Chapter 2

Monday, November 18th, 1985

Hill Valley

5: 34 P. M.

Doc watched as Josephine stirred. When he'd woke up that morning, she had already been asleep. He had been glad of that. It had spared him her weirdness most of the day. Jackson, however, had obviously become smitten with her, and had made a habit of hanging around at meals to drool at her. It was annoying to have to have prolonged contact with him. Doc could only shudder at what Jackson might have done had he not been there.

Josephine moved in a lazy stretch. Her green eyes opened, found his, and a smile appeared on her face. "Hi," she yawned, looking out the window at the green-tinted clouds.

"Hello. Did you enjoy your sleep?"

"Yes, I did." She noted the strait-jacket he was tied into again. "Don't they ever let you loose?"

"I'm dangerous," Doc said sarcastically. "I might snap at any time." That spell was coming over him. What was it about her? How could she make him open right up?

Josephine chuckled briefly, then grew serious again. "It's not right. In your room you can't hurt anybody."

"With you here I could."

That predatory, seductive smile made another appearance. "I think I could defend myself. In fact, maybe it's me they should be afraid of." She moved closer to him. "Let me take that off you. It's not right to confine you like that."

Doc felt that fear of her surge through him. Her ability to switch from sweet to seductive made him nervous. "Well, Miss Grey," he started, squirming away from her, "I appreciate your kind offer-"

"Stop being so polite. It makes you sound like a zombie. And call me Josephine."

"I'm afraid I lost the ability to feel properly at least 2 years ago. Feelings only bring pain in this world. There's enough of it physically for me to not want the emotional kind. So, in fact, you are talking to a zombie."

Josephine sighed, then smiled again. "I could get you to feel again," she said, her eyes meeting his. "I'm good at stuff like that."

"Please don't. I don't enjoy feeling." He smiled in his empty way. "Wait, that's a paradox. How can I enjoy something if I don't feel?"

Josephine didn't answer his question. "You'd enjoy the feeling you'd get from me," she whispered, voice suddenly soft and sexy. Her eyes seemed more compelling than usual. "Let me make you feel."

That sealed it for Doc. His new roommate was a dangerous lunatic, judging from her actions. And it appeared she suffered from a touch of nymphomania as well. "Are you offering me yourself?"

"If you want me. I'm offering you pleasure, Dr. Brown. Emmett." She leaned closer to him. "Pleasure of the purest kind."

Doc felt his heart speed up. "Distraction, I need a distraction!" "Please, Josephine, just leave me alone. You're fighting a losing battle. It's better for me if I lock up my feelings. Leave me alone."

"I can't," she purred, her lips next to his ear. "I'm-"

Abruptly she stopped and looked toward the door. "Jackson," she hissed, looking irritated. "Figures he'd come along. Well, I can wait." She settled herself on her bed, arms folded petulantly. "I can wait."

Doc blinked. He didn't hear or see anyone in the hall. "Must be a mood swing, thank God," he shrugged it off. At least she wasn't paying any attention to him anymore. He let himself zone out, shoving his feelings down again.

A few minutes later, Jackson appeared, surprising Doc. How had Josephine known he was coming? He unlocked the door and came in, carrying a plate of food. "You gotta eat, honey," he said snakily. "We wouldn't want you to lose any meat off those bones." He took her arm and gently squeezed it. "You're skinny enough as-is."

Josephine jerked his arm out of his grasp with a glare. Jackson just smiled. "You're a change from those female doctors. I liked those spirited types. I like to tame them." With that, he forced himself on the girl. Doc looked away, disgusted. "Poor girl."

Suddenly, Jackson found himself against the door. Josephine had shoved him off her with terrific strength. Her eyes appeared to be glowing again. "Don't you touch me," she growled, upper lip curled. Instead of being pretty, she looked dangerous. "I warn you, if you ever do that again, I'll hurt you. Badly. So leave me alone." She picked up her plate and threw it to the ground. "And take your slop with you."

Jackson glared at her. "You'll be sorry you said that, b*tch," he snarled, picking up the plate. "I'll make it so your life is worse than his. And I'll have my way with you no matter what."

