Macky's Right-Hand Man
- I'm honored… A thousand thanks… To my lovely wife…
Sally smiled to encourage him.
- To Master McFly, my best friend, too… Erm… I'm not keen on speeches…
He turned back: a red ribbon was symbolically preventing people to cross the way to the tall building right behind it.
- But thanks to you, my son, I've been able to make all this possible…
He put his hand on Elijah's shoulder.
- I've been pleased to work with you, father.
- But you have to be honored too… So…
He took the golden scissors on the red pillow and presented them to his son:
- Please, cut this ribbon, Doctor Elijah Brown…
Elijah raised his eyebrows:
- Me? But… You've founded this Department…
- With you… And thanks to my father, who taught me so much about science…
Elijah cut the ribbon, and a voice arose from the crow:
- That was nothing at all, my son…
Everyone turned their head, and Gene opened bug eyes:
- FATHER?!
- Yes, Gene… It's me…
Gene ran to him and strongly squeezed him:
- Daddy…
He was crying. Doc noticed it while hugging Gene:
- Why those tears…?
- I… I can't believe this… I thought you were…
- Dead? Oh, I'm sorry for this, I've only been stucked since 2040…
- But… Why are you there, now?
Doc smiled:
- You're really hard to pin down. I had no idea you've moved in Stockholm. And I've seen on my T.V. you were about to inaugurate the Genomic Surgery Department… I couldn't miss that.
- Thank you…
- Your old dad has at least twenty years to live…
Gene took his father's hand and presented him to the crow:
- Let me introduce you the Father of Time Traveling… Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown!
People applaused.
- You couldn't keep it secret, hmmm?
- I only did what you wanted to do with Master McFly in 1985.
The ceremony ended with the visit of the building, and Gene invited his father to join them.
- Eh, good morning, little kitty…
- Her name is Carmine. And she's not just a cat.
- Oh, I see: it's your Continuum Jumper…
Gene confirmed by shaking his head, then they jumped to Gene's house.
- I'm so pleased to see you again, Doctor Brown…
- You're Marty's daughter, aren't you?
Marlene waved her head:
- I am.
- And you are here, because…
She smiled, taking Elijah's hand:
- Because I married your grandson Elijah…
Doc couldn't add a word.
- I know, father, it's been a shock for me too…
- And what about the second shock you certainly had?
Gene shrugged his shoulders:
- What shock?
- I'm talking about your own grandson or granddaughter…
Marlene laughed discretely, and Gene seemed congealed:
- WHAT?!
He looked at Elijah, who was as blank as an author's pages during an inspirationless period.
- You've got good eyes, Doctor Brown…
- Marlene…? Is that true?
- Surprise, my dear…
- How did you know it, father?
Doc crossed his arms:
- We've had two sons, so I can recognize a pregnant woman.
- I've had two sons, too, but I missed that!
- Two? You have a second child?
- Yes, and he'll probably be there in no time at all…
Gene shrugged his shoulders:
- He's terribly busy… He wished he could be there for the ceremony, but he couldn't.
- And what is he doing?
- Hi, dad! Hi, mom! Hi, bro! Wow, Marly, you're shining!
- Thanks, Emmett…
Doc raised his eyebrows:
- Emmett…?
The young man turned to Doc:
- Wow, who's this old dude? He looks like dad in really much older!
- Emmett… It's your grandfather, Emmett Brown Senior…
Emmett Junior shook Doc's hand:
- Dad told me so much about you! Pleased to meet you!
- Me… Me too…
- Dad gave me your first name because we've got the same eyes, see…?
- Erm, yes… That's true… And all the rest…
Emmett Junior smiled:
- If you're talking about my suit, it's only a replication of the old one I found in dad's stuff. He said it was what you wore while meeting granny.
- You've been replicated this yourself?
- Myself? No, Elijy's the brain of us two, I'm not a scientist.
Doc considered his second grandson: right, he didn't look like a scientist…
- So… What are you, precisely?
- A great nostalgic. Do you know the Café 80's?
- Yes, I've… Heard about it…
- I own it since I'm twenty!
Doc sat down, a little tired:
- That's… Interesting… Can you tell me more?
- Of course! I love my Café so much! I started when I was twelve as the cleanser's keeper, then I've been under the counter…
- You mean "behind", no?
Emmett Junior shook his head:
- No! I really meant "under"! I was in charge of the mechanical stuff under the counter. A great responsibility for a fourteen years child like I was! My boss used said so: "If Emmett's not there, screens go anywhere!"
