Don't Come Back For Me

A New Beginning.

       Christmas came and went, along with New Year's Day, and you found yourself slowly beginning to cope with the loss of Rick. You wore his lab coat every day, the scent seeming to never fade. It was either that, or you'd gone so insane it had become all you could smell.

       Yes, you would break down momentarily, but you would regain yourself quickly, chanting 'for him'. You'd gotten back into the habit of building simple devices that you knew wouldn't empower the government, sending them away for a bit of cash. That was how you made a living, how you managed to survive. Every time you'd do it, you'd remind yourself that it made you 'stupid, because the government's stupid'. 

       You'd been spending more time with the family, trying your best to help out in Rick's place, to fulfill his wish. You were doing splendidly, as Beth reminded you nearly every day. She would often send you home with a reassuring smile and a few homemade goodies, something she'd make just to be certain you were eating something, even if it wasn't healthy. 

       You'd begun speaking less, finding that you had difficulty maintaining conversation anymore, cracking jokes coming less as a normal thing to you. The family had noticed, but paid no mind.

       "What are you up to?" Summer came into the family's living room, finding you watching a romantic comedy. You shrugged, "Watching a dumb movie." The whiskey bottle near you was almost empty. It had become a regular occurrence for you to bring it everywhere you went. You were definitely taking Rick's place. You took a quick, heavy drink before setting the bottle back down with a thud.

       "Mind if I join?" You shrugged, "Go ahead. Could use a little company, I guess." Summer smiled softly and sat on the couch near you, tucking her phone away. "That's so cute," she gushed over the couple. "They're so adorable. I love these movies."

       Summer had recently graduated, now spending her days at home as she had no plans to go to college immediately. Her parents were fine with that, signing her up to follow you around and make sure you were doing alright. You didn't mind, finding it slightly less creepy each time. It was nice to have somebody around.

       You chuckled lightly, remembering when you and Rick had watched the same movie together. You sniffed lightly, absentmindedly, making Summer turn her gaze to you. She pulled a worried expression and you raised a brow, "What?" Raising a hand to your face, you found your answer.

       "Aw, gee." You quickly wiped your eyes, unaware that you had begun crying. "Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Summer questioned. You nodded, "Yea, just had something in my eye is all." You continued watching until it got to the moment when the grouchy protagonist got the nerve to kiss the other.

       You stood abruptly, "I, uh... haven't been in the garage since he left." Summer shook her head sadly, "Nobody's got the key. It's been locked up since." You raised the necklace, "He gave it to me. I shoulda known something was up." Your voice cracked slightly and you fanned your eyes, trying to stop the tears. Once you calmed down, you wandered through the house. Summer stopped you before you made it to the door.

       "(Y/N), are you sure about this? You've been doing so well. It's been five months, I know, but still. Are you sure you can do this?" Summer was worried, making that evident in her voice. You nodded, pulling a brave expression, "I think I can do this, Summer. I just wanna see it."

       Reluctantly, Summer pulled away from the door, watching as you removed the necklace, unlocked the door, and quickly pulled the jewelry back around your neck. You patted the glitter and walked in, hit with a flood of memories and his scent.

        Looking around, it was almost like he was still there. You could see him sitting in his chair, grinning at you widely with his hands pressed together, that sparkle in his eyes as he smiled to wide you could see his canines. "Morning, (Y/N)," his gruff voice rang in your memory. 

        You turned your head, seeing him opening the garage door, then grabbing a box. But now he was soldering a piece of metal, driving the cruiser. You shook your head, pushing the memories back with a growl. You glanced around, the memories finally gone.

        You wandered over to the shelves, wiping off dust and rubbing it between your fingers. The air was stagnant, the scent of dust and sweat rising, tainted with heavy alcohol and old cologne. The devices still looked brand new, almost untouched by the particles. You ran your hand along one shelf until you wound up at his desk. He'd never really given you the time to go through the drawers.

       You found them all to be unlocked. There were four in total. One held a notebook, filled with formulas. It was dated all the way back to when he must've been around 30. In another, you found old bits of wires, most of them old and unusable, along with the glitter he'd confiscated from you before. In the third drawer, there were stacks of blueprints, each opening to reveal an invention he'd already shown you. On the corners of some, you could faintly see a smudged fingerprint, like he was still there, holding it with you.

       The fourth drawer was a bit more difficult to open. It was jammed, the spring barely releasing as you pulled with all your might. When it finally slammed open, you almost fell backwards, nearly running into Summer as you'd forgotten her presence. 

       Peering into the opening, you found a small cube, one that almost fit in the palm of your hand. You lifted it, inspecting the sides and engravings. Small wires ran along, a glass panel inserted on one side. While inspecting it, you found a button. Cautiously, you set the device on the desk and pushed the tiny, blue button, pulling Summer back away from it as you moved.

         Slowly, something flashed, lights activating all around the sides. In less than a minute, you found yourself standing in the middle of an array of colors. You stared around, finding stars in the backdrop.

       You knew what this was. It was the damned Aurora Borealis.

       In the center, a small bubble popped up. You slowly laid your hand against the hologram and watched as something opened up. In two seconds, you were staring at a smiling image of yourself.

       "Oh..." you breathed shakily, moving closer. It looked as though it had been taking from the point of view of a security camera inside the cruiser. "Oh, God, I never thought- I mean,-" You covered your mouth, staring. It was from the first adventure you'd gone on with him. You were grinning widely. It was just you, focused only on your being. It was like a photo.

       "What's next, a photo album?" Summer whispered. The machine beeped, 'Next'. Suddenly, a new picture appeared. This one was of you sitting in Rick's lap as he fired behind you, another grin on your face as you laughed. He'd looked so serious, firing out the window behind you, but you were having the time of your life. You choked back a sob, "Next."

       You continued flipping through the images, finding some of you sleeping. The vast majority of them were of you laughing. Occasionally, Rick would be in the photo too, smiling mostly at you. By the time you'd made it back to the beginning, tears were flowing freely over your cheeks. 

       "He told m-me it was worth it.. if I smiled." You cried, "A-And then.. he asked me to smile for him, o-one more t-time!" You threw yourself backwards, landing in Summer's awaiting arms and crying on her shoulder.

       "Um, close?" Summer called out. The lights disappeared and Summer rocked you back and forth as you were consumed by the same madness that had nearly driven you insane once before.