What If I Had

thirty - the board game cafe down the street

Entering Earth's atmosphere, we start to reach down towards the house. Rick's sitting next to me healing his wounds, scrapping off some of that bloodline substance on him and putting it into a vial before stuffing it into one of his pockets.

"Morty, I'm impressed. Since when did you learn how to drive this thing?"

"Oh since forever. I'm kinda used to Rick getting piss drunk and leaving me to drive us back home." Morty whined as he shakily landed the space cruiser at the edge of the driveway before pulling it in closer.

"Oh, is that so?" I shot Rick a look. "You'd let my grandson drive while you were too drunk to even process thought?" I sneered at him.

"Our grandson. I count it as driving practice, God knows Jerry won't provide." He chuckled before rolling up his sleeve and piercing himself with a syringe, moaning as soon as he injects himself. Must've been morphine, but he was up and visibly feeling better after he had done it.

"H-hey, I resent that. I think 14 is too young to start driving a c—"

"Oh hey, look we're here. No more speaking lines for Jerry, that's it!" Rick chortled, shoving him out of the cruiser.

"I can't believe I'm home again. It feels like dreaming." I sighed, taking in that fresh breath of air crisp on my nose as I step out alongside Rick. Beth, Summer, Morty, Jerry, and Rick all gather in, mumbling their welcomes in a bunch that I can't isolate just one at a time. I take their warmth all in at once, lavishing the company of them.

So much so, it startled them that I begin to weep. It started softly before growing into a full-blown sob.

"Uhh, Beth, why don't you take everyone inside? I'll handle this." Reluctantly, I'm let go of and the family trails inside the house, closing the door softly behind them. My sight is so blurry from the tears, I can hardly tell who stuck around.

"It's only me, Gwendolyn."

I wiped away at my eyes with the back of my hand.

"What do you want to do?"

"Huh?" I sniffed.

"I mean, what would make you the most happy? Usually I'd know in times like this, but... I can't read you. I could really see you going either way with this."

"Wh—what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you want this all to end. I... my job as a husband in the past, in my lifetime, was crap. I knew then you deserved more and I know now that I'll never get the opportunity again to protect you. I just want to make my wife happy."

I sighed, leaning up against the side of the cruiser. My arms were folded over my chest as I stared down at my feet, contemplating and really thinking over what Rick was telling me.

"I decide how I want this to end...?"

Rick nodded. "You know," He took a step closer to me. "I would give you the world and more if you let me." I smiled, very faintly. "I know you would." Taking his hands, I let them rest on his hips like it was the most natural feeling in the world.

I rested my forehead on his chest, sighing to myself. "I don't want to die of old age if I stay here with you. That could take a couple of months at my rate."

"That wouldn't be a problem. Oh—! Crap, it almost slip my mind." He pulled out a syringe, taking the vial I had seen earlier and pouring the contents into the syringe. "I'm sorry if this pinches." He smoothed my neck down with his free hand before sticking me with the needle into a direct vein. I howled in pain, the way Rick made it sound as if it weren't going to pinch me. More like burn.