Disclaimer: I don't own Back to the Future.
Author's Note: All right, I suppose I owe you an explanation for the long delay, especially given the fact that I really didn't have a reason to postpone uploading. The only real reason was that the inclusion of a third version of Marty and Doc into 1955 and the subsequent changes and temporal complexities I wrote in had become too confusing even for me, and I was wary of uploading this and the following chapter without having all the facts straight and all the loose ends tied up. In the end, though, I decided it was time to stop chickening out and upload a chapter that might be imperfect, but is at least a good effort.
As to the contents of this chapter, we arrive in 1955, as should be of no surprise to you, and we enter the complex mess that is the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Please read and review.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Saturday, November 12, 1955
08:10 PM PST
Hill Valley, California
The train entered 1955 at a reasonably quiet spot, far outside of town. The reason for that was one Doc had relayed to his wife immediately once they took off. He couldn't let himself be seen by anyone in 1955, especially not by someone who was headed towards the dance – that could alter history. Also, he needed to visit Lyon Estates to ensure that his younger self's DeLorean was still there. Certainly, it was a bit of a detour, but it should have its rewards.
And it had. Everyone let out a sigh of relief when the silver-colored metal of the other DeLorean came into view. Jules and Verne looked out of the window, intrigued. "So that's the car you came in?" Verne asked. "With Marty?"
"That's right" Doc confirmed. He knew his youngest son was unlikely to fully grasp the complexities of time travel, but he didn't want to give a half-truth when he didn't have to. "We landed this morning at six, and I will get sent back to 1885 to meet your Mom at nine-fifty-four in the evening." He checked the time circuits. "That's, let's see, one hour and forty-two minutes from now."
"Heavy" Marty said. "The other you is in town now, right? Still working on getting me rescued?"
"That's right" Doc confirmed, a bit embarrassed as Marty reminded him of that uncomfortable episode when he had done several things throughout the day, but none of them had helped get Marty out of Biff's garage. "The other you should be still in the garage. As for the earliest you – I believe he's in the Courthouse Square. Either he's already left, or he's still waiting for the moment he's supposed to pick up his date."
Marty nodded. "Mom" he muttered, sighing. "You don't think Biff wants to screw up my parents' relationship, do you?"
Clara raised an eyebrow at Marty's language, but Doc simply shrugged. "Could be" he allowed. "Biff's hard to predict nowadays. But I'm sure we'll track down what he wants eventually."
"So am I – I'm just not sure we have time for eventually" Marty replied. "There's just so many things he can mess up tonight… do we even have any idea where he is?"
"As a matter of fact, yes we do" Doc said. "We saw him leave over Hill Valley Park, so he should re-enter the world there." He looked at the newspaper he'd taken along from the alternate 2016. "At least we're now past the date in this newspaper, and it's stayed intact" he said. "Or rather, it has stayed the way we want it to be. That means that in this version of reality, I was punished for the High School fire two years ago. At least the Tannen Valley reality is out of the way now."
"Yes – but it might come back if you don't stop Biff" Jules said. "If he stops us instead, and strands us here, he could go back to 1920 and do all he want. He's got a time machine after all."
"Exactly –which is why we should do everything we can to take it from him" his father said. "Anyway, I'm piloting the train towards the gym and I'll park it a short distance away. Marty and I can go up and attempt to figure out what Biff is doing."
"Unless he's at the square, messing with your younger self" Marty reminded him. "If he kills the other you… well, you'll instantly erase, and the time machines shouldn't exist either. We shouldn't even exist here. The whole world might come crashing down on us."
Doc shuddered. "I sure hope he won't attempt to kill the younger me – or if he does, that my other self manages to defend himself" he muttered. "I should still know what Old Driff Tannen looked like, since he died only eight years ago, and Biff bears enough of a resemblance to him that the younger me should be suspicious of him."
Clara shrugged. "I hope you're right, Emmett" she said. "But are you sure we can't come along with you? It would be interesting to see the proceedings at this dance of which you've spoken so many times, and you might need help. I wouldn't want to endanger Jules and Verne, but…" She wringed her hands, her maternal instincts fighting with her curiosity.
Doc shook his head. "It's too dangerous" he replied. "Too many things could go wrong. At least Marty and I know the time period, and Marty knows where everyone is – or at least, he should."
