Chapter 6
Tuesday, November 15th, 1955
Hill Valley
2: 46 P. M.
Marty stared down at the farmland below them as they arrived in 1955. "Jesus Christ, Doc, it's like I was just here yesterday!"
"Well, 3 days ago, you were here," Doc said, feeling relieved that everything looked the same as he remembered. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"You're telling me," Marty agreed. Doc flew the car over to the Lyons Estates billboard and hid it. "But what's so special about today, Doc?"
Doc shut off the engine and turned to face the teens. "It's a very important date for the me of this year. So important I feel I shouldn't accompany you into town. I'm going to stay with the car."
"Doc, this year looks okay to me," Jennifer pointed out. "I don't think we screwed with history too badly back in 1885."
"Even so, there's a much more serious risk of altering the future here, especially if I go into Hill Valley. Today is the day I read Marty's letter."
"Really?" Mysteria asked, interested. "What happened?"
"What's going to happen," Doc corrected. "I haven't found the letter yet in this time. This morning was nothing special. I finished destroying the things I created in conjunction with sending Marty home - the model, the wire, all that. But this afternoon. . . . I went to Lou's Diner at around 4: 00 for some coffee. I discovered the pieces in my jacket pocket as I was paying. I was going to throw them away and forget all about them, but I couldn't help but wonder what could be so important Marty would first write me a letter, then attempt to warn me at the risk of being stuck in the past. And, frankly, I missed you, Marty. It had only been 3 days, yet I missed you a lot. That's part of the reason I went to Lou's in the first place - I needed some company. I decided to read it and burn it immediately afterwards. But, after I read it, I couldn't destroy it. It was my last link to you. In fact, remember the article I showed you about my house burning down? The letter was one of the first things I saved."
Mysteria looked anxiously at her fiancee, understanding his reluctance to join them now. "So you don't want to show up and somehow stop your younger self from reading that letter. And we'll have to be extra careful ourselves in case we meet you from 1955. Otherwise, we could have a paradox."
"Precisely. After all, meeting an older version of yourself would distract you from just about anything, wouldn't it?" Doc smiled.
"Yeah. I think I'll keep you company, Doc," Jennifer spoke up. "I had plenty of adventure in 1885. I'd like a rest between time periods."
"Fine with me. You can help me distract Otis Peabody if he shows up. He'll recognize the DeLorean as the spaceship that wrecked his barn." Doc chuckled humorlessly. "I'd hate to think of what he'd do to it if he gained access to it." He glanced at Mysteria and Marty. "You two will be fine on your own, right?"
"We're both adults. We'll do fine," Mysteria said.
"Doc, what do you think Biff wants here?" Marty inquired.
"My bet is on influencing his younger self to do something that will change his future. Whatever it is, we can safely assume he's armed and dangerous." He checked his two watches. "Flying, you should arrive in Hill Valley at 3: 40 or possibly a bit later. This will definitely be before Biff, so you'll have some time to make up a plan of action. Biff'55 will appear at the diner at around 4:05, so watch for his older version then. I wouldn't put it beneath him to hijack a car if need be." He opened up his door. "I'll get your 50s clothes and money."
"Gotcha, Doc," Marty said as everyone exited the DeLorean. He couldn't help but shake his head at the familiar surroundings. "I still can't believe I'm back in the 50s. Talk about deja-vu."
Doc opened the future gym bag again and pulled out one of Marty's 1955 outfits. "I couldn't throw this one out. I suppose I'm just sentimental."
"I'd think very lonely, Doc," Marty said, accepting the outfit.
"What do I get?" Mysteria asked. Doc produced a white blouse, blue poodle skirt, and saddle shoes for her. "Take this too," he said, handing her a coat. "It's going to start drizzling this afternoon. Sorry I don't have anything for you, Marty."
"It's only water," Mysteria said. "It won't kill him. Or me, if you'd prefer to have the coat Marty."
"You take it. I can tough it out." Marty hopped into the car to change.
"Quite the gentleman," Mysteria smiled, slipping into a secluded spot. Doc got out his cash briefcase as Jennifer searched for dead leaves and other trash to refill Mr. Fusion.
After a few minutes, Marty and Mystie emerged, properly dressed for the time. Doc handed Mysteria a wad of 50s money, which she promptly pocketed. "Report back to me once you find Biff Tannen. And be careful, you two. You mean a lot to me and Jennifer. The future would be unbearably lonely without you." Doc kissed Mysteria and shared a hug with Marty. Jennifer planted a quick kiss on Marty and hugged Mysteria. "I know you understand what you need to do."
"Find Biff and stop him, and not interfere with your younger self and the letter," Mysteria said promptly.
"Hey, Doc, I've got a question," Marty spoke up. "What if I meet my parents again? You told me you told them I was moving out of town with my parents."
Doc frowned, then shrugged. "Claim you forgot something at my house and had to come back. Now go. And good luck."
"Thanks." Marty climbed onto Mysteria's back, and they took to the sky together.
November 15th, 1955
3: 42 P. M.
