As Real as it Gets

We'll be Okay (Chapter 9, Part 3)

"No!" Rick struggled to break free, "Don't! Take me instead, let her go!"

The stone-alien holding you pulled out a large knife and held it to your throat. You closed your eyes in fear and in hope that everything is just a bad dream and that you're going to wake up in your bed with Rick sleeping soundly right next to you.

"Hold it! Hold it! Hold it right there!" a familiar voice shouted from the crowd and the cheering fell silent.

You slowly opened your eyes. A guy on a hover board flew down from the crowd and into the arena, landing right in front of you.

"Goldenfold?!" you couldn't believe your eyes.

"Yes, my beautiful lady," he spoke with pride, "it's me, Goldenfold, the amazing, the powerful!"

"Mother fucker!" Rick shouted furiously.

"Silence him!" Goldenfold ordered.

"Yes, your highness." A knife was placed to Rick's throat.

"What the fuck are you doing on an alien planet?" you questioned. "And how did you become their... king?"

"After losing my job at the school I got a strange phone call from a guy with a creepy voice. He asked me if I wanted to run the battle tournament for a while and I said yes!" he smiled creepily, "It has become my duty to lead these people, I'm also burdened with the terrible responsibility that is, keeping this arena in it's fully glory." He inched closer to you, "But I can't possibly allow such a beautiful thing to be harmed... So I shall make you my wife!"

"You can't be serious...?" you asked in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am, my sweet love! We will be together, we will lead these people and take over new planets! Our Empire will be unbreakable, undefeated, the most amazing and the most powerful in the whole universe!" he cupped your face with his hands. You glanced at Rick and saw his look of fuming anger and rage. Goldenfold turned to look at him. "Oh, the boyfriend, not so tough anymore, are ya? Kill him!!" he ordered.

"NO! If you kill him, I'll never be your wife, I'll never respect you, I'll never go with you..." you yelled.

"If I let him go you will?" Goldenfold smiled smugly.

"If he's sent home, on Earth, unharmed... than I will be your wife."

"Y/N...?" Rick whispered.

"I'm sorry, Honey..." you felt your eyes watering.

"Than it's settled! Send him to Earth," Goldenfold said with disgust than turned to you with his hand out, "Y/N, will you be mine?"

"Listen here, dipshit." Rick growled, stopping you from taking his hand, "How about you dirty your hands a little... and try to kill me yourself? You wanna prove how 'amazing' and 'powerful' you are? Kill me, I fucking dare you."

"Um... well..." Goldenfold's face filled with fear.

"Rick, you can't fight..." you whispered with concern.

"I can and I will."

"Please... go home." You begged.

He locked eyes with you, "I can't just go home, I'd rather die trying to save you." His expression softened, "I love you, Y/N."

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" small chanting began in the crowd that soon grew into the whole audience, everyone wanted to see their king in a fight.

"So, what's it gonna be 'your highness'?" Rick said with air quotes, "You gotta give the people what they want."

"... Fine." Goldenfold crossed his arms. "The duel begins in one hour!" He left in a rush.

-

"You're fucking crazy." You whispered while cleaning the blood from Rick's face.

"You know me so well." He joked.

"No, I mean... you're absolutely insane." You sighed, "How can you be so stubborn and insist on fighting even though you can barely stand up instead of going home, grabbing some weapons and things and then coming back to save me?"

"And leave you alone with that creep? Not a chance. Also, this is more fun."

"More fun?!" you yelled in disbelief.

The battle commentator announced the beginning of the duel. You kissed Rick one more time then joined Medeya and Varthrakan in the audience. Goldenfold entered the arena, so did Rick.

"Ready to die?" Goldenfold asked with pride.

Rick laughed, "Your confidence in victory is really something, I'm impressed."

"Oh, you think you're gonna win?"

"I know I fucking will." Rick growled. Goldenfold pulled out a sword and started swinging it at Rick, trying to stab him. He was incredibly unskilled in swordsmanship so Rick had no problem dodging it, "I'm unarmed, you don't think that's a little unfair?"

"Then give up and your girlfriend will be mine!" Goldenfold thundered.

Rick tried to grab the sword out of his hand, but ended up cutting himself on accident. He tried again and managed to take it. "I don't think so." He then pointed the sword at Goldenfold.

"I surrender! I surrender!" Goldenfold screamed with his hands in the air.

Rick stood with a confused look, "Already? It's been like... two minutes. Well, okay then." He looked up at the audience, "Is this your king?! Not anymore! Y/N, Varth, Medeya, could you guys come down?"

You did as he said and joined him in the arena. He grabbed the crown from Goldenfold's head and threw it to Varthrakan, "Thank you, Rick." He said.

"You're a good guy, Varth. These guys need a leader like you, not like him..." Rick glanced at Goldenfold in disgust, "I'm keeping the sword though... It's a cool sword."

-

Rick got back all the things that were taken out of his lab coat and called his grandson, "Morty, listen. Y/N and I are- What? Jerry?" Rick sighed, "No, Jerry, it's not Taddy for fuck's sake! Give the phone to Morty... Oh, Morty, finally, Y/N and I are stuck on the battle arena planet. I'll send you the coordinates so you can come pick us up. Bye." He hung up then turned to Goldenfold, "You said something about a phone call from a guy with a creepy voice?"

Goldenfold panicked, "I- I don't know him, he just called me from an unknown number!"

"Did he tell you anything about himself?"

"No, he didn't."

"You think it's the same guy that called Abner's men?" you asked.

"Could be." Rick thought. 

-

Morty finally came with the space ship and took Rick, Goldenfold and you back to Earth. Rick wanted to leave Goldenfold behind, but you insisted on bringing him back because you felt bad for him. When you landed in front of the Smith's house Goldenfold quickly ran back home because he was terrified of Rick who had been angrily staring at him for the entirety of the way back. Angela was also over at their house and ran over to hug you, "Oh my god, I was fucking scared to death that something had happened to you." she said.

"We're okay now." You smiled, "What are you even doing here?"

"I came over because I wanted to get this jerk to find you," she looked at Rick, "only for him to be missing too! Where the fuck were you guys?" She asked, Beth and Summer came out of the house to also greet you.

"Uh..." Rick spoke, "A space battle arena. We almost died, but I got a cool sword now."

"WHAT?" she yelled, "YOU ALMOST GOT HER KILLED?!"

"I didn't mean to- AGH FUCK!" He screamed after she slapped him very hard across the face.

You gasped, "Angie! Jesus Christ! How could you do that?!"

"No, no, no." Rick held his hand on his face, "She's right. I deserved it. I'm an idiot."