"Okay. C'mon, Morty. Y-You can do this."

Morty reached up to knock on the door. His knuckles grazed the wood, and the sound made him retreat. He pulled his hand back and held it in front of him, tracing the skin where he made contact with the door. That was the second time he had backed out, after standing there for close to fifteen minutes.

"It-It's just Rick. Not...Not Rick, but a Rick. Statistically, this one is the closest in behavior to...Rick. And he doesn't have a Morty, yet. He's perfect. Just knock on the door."

Morty could only scold himself for so long before his own words lost meaning. He mumbled a few more things under his breath, then looked back up at the door. He had spent the better part of the last few days trying to find this exact scenario, a place where he'd fit in perfectly. His original family was long gone, and the loneliness was finally starting to set in. He couldn't jump from planet to planet forever.

"Just one knock. That's all."

Dimension Z-217 was forever ruined. It was time he embraced a new dimension with a new Rick. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached out one more time. He knocked twice, and patted the portal gun in his lab coat pocket with his other hand. A Morty in a lab coat...Who would have ever thought?

He took a step back and waited, not sure if he was prepared to knock again if need be. He supposed he could have created a portal that would let him step directly into the apartment, but that sounded like a douchebag thing to do. He wasn't a Rick.

So he waited.

The knock echoed through the garbage filled halls of the condo. Rick Sanchez of Dimension X-76 had been ruined after a decade of attempts at mythical super science. The remnants of this phase, which Rick remembered fondly as he still had money at that point, were scattered over the previously polished wood floors. But even more numerous than the echoes of a rickdiculous past were the astounding numbers of liquor bottles. The knock reverberated in a significant pile of bottles near the door. Rick was asleep on a beaten, ugly sofa. In front of him was a TV, old and antiquated, hooked up to his only successful invention: Interdimensional Cable. However, the TV was so old it didn't take cable, so Rick assumed it was another dud.

The second knock is what woke Rick up. "...Hm? W-What kind of shitbag -buuurp- knocks on the door at 9 in the morning. Gah" He stumbled towards the door, smelling heavily of alcohol. He undid the fifth lock, and opened the door.

"Wh-What do y-you want, kid?"

Morty stood, fidgeting with his hands as he waited for signs of life from the apartment. For a moment, he wondered if Rick was home at all. He had done some research, poking around at this dimension before he decided it would suffice. He knew where Beth, Jerry, and Summer were - exactly where they were supposed to be. He knew Rick slept for most of the day, and concluded that he rarely left his apartment aside for booze. Rick had to be home.

The fourteen year old watched his hands shake, and jumped when he heard a voice coming from inside. He immediately perked up, straightened his coat, followed the footsteps as Rick approached the door...

It was too late to just portal away, right?

Morty's eyes widened as he caught sight of Rick. He looked him up and down. As rational and scientific as he tried to be, Morty still couldn't keep his emotions away. It had been quite a while since he stood before Rick. And it took all his willpower to tell himself that, no, this wasn't his Rick. Excitement, fear, sadness, heartbreak...It all flooded him. He inhaled a deep breath through his nose.

"Um, h-hello! I mean, um...Hi!" Morty forced a smile, but it fell the second he looked Rick in the eye. "O-Oh jeez. I should have practiced what I was going to say." The confidence he tried to show faltered into an anxiety-riddled stance. He darted his gaze to the ground, then to his feet, then back up at Rick. He forced a small wave.

"Oh right, you don't, uh, you don't know who I am." That would be the best direction to start. He straightened his posture. "My name is Morty Smith. I'm from Dimension Z-217. I'm actually, uh... You're my grandfather. Wait, no! Not...Oh, jeez. Not you personally. But." He rubbed at his face.

"I really should have put something together for this." It'd be an absolute miracle if Rick hadn't already slammed the door in his face. "Let's just start with... I'm Beth's son. And I want to help you reconnect with her and her family."

"B-Beth? She moved out to the s-su[i]buuurp[i]s. And I'm pretty sure she hates me. And did you say Dimension Z-217? What kinda subuuurpscience bullshit is that, Morty? What kinda old Jewish comedian name is that, Morty? Did B-Beth ever even have a son, M-Morty? How do I know you're not from that jackass Brad Personn, here to steal my old science garbage? Well, come inside. Do you drink?", Rick ranted. He was tired, and confused. Wait, what if this kid WAS from an alternate dimension? And proof superscience well, worked? Rick had one test he could use, a very risky one.

"Well then, Morty, if you're really from some other dimension, then what is THIS", he said, holding up the Interdimensional Cable Box.

Rick's rantings didn't seem to bother Morty at all. In fact, they put him at ease. His hands stopped shaking, and a small smile graced his face. As much as he wanted to comment on all of the old man's questions, he simply accepted the invitation inside, instead.

On his way in, Morty stumbled over a few beer bottles. He stopped short and glanced down, and in that same moment he noticed the stench of cheap, stale alcohol that permeated the apartment. Looking up, he took in the sorry state Rick's home was in. In all honesty, it was a pretty sad sight.

He perked up, however, at the sight of the Interdimensional Cable Box. He smiled widely and stepped closer, examining it. Upon closer inspection, he noted the dust that was accumulated on it, and a few stains that he could only guess were from alcohol. But there was no mistaking it - underneath all the grime, it looked exactly like the one he helped his own Rick make.

"That-That's an Interdimensional Cable Box! It's capable of broadcasting television shows from infinite realities. E-Even from different planets!" He carefully wiped some dust off the top of it. "Wow, it's been a while since I've seen one of these. I remember when my Rick showed me how to make--" He paused, and sharply removed his hand from the box. "I mean. I helped make one before. They're pretty cool."

Morty took a step back and noticed the tv. He eyed it, specifically it's large back and outdated appearance. "But, uh...If you've been trying to use it on that tv, it won't work, I'm afraid."