- And then?
Emmett Junior sighed:
- I replaced my boss behind the counter since I was eighteen… He was old and terribly ill…
A tear rolled on his cheek:
- When he died, his notary rang here and told me his testament indicated me to inherit the Café.
- He was actually greatful for your services…
Emmett Junior waved his head:
- That was explicit on the paper. But people in the church really wondered what I was doing during the burial ceremony! Ha ha!
- Doctor Emmett Brown… You told "we've had two sons"… Is your wife…
- Still alive? Yes… And she's… Almost there…
The bell rang, and Marlene opened the door:
- Oh, welcome, father!
- My Marly! You look radiant!
Marty turned his head and stayed silent for a moment. Doc waved his hand:
- Hi, Marty…
Marty ran to him and hugged his old friend:
- DOC! How did you…?
- As I explained it to Gene, Edna and I haven't died in my lab's explosion… The Time Machine was just shorting on me, so it traveled directly to 2040, and I've been stuck for more or less five years.
- You couldn't repair it?
Doc shook his head:
- The Time Machine traveled again ten minutes after landing there.
- And where's Edna?
- I don't know… Somewhere or somewhen else… Where are Jennifer and Marty Junior?
- Jennifer will arrive in ten minutes.
He added nothing about Marty Junior.
- Wow! I'm frozen! It's me, or the ambient atmosphere is…
- Not now, brother: two irritating subjects in four minutes don't call for humor.
- I hope it's not what I fear… I already have one son in jail…
- You know it?
Doc laughed sarcastically:
- Of course I know it! When I arrived, he was jailed since five years for having messed with timelines, that was the oddest trial ever seen on Earth, and everybody in Hill Valley was still speaking about it!
He sighed:
- I thought he was dead… It's somehow comforting me…
Marty shrugged his shoulders, sorry:
- Marty Junior is in jail with Griff Tannen's band…
- In spite of all we did against this?
- Some things can't be changed, Doc…
- I'm not sure I want to know how this happened…
Sally tried to change the subject:
- What about watching T.V.?
The television store showed the information channel:
- Macky's band on the rails again. The most feared gang of the North America's East Shore was still for months after its head's evasion, organized by his new right-hand man… But nowCLICK!
Marty sighed:
- Now, you know everything…
- I'm sorry, Marty…
- So, Marty Junior isn't just in Tannen's band, he is the leader of it…
- Yes… And I wonder who this new right-hand man they talk about is.
Emmett Junior shrugged his shoulders:
- Not Griff: he's been ejected.
- Ejected? What do you mean?
- I mean Griff Tannen isn't in the band anymore.
- How come did you learn that?
Emmett Junior smiled:
- Griff works for me since Macky's jailbreak.
- Tell me more, my son. You ever speak about your Café, but you haven't told that Griff was working for you in there…
- I was waiting for the best opportunity!
People were looking at him. He tried to calm them down:
- Okay, I'm explaining… Almost four days after they announced that Macky's band had get its head out of prison, Griff came in my Café. He was looking so depressed that I forgot who he was for some minutes in order to talk to him. I was the first to dare to look at him since days, so he told me he's been fired from the gang after Macky's jailbreak.
Gene shook his head:
- Did he tell anything about this evasion?
- He just told a mysterious young prisoner from the same prison succeded in breaking out and first pretended to be held by Macky as hostage. That was their plan. He had no idea who Macky was, but they had escaped, and Macky had chosen him as his new right-hand man… Then he ejected Griff.
Marty wasn't pleased to hear the "gang leader nickname" of his son… If only he knew why…
- Does he know who this prisoner is?
- No. But… He had described him.
- Could you describe him too?
Emmett Junior smiled and started to "draw" on the television store.
One could write without a chalk or a pen on the store, thanks to a movement recognition integrated in. Slowly, the prisoner got black hair, strangely familiar face, and…
- Clive!
Emmett raised an eyebrow:
- Who?
Gene and Doc approached the store and exchanged a look:
- It's Clive Brown, your uncle…
- Woa! It's him? Hello, handsome…
- Emmett Junior…
- Okay, no time for humor!
Gene couldn't trust it:
- My brother is your son's right-hand man…
- Help me out, Gene…
- That's simple: we took him in the past so we could get him back in jail in 2055. But remember he was in jail since 2035, and he was supposed to escape in 2055…
Marty waved his head:
- I got it, yes…
- So, as your son has been jailed in the same prison, Clive and him met and escaped together.
