Edna miserably trudged along the dark pathway beside the quiet road, the events that had happened outside of the Hill Valley Expo Hall replaying over and over in her mind.

Don't 'Edna' me! I know you're not the man I took you for!

I knew it... A Degenerate Criminal.. I should have known...

Get out of my sight! I never want to see you again!

Her head was hung low, not registering the bright glow of lights behind her. The quiet hum of the DeLorean could be heard beside her as Citizen Brown slowly cruised by. The wing door flew open when the headlights illuminated that familiar outline. Citizen Brown smirked.

The aerodynamic sound shook Edna from her thoughts and she slowly turned to her left to see the source of the noise. Her reaction was not nearly as quick and quirky as her usual self would have been like.

"Need a lift?" his voice resonated in the dark road.

Edna composed herself as she began talking. "Mr Sagan." Her voice was quite normal, not quavering at all, all things considered. She continued her slow walk while her body was turned to the man in question. "Got the 'kinks' worked out of your car of the future?"

"Oh, not all of them but at least the DeLorean's mundane terrestrial functionality remains intact." He explained to her.

She stopped walking. "As usual I have not the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"In fact, you remind me of someone-" her voice cracked, unable to contain herself any longer. "-I used to-" she broke out into tears as she bawled, and she hastily clambered into the car, her head buried in her glove-covered hands.

Doc's eyebrows furrowed, guilt riding his face. "There, there my dear, don't worry. I'm sure it will all turn out well in the end." He tried to console her.

Of course, he knew that was a blatant lie. If what Martin had told him was true, she was going to be sentenced to a life of loneliness and wallowing in her small apartment. That was what had been planned to be Edna's story in his timeline.

...His timeline, though.

Edna sniffed, and briefly wiped her nose against her glove. "Maybe for everyone, but I suddenly feel very much like I'm going to be alone and unloved for a very long time.." She turned her head to Doc, meeting his gaze temporarily before burying her head in her hands yet again. "Maybe I should get a cat."

He had discussed with Martin earlier; the possibility of him being with Edna but the story being a different one. One that would satisfy both Martin's timeline and Citizen Brown's devotion to the lady.

He had come to the realisation that the Edna they were setting up was what she was meant to turn out in Martin's timeline. It was what he came to believe was right, and what he had wanted if he were to restore his timeline.

But that didn't mean that it was the right one. It certainly was not exactly what Citizen Brown wanted.

He had the power to change it right here and then, and he made that split second decision to abandon Martin's plan and to go along with his own.

He WILL make sure Edna and his younger self are together again and happy. No matter the cost.

"...Nonsense. I can state with nearly one hundred percent certainty that you're going to have a long and fulfilling life."

This he will make sure. He'll just have to guide her along the path to succession and happiness. What the two had initially begun with.

She wiped her nose again. "How can you know that?"

"Oh, I think you'll find I know everything worth knowing about you and young Emmett.. And his friends." He added, turning his head away from Edna and to his front, pushing down the accelerator and driving forward once more. Edna reached up and closed the wing door.

"Tell me... How much do you know about Michael Corleone?" he quickly asked. This was important to his first step of the plan: To sabotage Edna's view of Martin just as he had sabotaged their relationship.

"Well, Mr Corleone... He's an active member in charity work and makes soup deliveries to local charities.. The Mario Brothers, for instance-"

"The Mario Brothers?! Did he really say that?" Citizen Brown exclaimed, trying his very best not to shriek out in laughter. God, the kid was really using his future knowledge to his advantage, wasn't he?

"Why, yes so he did..." Edna feebly responded, alarmed at Mr Sagan's sudden outburst. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no, don't worry my dear. It's just an.. Inside joke between him and I, that's all." He composed himself before taking a more serious tone. "Please continue. What else?"

"He's seemingly quite close friends with my- ahem, Emmett. They seem to know each other fairly well."

Not as much as you would think.

"Oh, that's not good."

"Why's that?"

"Well... let's just say that Michael's a bad influence on young Emmett."

"He... does seem to distract Emmett quite a bit, but aside from that I can't see the harm he's doing to him."

"You don't know him. At all." He said curtly, turning his head to Edna. "Whatever I say tonight stays between you and me, but I'm going to let you in on who Michael Corleone really is. He's not the person you have come to have known over the past few months."

"Who is he, then?" Edna asked, her curiosity perked. She leaned in a little, anticipating.

"His real name is Yakov Smirnoff. He's an agitator, originating from the Soviets. He had heard about the Hill Valley Expo through me and had flown in today to begin his sabotaging of the first annual."

A lie so bad it's laughable. But Doc thought it sounded plausible.

"He's a foreign agitator?"

"I know this sounds absurd given his nature, but yes. He plans on causing complete chaos and destruction. I tried to talk him out of it when he arrived, not wanting him to ruin a perfectly elite event in such a small town but he wouldn't have it. Eventually I gave up and let him run around free."

"This is hard to believe."

"I know, Miss Strickland. There's something else I think you should know. He also learnt that you and Emmett had began to date and while he was scheming to ruin the Expo, he also wanted to sabotage your beautiful relationship."

"How-?"

"He was the one who set up your break-up."

"What?!"

"What I'm trying to say is that he's a dangerous man. You absolutely have to win back Emmett's heart if you don't want him wrecking the man you dearly love."

"I understand. But Mr Sagan, there's one thing I don't quite understand."

"Yes?"

" I must say, I'm very appreciative that you are concerned with my future. Mr Smirnoff has already ruined countless lives, so why would you want to care about mine? And Emmett's? I just don't understand it all.."

Why indeed. As expected, she brings up a god vital question.

How could you not want to save the life of a woman you'd do anything for?

Doc could only turn and gaze at her silently. She faced him directly, holding a firm grip on the armrest as she angles her body. Her attentiveness gently encouraged him to continue.

Some say actions speak louder than words, and at this moment in time, Doc found that endearingly true.

What she did not expect was this.

He placed his gentle but quite wiry hands on either of her make-up coated cheeks. They were soft, like they had always been how they were back in their youth. Edna opened her mouth, her lips parted as if she was to say something but was cut short by Citizen Brown taking that to his advantage. He leaned forward and placed his lips onto hers.

It felt wrong to be kissing her like this. At this time in present, she must have been in her early 20s, at maximum. Simple math would have deducted her exact age but for once, his brain became entranced and lost within those soft lips, so soft like he remembered they were before age got the better of her - of both of them. He couldn't be fussed at this moment for calculations.

But at the same time, this was Edna. The same woman he bickered with after her Stay Sober Society set-up at his parents house, the one he attempted to take out to see Frankenstein but got diverted, the one he fell madly in love with and slowly took over the entirety of Hill Valley, having received the key to the city. This was the exact same woman that had endeared and stood by his side all these years. With this in mind, he pressed deeper against her before reluctantly breaking away.

God, she was amazing. A real work of art.

This was the Edna he had fallen madly in love with. The Edna he so wanted back.

When he pulled away, his entranced love-ridden glaze met her wide-eyed and frozen eyes. She sucked in a very brief ragged breath, eyes locked onto his as her grip tightened on the armrest and her other hand scrunching up her skirt. He wanted to speak but he let her have a moment to process his sudden advance.

"This... is why..?"

"Yes. Miss Strickland, I'm in love with you. That's why I want to protect you and ensure you have a happy life with Emmett."