Title: The Chronic Argonauts
Author: Kharmia Attradie
Rating: PG-13 for mild swearing.
Prologue
Date Chapter Started/Finished: 6Nov09-6Nov09
Word Count: not counting opening and closing notes. 2,149
Original Summary: (Meaning I pulled it off the first chapter of the old version) Summary: Slight A.U. (The DeLorean did not get smooshed by the train, and Doc took it back with him) Yes, Jules and Verne are in it, but very little, sorry. After leaving at the end of part three (and taking the DeLorean with him) Doc and Clara settle down in 1995. (Why 1995? 'Cause this is my AU and I say so.) And in 1998, two more are added to the family.
Two teenagers find a beaten up old DeLorean in their dad's garage, and drag a friend along for the ride. We join Doc's youngest, Minnie and Emmett Jr., and Marty Jr. as they have some fun with the time line. But, there is always the risk of unmaking the universe. Now children, why don't we play with the fabric of time?
A/N: This used to be the filler chapter, now it's the prologue. Huh. Reworked, and the start of the overhaul, Pretty much a test of what writing style is going to work out better. So, if you care to, tell me if you prefer this or the old style. ~.~
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Emmett groaned and flung and arm out from under his blanket, reaching blindly for his cell phone that was wailing in an ungodly manner on the encyclopedia he used as a bedside table. His fingers wrapped around the small orange device and he pulled it under the blanket and answered it, sleep still very evident in his voice.
"Zach, what could you possibly want this early in the morning?" He asked, groaning at the answer on the other end.
"It's only the first day Zachary, don't you think we should at least get past that before we start ditching?" Another groan could be heard as the form under the covers sat up slowly. Emmett punched the speaker phone option and dropped the phone on the blanket in front of him and rubbed his face drowsily.
"What do you mean? The first day is the best one to skip, all we're gonna be doing is filling out stupid forms that they probably still have on record from last year." Came the answer, muffled, from the mass of blankets and sheets on the bed.
"Yes, but, I can't miss the first day. Gives a bad impression to my new teachers."
"And getting lost on the way to the bathroom in the school you've been at for the last four years doesn't?"
"Shut up, Zach. That only happened once." Emmett retorted, reaching under the cover to retrieve his phone, which he promptly dropped on his desk as he turned on the T.V. Immediately the T.V. started spewing information about some exercise machine. Emmett stared at the screen for a moment, wondering if he had changed the channel at some point and didn't remember. That happened sometimes. He realized what he was watching just as Zach cleared his throat on the other end of the phone. Emmett frowned deeply and turned to stare at the clock on his bedside encyclopedia.
"Damn, SyFy hasn't even started broadcasting yet. School doesn't start 'till eight-thirty. Why are you calling me at five thirty in the morning?!"
"Because, I know you Em. I know if I don't get you up now, you will sleep until eight thirty and show up to school with your clothes on backwards AND inside out."
"Again. Only. Happened. Once. Why are you even up now?"
"My mom, man. It's my little sisters first day in school and she's making a huge production of it."
"And you felt that I should share in your pain? Gee, thanks." Emmett frowned at the phone as he kicked at his bedroom rug. "Whatever. I'm going to get dressed, and I'm hanging up on you now. I better see you at school." He groused, turning towards his bathroom.
There was a laugh from Zach, "Of course you needed to share in it, that's what friendship is all about Emmett. Sharing." He laughed again. "Try not to get lost in your closet."
Emmett rolled his eyes as he hit the end button and tossed his phone over his shoulder where it briefly hit its charging pad before bouncing off into the crevice between the bed and the bedside encyclopedia. He pushed his thumb against the silver plate next to his bathroom door and waited for it to slide open before shedding his orange and black plaid sleep pants and going in to shower.
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Emmett winced slightly as he tried to find the second hole to his eyebrow piercing, trying not to make a new one. Again. Of the eight piercings he had, the eyebrow was the only one that ever caused him a problem. But that was probably due to lack of use, he knew his father didn't like it, so he generally tried to avoid wearing it around him. He was beginning to reconsider wearing it today when he achieved his goal. He blindly reached into one of his drawers and pulled out a black shirt with a bright orange bio-hazard symbol on the front, a band shirt he had acquired from a recent concert. He pulled it quickly over his head and tucked it in. Emmett groped around the top of the dresser, that was normally covered in pieces of paper, hair bands, and other pits of trash. But, for once, the top of his dresser was completely clean, devoid of even a dust bunny.
'Damn.. Minnie must have 'cleaned' my room for me again.' He sighed and slid open his door and stepped out into the hallway. He slipped quietly a few doors down to his sisters room and stepped in the open doorway. 'It doesn't surprise me that she's already up. Probably downstairs… Hm.' Going over to her meticulously clean desk he snatched a black hair tie from a small pen holder, and left the room pulling his hair up into a high ponytail, showing off his undercut.
He tromped downstairs, checking his watch. 6:15. When he looked down at his watch, he stopped paying mind to where his feet were going, and stepped on his own pant leg. And rolled. Down three fourths of the stair case. Laying on his back at the bottom, he heard his elder brother's voice from the kitchen.
"Emmett's up."
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"You okay, Em? Usually you make it at least halfway before you go down."
"Shut up, Minnie." Emmett muttered, eyeing his twin sister from across the bar counter. He poked some dead flies at the large iguana sitting on the table in front of him.
Minnie put on her best 'I-am-offended' face, and voiced her offence. "Emmett! I am offended! I was just worrying about my brothers well-being."
"Sure." He replied, picking up the iguana and setting it up on his shoulder before reaching to the HydroGarden and grabbing an orange.
