#dr.midnite

Beth keeps focused on that second last line. The one she can’t get over. Got Rick out. She’s almost in tears reading it. He’s out. He’s free. Rick is free. Those thoughts are paired with the rushing excited-anxiety. She’s so ready to see Rick again, but she’s also terrified. What should she say to him? Is there any right or wrong thing to say? What if he doesn’t want to talk to her? What if-

“Beth are you alright?” Chuck interrupts, and Beth snaps from her thoughts to look at him.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous, that’s all.”

“We’re going to win, Beth, it's okay. Eclipso is weak and-”

“Oh no, no, I’m not worried about that! Sorry, I should’ve explained, I’m nervous about, uh, I’m nervous seeing Rick again.”

“Hourman’s son? Why would you be nervous to see him again, isn’t he your friend?”

“Of course he’s my friend! That’s sorta part of the problem… I… I don’t know, I haven't really talked about this with anyone before, it's weird.” Beth sighs and flops her head against the taxi seat as she searches for the right words.

“You want him to be more than your friend.” There’s a hint of amusement in Chuck’s voice.

“Yes! I mean- yeah, I guess. It’s strange hearing it said out loud. But yes.”

“If I may, I would say you should talk to him about how you feel. It’s been a long time since I first courted Myra, but the only reason we ended up together was because she had the courage to tell me how she felt. She marched right up to me and said she liked me and wanted to go on a date with me to the fall festival. She was so brazen, and who was I to say no?” Chuck’s voice is wistful and he’s smiling softly. “What I’m saying is don’t be afraid of love, Beth. It’s not easy, there’s ups and downs but from what I know about you, you have good judgement. I think that whatever you’re dealing with right now you’ll come out on top. Judging on everything you’ve said, however, I think it may be easier with this Rick boy by your side.” 

Beth looks over to Chuck and he’s smiling at her, clearly trying to be as encouraging as possible. 

“Thanks Doctor- Chuck. I just don’t know if now is the right time. We’re about to go into battle against Eclipso, I feel like the timing is all wrong but I also just really want to rip this bandaid off if that makes sense? I don’t know, it’s all really confusing.” Beth can’t quite reciprocate Chuck’s enthusiasm, but she does see where he’s coming from.

“Like I said, Beth, I trust your judgement. You’ll say what needs to be said when the time is right, don’t worry.” Chuck says with a reassuring nod, and Beth can’t help but smile back at him.

Chuck has somehow provided more help and reassurance than her parents had in years, and it’s a strange feeling to be able to talk about her feelings so freely to someone who isn’t Rick. Beth is appreciative though, she never thought she would be able to get her feelings for Rick off her chest, much less have someone encourage her to act on them.

“Chuck?”

“Yes, Beth?”

“Thank you. Like, really thank you. That helped.”

“I’m glad I could be of assistance.”

They both grin at each other as they roll into the Pit Stop parking lot.

When they open the doors to the Pit Stop the first thing Beth notices isn’t Rick, but rather Zeek on a ladder welding S.T.R.I.P.E back together as Pat yells at him from below. Pat notices the pair of Doctor Midnites right away and greets them with a tense smile and a wave. 

“Rick is up in the loft working on rebuilding the hourglass.”

Beth is already heading towards the stairs, very nearly running but Pat steps in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

“You can go see him after I debrief you and Doctor Mcnider on what the plan is. It’ll be quick, don’t worry.” 

Pat gives Beth a knowing look, and she sighs, resigning to her fate. The debriefing seems to drag on forever, Pat prattling on and on. Beth keeps glancing up to the loft in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Rick to no avail. She’s not even sure he knows she’s here, the sound of Zeek’s tinkering is so loud she can barely hear Pat, and he’s right in front of her. She tries her best to focus on what Pat is saying, talking about heading to The American Dream and making sure they know what to do there, and… Beth’s eyes catch on movement in the loft. 

Rick.

He’s leaning over the railing, a smile splitting his face. Beth tosses him a small smile and wave before mouthing the words Be right there, and then while pointing to Pat, Important. Rick nods, and Beth thinks he laughs but she can’t quite tell. She nods back at Rick before turning to Pat and impatiently sitting through the rest of his debriefing. Most of the stuff he’s saying is what the goggles have already told her, but she knows Pat likes to feel like he’s leading the team so she lets him ramble on. She has a feeling Chuck is doing the same thing. Finally, when all is said and done, Pat sighs, glancing at the clock.

