Author's Note: Hey y'all. Enjoying the feedback. ^^ I didn't think I'd get any reviews.. hell, I didn't think the story would be worth reading, since I have no ideas in my head until I go to write.. but a friend told me that non-planned writing like that is the best. Which I'm inclined to agree. Hey, I'm having fun, and that's probably what this is about, right? ^^

I'm kinda suprised (disappointed?) at the lack of criticism in reviews, though. Oh well. If you have nothing but good to say, yay for me. Although a little constructive criticism would help. By the way, I fixed the spacing in the first chapter a while back. 'tis readable now. ^_^;

In case you haven't noticed, updates are really erratic. (I know: "Really?!" Answer: "Yes. Duh.") Attribute it to school, I guess. Or, you know, lazyness. Heh. I should get a notebook for writing away from the computer. Meh, maybe.

I should be doing my English homework, but instead, I'm typing this. Yep. And, just because this line is the shortest one before this addition... I FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE WORDPERFECT SAVE AS .HTM FILES! W00T! Yes, that's right, no waiting for Alicia (TPQ) to get online so I can upload this with my bold/italic mods. ^^

Thinking back on it, I could've added some more details to the story... but hey, I'm learning. Or trying, anyway. XP

Anyway... enough of my rambling, onto the story. Back to the Future isn't mine. I dunno if I'm required to say that each time, but doesn't hurt, right? :)

-------------------------------------------------

"Not the half of it?"

Marty shook back into reality, and sat across from Doc. Little sound eminated from outside, as well as scant light - only traces of pre-21st century streetlights, not compatible with the installed OSO (Out-Stays-Out) unit for the house. Things downstairs had seemed to quiet down, as well. Perhaps the kids had on the headphones now. Or they were making out. Either way, Marty was unfazed, focused only on his friend, who sighed and sat straighter in his chair.

So, lemme get this straight, he thought to himself. Clara is dead. Doc has a new time machine. Okay.. this has more holes in it than that contract I signed that one time to get my WindowVision fixed. "No allowance of customer aggravation?" Chicken, my ass.

"Correct, Marty." Doc paused for a moment, taking in the details around him. How Marty still had his suit jacket on - the same he remembered from the pre-Sports Almanac incident - yet had his tie loosened. The clear night, still showing through the roof above them. How the fire was burning, yet he felt no heat. Funny, I didn't figure Marty for the Fire-Optic setup, Doc mused with a slight, yet brief smile, before continuing. "When me and Clara parted... it wasn't for something as silly as we wanted to go on seperate vacations."

"Well, then what the Hell do you mean?!" snapped Marty, after Doc paused for longer than intended.

"Marty... I drove her away. I'm a scientist, not a family man." He brushed his hair back with a sigh, and continued. "I suppose all the times I forgot our anniversary, or the boys' birthdays, because I was in the lab added up."

"But.. you said she got radiation poisoning, Doc. What happened?" Marty leaned forward, a quizzal/doubting look on his face.

"Well, she came into the lab one day steaming. She 'had had it,' or so she put it. Not quite sure. I mean, if you were in a radiation suit holding plutonium in front of you, wouldn't you be focused?" After receiving a half-hearted nod from Marty, he continued. "Well, she wanted my attention. So she grabbed my arm.. and the plutonium casing broke. I screamed bloody murder while I was running, trying to get her a suit and quarantine the lab at the same time. Why she thought scooping up the plutonium with her bare hands would help was beyond me..."

"So that's how she got poisoned..." Marty paused, looking at his feet for a moment. "So what about--"

"--the Delorean?" Doc grinned. "I thought you would be intrested. First off, it's not the original one, of course."

"Duh. I kinda saw it get hit by a train, Doc."

Doc rolled his eyes. "Anyway. Unlike their mother, the boys were science nuts. Clara was always a teacher, but the boys were like me - wanting to learn more, learn anything possible." He smiled at the memory of his two boys, then spoke again. "So I would need a large sum of money to create another time machine. I already had the specs," - Doc tapped his forehead, then went on - "but it would still be a large amount of money."

"So where do your boys come in? They invent some sort of super-duper device or something?" Marty asked sarcastically.

"Not to say they haven't - I mean, I didn't keep an eye on them constantly - but no. Bit ironic, actually... horse race. They won their starting funds on a horse race."

"A horse race?!" A fleeting image of a beefy high school bully flashed through Marty's mind. "Biff..."

"Not involved, but yes, Marty. The same way Biff got rich." Doc chuckled. "They took the bit they won and... well, they refused to give me all the details, but they somehow came up with the money. I didn't ask, because I was afraid I wouldn't want to know." He gave a half-hearted shrug. "Besides, I wanted a new time machine, right?"

"Oookay.. so you bought a new Delorean, built a new time machine into it, yadda yadda... I've still got some questions, Doc. What's up with your boys now? What year were you in all this time? Why didn't you just use your time-travelling train? And what stopped you from simply meeting me 20 years ago?" Marty's voice raised with each question, almost daring Doc to answer.

"Good questions, Marty. But you forget, I have some of my own." Careful to act out of Marty's gaze, Doc reached into his pocket, and unfolded a piece of paper. Looking at it quickly and secretly, he stowed it away again.

"Huh?" Marty looked dumbfounded.

Doc's gaze and voice went cold. "For starters, why are you going to kill me?"

----------------------------------

Dun dun dunnnn! Nothin' like a good ol' cliffhanger. Am I pissing anyone off yet with those? ^_^ Trust me, not even I know what's going to happen next. Anything I've written so far has been completely off the top of my head, minus a few general details to give me a bit of an outline. Enough to keep loopholes out of my stories, I hope. Hehe.

So yeah. Read, enjoy, review if you want, and if you have anything you'd like me to check out, I will. (If I remember, that is. ^_^;;)

Any complaints, by the way? Too short? Not enough detail? Loopholes? Lemme know.