. He should be arguing with his parents or Summer and doing whatever he felt like doing. Not stuck in this tiny room where he had to ask to take a shower. Not here where Morty had no idea what it looked like outside, praying that someone would find him. This was all his Dad’s fault and Morty would live on hating Jerry for what he did... He shouldn’t have ever forced Morty to spend time at another damn school. Morty never learned shit. Morty should’ve been riding home that night and now he’s stuck here and it’s all Jerry’s fault… Morty sunk down in the tub and curled up. His knees were to his chest and he was holding them tightly, Morty almost forgot that he wasn't alone in here. But, that didn't stop the tears from falling, he was choking on his sobs and letting his tears mix in with the water from the shower. While in the background, Morty kept hearing Rick’s voice. The voice he was trying so much to hate, the one he was trying to ignore, but it kept pushing its way through his ears. “What’s wrong…? Morty? Shhh.... Y-You alright buddy? Did you hurt yourself? Morty? Morty...Sh..Shhh.... It’s going to be okay... I-I’ll fix whatever's wrong… J-Just tell me.... Please...” Rick was begging and Morty almost felt sorry for him. Morty might have even answered him if it wasn't for his throat feeling like it was closed. “Morty I can hold you if you want... W-We can get you dressed and wrapped in a towel and I-I can make you feel better... Or I can leave you alone i-if that’s what you need…” Rick was closer now, it sounded like he was right by the curtain. Morty didn't want his filthy hands touching on him. He didn't want to talk to Rick. Didn't want to see him, but at the same time Morty didn't want to tell him to leave. Morty was shaking and he couldn't stop, he wanted to be held but not by Rick. He was trying to block out Rick’s pleads and calm down. As much as Morty hated himself for this... He knew he needed to do this. Morty was never going to forgive himself for what he was about to do. But, Morty wanted Rick to trust him and this was an opportunity that he wasn't going to miss. Morty was willing to use his own mental breakdown against Rick... It was going to hurt Morty too, but he was going to need to make sacrifices for this plan to work. Morty reached up and turned off the water and that’s when Rick grew silent. The only noise that could be heard was Morty’s continued sobs and hitches in his breathing. “...C-Can you let me put a towel on and...” Morty swallowed, he was trying to loosen up his throat, but all that did was start a new river of tears. “...H-hold me?” Morty tried to hold back his tears. This time he wasn't crying because he was here, Morty was crying because he was doing this. He was allowing Rick to touch and comfort him, but Rick wouldn't know the difference between the tears. Rick didn't even say anything, just reached his hand holding a towel into the shower. Morty grabbed it and stood up wrapping it around his body. It was long enough to go down to his knees. Pulling the shower curtain open, Morty stepped out, a puddle was forming under his feet. Before he could say anything, Rick swept him off his feet and carried him into the main room. They didn't sit on the bed though, they sat by it against the wall. Morty was sitting in between Rick’s legs on the floor. The back of Morty’s head was against Rick’s chest. Rick’s arms were wrapped around him as Morty proceeded to shake. “It’s going to be okay… I-I promise…” Rick offered words that were meant to comfort Morty, but all they did was make him cry more. Morty didn't know how long they stayed like that and he didn't check the clock once. Rick made an effort not to leave Morty in the room the rest of the day. If he did it was just to get food and drinks, Rick and Morty just sat together. They colored some and Morty let Rick read to him when Rick said it was getting late. Morty guessed that he was wrong again, because he could forgive himself for letting Rick hold him while he cried. Not this, definitely not what Morty was letting Rick do now. He felt like it was crossing a line, this was moving too fast. Morty knew he needed Rick to trust him... But betraying his own morals. This wasn't supposed to happen. Morty wasn't supposed to let this sicko get close to him. ...Morty was tired and his throat hurt from all the crying and he just wanted to feel a little normal for one night. Morty could pretend he was with his mom. That’s what he did... Morty let Rick sleep with him. After Rick shortened Morty’s chains again, he was about to leave, but before he walked out of Morty’s arm range Morty grabbed onto his lab coat. “Don’t... Uh I-I mean... I uh…” Morty couldn't believe what he was asking, Morty kept telling himself he needed to do this to get out sooner. “C-Can you sleep with me…?” Morty asked him and Rick smiled down at Morty. “Yes, I can… But, are you sure?” Was Morty sure? Fuck no. Morty was sure that he didn't want Rick anywhere near him. Morty was sure that he’d have to scrub at his skin during his next shower to get Rick’s touch off him. “P-Positive.” Morty smiled up at Rick and that was all he needed. Rick pulled the blankets away and let Morty get comfortable first. He didn't even bother leaving to go change his clothes, either Rick really didn't want Morty alone or he was excited to share the bed with him. Either option was enough to make Morty want to kick Rick out. In truth, though, Morty held his tongue and let Rick crawl into bed with him. Morty rolled onto his side and fell asleep with Rick’s arm wrapped around him. Sickening, right? Chapter End Notes I can't say when the next chapter is gonna be because I don't wanna make any promises and not deliver ;( just know that it'll be hard for me to focus my time into this in the future with classes. D: But you know if this gets more popular I'll have to continue it more frequently. ^^; I hope you all liked this chapter! c: Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!