With that, he left, locking the door with a bang. Doc looked after him. "I'd be careful, Josephine. He can easily make-"

Doc wasn't sure how it happened, but it did. Suddenly, Josephine was on top of him, having seemingly teleported herself there. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant, hypnotic green, and fangs protruded from her jaw. "Now, where were we?" she asked in that dangerously sexy voice.

Doc stared, eyes wide in horror. What was in front of him should not, could not exist. Yet it did, and it had him trapped. "It can't exist, it can't exist, it can't exist. . . ."

"I exist," Josephine said, playfully running her fingers through his hair. "And I've got you feeling again, like I said I would. Granted, terror wasn't the emotion I was going for, but it's a start."

"What are you?" he managed to say, his voice a mere shadow of it's former self.

"What else? A vampire," she giggled. She took his face in her hands. "Relax, Emmett. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Why don't I believe that?"

She made him look into her eyes. Doc struggled, damning the strait-jacket that kept his arms bound. "Relax," she soothed, stroking his hair again. "Rest, Emmett. Don't fight my will. You'll only exhaust yourself. Rest and obey."

"I'll do no such thing," Doc snapped, fighting her grip.

"Oh yes, you will. You will because I tell you to. You will obey." She focused her eyes more directly on his. "You will obey."

His heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears. Doc felt his mind start to cloud. Frightened, he fought as hard as he could against her will. "Leave me alone," he begged, terrified. "Please leave me alone."

"I'm sorry, Emmett, I can't. It'll be easier for you if you just relax and let your mind go blank."

Doc glared, determined not to let her win. "God damn it, LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed, using false bravado. "I won't let you take over!"

Josephine frowned. "Jesus, you've got a strong will. I haven't met someone like you in ages." Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. Normally I wouldn't try to force you to obey like this, but I haven't eaten properly for years. Please, Emmett, I'm so hungry, and you smell so good. . . . Just like a fine wine."

Doc was still trying to process the fact that she was a vampire. "I still don't understand. How can you be a vampire? Vampires don't exist."

"I exist. Vampires aren't anything like the movies portray us to be."

A thought occurred to him. If she really was a vampire, she might be better than a straight razor. "Will you kill me with your feeding? Assuming this isn't a psychosis."

"No. I only take about a pint at a time." She patted his back. "I promise it'll be pleasant. You'll like it. You deserve some pleasure. Life's given you nothing but pain."

"How do you know?"

She smiled. "It's one of the perks of being what I am. Vampires are also accomplished telepaths. I read your mind last night."

Doc shook his head. "I must be hallucinating or dreaming. Vampire's don't exist. I'm simply having a nightmare."

Josephine bent down and kissed him. Doc reacted with shock for a moment, then felt himself slowly respond. The feelings he'd had for the opposite sex, so long buried, came back in a rush. It was like surfacing after nearly drowning, finding land after being lost at sea.

She gently separated her mouth from his. "Did that feel like a nightmare?"

"No. But it convinced me I'm dreaming. It's only when I'm unconscious that I'm permitted to feel this good."

Her fangs dipped near his neck. "It's all real, Emmett. Both that kiss and the vampire. All of it, real. Now, please. Let me drink."

Doc decided that, dream or real, he had nothing to lose. He turned his head to the side, allowing her better access to the soft flesh of his neck. Her fangs rested for a moment above his carotid artery. Then they plunged in, causing Doc to jump in pain and shock.

The pain soon vanished in a rush of pleasure. He felt all his muscles relax. The side of his neck grew warm as blood flowed there, sucked up by his roommate. His vision grew hazy, and his mind went blank.

After a few minutes, Josephine lifted her head. Doc looked at her, half-hypnotized. She smiled at him, using her will to deepen his trance. "Rest, Emmett. Stay limp." She lay down on top of him, resting her head on his chest. "You taste good. Nice and unpolluted."

"Unpolluted?" Doc repeated, his voice somewhat dull. His gentle ministrations had entranced him, and his mind was extremely foggy.

"No drugs," she clarified for him. "Drug addicts always left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth." She pressed her ear against his heart. "You make a nice pillow, too."

