Chapter Ten

Monday, December 31st, 1941

7:13 PM

Trains. Cars. Time travel. These were things that normally didn't coexist in the same universe. Normal being the operative word. Now things were headed way south of a physics homework problem gone bad.

Marty McFly found himself pinned between a steam train and a Delorean going eighty some miles per hour towards another train headed straight for them on a level stretch of railroad track.

The teenager tried his hardest peel his eyes away from the oncoming train that spelled certain disaster for both he and the Brown family. At last, he turned his gaze long enough to remember why he was hanging off the back of a Delorean in the first place.

The plutonium core! It had dropped from the Delorean and onto the snowplow of Doc's mighty steam-powered time machine. Now Marty's hand was inches away from the precious energy source. Just a little further…

TOOT! TOOT! The oncoming freight train whistled it's warning again. Marty leaned forward once more and grabbed the core.

"Gotcha!" The core was his! Now it needed to be loaded into the reactor in a very short amount of time or else, well, Marty didn't even want to think about it.

Marty climbed back onto the Delorean and reached for the reactor's fuming opening. The core was almost in place.

TOOT! TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Now it seemed the poor engineers in the freight train were getting serious. They were obviously signaling to Doc that he needed to slow down.

Marty did his best to ignore the noise and the countryside rushing rapidly by him. He finally stretched his hand a far as it could go.

SLUMP! The core dropped into the reactor with a satisfying sound. Marty quickly closed the hatch and climbed out onto the roof.

Oh boy. That train was really getting close. Marty fought through the warp field that the Delorean's flux capacitor was generating and climbed down into the cockpit.

"I did it, Doc!" he shouted into the walkie-talkie, "We did it! Now let's get back to the future!"

"I couldn't agree with you more, Marty!" came Doc's voice. By now, the warp field surrounded both the train and the Delorean and the train. Marty looked ahead to see the opposing freight locomotive charging at them.

"I can't look!" Marty said as he covered his eyes.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A flash of brilliant light filled the sky as the Delorean and the trailing locomotive disappeared into the night, leaving only a trail of fire and a very surprised freight train crew behind.

- - - - -

Not much happened in the backyard of what Doc called his lab. Of course, not much ever happened along Riverside Drive; a street that remained relatively non-descript and boring.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Well, so much for nondescript and boring…

- - - - -

Marty opened his eyes. It was darkness. Maybe he'd died and gone to heaven. Well, if this was heaven, he was pretty disappointed. There were no angels, no golden streets, but then again, there were no freight trains. Every tragedy had its bright side.

Then he realized the darkness was just outside. He was still inside the Delorean. And if he was still inside the Delorean with a dumb hazard suit and a big yellow box of plutonium it meant, for the hundredth time, that Doc was right. Crazy, but definitely right.

Marty opened the gull-wing door and stepped out. Both the Delorean and the train had rolled to a stop on the railway tracks right behind Doc's lab. They had really made it.

The door to the cabin on Doc's train folded open and Doc, Clara, and the boys rushed out to meet him.

"Well done, my boy!" Doc said, grinning from ear to ear as if one of his sons had won the Olympics. He gave Marty a big hug as did Clara. The boys shook Marty's hand and the teenager decided he would have to show them how to high-five someday. Even Einstein seemed to be aware that Marty was yet again responsible for another jump through the space-time continuum.

"What do you say we get these machines into the garage and start making a few modifications?" Doc said.

Jules and Verne both piped up, "Really? Let's do it!" They were apparently taking very closely after their father.

In a matter of minutes, both time machines were safe at home in Doc's garage. The train was put into a large shed Doc had built specifically for it that had disguised railroad tracks leading onto the mainline in the backyard. The Delorean was taken off the railroad wheels and put back onto its street tires.

It seemed that Doc had no problems fixing Mr. Fusion at all. The scientist kept a few models in his lab to perform other frivolous duties and had no trouble installing a replacement.

The train would need more extensive repairs, but Marty had no doubt that Doc's enthusiasm for inventing things would lend itself admirably to the project which even Jules and Verne seemed enthused about.

Marty was just going to teach Jules and Verne how to skateboard when he heard Doc's frightful; cream from the driveway.

"Marty! What in the name of Sir Isaac H. Newton happened here?"

"Oh," Marty said, "That."

"I think this deserves a little more explanation, Marty." Doc said. He was right; the broken shingles and gapping hole in the roof were a bit obvious.

