CHAPTER FOUR - THE MEETING

Heuy Lewis and the News blasted with The Power of Love as the alarm clock switched on. Laura lifted her head and blurrily read the numbers. (12:00 AM) It was going to be a long day. Marty's arm laid casually around her waist. Gently she went to lift his arm as he stirred. He looked up at her and smiled before laying his head of soft brown hair back on the pillow.

"Come on lazy bones, none of that, not today," Laura said ruffling his hair while stifling her own yawns.
"Ten more minutes?"
Laura shook her head.
"Ok fifteen, you stay with me and I don't go back to sleep," Marty smiled coyly raising an eyebrow.
"No time McFly, we have to get a move on."

Laura shuffled to the kitchen and put on a pot of strong coffee. She walked to a clothing rail and a dresser where she pulled out a few clothing items and started to change. She could hear Marty in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Fully dressed she stood in the doorway watching him with a smile. Toothpaste poured out of the corners of his mouth, his hair still mused from sleep and his t-shirt wrinkled. She mused on how handsome he was and reflected on how great things were since he entered her life.

"What are you staring at?" Marty asked.
"Hmm? Oh nothing, just thinking."
"Going a little Ninja are we?" he commented his eyes running the length of her figure.
"Too much?" she asked looking down at herself in her black leggings, black trainers, and black t-shirt.
"A bit."
"I don't want to be seen."
"It's a Sunday morning in Hill Valley, everyone is either asleep or drunk at this hour, even if they did see us I doubt they would care, remember I have been through this before," he said casually kissing her on the cheek as he passed.

Laura poured the remains of the coffee into a thermos. She locked the door behind her and followed Marty into the truck. Quietly they drove through the darkened streets, her hand on his, letting go only so he could change gears.

"You've been quiet, usually you are a chatterbox, are you ok?" Marty asked as they pulled to a red light, the JC Penny's store anchoring Lone Pine Mall glowed in the distance.
"Yeah just nervous I guess, meeting the infamous Doc, it's a big deal."
"It will be ok," Marty said reaching across the truck to give her leg a squeeze.

They pulled into the parking lot and shut out the lights. A few cars littered the area under street lamps but overall it was very quiet. Across the parking lot a man appeared who walked casually towards them. He wore dark brown trousers and cowboy boots, but his trench coat and hat looked like it came from the 1950's.

"Laur, stay in the truck."
"But Marty."
"Please Laur, it may not be him, it could be a trap, a lot of people are looking for Doc, apart from protecting him I need to protect you. Just stay here."

Laura shut her passenger side door quietly.

"Be careful Marty."

Marty leaned across the truck to kiss her.

Quietly he shut his own door behind him and walked across the dimly lit parking lot. The man continued to approach this time picking up speed in his gate. A light cast across the side of the man revealing a shock of white hair under his hat. Marty picked up his pace to a jog and ran to the man throwing his arms around his best friend.

"Marty!" Doc exclaimed as only Doc could.
"Doc, Doc!"
"Marty, come now you knew I wouldn't leave you behind forever!"
"It's been almost 9 months Doc."
"It's been almost 7 years Marty." Doc said sadly.
"I hate to break up the reunion but does anyone care to introduce me?" Laura said standing a few paces away her arms crossed in front of her torso smirking.

Marty motioned for her to step forward, tears glistened in both the men's eyes.

"Laura, this is, well, the Doc."
"Marty, that's not Jennifer," Doc whispered from the side of his mouth.
"Ah no, it's not. A lot has changed since you were away."
"Plenty of time to discuss all of that, Emmet L Brown at your service miss," Doc smiled warmly extending his hand.
"Doc, this is my girlfriend Laura, Laura..."
"Brown," Doc interrupted suddenly.
"How did you...?" Marty trailed off.
"You are the spitting image of your grandmother," Doc said more to himself than anyone else.
"My grandmother? Grandma Greta?" Laura said full of emotion, tears starting to stream down her face as she bashfully tried to wipe them away.
"Verne, he was your grandfather I presume?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Doc, I still don't understand," Marty stood feeling the outsider.
"About a month ago a German family moved in down the lane, they have a girl about Verne's age, they have been inseparable. The other day I caught the two of them kissing in the orchard. Laura, you look just like her."
"Wait Verne has a girlfriend!" Marty exclaimed.
"He's almost 13, Marty, like I said I've been away a good 7 years on my end."

Doc walked with the two towards the truck and rode with them back to the lab where more coffee was poured over Doc's old kitchen table.