"I'm glad I do." Doc squirmed in his strait-jacket, eyes sliding closed. He forced them open. "I still can't believe you're real, and not a woman suffering from a mental disorder."

"Most people don't think I'm real when they first meet me. And most quickly forget that I am, if they learn. I hypnotize it out of them."

"Will you hypnotize it out of me?"

"I don't know. You're a special case, Emmett." She snuggled into him. "I imagine you're curious about me."

"Less than you might imagine. That could be due to the sleepiness."

"Probably. I'll tell you anyway. I'm very old. I'm from the times of Ancient Rome, actually. One of the first vampires to walk the earth. I'm extremely powerful."

Doc managed to wake himself up a little. "If you're so powerful, why don't you just leave? Why suffer the indignity of a mental institution?"

"Because it's safer than facing my sister. She's a vampire too, but she's my complete opposite. Like the proverbial 'evil twin'. She wants to destroy me. I've nearly been burned to death twice by her. It's easier to stick it out in here."

Doc lifted his head to look at her. A real vampire, one who had just taken his blood. He remembered his earlier thought. The urge gripped him tight. "Josephine?"

"Hmm?"

"Kill me."

Josephine jerked her head up, startled. Her eyes had faded back to her natural green, but her fangs still jutted out from her mouth. "What?" she asked, clearly shocked.

"Kill me. I don't want to live. I haven't wanted to live for years. Seeing as you're a vampire, you could end my life quickly and pleasantly."

"I will do no such thing!" Josephine said angrily. "I've made it a point not to kill others. And you're not going to be the one who makes me violate my principles. With any luck, that'll be Jackson, that slimy reptile."

"Josephine, please." Doc knew he sounded pathetic, but he didn't care. She couldn't do this to him! She was his ticket out of here! 'You said you read my mind. You know about my life. Even when I wasn't imprisoned in here, I was hurting. I want to die. Life has nothing more for me. I want to die."

Josephine leaned in, her eyes focused on his. "No. I can't and I won't kill you. Forget that thought."

Doc felt the urge start to fade from his mind. He tried to pull it back, but, in his weakened state, her will was too strong. "But why?" he demanded.

A few tears slid down Josephine's cheeks. "Because - because I - I love you."

Doc blinked, shock reigning supreme in his mind for the second time that night. "What?! We've known each other for barely a day!"

"I know, but. . . . It's like lightning, Emmett. When you just know someone's right for you. You're right for me. You're intelligent, loving, funny, and strong-willed. Granted, it takes a little digging to find your feelings and sense of humor, but they're still there." Her eyes met his again. "Tell me everything, Emmett. Feel again for me. Be the old you. You were a wonderful man in your youth."

"My old self died shortly after I came in here. See this scar?" He showed her the scar on his cheek. "Two weeks after I was forcibly brought in here, I tried to escape. I bolted when they served me breakfast. I almost made it, but another attendant with a cart got in my way. We collided, and my cheek was sliced open by the glass. Shortly after I got my first taste of electro-convulsive therapy." Doc shivered with the memory. "It's like I said before. I only feel pain. It's better for all if I ignore them."

Josephine's lips met his again. "Can you feel love? For me, in both senses? I can help you feel. Help you heal. I've got all the time in the world, Emmett."

Doc leaned into her. "I've got time to spare." He squirmed in the strait-jacket again, annoyed that he couldn't hold her. Josephine seemed to sense this and reached behind him. She undid the straps and loosened all the restraints. Doc slid his arms around her. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

Josephine gently nibbled his neck. "That's right, annoyance is on the right track. But I want the happy emotions too. Tell me everything about you, Emmett. Fill in the blanks of your story."

Nestled in her arms, partly hypnotized, Doc couldn't resist. He spilt his guts, telling her about his parents and the bullies at school. He told her about getting his degrees and becoming a scientist. He told her about his experiments and his great revelation on November 5th, 1955. He even told her about Marty and the mess he had caused that fateful week. She was fascinated. "Time travel? Really?"

