Author's Note: Marty A has just found out that his father was murdered.

March 15, 1973
6:00 PM PST

Little Marty McFly felt so antsy, as he glanced out of the living room window. He was looking forward to showing his father a new painting that he worked so hard on, and it usually wasn't like his father to come home so late. He also felt real hungry, but his mother insisted on waiting for their father to come home. It was getting quite late.

"Mommy?" asked Marty, as he turned around. His mother, Lorraine, looked to be very exhausted. "Hey, Mommy, when's Daddy getting back? I've really been excited about showing him the new picture. Also, I'm feeling so hungry. I'm wanting to eat, soon."

"I simply understand, sweetie," Lorraine replied, as she lifted up Marty. "He should've been back, by now. I know he's been very excited about winning that award." With a wistful sigh, he added, "Your Dad has dreamed about being an author, for so long."

"I think that's very nice, Mommy," replied Marty, as thought of how much he enjoyed his father's stories. His favourite bedtime ritual, in fact, included having his father tell him a story. He felt lucky to have the father that he did. "I'm rather happy for him. It must feel good. Still, Mommy, do you think we can eat soon? I'm feeling real hungry."

"If he's not home in half an hour," Lorraine replied, softly, "I think we can rather start without him. I don't want to just make a habit of this, though. After all, we're a family - and I'm a firm believer in having meals as a family. I don't want for that to change."

Marty sighed, as he realized that his mother was actually right. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Marty swallowed, as he had quite a strong feeling that it wasn't his father - who, after all, lived in the house. As a result, his father didn't need to knock.

"I wonder who that could be," Lorraine replied, as she set Marty down. "I wasn't quite expecting to have company, tonight. Goodness, I do hope it's not..." Her voice trailed off, as the two of them walked towards the front door. Upon opening the door, Marty saw that a police officer was on the other side. "Hello, sir! So, uh, what happened?"

"Lorraine Baines McFly, I presume?" the police officer asked, gravely. Slowly, Lorraine nodded - as Marty broke into a cold sweat. "Well, Mrs. McFly, I'm very sorry to inform you that your father... was murdered. I'm, uh, afraid that he won't be coming back."

"Mommy, what does 'murdered' mean?" Marty asked, as tears filled his eyes. From the serious tone of the police officer, he could deduct that it rather wasn't a good thing to happen. He then wondered if it pertained to dying. "Does that mean Daddy is... is..."

"Yes, honey, Daddy is... dead," Lorraine replied, as tears were in her own eyes. "He's in heaven, now. We'll simply never be able to see him, again - until we die." Turning to the police officer, he asked, "How could this have happened to George? Just what are the..." Beginning to cry, she continued, "Where was he? What all do you know, sir?"

"We're still trying to figure out who did this, Mrs. McFly," replied the police officer. "He was found dead in a hallway of the civic centre. He had a bullet lodged into his heart - and, thus, we do have ample reason to believe that his murder was... premeditated."

Marty clung onto his mother's blouse, as he began to sob. While he knew what death was, he never really expected for it to happen to someone close to him. Granted, his Grandpa Sam died about three years ago - but Marty was too young to remember it.

"I don't believe this, sir," Lorraine sobbed. "I mean, I believe that you're telling me the truth - but I rather can't... Oh, it just seems too sudden. What am I going to tell Dave and Linda, after they come home? They should be coming back, any minute. How am I gonna..." Suddenly realizing her youngest child, she gasped, "Goodness, Marty! It..."

"I regret that I'm really unable to provide you with any more information," commented the police officer, quietly. "If we should find out anything else about... We'll be rather certain to give you a call. Well, since I have nothing else to tell you, I'm out of here."

"Good bye," choked out Lorraine. Marty lifted up his tear-stained face, as he watched the police officer head to the squad car. Never before had he felt simply hopeless. He realized that he'd never again see his father. "I know, Marty, this is... quite terrible."

"Oh, Mommy, I simply feel bad that I won't ever see..." Suddenly, Marty remembered quite what his mother said - about how, after he died, he'd also go to heaven. "I thought of something. If, after we die, we'll also go to heaven... Well, maybe we just should... Perhaps, we should also die. That way, we can also... join Dad in heaven."

"Oh, honey, no!" gasped Lorraine, horrified. "You can't just kill yourself. I miss Daddy, too - but... Well, we can't just take our own lives. We'll rather be able to join Daddy in heaven, when God says that it's time for us to. Until then... Until then, we'll have..."