“You can go talk to him now. But don’t be too long, time is of the essence. Doctor Mcnider, if you’d like you can go up too, Rick is Rex’s son and you two were friends?” Pat offers, but Chuck shakes his head.

“I think I’ll wait. I have things to chat to you about anyway Pat, Beth can go talk to him alone.”

Beth can’t see Chuck’s eyes beneath his glasses but she knows if she could he would most assuredly give her a wink. Beth gives him a giddy smile in return, already headed for the stairs to the loft.

“I won't take too long, I promise. I’ll be right down and mission ready as soon as I can!” She isn’t even sure if the two older men can hear her but she doesn’t care. All she cares about is seeing Rick again.

He’s waiting at the top of the stairs when she reaches the loft, and she throws him into a hug instantly. Rick responds with a faint oof, his arms sticking out awkwardly. It’s evident he doesn’t know what to do, before he melts into the hug and wraps his arms around Beth in return.

“I missed you.” Beth almost sobs, her voice muffled against Rick’s chest.

“Yeah, Beth, I missed you too.” His voice is soft and tentative, as if he isn’t sure the moment is real. 

After a moment Beth backs up, letting her goggles scan Rick for any injuries or illness as she looks him over. They inform her that he’s malnourished and sleep-deprived but nothing more. He looks awful, bags under his eyes and shoulders slumped. He seems unsure, genuinely spooked in a way Beth has never seen him before.

“You’re really here.” He says quietly.

“Rick, I’m here. This is really me, it isn’t Eclipso, I promise.”

“I know. I know. I keep telling myself, but it’s not easy. After everything with Matt…”

He rubs one arm awkwardly, staring at the floor. Beth knows what he has to do. Taking a deep breath she grabs his hand and guides Rick to the loft sofa, sitting him down before sitting beside him. He doesn’t let go of her hand, instead he seems to grip onto it like it’s a lifeline, the only thing tethering him to the real world.

“Put on my goggles.” 

“What?” Rick shakes his head in confusion, but Beth is adamant.

“The goggles see through Eclipso’s illusions. If you put them on, you’ll know everything is real. You’ll know I’m really here.”

She unlocks her hand from his to take the goggles off, passing them to Rick. He’s unsure, she can tell by the way his hands hover over the goggles. After a few seconds of indecision however, Rick puts the goggles on and he visibly relaxes. Beth takes both his hands now, and looks into his eyes.

“I’m really here Rick, I promise.”

Rick smiles that earth-shattering smile again as he slides the goggles off his face. There are tears in his eyes as he looks at Beth, eyes scanning her all over. It almost looks as if he’s seeing her for the first time. Taking in everything about her, and for just a moment Beth feels self conscious. She wants to adjust her hair, make sure she looks perfect, but one more glance at Rick puts those worries to rest. She can tell that he already thinks she’s perfect, even if he can’t put it into words.

“I really, really missed you Beth.” Rick’s voice is a whisper barely audible over the sound of clanging metal. He’s leaning forward and for just a moment Beth’s heart jumps thinking he’s going to kiss her, but then he rests his forehead against hers and squeezes both her hands tight. It’s a moment of calm, and they stay like that for a while, just leaning against each other and breathing. Acknowledging that they’re both there, and alive, and okay. Beth is doing everything she can not to cry, but when she sees a tear tracking down Rick’s face she can’t help but cry alongside him. 

“We’re okay, Rick. You’re free. You’re free and you can rebuild the hourglass, and we'll defeat Eclipso. We’ll do it together. We’ll be okay” 

Beth leans back from Rick as she says this, trying to gauge how Rick is feeling. His head has dropped, and he won't make eye contact.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what, Rick?” “I don’t know anything anymore. I don’t know if we’ll be okay. I don’t even know if I want to rebuild the hourglass. I mean, Pat wants me to, and I want to be able to keep you safe, but I don’t know if I should. The last time I used it I nearly killed Matt. I don’t think I can be trusted with that power anymore.” Rick draws away as he says this, turning away from Beth. She refuses to let him, moving closer to him as she tries to figure out the right thing to say. 