Mysteria landed discreetly behind the courthouse. Fortunately, the rain made it so no one paid much attention to the vampire and her passenger. "Maybe I should let you have the coat," Mysteria said, looking at Marty. "Or use some of the 50s money to buy you one." She cast a disdainful look at the sky. "You think after the thunderstorm you had on the 12th, the sky would be all rained out."
"Apparently not," Marty said, chilled. "C'mon, I want to get to Lou's Diner. I'm freezing!"
Mystie stepped out into the town square in front of him. "Uh - where is it? I didn't come here for the first time until the 70s."
Marty couldn't help but smile. "It feels so freaky to be able to say I was here when you weren't. It's in the same place Lou's Aerobic Fitness Center is in 1986." He became thoughtful. "Wonder if Lou will recognize me. He was the first 50s guy I made contact with on my first trip, and we managed to really confuse each other."
"Why?" asked Mysteria ask they walked over.
"I was still in a state of shock, so I tried to order 80s drinks," Marty explained, hugging himself for warmth. "Heck, Lou's Diner is where the whole mess started! That's where I first met my dad, too."
"Sound's like it ranks just below the Clock Tower in nostalgic value to you," Mystie said, casting a glance back at the famous landmark, only just recently stopped.
"I dunno. I never really thought about it once I got back home." Marty looked around, his sense of deja-vu stronger than ever. If he thought about it, he could imagine himself walking across the park in shock, or forcing a scaredy-cat George into Lou's to woo Lorraine. Even though in this time frame, he had left only 3 days ago, it had been a year from his perspective. It was a little surprising to find everything just as he had left it. "Man, Doc," he sent back to the waiting scientist, "I'm getting a headache. Time travel really puts your brain outa whack."
"I know. I'm having trouble accepting the fact I'm in 2 places at once. At least this place is safer than the Old West."
Mystie entered the cafe first, only to bump into a young black man. "Careful, lady," the black waiter warned. "The floor's slippery."
"Sorry," Mystie apologized. "We just wanted to get out of the rain."
The black man nodded, then saw Marty. "Oh, hello Calvin. Haven't seen you here in a few days."
"I was heading home, but I forgot something at Doc's house," Marty lied, still shivering. "I figured I'd take one more spin around the neighborhood."
"Well, I'd watch out. That Tannen kid is still looking for you," the black man warned. "And unless you have 300 bucks on you, you're dead meat if he finds you." He went off, picking up some dishes from the counter.
Mysteria looked at Marty, her eyes full of questions. "Yes, that was the mayor; Calvin Klein, it's a long story; I made Biff crash into a truck full of manure, you know the story about that; and Doc and I came here for lunch a few times when I was stuck here for a week."
Mysteria grinned. "Manure, huh? He was probably scared to be covered in Tannen-making material."
"Hey, clear the door," Lou told them gruffly. They obliged, moving up to the counter to take a seat. "Are you going to order something?"
"Some hot soup would hit the spot," Marty admitted, abruptly realizing he was hungry. "Chicken noodle, if you've got it."
"What about you, miss?"
"Just some water, thanks." Lou fetched a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and a glass of water. Before he could tell her the price, Mystie had handed him a $10 bill. "Keep the change," she told him, smiling.
"Thanks, lady," Lou beamed, pocketing the $10. The smile quickly vanished quickly as another customer started complaining loudly about his coffee. "What do you mean, it ain't hot enough? You could melt a glacier with that coffee!" he protested, going over to the offending customer.
Halfway through his soup, Marty glanced at his watch. "4: 00," he mumbled to Mysteria. "Doc'55 should be here any second now." He drank another spoonful of soup. "This should be interesting."
It was. Doc'55 entered the diner, saw Marty, let out a shriek, and promptly fainted. "Wow! All in under 10 seconds," Mysteria said, having timed it.
Goldie poked Doc'55 with his broom. "Hey, nutcase, wake up." He knelt down and slapped his face a couple of times. "Wake up! I just mopped this floor!"
Doc'55 slowly came around. "Ugh. What happen-"
His gaze fell on Marty again. The teen tried to smile reassuringly. "Hi, Uncle Emmett. I had to come back to pick up some of my stuff from your house, remember?"
Doc'55 caught on. "Yes, that's right. I thought your parents had already picked you up. I think we should call them and see if they're running late."
"Sure, Uncle Emmett." Marty hopped off his stool and followed Doc'55 into the phone booth. Once they were safely sheltered from the rest of the world, Marty grinned at him. "Sorry for scaring you like that, Doc."
Doc'55 grasped him firmly by the shoulders, as if to reassure himself the teen was really there. "Marty, what are you doing here?" he demanded, pale. "I sent you back to the future! You're not supposed to be here!"
"Doc, I'm back from the future! I came back with you!"
Doc'55 blinked. "With me? The me from 1985?"
"1986," Marty corrected. "And my girlfriend and another friend who knows. We're here to stop some a-hole from messing with time.
Doc'55 shook his head warningly. "Don't tell me, Marty. No man-"
"- should know too much about his own destiny, I know," Marty finished for him. "But I had to tell you that much. You were gonna ask, right?"