"Needles was chasing me and I didn't know about the elevator and I, I…"

"Marty," Doc said, his smile returning, "You know, I really don't mind."

Marty was dumbstruck, "I, well, you're not mad?"

"No, Marty." Doc said, "How can I? You have proven yourself to be a far more resourceful and far more responsible time traveler than myself. I have a lot to learn from you."

"Well, Doc," Marty said, "You're not so bad yourself."

"That's why I've decided to make you an offer, if your interested."

An offer? What for? "What do you mean, Doc?"

"I was wondering if you'd make a trade; The Delorean for your truck. I feel you can be trusted with a time machine and Jules and Verne might be driving in a few years. A time machine is hardly a good learning vehicle." Marty had to think that over. He had always wanted that Toyota. He'd even swore to Jennifer on many occasions that he would someday own that truck. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he really loved that Delorean. In fact, he'd been envious of Doc's car since the day of it's maiden voyage.

"You got a deal, Doc. Thanks."

"The pleasure's all mine, I assure you." Doc said. "Looks like I'll be hanging around a little longer."

- - - - -

Marty bid farewell to the Brown family and quietly drove home. After parking in the garage, Marty yawned and for the first time felt tired. Yeah, sleep would work wonders right now.

The obnoxious sound of Marty's alarm clock was the next thing he heard. He woke up and pressed the snooze button. He figured he was good for another five minutes.

Not quite.

"Dad! Dad!" It was Linda's annoying voice shrieking through the house. Marty rolled lazily out of bed and looked through his bedroom window. His sister was outside, hysterical about something. Marty could here his father yell "I'm coming!" as he raced out of the room as well.

By now, the entire McFly family was outside in the driveway. Even Dave, Marty's once-lazy brother had woken up to see what the racket was.

Linda wouldn't cam down. "Who's car is this? I don't know this car!"

"Linda, relax." George said, "Marty, do you know about this car?"

"Yeah, Dad." Marty said when he realized they were talking about the Delorean, "I uh traded the truck in."

"But why, Marty?" said his other, Lorraine, "You loved that truck."

"I know, I just thought it was time for something new. Doc Brown gave me a good deal on it."

Dave and Linda both wore dumb expressions. Lorraine just stared almost apprehensively at the strange Delorean. Even George, the science-fiction guru and avid Star Wars fan didn't know what on earth to make of it.

"Well," Lorraine said finally, "I hope you thanked Mr. Brown. That was very nice of him to find you this, uh, car."

"It's a Delorean. And don't worry, Mom." Marty said, gazing up at the sky, "I think he knows."

"Well, you'd better get washed up for breakfast," Lorraine rattled off, "And make sure you wear that sweater I bought you. Grandpa Ronnie is coming over for breakfast this morning."

Marty nearly had a heart attack, "Grandpa Ronnie?" her said hoarsely.

"Well yes, Marty." Lorraine said, "Grandpa Ronnie always comes over for breakfast on Sundays. He was so excited to hear George got his book published." With that, Marty's mother meandered off to the kitchen to prepare the morning's meal.

Marty waited for the rest of the McFLy's to head indoors before he turned to retire. His mind was still on Doc and what he could be doing, or when he could be doing. It was hard to tell. Doc was a pretty creative guy and probably was off taking his tour of the world with Clara and the boys right by his side. He also felt a sense of kinship to Doc. It wasn't everyday someone gave you a Delorean as a going away present.

Yep. Today turned out all right. Marty was glad for that.

"Marty!" came the hollering voice of an old man. Who the heck was that?

"Marty, wait!" Was it…? No, It couldn't be.

"Marty!" By now the speaker had rounded a tree and was coming at Marty dressed in some sort of astronaut flight suit.

"Marty!" the figure screamed some more. Now it was obvious.

"Doc?" Marty said incredulously, "You're back already?"

"Marty, you've got to help me!" Doc said.

"With what? We just got back!"

"I'm not talking about 1941, Marty. It's the future! Something terrible has happened! I mean, something terrible will happen!"

"When, Doc?"

"2035!"

"Oh man. This is heavy."

To be continued…

(applause)

Yeah, okay. I sincerely hope you liked it. It was my first Back To The Future fan fic and I enjoyed every minute of the process. Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to read and review my work. Please send more (even flames). I am very grateful and very happy to keep the Back To The Future series alive.

So is a Back To The Future Part V around the corner somewhere? Who knows? (I really hope so) If you want to see one, please send me an e-mail. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this story and the next one.

Untilthen, don't forget: Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one!

- flicker404