- But, Emmett Junior, you said the prisoner was young, nope?
- Yes. Approximately 28, as Griff told me…
Gene shrugged his shoulders:
- Younger than Marty Junior, who's almost 47, now.
- Than me, too.
- Can we talk to Griff?
- Yes, he's supposed to be behind the counter, waiting for my return.
Emmett Junior leaded them to the Café 80's. Of course Marty and Doc knew where it was, but it was a bit different than they had in mind:
"Wow… That actually looks like the eighties…"
- Welcome to my lair… Hey, Griff, I'm back!
- Hey, Emmett, you're fast again!
Griff was picking some glasses in order to wash them. He looked at Gene and Elijah:
- Hey, you're Emmett's dad and bro! Just as he told me about you!
He turned his head and saw Marty:
- Wow, Master McFly! I swear I don't know where Mack… Ahem, Marty Junior is…
- They know, Griff, calm down… They want to talk to you… About the prisoner…
Griff looked suspiscious:
- Friend of foe?
- Hard to tell… Go with them under, I'll do the job.
- Okay, Emmett… There we go…
Gene and Marty followed Griff in the basement.
He sat on an old round table and waved his head:
- This guy was a kid, but he escaped with Macky the day before we had planned to get Macky out.
- Do you know who he was?
- No. All I know is that he was in since 2035. I don't know why.
- And you've been fired by your leader?
Griff looked outraged:
- Hey, I only told this guy was a kid and a stranger to the gang. Macky said: "You think you're the boss? Weeks behind the bars, and you discuss my orders?". I said: "No, we just don't know who this kid is, he could mess with our plans!". "Our plans?! There's no our, no us, you're fired!"
- Okay, we got it… When was it?
Griff sighed:
- Five months ago. I remember the fire they get through… Like it started from nothing…
Gene and Marty exchanged a look:
- I didn't think I would say that one day but, thank you, Griff.
- My pain. Can I go up, now?
They came to the counter: Emmett and Elijah were chatting together.
- Okay, boys, daddy is leaving…
- Wow, wait, dad! When are you going?
- Five months ago.
- Hey, daddies… Don't you think you're too old for this?
Elijah looked at his brother:
- That's not polite.
- No, he's right… Boys… Come with me.
Griff replaced Emmett Junior behind the counter, and Gene came out with his two sons and Marty:
- Okay, boys… Your father is far too old for this. So, it's your turn.
Emmett Junior gone white:
- But, dad, I never traveled in time…
- I know… But Elijah did. He knows what to do.
- That's not correct, father: I don't know what we're supposed to do five months ago.
- I'll explain this. The goal is: catching your uncle before he flees with Marty Junior.
Elijah crossed his arms:
- I understood that point.
- Right. Let's go back home to pick Carmine up.
Gene explained his plan to his sons, and Carmine turned into a giant panther to let them enter.
- Good luck… Stay safe, okay?
Doc sat down, thinking about what was going on:
- Clive is a young man, Gene is old… My only grandsons are traveling in time…
- I know it's difficult, daddy… Clive is misplaced in this time, we have to take him back to the past.
- That's correct… And… Emmett Junior… Elijah…
- Yes, grandfather?
Doc couldn't look at him at this moment:
- Please, find your grandmother… Whenever she is…
- Don't worry granddaddy! If we find her, we'll bring her back to you!
Marlene approached, and Elijah kissed her:
- I'll manage to be back in no time at all…
Marlene smiled to encourage him:
- I know you'll do your best… I love you, Elijy…
- I love you too, Maar-lene… Carmine, please, take us the day when the prison has been set in fire, five months ago…
Her flanks get closed, and she ran to the opened door…
Marty sat down. Suddenly, a green flash enlightened the garden. They came outside:
- Boys! You're here again!
Gene ran to Carmine, but Marty held him:
- Stop, Gene! Don't you think something's odd?
- What? Elijah told they'll be back in no time at all… Isn't that so?
Marty made him wait, but nobody popped out from Carmine:
- See? They would be next to us since minutes, nope?
- Yes, that's odd… And as a matter of fact, nothing has changed…
Carmine's right flank opened up, and Gene get "congealed".
- Gene! What's going on?!
He felt something behind his head:
- There, there, old Marty… He'll be with us in five minutes.
- Clive Brown… I knew it.
