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Chapter 6

August 3rd 1989
12:22 p.m.
Brown family home, Hill Valley, California

The front door of the house swiftly opened to reveal the bold outline of Jules Brown. Earlier that morning he had rushed out of the house to get to the library as it opened. His mother hadn't even had chance to ask where he was going before he was out of the front door and down the driveway on his bike.

Today the temperature was high, and all the school kids were out playing. The school holidays had come in full force. Jules, though, had preferred to spend a lot of his time in his room, supposedly "researching" something for his own project. Over the past couple of years he had become more fascinated with the wonderful world of the supernatural and the afterlife. Clara believed he had been influenced by the sad events surrounding Marty's death; he had often questioned his parents about why people died, what happened to them once they had died, and was it possible to ever bring them back to life. The last question had always been the most difficult for Clara to answer. She could sense the desire Jules had to help his father overcome his grief and smiled at the thought, but she could not explain to him that once a person passed on up to Heaven then they would never come back.

As a god-fearing Christian, Clara had taught her children all about Heaven and Hell – that those who respected this world and was good to the rest of mankind deservedly earned their right to go to Heaven. Those who chose the immoral path of life deserved to face their sins in Hell.

Clara respected her son's newfound interest in the afterlife, and so questioned it no more. Her younger son – Verne, who was now nine years old (two years younger than Jules) – however, had discovered a fascination with science. He often helped his father with any experiments he may have been working on, and loved to conduct his own (even though he had set fire to the living room rug – twice!). Both boys were talented at the subjects they had chosen to become their vocations, and even sometimes took an interest in each other's.

Jules made his way through the long, narrow hall to the room at the far end. Clara turned to watch as her elder son stepped into the kitchen, his red rucksack carried on his shoulder. He dropped the rucksack beside the dining table as he sat himself down. Clara turned from the worktop where she was working to address him more clearly.

"Good afternoon Jules!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "May I ask to where you were headed in such a hurry this morning?"

"Oh, just the library, that's all mum," he calmly replied. Clara walked to the dining table to place a plate of sandwiches before Jules.

"Why the rush, though?" she probed further. Jules began to tuck into his sandwiches.

"No reason. I like to get there early, before all the other kids get in and take all the good books."

Clara frowned at his answer. She didn't think all the kids in Hill Valley held such enthusiast for the library like Jules did. However, she felt that the subject had gone dead, judging by how Jules had got stuck into his lunch. She gradually turned to head back towards the worktop when she heard the back door open abruptly behind her.

Emmett stepped in wearing his white oil-stained lab coat and overalls. He had been working in the laboratory all morning with his youngest son Verne, who also wore a pair of grimy old jeans and a worn-out sweatshirt. He too stepped into the kitchen. Jules looked up to see his father enter with his brother, and pulled his face when he saw the state they were both in.

"Ah! Good afternoon Jules! How are you today?" Emmett asked in sincerity.

"I'm alright dad," he replied, watching his dad walk towards the sink to wash his hands. Verne mirrored his father at the sink, then joined Jules at the dining table.

While Clara and Emmett were preoccupied with other matters, Jules saw the opportunity to speak to his brother in private.

"Guess what? I got it Verne!" he spoke enthusiastically but kept the volume low. "It finally came in this morning."

"What? That book you've been going on about for the past fortnight or so?" Verne looked at him with an unsure expression – one of disbelief rather than confusion.

"Yeah! I tell you, this is going to be so cool! I've got it all planned out – "

"Got what all planned out?" Emmett overheard Jules. He noticed their secrecy by their postures.

"Oh, just a scientific experiment Jules and I are planning, that's all!"

"Yeah, a rather interesting experiment we've been wanting to do for ages, ain't that right Verne?" Jules elbowed Verne in the side as a hint.

"Sure!" They both tried to wear an innocent look on their faces. It apparently worked.

"Hmm…would you two be needing any help with this experiment?"

"NO!" The two boys shouted in unison before they'd even realised it. Emmett started at their snapped responses in surprise.

"Sorry dad, we didn't mean it like that. We just want this to be a…erm…"

"…surprise, for your birthday!" Verne filled in for his brother. They both turned to one another and smiled. Emmett eyed them closely, but then relaxed as he felt they could come to no harm – he thought.

"OK, if you suppose so," he replied, turning to look at Clara for her view. She nodded, although somewhat reluctantly. "Just be sure you don't do anything dangerous," he added.

"We won't dad," Verne replied, looking to his mother for her reassuring smile, which he received. Clara made her way over to the table to place Verne's sandwiches before him, but then almost dropped them as an unexpected knock at the front door called out.