"I can't tell where everyone is, but I should be able to give you the locations of Biff, the other me's, Mom and Dad at least" Marty said. "Don't worry Doc, I won't forget again like I did after I saw Strickland didn't have the almanac."
Doc nodded. "I hope I can count on you for that, Marty" he said, somewhat solemn – the entire journey was wearing him out. "And by the way, Clara – we can't have everyone come along. Somebody needs to keep an eye on Griff."
Clara nodded, and turned around to look at the baby who had been stored in the back of the train. Doc guessed what she was thinking – it was strange to imagine that this boy, who didn't look very different from other kids his age, would one day become one more adversary for the McFly and Brown families. Griff was asleep now, and had been ever since Doc had sleep-induced him after Marty had picked him up. It was necessary to keep the baby unconscious while they worked, so that he wouldn't distract them, and with modern inducers having a twelve-hour setting, it was very unlikely that he would wake up before they were done.
The inventor cast one more glance at the young Tannen baby, and then returned to the matter at hand, piloting the train to a quiet spot. "Well, this should be a safe place to land" he announced. "All Marty and I will have to do now is get into suitable period clothing, and we'll be on our way."
"How on earth are we going to get period clothing in time?" Marty exclaimed. "Biff's out there right now!"
Doc smiled. "You underestimated me, Marty" he simply replied. "I've got the train stacked with clothes of various time periods. Given our previous experiences with the era, I'm sure I've got fifties clothes lying around some place. There should even be some your size."
Marty nodded, smirking. "Should have expected you to be prepared" he said. "All right, then. Let's get started."
oooooooo
It took them another five minutes to get dressed and take other preparations that were necessary for their mission. Clara, Jules and Verne were instructed to stay inside at all costs and the door was locked from the outside, which meant that while Clara and the boys were still able to get out, no one from outside could get in. After double-assuring that everything was fine, Doc and Marty headed over to the dance.
By the time they got there, it was already past eight-thirty and from inside, the two of them could hear music being played. Just as they were getting down into the parking lot, Doc saw a familiar Ford pulling up. He winced. "Great Scott!"
"What's it – wait, is that Biff's car?" Marty said. "But that means that I'm…"
He didn't finish his sentence, for it was proven right before he had a chance to do it. A familiar figure in a black coat got out of the back seat, checked the dashboard, and then walked up to the dance. Doc and Marty watched him from a distance.
"You know, I did tell you to dress inconspicuously" Doc said, staring at Marty.
The teen shrugged. "Whatever" he muttered. "It really fit well into the spy-thing I was doing here, didn't it?"
"Perhaps, although I can't say I like it" Doc replied. "It is too obvious. The black coat, the hat…" He shook his head. "Well, never mind that right now. We need to find Biff."
"Which one?" Marty asked, smirking.
"Either of them" Doc replied. "I would suspect that Biff wants to talk to his younger self at least. He's shown no compulsions on doing such things thus far, and I fear that he wants to tell the younger him what is going to happen – endangering the time stream greatly, but I doubt he cares. I suppose that we'd better follow young Biff first."
"But he's gone inside" Marty said. "And the other me is already on his trail, isn't he? We can't really go after him without attracting attention. You especially can't – you're sixty-five…"
"Seventy-five" Doc corrected him.
"Whatever" Marty muttered. "Never mind that, even if the locals think you're thirty-five, that's still too old to attend a school dance. You'll get attention – possibly even from Strickland."
Doc nodded. "That sounds very plausible," he said, "as at this point in time, Strickland would do anything to discredit me. And we can't distract him considering the big role he's supposed to play in the following events. We don't know what might have happened if you hadn't ceased following Biff." The inventor smiled. "Now there's an idea. We'll wait until your younger self has left Biff – if Old Biff has any common sense, he won't strike until that moment. After all, your younger self could easily recognize him."
"I wonder if Old Biff has common sense, though" Marty said. "He wasn't that concerned about getting seen in the 1920s. But I guess you've got a point. He wouldn't want the other me to see him, as it might disrupt his plans."
"Exactly" Doc said.
"Then what are we going to do?" Marty questioned. "Stay out here all the time? We're not exactly inconspicuous here." He looked around the parking lot. "At least it's not a cold night tonight."
"No, this date might have suffered from terrible weather, but the temperature was not among that" Doc agreed. "You're right about the inconspicuousness, though. We'd better move to the side wall of the gym first, to avoid attracting too much undue attention." He looked at the scene in front of them, then frowned. "Well, that disrupts our plans" he muttered. "Your younger self has come back."