“That wasn't you, Rick. It was Eclipso. He tricked you into attacking Matt. It wasn’t your fault.” “Eclipso still manipulated me into misusing my powers! It could happen again, and it could be worse. I could end up hurting someone else. I could end up hurting you, Beth.” Rick’s voice is quivering, and he still won't look at Beth.

“You would never hurt me. You wouldn’t hurt any of us, Rick.” 

“I would if I didn’t know it was you. I would if Eclipso made me think you were someone else. Something else. I would, and then I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

Rick seems genuinely distraught, he’s still crying as he says it, and Beth feels her heart aching for him. She wants so badly to reassure him, to tell him that everything will be okay, but she knows she can’t. Rick has been broken, and much like his hourglass it’s going to take a lot of work to fix him.

“Can I help you? Rebuild the hourglass, I mean. Maybe if we work together we can build some sort of failsafe. Something to switch off your powers if they go too far. Something just in case, if that’ll make you feel better?”

Beth isn’t even sure if such a thing is possible but it’s better than nothing. Rick nods slowly at that idea as he takes deep breaths.

“Yeah. Yeah I think that’s a good idea.”

Beth can’t help but smile at that, just happy to see Rick calming down just a little.

“Perfect. I don’t know if I can help now, Chuck and I have to go do some investigating, but I promise as soon as we’re done I’ll be here to help. Okay?”

“Okay.” Rick closes his eyes and gives a small half-smile. “Yeah, alright. I like the sound of that.”

“I do too.” 

Beth thinks back to what Chuck told her, to go outright and tell Rick her feelings. She half considers telling him right then and there, and just putting it all out on the table, but she knows it's not the right time. She can tell by the hunch of Rick’s shoulders, and the tears still welling in the corners of his eyes that he’s not in the right mental state for that kind of confession. She wants so badly to tell him, to kiss him and let him know how much he’s loved, how much he matters, and how much faith she has in him but she restrains herself just barely. When all this is over she’ll tell him, she resolves. She’ll tell him when everything is more stable.

She gets up to leave, but just as she stands Rick grabs her hand again, and looks up at her with panicked eyes.

“I need you to come back safely, Beth. Please be safe.” It’s a plea, a panic-stricken plea to make sure Beth stays safe.

“I will. I will be safe, and I’ll come back to you Rick. I always do.”

He nods softly, blinking tears from his eyes again as he tries to smile for her. She softly rests her free hand on his cheek and smiles at him,

“You stay safe for me too, okay? And don’t wait up, I want to see you well on your way to making that new and improved hourglass when I get back.” She’s joking, trying to lighten the mood, and it reassures her that she’s succeeding when Rick lets out a slight chuckle.

“Yeah. Yeah I… I will. I will, Beth.”

“Great. I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.”

And with that she lets go of him, and heads down the stairs, leaving Rick alone. 

When Beth reaches the bottom of the stairs Chuck glances her way as she slides her goggles back on, and she shakes her head softly.

“It wasn’t the right time.” She informs him, and Chuck nods wisely.

“I told you you’d know when the timing was right. I’m sure it’ll be soon, worry not.”

She’s not entirely sure what to do with herself, so she resolves to call the one person she knows will know what to do. It’s a slow trek as she sniffles her way to where her phone is plugged in, and she winces as lightning illuminates the window. He’s at the top of her contact list, the only person she’s called in the last few days, so all she has to do is press the small green phone icon beside his name, and wait. 

She prays to whatever higher being is out there that he answers.

Rick is in the woods. It’s terrible weather and he’s soaked to the bone but he has to check if Grundy’s shown up. After the Eclipso-induced visions he had of Grundy back at the school he can’t stop himself from checking for the creature, even if it means being out in such terrible weather. There’s no sign of Grundy though, and all Rick has received for his efforts is water weighing him down and a terrible case of the chills. He lets out an exasperated groan as he flops into the driver's seat of his car, slamming the door and letting his head fall onto his steering wheel. He really doesn’t feel like going home to whatever drunken insults Matt is going to throw at him, especially after everything he saw at the school. And so Rick mulls over the idea of staying the night at the Pit Stop, like he usually does on the days when Matt’s being particularly cruel. As he slides his keys into his ignition, his phone rings from where it’s been discarded in a cup holder. He slowly lifts his head and squints at the screen. His heart skips a beat when he reads the name. 