"Hey, if you're a vampire, anything's possible," Doc shrugged. It was all coming back to him, despite the destruction of his brain. For a moment, he felt warm inside as he recalled the good times with Marty. Then it faded as he naturally pushed the emotion back.

"I suppose that's true." She stroked his hair, smiling, her fangs retracting. "Feeling better?"

"A little." A sudden stab of panic went through him, then vanished. "No. If it had been the date, nothing would exist today."

"Pardon?"

Doc looked at her. He had already told her about Marty; what the heck. "Josephine, Marty came from 30 years in the future. That's this year."

Josephine became confused. "But - but you've been committed since 1983. At least, that's what I've heard."

"Exactly! I never finished my time machine. And to compound the problem, I also never met the version of Marty who would meet me for the first time. That is to say, I never met a younger version. This October 26th came and went quite ordinarily for me - if you can call being locked up 'ordinary'," he added a little bitterly.

Josephine still looked confused. "I don't understand how Marty can go back and meet you in the 50s if you never met him in the 80s."

"You've put your finger on it, Josephine. It's a paradox. And I suspect we have a worse one in the works. Courtesy of Biff Tannen."

Josephine paled. "Biff Tannen has a time machine? God, we're all screwed. . . ."

Doc shook his head rapidly. "No, nothing quite so horrible as that. I doubt Biff has the brains to construct a time machine. This is my theory. Before all this happened, the time-line took a different path, with a me who properly built a time machine and sent Marty back. Somehow the unaltered time-line's Biff found out about the time machine and managed to steal it. It wouldn't surprise me if he had killed the first me to do it. He went back into the past and gave himself information on how to admass a fortune. Judging from what I spotted in a newspaper picture, it appears to have been a sports book. Using this information, Biff altered the time-line into what it is today. There's just one problem. For the paradox's loop to be perpetuated, I have to build a time machine. And I never did. Therefore, the day Biff was supposed to steal it and go back, the paradox will - activate, I suppose is the best word."

Doc took a breath. "Amazing. I haven't talked like that in forever." He chuckled, letting the emotion come in a weakened form. "I missed it, frankly."

"You certainly seem to like complicated theories," Josephine smiled, having barely kept up with his explanation. "That sounds disturbing. What happens when we reach the paradox?"

"The universe self-destructs. Granted, that's the worse-case scenario. The damage could be located to merely our galaxy."

"What a relief," Josephine said sarcastically. She looked into his eyes and frowned. "Well, you're tough. I never met anyone who could hold back thoughts as much as you."

"If I let them all out at once, my mind will be over-stimulated, I'm sure," Doc said. "You've got a knack for drawing them out of me, though. You genuinely scared me last night, and today."

"I don't want fright and pain. I want you to smile." She got an idea. "Emmett, look into my eyes. Come under my power. I think I can help."

Doc fought her will again for a moment, then stopped. Her eyes burned into his with an intense light. His heartbeat grew in amplitude until it blocked all other sounds. It grew too hard to think, and he let his mind go.

"That's it, Emmett. Rest. Relax all your muscles." She tenderly framed his face with her hands. "I'm going to get rid of that nasty reflex of pushing down your emotions. You're going to fall asleep soon. Into a deep, comfortable sleep. You will dream about your life and relive many events from it. Every emotion you feel in the dreams will be unusually strong, and you will not be able to push it away. You will have no nightmares, however. You will feel sad in your dreams, but you will not feel fear. You will sleep deeply and quietly. When you awake, you will be able to feel the emotions from your dreams. You will not be able to hold them back any longer. Do you understand what I just told you?"

Doc nodded silently, eyes blank. "Then obey. Sleep and dream, Emmett. Sleep and dream."

Doc's eyes slid closed. Josephine patted him on the arm and adjusted his still form. She had never met anyone like him before. No one had been as intelligent and personable has him. He was the man she had wished for before her transformation. A man she could easily share eternity with. She was determined to help him regain what he had lost, for her own sake as much as his. "Sleep well, my love," she whispered in the alien tongue of ancient Rome. "And tomorrow, we'll explore each other." She kissed him, then went to the window to look out at the night.