"I'll answer that," Emmett responded before Clara had the chance to ask who it could possibly be. Her answer came not too long after, as Emmett called to Jules.

"Jules! Peter's here to see you!"

Jules lifted his head to hear his father's call, then frowned as he took in the message. "Peter? What does he want?"

"I dunno, but you better go find out." Verne responded.

"We'll talk later then, up in your room," Jules assumed as he slid his chair away from the table and made his way to the door, not hearing Clara's protest at him leaving half of his sandwiches uneaten.

"Jules! Finish your lunch first! Jules!!" He didn't hear though. Verne smirked ever so slightly at his apparent deafness (only brought on when he wanted it to), and more so when he heard the front door shut. He didn't dare to look at his mother though.

Clara stood with hands on hips, furious that Jules hadn't heard her calls. She fixed her gaze upon Verne in warning if he was even thinking of doing the same thing.

"You had better finish your dinner Verne, or else I will be annoyed!" she warned gently, before returning to the cooking she was undertaking for them to eat later on.

By this time Emmett had returned to the kitchen to catch Clara give a stern warning to her youngest. The smile on Verne's face disappeared as he took heed of what Clara said, and instead the smile appeared on Emmett's face. He knew Clara wasn't that harsh to her children, and that she would never dream of punishing them – only if they ever did something really terrible. It just simply wasn't in her nature. She was the kindest woman Emmett had ever known, or knew now for that matter.

Verne quickly finished his lunch as ordered and carefully placed his plate by the sink, ready to wash. Clara looked on as he did so, and then gave a content smile to him – which he did not see – as he made his way through the hall to the stairs. Emmett too smiled, as he wrapped his arms around Clara's waist and lovingly rested his head on her shoulder.

"My my, Mrs. Brown, you certainly know how to raise children."

"You keep forgetting I was a teacher before I met you." She giggled playfully as she pecked him on the cheek, touching his nose lightly to leave a patch of flour from her hands. He laughed in return, and hugged her closer.

"How is the time machine coming along, Emmett?" she questioned softly, his face by hers on her shoulder.

His expression saddened as he thought about the progress he had made. Three and a half years before the machine had been badly damaged in the fire, which had consumed the barn. He had managed to salvage what he could from the remains of the vehicle, such as a few of the circuits, the flux capacitor (thankfully that had remained untouched), and a number of other parts; but the time circuits, many of the microchips and wires on the exterior of the train had been badly damaged, especially when part of the lab floor had collapsed onto the train, where it had been stored underground.

The damage wasn't as serious as Emmett had first feared; that was, until work commenced on repairing the train. Three and a half years later, and the train was almost nearing the end stages of repair.

Emmett sighed deeply. "It's almost complete," he replied.

Clara looked to him, confused. "Then why do you feel disheartened? Surely this is what you've been working towards? Or is something else bothering you?"

"No, no. I'm pleased we've got this far. Verne has been a tremendous help with the project. He's been a wonderful assistant to me." Clara could feel where Emmett was heading with the conversation. "I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to finish the repairs, though. Three years is a long time to wait for someone to return. I have missed him deeply, Clara, and I feel so responsible for everything that happened. I wish…I wish…"

"…you wish you weren't so afraid to go back and prevent Marty's death." He pulled his head away slightly to look at her. His eyes told her she had guessed accurately. "Why are you so afraid though?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I've never done this sort of thing before. I mean, the first time Marty was the one who prevented me from being killed by the terrorists. He also saved my life against Buford Tannen. But what if this goes wrong? What if, no matter what I do to save him it doesn't work and he remains…well, you know…"

"I think I understand," Clara answered. "However, I know you much better than that, Emmett Brown." She smiled as she studied the lost expression developing on his face.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, paradox or no paradox you will bring Marty back. I know you will, because you care for him too deeply. He's your best friend. You would if it was one of the boys who had died, or me."

"You know I would."

"And I also know that if the time machine hadn't been destroyed in the fire like it was you would have already gone back to change the course of history."

Emmett smiled at her lovingly. She knew him too well - even better than he knew himself. And she was correct. If the time machine had survived the fire then there would have been no question as to him travelling through the space-time continuum to prevent the incident from ever happening at all. But now a three-year gap separated his time from the time the incident occurred, and Emmett was unsure as to the repercussions of such an intervention. He couldn't stop the event from happening, as he would surely cause a major paradox. The time machine wouldn't be repaired, thus he wouldn't have been able to travel back in time and prevent the incident.

The problem lay in how to protect Marty without endangering the space-time continuum. He needed to think out a logical plan that would allow him to achieve his aims.

Somehow it had to happen.


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