"Marty, do we really have to wear these clothes? They look weird," said Emma as she was trying on clothes in the changing room at Ruth's Frock Shoppe.
"Yes you have to! You gotta be able to blend in with the folks around here. My first day here, everyone asked me why I was wearing a life jacket because I had on my red vest," he answered back, standing outside the door.
"Alright. How's this look on me?" she asked, stepping out wearing a flattering blue dress.
"You almost look like my Mom," he answered, "It looks nice on you."
She spun around in the mirror, feeling satisfied with herself. She knew it was a compliment to be told that she looked like Lorraine. It was also nice to hear that her Grandpa approved. Sure it was weird to go out dress shopping with your Grandpa before you're even born, but still, it's nice to spend time with a loved family member no matter where, or in this case, when you are.
"Thanks Grandpa," she said. Marty's face turned red. But can you blame him? He's seventeen and he already met his granddaughter!
"Um, you're welcome, but you can call me Marty while we're all here. It's too weird to be called that because Jennifer and I aren't even married yet," he answered sheepishly.
"Ok, I understand, sorta. But thanks for coming with me," she said with a smile.
"No problem. It's kinda nice to know at least one of my grandkids will look like the Banes-McFly side of the family. And then that would mean I'm going to have children… This is heavy," he groaned out those last words.
"Don't worry! If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!" she proclaimed, trying to boost his spirits.
Marty looked at her in amazement. It was funny how that phrase has bounced from generation to generation, even skipping around through time. He smiled.
"You're right. Let's get back home to see what Doc thinks we should do next," he said.
"Yeah, let's go see what he has Marty wearing!" she said laughing. What would she find her boyfriend wearing?
"Grandpa, do I have to slick my hair back like that? I'll look like a zippo or a trank!" he complained.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I do know how young men dress now a days. Here are some suspenders for you to wear," he said passing a pair to him through the door at the Men's Apparel Shop.
"I look like my Grandpa wearing these," he told Doc.
"Well, apparently I am your Grandfather, so you would end up looking like me," answered Doc, getting a little worn down by his complaining.
"Sorry," he said, "I'll wear everything else but the suspenders. Deal?"
"Alright. Come on out so I can have a look at you," he said.
When Marty B. stepped out from behind the changing room door, Do thought he was looking at his younger self. The boy obviously took after his side of the family and that made him realize that that must mean he'd have a wife in the future! Would he dare to ask Marty at least what her name was?
"Marty, what's your Grandmother's, my wife's name?" asked Doc.
"I don't know if I should tell you because you always say people shouldn't know too much about their own destinies. I guess I can tell you that she's lived in Hill Valley her whole life and she has long brown hair and she's old fashioned. But that's all I'm saying," he answered.
"Well, thanks for telling me something about her, but I supposed we ought to go catch up with Marty and Emma," he said.
"You're welcome. Yeah, I think they went to that Frock Shoppe a few blocks over," said Marty, holding the door open for Doc.
"It's this way," Doc replied, leading the way.
The two pairs met up on Hill Street and when Marty and Emma saw each other they started laughing. They blended in just fine with everyone but themselves. Marty had seen Emma wear some funny things before, such as: a red tutu on Halloween, a pink feather boa, and even knew she women's Barbie underwear because she had it hanging out of her drawer and she didn't know it was there, but this was tops. The definitely looked like their Grandparents.
"I don't see what's so comical about not trying to be erased from existence," said Doc, putting a damper on their laughing spree. This was serious stuff they were dealing with and he felt he needed to have them understand that.
"Doc, it is kinda funny, you have to admit. We gotta ease them into the 1955 transition slowly, just like you did for me," said Marty M., trying to keep the peace.
With a sigh, Doc resigned that Marty was right. "I just don't want to cause a-"
"Paradox…" finished the three teenagers, they'd heard this speech before.
"Exactly, and if you paid attention all the other times I've explained that, we wouldn't be having this discussion, now would we?" asked Doc.
It was then he decided that teenagers would never listen and they'd have to deal with their own consequences, even though he wanted everything to turn out right for everyone, including himself.
"Ok, Doc, you win. We'll go back to your place and have a nonparadoxal evening," said Marty M.
Marty B. and Emma stifled a giggle at how solemnly he'd said that and then quickly followed their Grandpas back to the Brown home. They'd had fun getting to know their Grandpas better and looked forward to the next few days.