The Required Stuff: Well, we're gettin' down to the wire now! I think there's only gonna be somewhere between 3 and 5 chapters left after this one. Depends on how difficult AL's gonna be. ^^ BTTF, to this day, remains copyrighted to the Bobs. Lisa will always be mine. I borrowed a song from Disney's Cinderella, but I'll return it when I'm through. Extra special hugs to John. He knows why. In response to Anakin McFly: My TV is right behind me, so technically I'm not watching. I'm listening. ^^ And, as I type this sentence, Doc and Marty are getting their picture taken in front of the clock.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
The steady sound of the many clocks welcomed those who entered the lab as they had for their owner many times before. Concealed here were things should not be seen by prying eyes. Such as the time machine, several inventions, and…
And one particular photograph.
Anyone who saw it would think it strange. The town eccentric, a local teenager, and a strange young girl standing and smiling in front of a clock face that had been atop a tower in the town square for more than 30 years.
It was a copy of the photograph Doc Brown had given Marty when he returned to 1985 briefly to collect Einstein and make sure the teen wouldn't worry about where the scientist had gone. He had kept one for himself. Of course. He would have.
Lisa found herself holding her own photograph – the one she had taken in 2015 – standing beside a DeLorean. Not the DeLorean; a DeLorean. The DeLorean had been run over by a train.
I wonder when he got a new car, she thought to herself, gently running her hand over the cool stainless steel frame of the vehicle.
Her eyes fell upon the photo from 1885. She went over to the table it was sitting on. She could remember how happy she was when they posed for that picture. Doc had his hands tight on her shoulders and the three of them (she, Doc, and Marty) were smiling broadly.
And then…
A sudden noise jerked her out of her thoughts. It startled her so, she dropped the photo she was holding. Luckily, it fell onto the table instead of the floor, and it didn't shatter. It did, however, jar the other photo enough to fall forward.
Lisa went to investigate the source of the sound. She heard muttering coming from somewhere in the lab. Moving to the door that allowed entrance, the mutterings became clearer. All of a sudden, the door swung open and Doc Brown entered the building.
The scientist was tinkering with what looked like a computer circuit board as he walked in.
Lisa had to smile. Same old Doc. "Hi, Doc," she said brightly.
The circuit board nearly went flying. He looked up and saw her giggling uncontrollably. "Very funny, Lisa," he said, giving her a look of amusement-slash-exasperation.
"I'm sorry," she said, a chuckle still in her voice.
Doc sighed. "No harm done." He went over to the table Lisa had been standing by and put the circuit board down on it. Noticing the unfamiliar photograph, he picked it up, then glanced at his alien friend for an explanation.
"Remember I took that when we were in 2015? I…wanted to give it to you, but I never had the chance."
They both knew why. Doc looked at the picture a moment, then turned his dark eyes on Lisa.
She began to explain, when she was interrupted by the sound of the clocks chiming the hour. Lisa covered her ears, and then suddenly started to fade.
Clutching the photograph in one hand, Doc reached his other for Lisa. Her lips formed words, but no sound came out.
"Lisa!" Doc shouted, his extended hand passing right through hers.
Everything – the lab, the DeLorean, even Doc and Lisa – disappeared.
End part six.