Marty had him there. "True, I was. Someone else has a time machine and is trying to change history? Great Scott, think of the implications! Especially since it's occurring so close to a temporal junction point!"
"Yeah, 80s Doc feels the same way. Don't worry, Doc, we'll stop him from screwing with our past."
Doc'55 glanced out at Mysteria, sitting calmly at the counter. "That woman," he wondered. "Is she a time traveler or just someone I haven't met before?"
"She's with me, Doc. She came so you wouldn't have to and risk running into you of today."
"Smart man," Doc'55 said, examining Mystie. He smiled a little. "She's kind of cute, Marty. No, scratch that. She's very cute." He sighed. "Too bad she's from the future. I'd like to get to know her better. I suppose I'll have to content myself with knowing she's my friend in the future."
Marty successfully hid a grin. "Man, if Doc'55 knew how 'friendly' they are. . . ." "Don't worry, Doc. You and her are pretty close." He looked out at Lou, who was looking at them impatiently. "Maybe we oughta get out of here before Lou wonders what the hell we're doing."
Doc'55 nodded, still slightly stunned at having Marty around. He put a smile on his face and exited the booth. "I suppose they have a flat tire or some other accident. No one's home," he explained to anyone who wanted to hear. He sat down at the counter between Marty and Mystie. "A cup of coffee, Lou," he told the owner, reaching into his coat pocket for spare change.
Suddenly, he frowned. He could feel what seemed to be paper scraps in his pocket. Puzzled, he extracted his hand and examined the bits and pieces he found in his hand. On one he recognized the address of Lou's Diner. He flashed back to that fateful night 3 days ago. "Damn it! I thought I had scattered these pieces to the 4 winds. I must have put them in my pocket when the tree branch fell on the cable." He shook his head. "No man should know too much about his own destiny, and God knows I know too much already. I should just throw them away." He glanced at Marty, finishing his soup. "Or. . ."
"Hey, that'll be 5 cents, Dr. Brown," Lou's voice interrupted Doc'55's thoughts. Doc'55 absently handed him a nickel and looked hard at Marty. "I believe these are yours," he said, handing him back the torn-up letter.
Marty clamped Doc'55's hand between his own, panicking. "NO, Doc. Keep 'em. You have to keep them."
"I don't want to know about my future, Marty," Doc'55 said stubbornly.
"Doc, if you give those pieces back to me, we could have a major paradox," Marty informed him. "And even if we don't, you'll ruin my life forever. It's vitally important you keep that letter, Doc."
"He's telling the truth," Mysteria spoke up, frightened. She could see her fiancee's future fading before her eyes. "For the sake of the future, keep that letter. You'll be very sorry if you don't."
Doc'55 looked at both of them. They seemed extremely sincere. And they were from the future. "Well, all right," he reluctantly conceded, putting the pieces back in his pocket. "But I'm destroying it later, understand?"
Marty and Mysteria nodded, secure in the knowledge that once Doc'55 read the letter, all thoughts of destroying it would go out the window. "Relax, - Dr. Brown. We're just as eager to preserve the space-time continuum as you are. It's the whole reason we're here! So you can trust us when we say that letter is important for your future," Mysteria assured him, patting his arm.
Doc'55 felt a shock of electricity similar to the one he'd felt when he had sent Marty home. He smiled at her, feeling a blush come to his face. To think he knew such a wonderful, beautiful woman in the future! "Mental note - when you meet her, try to establish a relationship. Or at least an acquaintance. Just don't push it."
Mysteria heard that thought. "Just like when we first met," she thought, stifling a giggle. "Oh, Emmett, if only you knew. . . ."
The door opened yet again. "Hi, Lou, hi Goldie," a familiar voice greeted the staff.
"Hi, George. What will it be today?"
"What do you want, Lorraine?"
"Something warm," Lorraine told him with a slight shiver. "It's miserable out there."
"Nothing's miserable when I'm with you," George smiled at her. Lorraine smiled back.
"It could be worse. We could be having another one of those storms like we had on the 12th," Lou shrugged. "Knocked out the power here for half the morning."
"We'll have some chicken noodle, Lou," George said, sitting beside Marty. "Oh, hi Mar - Marty! I thought you were moving out of town! That's what your uncle told us."
"I forgot something at Uncle Emmett's," Marty shrugged. "So I came back."
Lorraine grinned at him. "It's nice to see you again, Marty. We really owe you a lot. I've never been happier." She and George gave each other those dopey smiles people in love have.
"Believe me, Lorraine, the pleasure was all mine. I'm glad to see you two finally together."
"Yeah, I feel like we were destined to be together," George agreed, his goofy smile still in place. Then it faded. "You really picked a bad day to come back, Marty. Biff's still furious about what you did to his car." He smiled again. "And it doesn't help that everyone in school knows I knocked him out at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance." He became serious. "He's out for revenge, Marty. I'd beat it as fast as possible."
"I'll say he's out for revenge," Marty thought. "Revenge against the entire history of the planet. Where is Biff, anyway? Both versions are late."
As if in answer to his question, a car pulled into the town square. It stopped by the curb, and 1986 Biff emerged.