July 21, 1986
4:00 PM PDT

Marty was watching Jules and Verne, while Doc and Clara had a meeting to attend. The three of them were all watching Freaky Friday and eating ice cream. Then, suddenly, the door bell rang. Marty went to answer the door. He saw another boy who looked exactly like him, with a familiar-looking blonde girl. It must be my future son and Harmony, Marty thought to himself. He then opened up the door.

'Harmony?' gasped Marty. 'My son? So what brings you two over here this time?'

'Can we meet in private,' Marty Jr whispered. 'It's pretty urgent.'

'All right, then,' replied Marty. Then, to Jules and Verne, Marty added, 'I will be out in your father's lab, if you need me for anything.'

'All right, Marty,' Jules and Verne replied, simultaneously.

Marty then walked out to Doc's garage, as Marty Jr and Harmony had followed him. Marty was a little worried of what happened this time, that was so urgent. Was there another terrible epidemic spreading around, wiping out the human population? Did Elias Grey manage to escape from prison? As the three teens stepped into the garage, Marty closed the door behind them. Then the three of them grabbed seats.

'All right, you two,' asked Marty. 'What happened this time? Don't tell me that it's another epidemic. Is Andrew Hopkins all right?'

'Yeah, Marty, he's fine,' replied Harmony. 'It's your future self, though. Your future self is extremely sick and feverish, from a Carribean cruise with Doc and Clara. There's a 20 percent chance that he might die.'

'What?' Marty asked, horrified. 'You mean to tell me that I'm dying in the future? I gather you two came here from 2016, right? I will be only 48, for crying out loud.'

'Well, the doctors do give you an 80 percent chance of survival,' Marty Jr said, as he was blinking back tears. 'Daddy, I don't want you to die. I love you so much.'

'So I went on a Carribean cruise with Doc and Clara?' asked Marty. 'What about Jennifer? Did she come along? How are the others doing?'

'My grandpa is in a coma right now,' explained Harmony, 'but the doctors believe that he'll be all right. My grandma and Jennifer are both healthy, though.'

'So how long were we in the Carribean?' asked Marty. 'You mean, we left you and Marlene alone for a few days?'

'Uh, no,' replied Marty Jr, 'the four of you travelled back in time, to 2015. You guys did that so the nobody in the present would miss you.'

'Oh, man, this is heavy,' groaned Marty. 'So how long have I been sick?'

'According to Mom,' explained Marty Jr, 'You were sick during the last two days of the cruise. Your cruise lasted for a week. At first, they thought it was nothing serious - but then, when you guys returned to the present, the doctors said that you were very sick. You've also been hallucinating when you returned. You insisted that there was a parrot name Polly and a chameleon name Artie in the hospital, and that they could both talk to you. You've also been ignoring Marlene, which has been really upsetting her. She takes it as a sign that you love me more than her.'

'That's the other thing we wanted to talk to you about,' Harmony added, nodding. 'You see, Marlene feels like she's the odd one out in the family. You and Jennifer do seem to share more interests with your son, than you do with your daughter. So, as a result, Marlene feels that she's the less loved one.'

'Oh, that's awful,' Marty said, sadly. 'Marlene shouldn't feel that way at all. I'd like to think that my future self would treat both of our children fairly.'

'I know you try to,' Harmony said, gently, 'and I had told Jennifer last night that I was concerned about Marlene. I mean, Marlene had actually been in tears last night about it. Jennifer did tell me that she would have a talk with Marlene about it.'

'The problem is,' added Marty Jr, 'Marlene tends to be rather introverted. She tends to not be open about her feelings, and she is prone to holding grudges. I, on the other hand, have never believed in holding grudges. I mean, I'd rather work out issues and get them resolved - while, with Marlene, you are sometimes made to guess what's on her mind.'

'Wow, I guess you are a lot like me,' Marty said, chuckling a bit. 'Still, this doesn't mean that I would love Marlene any less. I would hate to think that my future self would play favourites. Like Doc, I'm a firm believer in being fair.'

'Anyway,' continued Marty Jr, 'Marlene doesn't know about the time machine, yet. I thought it wouldn't really do any harm to let her know, though. Maybe you could help reassure her that she is loved, and that she shouldn't be afraid to talk to you. I mean, you very seldom ever yell at us - and you always apologize when you do. You're a very good person to come to for advice. Most of the kids in Hill Valley really look up to you - and not just because you're a rock star, either. You're a very approachable person, and you are very mild-mannered and tender-hearted.'

'You're a very soft-spoken person,' Harmony added, smiling.

Marty then laughed a little. 'Well, gee, I never really thought of myself as being soft-spoken,' Marty said, smiling. 'In fact, I used to have a pretty bad temper. Gee, I guess I really have matured within the last year. I mean, Douglas Needles leaves me alone now - and I no longer react to being called a name. I guess I learned my lesson from being in the Old West. If Doc had just warned me about the future accident, I wonder if it would have made as much an impression on me.'

'Oh, yeah,' replied Marty Jr, 'I remember you telling me about your first trip to 2015. I guess I turned out to be very different in that timeline, and Harmony didn't even exist, yet. After all, it was the subsequent time travel trips following the trip to 2015 that led to Doc being in the Old West, and meeting Clara - right?'

'Yeah, right,' replied Marty, 'gee, I'm so glad that that timeline never came to pass. I always cringe, now, when I think of what could have happened. I'm glad I never got to meet my older self of that timeline. According to what Jennifer told me, I was a bit grumpy in that timeline. Say, did I get any rejuvies in the future?'

'Yeah, you've got one ten years ago - well, actually, twenty years later,' explained Harmony. 'Gee, time travel can be so confusing at times. You do still look a little older than you do, now - but you look like you could pass for twenty-something. You're in very good shape, too - even though you do eat a lot of junk food. Oh, yeah, that's the other thing. Marlene is very obsessed with health food, and she wishes that you and Jennifer would cook healthier. It's not that Marlene is overweight or anything - but she's a bit obsessed about her figure. There's going to be a beauty pageant a week from when we came from. I've been trying to petition for the beauty pageant to be cancelled - as it makes women out to be sex object.'

'I back Harmony up on this,' added Marty Jr. 'I believe that women should be judged on personal accomplishments, on not just purely on outward appearences. After all, not everyone is blessed with outward beauty in the conventional way.'

'Yeah, my son, I agree with you, too,' replied Marty, smiling. 'I mean, it is important to take care of yourself, and to put some thought into your appearences. Still, looks is not everything - and it is what's on the inside that really matters. Well, we should probably head back into the house, and wait for Doc and Clara to return.'

Marty then embraced his future son - then he embraced Harmony.