- Sorry, I had to borrow your son… I think we'll do great things together…
- Where are Elijah and Emmett Junior?
Clive laughed:
- Safe, as long as you don't try to stop Macky and me. Of course, you guess they're not here and now, it would be too simple.
- And you come here just to tell it, you peast?
- No, brother… Okay, they're hot! Come here!
Doc was out at this moment. He saw the passenger leaving Carmine:
- Edna! You're safe and sound!
- Oh, Emmett…
- What did Clive do to you?
- Nothing at all… I set him free, so he had looked for a family meeting.
Gene shook his head:
- No, mother… Don't tell me you did this again…
- Did what, my son?
- Emmett, you're so silly… You never get able to know I was the speakeasy arsonist…
- You? An arsonist?
Doc couldn't believe it, but Gene confirmed:
- I saw here burning down the speakeasy, trust me!
- I don't know how you could see it, but you guessed well: I set the prison in fire to help my son as he tried to escape with his old friend.
- Mother… Where and when are my sons?
Edna smiled:
- I said we wanted a family meeting… So, you will see them. Emmett…
Doc was turning his back on her.
- Oh, don't tell me you're not pleased to see me again…
- You're not what I thought you were, from the beginning.
Marty remembered the young red-haired Emmett he had knew, the day he lost his memory…
"Rat… There's just one thing to do…"
"What?"
"Erasing."
Marty managed not to look at Gene.
He didn't want anyone to notice they were "communicating".
"Erasing what?"
"This timeline."
"No, there's an other way, I'm sure!"
"Do as I say… Use your weapon and take my father's Time Machine…"
Marty stood up without moving:
"We still can get your sons and send your brother and your mother in jail in the appropriate year…"
"For which reason? Messing with timelines? No, this is going too difficult…"
"Do you know what you're telling me to do?"
"I know."
Marty tried hard not to cry. He put his hand in his pocket…
- Hey! What have you here?
- I'm showing you…
Marty picked his weapon up and pointed it at Clive. In the same time, Gene had pointed his own mother so Marty could go to the DeLorean.
Marty found the keys on the board and looked at Gene:
"Don't worry, rat… You'll survive without me…"
Marty didn't answer: he will remember him, that's all he was thinking at this moment…
- Marty! What are you…
Too late: the DeLorean was already on the road.
Marty arrived in front of young Emmett's laboratory. That was risky, as Doc hasn't repaired the time circuits before this, but Marty was precisely when and where he… Had to be…
- Okay, ready to upset the lady…
He managed to hide the Time Machine and knocked at the door. Someone opened it:
- Yes? Who is it?
Marty used his weapon, and young Emmett fell in his arms:
- Sorry, Doc, but there's someone you have to avoid…
He hid him in the Time Machine and waited.
- Now, let this story becoming the History…
- Hi, Emmett !
Marty hid: his younger self was coming with Edna.
- Emmett? Hey, Emmett? Where are you?
- If it is a joke, it's not funny at all, Mister Crockett…
- I don't understand, he told me he'll be there…
- … To make me feeling more ridiculous, one more time!
Edna turned her back:
- How could I be so silly and think he would be a good man for me…
- Wait, Edna…
"Shut up, young me…"
- Hum… I mean: you're right, he's a real meanie. Stay away from him, it's better for you.
Edna sighed:
- I guess it is… But… If you see him again… Tell him it's not fair to let a lady hoping…
- Okay…
Edna walked away, and the young Marty get in the lab:
- Emmett, where are you?
Marty looked at young Emmett:
- I do it for your own good, Doc… Trust me… Your own good…
He was thinking about Gene and his two sons… Especially Emmett Junior: it seemed odd, but Marty was more attached to him than to Elijah…
- Aw… Where am I…
Marty pointed young Emmett:
- You haven't seen me or this vehicle you are in. You hate Edna Strickland, and all you wanted to do, is getting her back to your lab as you won't be in, just to mock her. Got it?
- Got it, Sir…
- Now, get back to you lab and tell it to your friend.
He let young Emmett do as he said, and when his younger self appeared, he spied their conversation:
- I guess I've nothing more to do here…
- Where are you going?
- Here and there…
- Will I ever see you again?
Young Marty smiled:
- Guarantee.
- So, good luck and goodbye. Thanks for your advices…
- So, you're getting back to science?
- To serious science, yes! This stupid story is over, now.
Marty waved his head:
"Glad to hear that, Doc…"
Young Marty went to downtown Hill Valley, leaving young Emmett "alone".
