Day 25 - Failure

A/N: Things get a bit awkward when you give the same advice to your daughter that you gave your dad, who then gave it back to you. Set in the good timeline 20-25 years after Part III.

Can't believe I forgot how exasperating homework could be…

Marty was grateful that Junior was still too young to be receiving any sort of homework that required more than two brain cells. If anything, at this point he was happy to demand that the school make colouring sheets compulsory homework tasks until graduation.

But as he stared down at Marlene's third grade maths assignment, he found himself wishing that Doc was still around to help. There's a good reason he never asked me to tutor either of the boys, after all.

"Daddy?"

Marlene's voice startled him. "Sorry, sweetie. Daddy was just…thinking."

"Thinking? Daddy, I told you Miss McKinnon said we have to do it the way she taught us, but I don't get-"

"What do you mean, they want you to do it 'this' way?" Marty asked, his voice teetering on the edge of snapping. "You can't…change how you do math!"

"B-But she said-"

"Math is math! You can't just 'invent' a new way to do it!"

"Marty?" Jennifer poked her head in from the kitchen, apparently uncaring of uncaring of the five-year-old boy clinging to her legs. She gave her husband a stern look. "It sounds like you need me to take over?"

Dammit, she heard me. Marty blushed furiously. "No thanks, babe. We're, uh, w-we're all good. Looks like you've got your…uh, legs full."

His wife gave him a slight smile before adjusting her apron. "Dinner'll be ready soon, so don't blow up before then."

"I'm not blowing up!" Marty sat back in his chair, rubbing a frustrated hand through his greying hair. "I'm just-"

"Too passionate about third-grade math?" Jennifer retorted. "Marty, you're supposed to be helping her-"

"But it doesn't make sense how they want me to teach her to do it! I don't remember them teaching us this-"

A sudden sob from Marlene quickly silenced the arguing couple. Marty pushed his chair closer to the dining table and wrapped an arm around his daughter's tiny shoulders. "Hey hey hey, it's okay sweetheart. Mummy and I are just-"

"Y-You're yelling 'cause I'm too stupid!" Marlene's lip wobbled, staring up at her father with the same shade of eyes as her mother.

Marty shared a horrified look with Jennifer. What have I done?! "No no, not at all, honey! We were just-"

"Daddy and I are just having a disagreement on how to help you, that's all," Jennifer had managed to extract herself from Junior's grasp, squatting beside Marlene's position at the table. "We're not angry at you, we promise."

"But I'm so stupid!" Marlene only cried even harder. "I c-can't even do t-this math that a-all the other kids c-can!"

Well done, Marty. You've already emotionally destroyed your child and she's only nine years old.

"Just 'cause the other kids can do it doesn't mean you can't, Marlene," Marty spoke softly.

"B-But I c-can't do it t-the way I'm s-supposed to!" Marlene sniffed loudly and wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. "I-I'm gonna g-get in trouble i-if I can't!"

Marty wracked his fatigued brain uselessly, trying to summon whatever advice his parents had given him when he'd been in similar situations. Unfortunately for him, most of those conversations were not positive ones, and despite all of the positive affirmations that Doc tried to shower him with, none of them seemed to have particularly stuck with him.

Then it hit him.

If I could change Dad's mind with it, then surely it'll work for her?

A sudden swell of authority and confidence filled his chest. He placed both hands beneath his daughter's chin, directing her tear-stained towards his. "Marlene Lorraine McFly, listen to me. You are a talented and smart young lady. Don't let this one stupid math assignment make you think that you're an idiot!"

"Marty!" Jennifer breathed harshly, though Marty pressed on in favour of ignoring her.

"I've met some real dumb people in my life, Marlene, and you are definitely not one of them."

Marlene's eyes watered with a fresh batch of tears. "…You're just s-saying that, Daddy…I-I'm not-"

Time for a different approach, I guess. "You know your Grandpa George had a similar problem when he was your age?"

The nine-year-old's face lit up with surprise. "Really? But he's so smart! H-He's written so much books!"

"So 'many' books, Marlene," Jennifer corrected gently.

He was also seventeen when all this shit happened, but let's ignore that. Marty raised his index finger, poking Marlene's nose gently as he spoke. "You know what someone told him that made him work hard to write those books? 'If you put your mind to it, sweetie, you can accomplish anything'."

Marlene's eyes widened so far that he had the momentary thought that she'd had a stroke. Once that irrational thought had passed, however, it didn't take long for him to identify the familiar spark of hope within them that he'd once seen in his father. "Anything, Daddy?"

Glad that she had a more positive response to that tidbit than Dad did. The older McFly smiled warmly, patting Marlene tenderly on her head. "I mean anything."

"Even this stupid math homework?"

"Especially this stupid math homework. Now, let's try this damn thing again, shall we?"

"Okay!" Marlene wiped away her tears, gazing up at Marty with a curious look. "I just have one more question though."

"Sure, sweetie. What's up?"

"Why did you call Mommy a 'babe'?"

Marty's aging cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jennifer stifling a laugh as she hastily returned to the kitchen. You're gonna leave me to answer this?! Really?

"Daddy?"

"Uh…uh, D-Daddy will explain when you're older. Now, uh, let's get back to your math-"

"But why'd you say 'babe' instead of 'Mommy'? That's not her name!"

Oh, for God's sake…