12:00 PM PST
Marty took in a deep breath, as the DeLorean broke the time barrier. Just then, the lights inside the display panels quickly burnt out. Marty was horrified as to what the problem could actually be. Was this going to be easy at all to fix?
"Damn!" muttered Doc, as he pounded his hands on the display panels. Doc began pressing a few buttons, and then flipping a few switches - but nothing quite worked as it should. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" repeated Doc, as he became very frustrated.
"Don't tell me we're going to be stuck here, Doc!" Marty groaned. "I'm feeling very tired. I want to lie down and take a nap, but I really can't go home."
"I'm sorry, Marty," Doc said, as he gently laid his hand on Marty's shoulder. "At least the engine is running. I'll tell you what we'll do. We might just drive to my place, and we'll see if my older self is there. You can take a little rest in the guest room."
"What about my other self, though?" Marty asked, worriedly. "I can't be too mad at you, Doc - but I still don't really understand why you needed me to come with you. Was it only because you wanted us to take another trip together. I mean, I guess I can appreciate that you wanted to spend time with me - but I'm really not up to it."
"Yeah, I guess this was it," Doc replied, sheepishly. "As much I enjoy the fact that I have a wife and kids, now - I really did miss spending time alone with you. I guess, looking back, it is a little risky for both of us to be just one week in the future."
"You know, I would appreciate our adventure more," Marty commented, "if I wasn't feeling exhausted. I suppose I was really hoping to spend a quiet afternoon, simply being at home. This has just been a very stressful week for me, you know."
"I'll bring you to our house, Marty," Doc said, gently. "I'll let you sleep for as long as you need, and it really shouldn't take me too long at all to replace these lights inside of the display panals. This should actually take me about a few hours tops."
"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty said, stretching. "I certainly hope my older self is here. That, at least, my parents won't be worried sick about me. After all, they sure remember you as Calvin Klein's uncle - so the last thing we need to to get them too upset with you by causing me to disappear for a week. That would be so awful!"
"Just relax, Marty," Doc suggested, comfortingly, as he drove out of the park. "If we should happen to run into your parents, I'll be sure to give them a great explanation of how you were gopne for a week. You'll be fine, Marty. So don't worry."
Marty took in a deep breath, as he tried not to worry. It was a little cramped inside of the DeLorean, but he tried his best to relax. He still felt a little jittery.
oooooooooo
As soon as Doc drove over to the Brown's house, Marty stretched. He could barely keep his eyes open, as it was. As the two of them walked up to the door, Doc then pressed the doorbell. Within a few seconds, another Doc answered the door.
"Where did you come from?" the other Doc asked, in astonishment. "Did the two of come here from an alternate reality? Is there something you need help with?"
"You mean, you don't remember us?" Marty asked, confused. "A week ago, you and I went one week into the future to pick up a video game for Verne. We sure need to replace the lihts that were in the display panels, and I am dead tired!"
"Great Scott!" gasped the Doc that was native to the era. "It would be today! I don't remember anything much about my trip of last week. Anyway, Marty, you sure look tired. Why don't you go take a nap in guest room, and then you'll be fine?"
"You remember nothing about your trip from last week?" asked the visiting Doc. "I guess, once I have the lights replaced, and we head back to last week - you might then start remember everything. Anyway, I hope to be back in a few hours."
"I just hope you can get everything fixed," Marty commented. "Say, Doc, what if we never make it back to last week? Would our future selves eventually disappear? I'm worried that, if we stay here too long, we could have one of these paradoxes."
The two Docs glanced at each other, then the visiting Doc said, "You know, I haven't given that very much thought. Theoretically, it would happen after a week of staying here - when we actually catch up with the ages of our older selves. Actually, it might happen at any time. Anyway, just try not to worry. Just try to have a good rest."
"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty replied, as he took in a deep breath. "I guess I'll go into the guest room, and catch some sleep." Turning to the local Doc, he added, "So, does Verne have his video game? That's the whole reason we came from."
After a brief pause, the local Doc replied, "All right, I guess it really won't hurt to tell you. Verne does have his video game. Still, I can't remember any of the specifics of the visit from last week. It can possibly be this self-correcting mechanism - sort of a cosmic force at work - that could help to prevent a time paradox from happening."
"Whoa, Doc, this is heavy," Marty replied. "Well, I'm going into the guest room, now. Can you please do me a favour, Doc - and not wake me up? That is, unless we have an emergency? I just need to sleep for as long as I possibly can, you know."
"Sure, that won't be a problem," the local Doc replied. Turning to his counterpart, he added, "I would help you with fixing up the DeLorean, but I am afraid doing so could possibly create a time paradox. After all, I am your older self from one week later."
As Marty stepped into the guest room, he took off all of clothes. He went to put on a pair of fleece pajamas, and he crawled into bed. Within moments, he was asleep.
oooooooooo
Within an hour later, the Marty who was native to January 25 showed up by Doc's home - along with his girlfriend, Jennifer. The two of them had just eaten lunch at Francesca's Italian Diner. Marty had such a good feeling about his future.
"Marty! Jennifer!" Doc exclaimed, as he opened the door. "It's so nice that the two of you made it. Clara took the boys over to the YMCA, so I'm by myself right now."
"You and Clara do have a wonderful family," Jennifer commented. "Jules and Verne are both so adorable, even if they do sometimes fight. At least, Verne was gracious enough to share his new video game with his brother. There are such cute boys!"
"By the way," Doc added, "please do not enter the guest room. It will be important for you two to remember. When Clara returns with the boys, we can watch a great movie together. The boys have really been wanting to watch Teen Wolf."
"Oh, I love Teen Wolf!" Jennifer gushed. "Any movie with Michael J Fox in it is good, in my opinion. That actor is very awesome, and he reminds me so much of Marty!"
"I would love that, too," Marty replied, smiling. As he stepped into the kitchen, he added, "Whoa! I guess Clara made some rice crispy squares. Can we have some right now? These look very gooey and delicious. I love rice crispy squares!"
"Sure, I guess I really don't see the harm in it," Doc replied. "She even made three batches of it. Make sure you both save some, for when Clara returns with the boys. By the way, we're planning on having some chicken and stuffing tonight."
"Oh, that sounds good!" Marty gushed, as he grabbed a spatula to serve of some rice crispy squares. "I'm definitely having supper with you folks tonight, then."
"Yeah, count me in, too!" Jennifer added. "Both of my parents have a meeting they have to attend tonight, and I must say that Clara is such a wonderful cook."
"It's always a pleasure having the two of you over," Doc said, warmly. "Well, I'm going to head upstairs to take a nap. Be sure to let me know when Clara and the boys return. Also, don't answer the telephone - just let the machine pick up."
"I wonder why Doc doesn't want us in the guest room," Jennifer whispered, after Doc headed upstairs. "It seemed like a rather strange thing for him to say to us."
"I'm sure he has a good reason for it, Jennifer," Marty reminded his friend. "Come to think of it, I really wonder what is special about the guest room - and why Doc wants us to stay out. Doesn't he usually keep things hidden in a more secure room?"
"I don't know about you," Jennifer said, smiling slyly, "but curiosity is rather getting the better of me. I wonder if we have some sort of a visitor, that Doc really doesn't want us to know about. I'm sure, whoever he is, he's quite harmless."
Marty flashed his girlfriend a lopsided smile, as the two of them made their way over to the guest room. As Marty quietly opened the door, he was shocked to see another version of him - who was sleeping peacefully and soundly in the bed.