Beth :)

He scrambles to pick the phone up, wet fingers sliding uselessly against the screen as he attempts to answer. By some miracle he manages to hit the right buttons, answering the call. 

He presses the phone to his ear,

“Beth?”

Silence for a moment and then 

“Rick.”

She’s crying. That’s clear the second she speaks, her voice quivering as she says his name.

“I’ll be right over.”

“Beth, hey. What’s up? Are you okay?

“My parents are getting divorced. Or at least, they’re pretty sure they are. They just told me and left. I’m just… I just need someone to talk to. If that’s okay.”

He hears Beth sniffle before she hangs up. Rick grips the wheel of his car and takes off, not caring about the weather, not caring about much of anything really. At this moment, all he cares about is Beth Chapel.

“Rick, the weather is terrible! You don’t have to come all the way over here if it’s not safe-”

“I was planning on coming into town anyway. It’s alright. See you in a bit, okay?”

“Okay.”

Beth hates the way she’s waiting at her door like some sort of sad puppy, but there’s not much else to do. She’s managed to slow her crying as she stares out the small window beside her door, waiting to see a bright yellow car pull into her driveway. She’s starting to get worried, her anxiety telling her Rick had gotten into some terrible car accident, when she sees his car. She can’t help but smile, standing as he parks, and opening her front door when she sees him get out of his car. The storm is forgotten for a moment as she runs down the front steps of her house, leaving her door wide open behind her as she throws herself at Rick, engulfing him in a hug. She’s crying again, sobs wracking her body as she presses herself into his soaked sweater and he holds her. No questions or objections, he just presses one hand on her back and the other into her hair, and holds her. Rick feels his heart break as she looks up at him with tears in her eyes, but he forces himself to stay calm.

“Beth. We should probably go inside. It’s raining.” 

“Right.”

“If you don’t wanna be at home I could drive you to the Pit Stop? That’s where I was headed.”

Beth has gotten Rick a towel and turned on the electric fireplace which he’s not even sure provides heat, but it’s nice anyway. She’s in the kitchen now, steadying herself while she makes hot chocolate, and he towels off his hair and clothes to the best of his abilities as he waits for her to return. After a few minutes Beth enters the living room with two mugs, one with just marshmallows and the other piled high with whipped cream. She offers a soft smile as she hands Rick the whipped cream-topped hot chocolate, before settling in beside him on the sofa. 

She shakes her head.

“You’re soaked. I don’t want you to get sick because of my stupid emotions, come in. I’ll make us some hot chocolate, if you want?” She manages, gesturing for Rick to follow her inside. He nods, and the pair walk into Beth’s house.

“You remembered I like whipped cream.” He laughs and it warms his heart to see her chuckle along with him.

“How could I forget? You scarfed down that whipped cream off the milkshake at the diner like it was your last meal!” 

Rick is fumbling his words and he hates himself for it, but he really is trying his best.

They laugh for a moment, and it’s a relief to see that Beth is feeling at least a little better. After a brief pause Rick knock’s Beth’s knee lightly with his own, and she looks over at him. He searches her face, struggling for the right words to say.

“How are you holding up? I mean, I guess not very well but... I mean, is there anything I can do? I’m not very good with parent things, but if there’s anything I can do…”

“I’m just glad to have you here. I didn’t know what to do, and my parents left me alone, and I really didn’t want to be alone. So I called the one person who I knew would be there for me.”

“Me?”

“You.”

Beth is tearing up again, and she looks down. There’s one question at the front of her mind that she really doesn’t want to dwell on, but she knows she has to ask.

“Do you think it’s my fault? The divorce, I mean.” She sets her mug on the coffee table and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

“What? No. Beth no, if anything you were what held them together. You talked to them every day, made sure they had at least some time together as a family. There is nothing you could’ve done, this is entirely on them.”

“But I could’ve done something. I know I could’ve. When Eclipso showed up at the school he showed me my parents, and told me it was my fault. Rick, he said it was my fault. I couldn’t fix their relationship.”

Beth slowly lifts her head, still trying to no avail to wipe the tears from her eyes. 