- That's odd… I think I missed something…
He stood up a moment, probably thinking about this thing…
He snapped his fingers:
- Great Scott! I remember everything, now!
"Oops… This could complicate my plan…"
- My flying car! It should be already finished!
"False alarm. Okay, let's go back to 2045!"
He entered the date and speeded the Time Machine up to 88 miles per hour…
Marty stopped the engine and cried:
- Gene… I'm sorry…
- Sorry for what, Marty?
- Doc…?
- What's wrong…?
Marty shook his head:
- I can't explain… To you…
- This is my Time Machine… That's odd… I thought it was broken into pieces…
- Into pieces?
- Yes, a train ran into the DeLorean in 1985, you remember?
The train… Jennifer…
- You seem disoriented, Marty… I told you time travels implies too much pain…
- Wait a minute, Doc… Who's your wife?
- Clara, of course! Who else could it be…?
Clara… Things were back to normal…
Doc helped Marty to leave the DeLorean and squeezed him gently in his arms:
- There, there, Marty… I'm here, everything will be fine… Just tell me what's happening to you.
- Okay, Doc… In the timeline I'm from, you're married to Edna Strickland, you sell flying cars and you have two sons and two grandsons !
- What?! How could it be… I hate Edna Strickland…
He told those words like it was an automatism for him.
- That's not true, Doc… I'm the one who convinced you you hate Miss Strickland.
- How could you…?
- Thanks to a mesmerize trick invented by one of your sons, I hypnotized you and told you this, in order to avoid you to marry her!
Doc was up to ask why, Marty answered:
- Edna was no good for you, and the situation that forced me to come back in your childhood was just too complicated… Gene told me to do it… I told him I was sure there was an other way… But he…
Marty cried again.
- Who's Gene?
Marty gasped:
- One of your sons… The best friend I never had… And will never have again…
- You've been forced to erase your best friend from the space-time continuum… I'm so sorry for this, Marty, I don't know what to say…
- Our two families were united, for me… It's all over, now…
Doc raised an eyebrow:
- Our families? United? What are you talking about?
- One of you grandsons married my daughter, Doc! Do you realize that?!
- Great Scott… Does that mean so much to you, Marty?
- More than anything, Doc… You mean much more than anything to me.
Doc opened his mouth, but no sound came out: he never realized this. He eased it:
- Marty… You mean very much to me, too. You're my only friend… Of all times.
- You remember me when you were young?
- Of course. I understood it was you since I found you in my laboratory… You remember, Marty? When you were a child yourself…
Marty waved his head: he remembered that.
- I'm still there, Marty…
- But… With your Time Train, you can go anywhen and anywhere you like…
- Marty, after decades of time traveling, I know the only important thing in life is: staying beside my only friend…
Marty hid himself in Doc's arms.
- I don't know what to do, Marty…
- I'd like to do an other time travel with you…
- If it could ease your pain, Marty…
Marty programmed their destination time and speeded up the Time Machine…
Doc couldn't figure out why they were back in his own childhood.
- Ah, Doc, it's you… Give me the camera…
- Me?
- Your younger self.
- You want to take photographies of my younger self?
Marty waved his head:
- Yeah… There… Damn! You've entered…
- The speakeasy… I'm up to listen to her…
- Her?
- Tannen's girlfriend… She has such a sweet voice… Let's follow me!
Marty raised an eyebrow:
- Doc… Did you love her?
Doc didn't answer and entered the speakeasy. The singer was still next to the piano, and the young Emmett was listening, completely under the spell of this voice…
- Doc…
Doc was smiling:
- Shhh… Listen…
- Okay, I'll go with it.
He turned his head to the artist behind the counter:
- Hey, you! I'd like a portrait from you.
The artist looked at him:
- A portrait? Of who?
- The young red-haired guy there…
- Young Master Brown? Okay, if you like… But don't show it to his father: I don't want to loose one of our most regular clients…
Marty took the drawing once finished:
- Thank you… Doc, you see that? It's Gene Brown, your son!
- He looked like me… All you wanted here, was a picture of him?
- Yes… We can go, now…
- Just a little time… It's my favourite song…
The singer started:
- They say I'm crazy, got no sense, but I don't care… They may or not mean offense, but I don't care… You see I'm sort of independent, I am my own superintendant…
Doc smiled:
- I don't care, what people think of me…
- That's sure, Doc… This song really fits to you…