Marty nodded, looking at Past Marty, who was in turn watching Biff. "It won't be for long" he predicted. "I – he'll be over that wall in a minute, to spy at Biff from the other side and try to grab the book."
Doc nodded. "We can make a break for it when your younger self jumps over the ledge and – Great Scott! That's my Packard!"
Marty looked up to see what his friend had already seen, Doc's old 1950s car driving into the parking lot. Through the window, he could vaguely make out the shapes of his young mom and his younger self. "Well, so much for that idea" he muttered, looking on as his older younger self – 1985 Marty, perhaps? – jumped across the ceiling.
"We can hide behind one of these cars" Doc said, gesturing towards the many cars parked in the lot. "Most owners are gone, so no one'll care."
"Yeah, you're probably right there" Marty muttered. "I just wish we could get this over with already. Biff with a time machine… I don't know, Doc, but the thought really creeps me out."
"You and me both, Marty" Doc said, sighing. "I'd like to see us take that infernal machine from him right away, but I'm afraid that we can't do both things. I need the two of us here to combat anything Biff might do. The situation is just too potentially explosive for anything else."
"Look" Marty whispered. "Strickland."
Doc looked at the scene between Biff and Strickland, and saw the principal walking off. 1985 Marty immediately followed him, but had to duck and creep besides the car in which his younger self and Lorraine were parking.
"You had to sneak past yourself?" Doc said, astonished. "And I thought you had it bad averting your younger self at the dance. At least at that moment, the younger you would be so engrossed in his music that he wouldn't care to look up if anything happened."
"Well, I managed" Marty replied, smiling. "See, there I am straightening up again."
Doc nodded, and he watched as 1985 Marty walked towards the other side of the field, following Strickland. As they then turned back to the scene that was going on in there, they saw young Biff there, looking at the Packard with a curious glance. He then smirked with delight, recognizing it. He made a motion to his gang, who were inside the gym, and together they walked over.
"Oh great" Marty muttered. "Now we're going to have to watch him almost rape my Mom."
"That does appear to be the case" Doc agreed, looking on as Biff opened the car door and pulled out 1955 Marty. Lorraine called Biff to her attention by begging him to let Marty go, and Marty and Doc watched as Biff smirked at her and then climbed inside of the car, shutting the door behind him. 1955 Marty was dragged off by the gang.
"Heavy" Marty groaned. "But where's old Biff?!"
"I don't know!" Doc exclaimed. "I would have expected him to be here right now! Great Scott, what if I was wrong and he did go to the square…"
"That can't be" Marty figured. "You're not fading out, are you?"
"No… but that could be yet to come" Doc replied. "I'm just insecure about this. What if I was wrong? What if Biff would really kill my younger self? Great Scott, just imagine the consequences!"
"Heavy indeed" Marty replied. "Or if he'd kill my Dad… I can't imagine that going over well either."
"That's right" Doc said. "Speaking of whom, shouldn't he be showing up by now?"
"I'm not sure" Marty confessed. "Biff hadn't done anything to Mom yet, so he couldn't have taken really long. He was there when my younger self showed up, though. Both of them. So anyway, he should…"
Marty was silenced when he heard footsteps coming from the school building. A cautious younger version of Marty was walking there, walkie-talkie clutched in his hand and looking around curiously. He then gasped with recognition as he looked at the shaking Packard.
Marty turned to Doc, panicking. "What's happening?" he demanded.
"I don't know!" Doc replied. "What happened here in your recollection?"
"The other me shouldn't show up until Dad was already here" Marty said, thinking hard. "It was only thanks to Mom crying that Biff should leave Dad alone that I realized what was going on. The way this is going, the other me has just left Strickland's office in complete disorientation – and he's only now realizing what's going on!"
"Great Scott!" Doc exclaimed. "Then I suppose Biff wasn't after his younger self here after all!"
"I know, Doc" Marty whispered, stunned. He pointed to a corner of the parking lot. "Look over there!"
Doc turned in the direction Marty had pointed in. In it, he could clearly distinguish Old Biff standing next to a telephone booth. The booth was shaking wildly, and the inventor sympathized with whoever was inside. He found out just who that was a second later, though – it was none other than Marty's would-be father, George McFly.
"Great Scott" he repeated. This chaos was seriously spinning out of control.