A/N: I can't stop writing BTTF stuff. I know the whole "How Marty and Doc met" thing has been done a whole lot before, but here's my version. It's a bit basic, I know, but I think it works out okay. What do you guys think?

...

A ten-year-old Marty McFly was playing soccer with his friends on a field they shouldn't be playing on. It was on the grounds where the old Brown mansion used to be before it burned down. It was strictly private property, but they were playing there anyway. Marty wasn't the best at soccer, but that didn't stop him from playing. Currently he was kicking the ball towards the goal, the three players from the opposite team running towards him. He saw his chance, narrowed his eyes and kicked the ball as hard as he could. The ball went flying, right out past the goal and-

SMASH!

Right into the window of the garage where the "lunatic" lived.

Marty froze. This was bad. He'd heard the rumours about the scientist - everyone had - and he was scared. According to the rumours, if you messed with him, you'd become the subject for one of his experiments. He was crazy. One popular rumour was that he was looking to create another Frankenstein's monster, and if you were caught then you'd be the victim. Another was that he designed torture weapons and loved to test them out on kids who annoyed him. He was certainly someone to be avoided.

And Marty had just kicked a ball right through his window.

The few friends gave Marty annoyed looks. "Nice going,"

"I didn't mean it!" Marty glared at them, but inside he was terrified. This meant he had to confront the man who was famous for being a nutcase in order to get the ball back.

Marty was shoved towards the door of the garage. He tried to protest and push against them, but soon he was stood right in front of the door. The other boys legged it and disappeared up the street. They weren't gonna hang around to see what happened to Marty; they just got out of there before Doctor Brown decided to test more than one patient.

Marty was terrified, but he'd kicked a ball right through that window. He had no choice now. Taking a deep breath, Marty knocked on the door. His heart was pounding. Who knew how Doctor Brown would react to having one of his windows smashed.

Marty jumped as a dog started barking inside. Someone shouted something that sounded like "Be quiet Einstein," before the door opened. Standing there was Doctor Brown himself, looking irritated.

Doctor Brown was a tall man, with crazy brown eyes and white hair that made him look as though he had been electrocuted more than once. Maybe he had. He was wearing brown pants and a grey shirt with black shoes, and he had a white lab coat on over the top. His facial expression was one that wasn't impressed.

"Are you the young man who broke my window?"

Marty swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-yes sir, I-I didn't mean it, it was an accident, honest! I w-was playing with my friends and I kicked it too hard!" he stammered, panic causing his speech to speed up and become almost inaudible.

"Kid, kid calm down!" Doctor Brown said, waving his hands frantically to try and get Marty to stop talking.

Marty stopped immediately, his blue eyes looking up at the doctor somewhat in fear. A mess of brown and white fur knocked the boy over, and Marty was shocked for a moment. Now he'd done it. He'd annoyed Doctor Brown and now his dog was gonna-

Lick him?

"Einstein!" Doctor Brown quickly pulled the dog off the boy. He bent down and offered Marty a hand up, which the young man accepted. "Sorry about that, but it seems as though Einstein likes you,"

"It's okay," Marty brushed himself off, wiping the dog spit off his cheek. "I'm sorry about the window,"

"Come in and get your ball, I'll call your parents," Doctor Brown waved for Marty to follow him inside.

"D-don't call my parents!" Marty pleaded. "Please! They'll ground me until I'm at college!"

Doctor Brown put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, to be honest. You were playing soccer on private property and you broke my window while doing so, so I think it's only fair that I tell them,"

"I-I'll pay for the window!" Marty exclaimed. "I'll pay out of my pocket money!"

"Hey kid, relax. I won't tell your parents, okay?" Doctor Brown smiled, kneeling down slightly to Marty's level. "What's your name?"

"M-Marty, Marty McFly," the young boy stammered.

"Well Marty, it's nice to meet you," Doctor Brown held his hand out for Marty to shake. "I'm Doctor Emmett Brown,"

Marty relaxed a bit and shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you. You know, you're nothing like what people say you're like,"

"Oh really?" Doctor Brown chuckled. "What do those people say?"

"Well, um, they say you're sort of a … nutcase," Marty mumbled, looking at his sneakers.

Doctor Brown laughed. "Tell me something I haven't heard before,"

"You seem really nice, I don't know why people think that you're a loony,"

The scientist looked at the young boy, disbelief on his face. "You're the first person to have said that to me in ten years,"

Marty grinned. "But it's true! You're not old and grouchy like my neighbors, you're really nice!"

Doctor Brown smiled. "Thanks,"

Marty smiled, but his eyes caught sight of something sitting in the corner of the garage, underneath a tarp. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked over to it. "What's this?"

"Oh it's just a little project I'm working on, nothing too interesting." the scientist shrugged.

"Can I see?" Marty looked over at him. "Please?"

Doctor Brown chuckled. "I suppose so, I'm still working on it and it's nowhere near finished." He walked over to the boy and pulled the tarp off. Underneath lay a brand new DeLorean, the engine from the back exposed and wires leading out of it. Marty looked inside to see that the dashboard was completely stripped apart.

"What are you planning to do with it?" Marty asked.

"It's a secret," Doctor Brown tapped the side of his nose.

"Can you tell me?"

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you," the inventor chuckled.

"Oh," Marty's head drooped and he looked disappointed. He was really hoping to find out what the man was planning to use the DeLorean for.

Doctor Brown noticed the kid's expression and smirked. "It's going to be a time machine,"

Marty looked up at him, eyes wide. "A time machine?! Really?!"

"If I can get it working, but I don't know if I can do it by myself," Doctor Brown sighed, looking sad, but looked at the young boy through the corner of his eye.

"I can help! I'll help you build it! It'll repay you for the broken window!" Marty exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"I don't know, Marty, it's awfully complicated," Doctor Brown shrugged.

"Please Doctor Brown! Let me help!" The boy begged.

"Alright then," the scientist grinned, ruffling Marty's hair. "I'll give you your ball back, then you can help me work on it, deal?"

"Deal!" Marty nodded, smiling.

"And one more thing, you don't have to call me Doctor Brown," the scientist smiled. "It's too formal for a boy your age to call me,"

"Fine by me Doc, let's get started!" Marty smirked as he grabbed his soccer ball.

Doctor Brown chuckled. "Doc", he liked the sound of that.