9:30 AM PDT
BTTF Universe
"All right, you guys," called out an older masculine voice, as Alex was waking up. In his half-asleep state, he was very confused about who that voice belonged to. It certainly didn't belong to anyone in his family. "Clara's making some French toast for breakfast, along with some bacon. I really don't think you want to miss breakfast! Clara is a very wonderful cook, take it from me. It's been over almost ten years now."
"Oh, where am I?" mumbled Alex, as he stretched his arms. "Who are you, and who is Clara? I guess I'm really not at home, am I? So how did I end up here, anyway?"
"You're at Doc's house," replied a voice that sounded very similar to his own. "I'm Marty McFly, remember? You came into this world, along with Brantley Foster and Joe Rasnick. Doc is trying to find a way to send you all back home. You all know Doc and I from a movie called Back to the Future."
"You mean this really did happen?" called out another similar voice, horrified. "I was hoping that this whole thing was just a really horrible nightmare. I still can't get used to the fact that I just watched myself in a movie last night. If I ever do get back home, nobody will believe that this actually happened to me."
"At least you were in a light comedy," retorted Joe. "The movie that I was the protagonist in centred around my troubled relationship with my sister - and dealing with the death of our mother. I can't believe that our family's trials was actually the subject of a movie. This is so mortifying!"
"Why don't you both just shut up?" snapped Alex, as he turned to glare at Brantley and Joe. After seeing the pained expressions on their faces, Alex suddenly felt bad. "Look, you two, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. You do sound quite silly, though, to be arguing over who was more mortified in a movie. Finding out that I was the subject of a family sitcom was a bit unsettling for me, too, but I eventually got over it."
"I guess you're right," Brantley said, quietly. "I must admit that it's very nice to meet you in the flesh, Alex. I tend to be a relatively religious viewer of Family Ties, because I was always such a big fan of yours. I suppose we should stop snapping at each other. We're all going through the same situation, you know."
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Brantley," Joe added, blinking back tears. "It's just the loss of my mother is a really sore spot with me. Granted, my relationship with her was not as strained as my sister's was - but it's so stressful to have always played referree between Patty and Mom, all in the name of family peace and harmony. I really have to say that I find myself envying your family. I know you do sometimes fight with your sisters, but you guys also come through for each other, when the going gets rough. Patti and I hadn't always had the best relationship."
"Well, imagine how it feels to be an only child," countered Brantley. "There have been a lot of times that I wished I could have a brother or a sister. My parents doted on me a lot, which was really nice - but they were also rather over-protective of me. They had major reservations about me taking off for the big city."
"I wonder how well my own parents will take to me leaving for New York," replied Alex, sighing, "when I finally end up getting a position at Wall Street. As much as I really hate to admit it myself, well, as far as your parents are concerned - you always will be their child. I guess it is just a parent thing, you know. I mean, they were the ones to have raised you - and they were the ones to have watched you gradually grow up. I suppose I could imagine how it feels to know that the little child that you raised is, well, no longer your little child."
"Patti always did have such a hard time with it," Joe said, sighing. "I think she had grown really resentful of the fact that mom could not accept that she is no longer a little girl. Now, keep in mind that Patti is my older sister - yet I was always the one to try to remain mature about the whole thing. I always was very fond of both Mom and Patti, and it just bothered me to see there being so much strife between them. I always felt quite helpless, as I really wanted nothing less than to have peace and harmony within the family."
"I guess I'm in a very unique situation," Marty chimed in. "I mean, I actually have two sets of memories of growing up with my family. In the old timeline, our family was very dysfunctional. My mother would blow hot and cold, while I often got frustrated with my father for not having the courage to stand up to Biff. There were even times when my mother became verbally abusive, and she would say all kinds of nasty things to me."
"That sounds so horrible," Joe said, sympathetically. "I guess the very problem with Patti, was that she maybe felt that our mother thought badly of her - but I guess she was quite afraid of making things worse, if she told Mom who Benji's father was. Sadly, there were a lot of people who thought ill of my sister - and she did not want people to say that she was one responsible for stripping Mom away from her faith."
"Yeah, I actually cried when I first watched that scene," Marty blurted. Marty blushed, as he added, "Anyway, about my own family, my parents were much more loving and supportive in the new timeline - and, fortunately, the memories of the new timeline does overrule that of the timeline. Still, it can be so confusing to think about my childhood - and think that there are two mes who had merge, shortly after my initial trip back from 1955."
"I regret to say that I sometimes do take my parents for granted," Alex commented, as tears came to his eyes. "Very rather do I ever feel that I don't love my parents, but I'm still afraid that I don't always appreciate them like I really should. I mean, I still feel so bad about the time that I pretended to be my father - so that I could invest in the stock market. My parents were so disappointed in me, and just the very knowledge that they were disappointed in me was deeply upsetting to me. I actually cried myself to sleep that night, but I knew I had nobody to blame but myself. I convinced myself that I was doing them a little favour. but I was really being selfish."
"Well, nobody is perfect, Alex," Brantley said, sympathetically. "Money in itself is not evil, but it can be really easy to get caught up in the game of greed. As the head executive of Penrose Corporation, I make really sure that I see to it that our business stays stong, and that it doesn't get downsized. I'm so glad that I'm not really related to Howard Prescott - even though I do have to begrudgingly give him credit for the fact that I was even able to get my foot in the door. Still, he really is not the kind of person you want on your side."
"So what about Vera?" asked Alex, with curiosity. "Is he still dating Fred Melrose? Speaking of which, I am curious as to how you've promoted him, exactly."
"Well," Brantley replied, "Fred and Vera are making plans to get married. Vera is certainly much happier with Fred, than he ever was Howard. He is now working for me as the assistent manager. All of the employees, whether they work in the mailroom or as an executive, all seem to be very happy and content."
"Hey, you guys," called Doc, as he poked his head in the room, "breakfast is almost ready. Why don't all of you get washed up - and then we can eat, before the French toast gets cold."
"All right, Doc," everyone called out, simultaneously.
The smell of French toast and bacon was making Alex feel so hungry. He smiled to himself, as he headed downstairs.