"Emmett, that's disgusting and unhygienic. Don't play with that and then eat without washing your hands." Jules chastised, wrinkling his nose at his younger brother.
"She's clean, I gave her a bath last night. And she's not a that she's a she. And she just might find her way into your bed again, if you don't leave her alone." Emmett replied, smiling vacantly across the counter at Jules.
"Put her up, Em. She's creepy." Another voice joined them from the door leading from the living room.
"No she isn't. And how is my iguana creepy and your freaky praying mantis collection not, Verne?"
"My mantis' are cool."
"So is my iguana."
"Both of you shut up, all of your critters are weird." Minnie interjected, setting her bowl of cereal down on the counter to eat.
"Critters?" Emmett and Verne questioned at the same time.
"Yes, critters. Shut up." She glared at her brothers, the effect was somewhat ruined as she put a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
Emmett looked away before she devoured his soul like she was always threatening too, Verne just laughed as he shook his head and went back to the living room. More than likely to watch the news or something equally dry. Em watched as Jules checked his watch and put his dishes in the sink before leaving the room with a quick good bye. Emmett didn't see how he could stand being a teacher... Longer school hours and fewer days off. Boring.
He waited until he was sure his brother was out of hearing range before looking back up at his sister, Minerva. "Hey, Minnie, when Junior gets here do you want to go check out something cool dad told me about?"
"Before school? Can't it wait?"
"No, Jules'll be here after school and he won't let us mess around in the back shed."
"....What have you got to show us in the back shed?" Minnie asked, narrowing her eyes at Emmett. "You know we're not allowed back there because it's dangerous."
"We won't get hurt, and dad and Jules will never know, coooooooooome ooooooooon." He whined while pouting.
"Emmett...."
"Miiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee." Emmett whined at her again.
"If I say okay, will you stop that?" She winced at him.
"Yes!" He smiled brightly at her, any trace of a pout gone.
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"Guys, I'm not sure we should be doing this….. I mean we could get in a lot of trouble…" Marty Jr. said, swallowing nervously. "Didn't your dad say this shed was completely off limits?"
"Yeah, he did." Minnie replied, frowning at the back of her brothers head. She couldn't believe that she was being dragged out here, with a good chance of getting in trouble should Jules find out as he would rat them out to their father when he got back, to look at, of all things, a time machine.
"What are you two worrying about, just the idea of time travel is ludicrous, let alone believing dad could build a time machine out of a DeLorean."
"Then why are we trying to find it out here in this mess, Em?" Minnie asked as she stopped walking and crossed her arms irately over her chest.
"Because, dad has a habit of doing the most insanely impossible. C'mon, what could happen? We try it and it doesn't work? Kay, then we just go on to school. If it does work? Well, then theoretically we use it… And then come back to this exact time and still go on our merry little way to school. Right? So why worry?"
"No offense, Em, but knowing you… Something will go wrong. Very, very wrong. Say it works. What if we get trapped in the past, or worse, what if we get halfway there and get… trapped in a wormhole or something?"
Emmett stared blankly at her. "You watch too much TV Min, it's warping your brain. Let's go."
Minnie sighed and nodded. "Alright, but just by CHANCE this actually works, let me get my bag…"
Emmett nodded in agreement and watched as she walked away. "So… Junior, you've been oddly silent. Scared?"
"Of time traveling in an ancient car? No. Not at all. Getting in a car with you behind the wheel? A little. Getting in an ancient time machine that may or may not work with you behind the wheel? Terrified."
"My driving isn't that bad…"
"Yes it is Em, I'm shocked you passed your test." Minnie commented, rejoining the group.
"Yeah, what she said." Jr. agreed.
"You two are mean."
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They had painstakingly pushed the old hunk of metal out of the old shed, and set it up facing the clear strip of land that stretched between the back of their property and the back of their neighbors. Minnie leaned against the hood, looking over her shoulder at the two boys who were trying to catch their breath after doing the majority of the work.
"So how's this going to work? There are three of us and only two seats…" Minnie inquired. Turning to inspect the inside of the car.
"Well… I'm driving, and you're the lightest and smallest, so you can either sit on Juniors lap or try and crawl back with all the machinery."
Minnie frowned at both of them as Junior piped up, "I-I could just stay behind, and Minnie can have the seat." He seemed hopeful.
The twins both turned to him, "That's not an option." Came from Emmett and "If I have to, you have to." Came from Minerva. And Junior's face fell, he had never been able to take peer pressure well, but at least they weren't trying to give him drugs or anything... Just... get into an old broken up car... That might be a time machine... With the world's worst driver... He whined at them as he got into the passenger seat.
Emmett smiled at his friend as he moved around the car to the driver's side. Once he was seated he stared at Minnie through the windshield until she moved to get in. She sighed dramatically, climbing in and trying not to kick Junior as she situated herself against the now closed door on Juniors lap.
Emmett hardly let her get situated before turning the key, which had been in the ignition when they found the car, and slamming his foot down on the gas. Minnie lurched forward, catching herself on the dashboard solidly as Junior's head thumped into her back. She shot a glare at her brother, who wasn't paying any attention to his passengers.
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Three sonic booms echoed as a car materialized suddenly in a field.
'Holy hell. I think it worked.' Flew across Emmett's mind before his brain processed that he was still flooring the gas.
The tires screeched as the break was stomped upon. He cut the wheel violently to the left to avoid going over the road and into the water trench that lay on the other side. The rear of the car swung around in a wide arc and came to a complete stop in the left hand lane of the two-way road. The wheels were stopped but the screeching continued and an inhuman volume.
"EMMETT!!!"
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A/N: Well, lemme know what you think. R&R.