Day 29 - Not Allowed to Die
A/N: A short look at Marty's thoughts as he returns to 1985 in Part I.

His head fell back as he let out an agonising wail.

Were all of his efforts for nothing?!

The universe certainly knew how to screw with him.

His hands clutched Doc's collar with such vigor that he could've torn the fabric seams apart. He frantically shook his best friend, ignoring how his head flopped uncontrollably. "DAMMIT DOC, WAKE UP!"

He can't be dead!

HE CAN'T BE!

Not after everything we did…!

"Doc…" Marty sobbed. "Don't…leave…me…! DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE!"

I can't do this on my own…

"You can't die on me, Doc!" He roared. "DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE!"

This isn't how it's supposed to end!

He couldn't see anything through the thick curtain of tears descending down his face, let alone Doc's lifeless body, so he chose to close his eyes and embrace the sorrow enveloping him. He curled up and wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging himself as he sobbed.

I should've run faster!

Hell, I should've used the damn car that can go faster than me!

Should I have come back before he even showed up to the mall and waited for him?!

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and he could've sworn his soul left his body. "HOLY SHIT!"

Marty whipped around, his jaw falling open. "…Doc?!"

The scientist smiled as he nodded, removing his hand from Marty's shoulder. "I heard you, and I'm not going anywhere." He began unzipping his jumpsuit, pulling it aside to reveal a bullet proof vest decorating his frame.

Son of a bitch! Marty finally realised there was no visible blood; the logical part of his brain was spiralling with questions. "But…how?! I never got a chance to tell you!…"

Doc reached beneath the vest to reveal a very familiar piece of paper. It had yellowed considerably and was taped in multiple places, but Marty recognised it all the same. The young man grabbed the note and unfolded it, revealing his own writing had been impeccably pieced back together. Surprisingly, the ink had barely faded, although the logo for Lou's Cafe was looking a bit worse for wear.

But what about all the damn space time continuum bullshit?

He took a moment to compose himself, wiping his eyes on his shirt. "What was all that talk…about screwing up the future? The space time continuum?"

"Well," Doc whispered. "I figured, 'What the hell?'"

Marty found himself laughing heartily. He tossed the note aside as he threw his arms around his best friend, allowing joyful tears to run freely down his cheeks. Both men embraced each other tightly, ignoring the damp ground, the icy chill in the air, and the fact both of them were shaking violently.

There was a lot that still needed to happen. After all, Doc had thirty years' worth of questions he could ask now that the timelines had synced up. And judging by how distressed the young man in his arms was, there would be a lot of talking to come over the following days.

But for now, they celebrated each other's company in the parking lot, with Einstein barking happily next to them.

Their future still lay ahead of them, and no one could change it now.

A/N: And that concludes Febwhump 2024! Thank you to everyone who's been following along and leaving comments - it's been wonderful reading them and hearing your thoughts! Glad to hear people enjoyed my take on bashing poor Marty.