Now Rick is the one to put his mug down on the table as he leans towards Beth.

“Hey. look at me.”

“It’s not your fault. It will never be your fault. You tried so hard, you did everything you could. This is on them. You are the kindest, sweetest person I know, you could never cause something like that. Okay?”

He’s subconsciously laid a hand on top of hers as he spoke, but he leaves it there as she offers a small nod. He smiles at her as they settle into a comfortable silence. Rick is the one to break it.

“How about we watch a movie? Nothing cheers you up like a good movie marathon.” He tips his head towards the TV. This seemingly breaks Beth from her stupor as she leaps up to turn the tv on, separating their hands swiftly. Rick awkwardly picks his hot chocolate, taking a sip as Beth grabs the converter.

“Rick, you’ve never seen Megamind!? Well we have to watch it now!” 

“Yes! Megamind just got put on Netflix, and it’s one of my favourites.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

About halfway into the movie, Beth comes to a rather abrupt realization. She had told Rick all about what Eclipso had shown her, but she hadn’t actually asked him what he had seen. She remembered how shaken he had been when they returned to the Pit Stop after the mission, but he hadn’t talked about it. A feeling of guilt settled into the pit of her stomach, she had forced all her problems onto him, but hadn’t taken the time to listen to his own struggles. 

Beth’s mind is still lingering on her parents, lingering on the way Rick had held her hand, but she can’t dwell on it for too long. Rick is right, she needs to distract herself. So she does, settling back into her spot beside Rick, the duo quietly drinking hot chocolate as the movie begins to play.

“Hey Rick?”

He turns quickly, and she can see he’s scanning her face, trying to gauge what she’s feeling. He does that a lot, and it takes everything Beth has to not smile, knowing that he cares so much. Always checking up on her.

Rick takes a moment to think. As much as he wants to tell Beth the truth, he knows he can’t. He can’t tell her he was too much of a coward to kill Grundy, but he can tell her at least some of the story.

“Yeah?”

“When we fought Eclipso at the school, what did you see? I saw my parents, but you never said what you saw.”

“I saw Grundy. And I saw myself. I saw myself at my worst moment. I was so angry, and I just let my rage take over. I let it consume me. I don’t think I’ve ever hated myself more than that moment. Looking back on it, I was so stupid, just letting myself go like that. And you tried to tell me that, back then. You tried to stop me, and I didn’t listen.” That’s the truth. He does hate himself for that, but he also hates himself for letting Grundy go. It’s a whole whirlpool of conflicted emotions that he hasn’t taken the time to process. He’s not sure he ever will.

Beth is silent for a moment. There’s a lot to unpack there, and she’s not entirely sure what to say. Megamind drones on in the background, entirely forgotten. 

“I’m serious! You’re my closest friend. You’re the only person who listens to me, who’s there for me. Courtney and Yolanda are great, but they don’t stick up for me the way you do. They don’t care about me like you do. There’s no reason you should hate yourself. You let your anger take over, so what? Everyone makes mistakes, there’s no reason that you should hate yourself for having real emotions. I literally sobbed into your sweater in the rain like an hour ago, and do I hate myself for that? No!”

“Rick… You shouldn’t hate yourself.”

“Wow, very insightful.” he lets out a spiteful chuckle, and Beth halfheartedly slaps his arm.

“That was different.”

“It wasn’t! I was feeling really, really sad. You were feeling really, really angry. And you had every right to feel angry. Grundy killed your parents. If I was in that situation, I’d probably have done the same thing.”

“You wouldn’t have.”

“You don’t know that.”

Rick locks eyes with Beth when she says that. He feels something inside him break, and he almost slips up,almost tells her how much he cares about her. How much he loves her. He wants nothing more than to kiss her at that moment. But now is not the time, the thoughts of failed love leading to divorce still fresh in her mind.

“I do. Beth, you're always looking for the good in people, always looking on the bright side. And I’m me. I’m always angry, always ready to fight. I hate everyone and everything.”

“You don’t hate me.”

“Beth. Thank you.”

“Rick, I should be saying thank you to you! You’re the one who came rushing through a thunderstorm to rescue me.”

“And yet somehow you’ve managed to find a way to flip the tables. You’ve rescued me.”