"Hey, Mom, what's going on? What happened?" called out an older child's voice. Marty looked up, and saw that Dave and Linda were actually heading up the driveway. They were almost ten and seven, while Marty himself was almost five. "You're both crying."

"Oh, Dave," choked out Lorraine, as the older children walked up. "Linda. I don't know how to tell you this, but your... Well, the thing is, Dad's simply never coming home. At the civic centre, where he was quite supposed to receive an award for... The thing is, your dad... What I'm trying to say, children, is that your dad... Well, he was... shot."

"Dad? Shot?" Dave asked, horrified. Linda immediately began to cry, while Dave simply looked shocked. "You mean, as in... Well, I suppose that's a dumb question. Still, I... I can't believe that... My birthday is next week Wednesday. I sure was hoping that...."

"I really wish I could change that, somehow," Lorraine replied, softly. "The thing is, it's been a little over seventeen years... since your dad and I fell in love. Initially, I rather opted to take Calvin Klein to the dance. However, as I kissed him... Well, it didn't..."

"I can't believe this, Mom," Dave commented, quietly. "How can Dad be dead? It's just feels so... It's quite so hard to... Well, Mom, we've been so close. I mean, he was the one who just helped me to see... the good in life. He was the one who helped give me the courage and confidence to stand up to Cliff Tannen. With Dad gone, I just feel..."

Marty started to feel sick to his stomach. He simply was knowledgeable to the concept of nightmares, having actually had several of them. He usually ended up crying, as he woke up. However, this was not a nightmare - and he couldn't just wake up from this.

"Well, what happened?" asked an older man. Marty looked up, and saw that it was Dr. Brown - who happened to be a friend of the family. For some reason, it simply seemed as if he took a special interest in Marty. "Why do you folks look so gloomy? Did, uh..."

"George has been murdered," Lorraine replied - as she, once again, began to cry. "He was on his way to get his... his award, and he... Well, according to the cop, someone had shot him... right in the heart. The kids are all very upset about this, and we... we didn't even have dinner, yet. I don't know about the kids, but I don't feel like eating."

"I really don't believe this," replied Dr. Brown, solemnly. "I quite wonder who could... I can remember how, a few years ago... Well, various members of the Coalition Against BiffCo were being killed... in mysterious way. As though they were made to look..."

"That really hasn't happened, though," choked out Lorraine, "for several years. I sure wonder if... Perhaps, it was just jealousy. Perhaps, someone was sure jealous of how George... I remember back when George was different, and I barely even knew him."

"I wish there was a way to bring Daddy back," whimpered Marty. "I was rather hoping that, this summer... I was really hoping that we could go to Oak Ridge Lodge, again. I still remember how much fun we had, last summer. I was just hoping that we'd be able to go, again. It was just so... I even asked Daddy if we could move there, someday."

"We could barely afford to go there, last summer," Lorraine replied, sorrowfully. "That would've... Well, initially, he wanted to wait until this summer. I'm simply not sure of what really led to him changing his mind. It seemed to be some sort of... impulse?"

"That certainly is a tragedy," commented Dr. Brown, as he sat down. "I mean, I simply enjoyed all of his stories - and I really had high hopes for him. I even faintly remember him, in fact, from when he was in third grade. Man, I'm really going to miss that boy!"

"I quite wish it hadn't come to this," replied Lorraine, with a sigh. "I still remember how just happy I was, at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. Before that night, I very much... Well, I only knew him in passing. I rather figured that he was kind of cute and all, but he really wasn't my type. Even Calvin Klein seemed to be quite happy for us."

Marty was rather curious to learn more about who Calvin Klein. Apparently, he was a nephew of Dr. Brown - which, more than likely, was simply a part of how the scientist became close to the family. It was so sad that Dr. Brown lost touch with his nephew.

"I don't quite know what to say," muttered Dr. Brown, nervously. "This was supposed to be a special day for him. I remember just how thrilled he was, just last night. I sure don't understand how... Well, I guess I'd better be off. I'll talk to you, a little later."

Marty looked up, just as he watched the scientist take off. As much as he would quite miss his father, he realized that his mother couldn't support the family on her own. He wouldn't mind actually having Dr. Brown for his stepfather. He wondered if his mother might just be willing to marry him. Still, even Dr. Brown could never replace his father.