"I like what you have done with the place," Doc smiled, "You're living here now it seems?"
"We both are," Laura interjected pouring more coffee, and returning back to the stove to start frying eggs.
"What brings you back Doc?" Marty asked holding his coffee with both hands still getting used to its bitter flavor, it was no Pepsi. How could Laura drink this stuff?
"Well its Jules, he caught some sort of virus about a month ago, as time goes on he's not getting any better. We talked about the possibility of the plague or an epidemic. I treat the water and do everything I can but sometimes kids get sick."
"You said Verne is almost 13 how old is Jules now?"
"Seventeen."
"Shit! He's almost my age."
"Tell me about it, at my age being the father of two teenagers. Glad I visited the rejuvenation clinic in 2015 or there was no way I would have lasted this long."
"Ah come on Doc."
"Anyway I am here on a mission for antibiotics. I broke into the pharmacy on the town square, I left money, but I took the drugs. I'll need to be getting back soon."
"And the train?"
"Parked in the old stock yard at the edge of town, but I will be needing to get back before daylight. Whose Delorean is that in the drive?"
"Laura's, apparently your investments prove quite well in the future."
"Are you happy Marty?"
"I am now."
"Now?"
"There was a time where things weren't so great, but Laura found me and that is all that matters now," he smiled looking back at her.
Doc frowned at the explanation his friend gave him, "Yes, and how did the beautiful Laura find you?"
"I'm a hopeless stalker," Laura laughed placing breakfast plates in front of her boys. She took a cup of coffee and sat down next to Marty, "The truth is you were always a tall tale. Verne talked of all his adventures but we never really took him seriously. Then about 3 years ago when I was studying Metaphysics in New York at University I started to investigate more about time travel. I did some quick calculations and figured if this Marty McFly really was alive he would have the answers. I set off the California, and I have been here almost a year researching. I arrived only a day before your train disappeared one final time. Marty was with Jennifer, and I watched from the distance. I had to let that event happen undisturbed, that much I knew. I tailed Marty for about six months. Each day he was here at the lab, then one day he didn't leave. It occurred to me he was living here, when I found he had no regular visitors I decided to pay him a visit myself."
"Marty you needed to be more careful," Doc said knowingly towards Marty.
"It wasn't his fault," continued Laura, "I made sure I wasn't seen, and even when I did knock on his door he left me standing in the rain a frightfully long time before he would even let me in."

Again Doc glanced at Marty who shrugged while he sunk his teeth into a bite of toast.

"There was a connection that night, I can't explain it, at first I wanted to get my information and get back to New York, but then I wondered if you would actually come back. Marty and I went to dinner the next night to discuss everything, and well we shared a bottle of wine, I came back here with him, and the rest is history. I can't see my life without him now."
Marty reached across the table and took her hand.

"You said you attended university that makes you about how old now Laura?"
"Doc!" Marty reprimanded.
"I'm 23 today."
"Today?"
"Yes."
"You mean you were born October 26th?"
"Yes."
"Fascinating," not lingering on the topic long he turned to Marty, "fell for an older woman I see?"
"Well you know how it goes Doc," he winked towards Laura.

Laura tided up the breakfast plates and slipped her coat on while the boys stood in front of the truck. The sun was just starting to appear in the horizon and Doc needed to return to his own time. Marty drove them out to the old stock yards where the train laid on an abandoned track. The three of them exited the truck and Marty stood awkwardly in front of the door as the stairs unfolded.

"Would you kids like to see inside?" Doc offered.
"Uh I don't know Doc, this is all kind of surreal," Marty balked.
"Just one look won't hurt, it's been months since a nightmare," Laura whispered in his ear.

Doc watched the two exchange their conversation privately but hung on the word "nightmare."

"Alright Doc, give us the grand tour." Marty relented.

Doc took Laura's hand pulling her on board while Marty struggled behind her. The magnificence of the train was not lost on them. Doc had completely altered the inside to include sleeping compartments, a kitchen, and indoor plumbing.

"Now this is the way to time travel," Marty gasped.

Laura watched Marty closely. He seemed interested, relaxed, and even happy, maybe this would be ok after all.

As they stood near the doors Marty turned to Doc, "Don't leave it so long next time."
"You know Marty, you could always come visit?"

Laura's eyes widened.

"Both of you, of course, I need to leave soon, but you are welcome to come with, I'll bring you back at the same time you left, it will be like you were never gone."
"Doc I..." Marty trailed off.
"Personally I would love to," Laura said stepping forward, "but, I think Marty and I need a moment in private to talk about it?"
"Of course, of course," Doc gestured to the back of the car and busied himself with the controls trying not to overhear, too much.

"Laura, time travel is dangerous. In the last year alone I have gotten the shit kicked out of me, been shot at, dove from the roof top of a casino, nearly burned alive in a train crash, literally rode inside basically a nuclear reactor, hijacked a train, was hanged at the end of a noose, have been hit by cars, fell out of a tree, oh and nearly drowned on a Hover board. I don't want you to get hurt, I don't want you to go through what I have been through. You see how it plays with a person's head. I love you, and I can't see this happen to you too," Marty ranted in a strained whisper.
"I am not going to make you do something you don't want to do, but Marty my life's work has taken me to this moment, I have to see what is on the other side, I have an opportunity to meet my family. Doc was not alive when I was born don't you understand?"
Marty frowned facing the truth that technically right now Doc had already died, "I am not going to let you do this alone, but Laura what if you are just as fucked up as I am when you get back?"
"Marty, I am a scientist, but above all I am a Brown, we are strong, I have to do this."
"Then I have to come with you."

The train rose into the sky, and with a brilliant flash shot off into the distance reaching a speed of 88 miles per hour and disappearing into the early morning of Hill Valley 1986.