Prologue

November 12, 1985
3:10 PM PST

'Gee, it was just another boring day at school,' seventeen-year-old Marty McFly grumbled to his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker - as they were walking to Dr. Emmett Brown's home. 'You'd think our school would do something special to celebrate this date - but, no, it's just the same old boring routine! Well, at least we baked in home ec today - so at least I have some nice treats to bring home with me.'

'Actually, I'd rather they just let us have off on this date,' replied Jennifer. 'I mean, the famous lightning storm of thirty years ago is a pretty major event here in Hill Valley. Everyone in Hill Valley had heard of that incident, after all. Besides, it's the 30th year anniversary - for crying out loud. It's certainly a thing worth celebrating.'

'Maybe if we had a different principal,' Marty suggested, 'we would do more fun things in school. This is all Strickland's fault! It's like he doesn't want us having any fun. I wonder why he even bothers being the principal, if he doesn't even like us.'

'Well, anyway,' Jennifer said, nodding, 'shall we go out to Francesca's Italian Diner tonight? I'm sure in the mood for some Italian food. Although, I suppose the place might be filled up tonight - because everyone will probably be out celebrating the event.'

'I was going to eat with Doc and his family, anyway,' explained Marty. 'He wanted me to help him out with an experiment. Maybe we can go to Francesca's Italian Diner this Friday.'

'Sure, we could do that,' replied Jennifer. 'I suppose that date is not significant to anyone more than it is to you and Doc. I know it was a real eventful day to you guys. Certainly a day worth celebrating for you guys.'

'Well, there is also my parents,' commented Marty. 'It was the day that my dad had the courage to stand up to Biff - and it was the day my parents kissed and fell in love. Of course, it was also a major day for Biff Tannen - only, in his case, it's not a day worth celebrating. You'd almost have to feel bad for him, come to think of it.'

'So what kind of experiment does Doc need your help with?' asked Jennifer.

'That I don't know,' replied Marty. 'He didn't mention anything about making a major breakthrough - but it's probably something relatively small. Of course, I'd be hard pressed to think of what would be more major than a time machine.'

'Well, anyway, I'd better start heading over to Grandma's,' Jennifer said, as she embraced Marty. 'I told her I'd visit her after school. At least she's in good health, again. Maybe we'll bake some cookies together. That's always fun.'

'That's just like what we do with Grandma Stella,' Marty said, smiling. 'Well, you have fun - and I'll call you tonight. At least Thanksgiving is almost here.'

Marty and Jennifer then kissed, before Marty headed into the Browns' home. He smelled something delicious cooking from the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen, and he saw that Clara was in there baking sugar cookies.

'Hello, Clara!' Marty greeted. 'Those cookies smell delicious. Can I have one?'

'You can have two, Marty,' Clara said, smiling, 'then we want to save the rest for tonight. This is a very special occasion, after all. It's amazing that, a hundred years ago, I was at a festival where they were putting the clock tower up - and, now, a hundred years later, the clock isn't running anymore. I used to have difficulty understanding why they didn't just replace the clock - but I now understand that it's an important piece of history, so it's worth preserving. So I guess the clock ran for seventy years - and it stopped exactly thirty years ago.'

'You know, Clara,' Marty said, as he grabbed two cookies, 'I used to not understand why the Hill Valley Preservation Society was so insistent on saving the clock tower - but, since the whole fourth dimensional experience, I have come to gain a brand new appreciation for the clock tower. It's amazing to think that the same bolt of lightening that hit the clock tower, is also the same one that sent me back to 1985.'

'It was definitely a very eventful day for you and Emmett, wasn't it?' Clara asked.

'Well, it certainly will be a day to remember,' Marty remarked. 'What's ironic about this whole thing is, I wasn't even born yet - but I ended up living that day twice.'

Just then, Doc walked into the kitchen and said, 'Oh, thank goodness, Marty! I'm glad you're here. I was hoping you would remember to come here after school.'

'Oh, I'm always happy to spend time with you, Doc,' Marty said, smiling.

'Let's go out into the lab,' Doc said, quietly. Then, to Clara, he said, 'I should be back in about an hour or so. Marty and I have some errands that we need to run.'

Marty then silently followed Doc out to the lab, wondering what Doc needed him for.

'Listen, Marty,' Doc said, slowly, 'I need you to go back in time with me.'

'Yeah, sure, I guess,' mumbled Marty. He didn't really feel like taking another trip through time. 'Where are we going, this time? I hope not to November 12, 1955 again. It was bad enough have one other me to avoid. It will be even worse having two other mes to avoid.'

'Don't worry, Marty,' Doc said, smiling. 'We're not going to 1955 this time. This time we're going to 1925. You see, I've found a couple of tickets to attend a festival commemorating the 40th year anniversary of the clock tower. In turn, we will each get 25 tickets for rides, games, and snacks. I thought it would be a nice way for us to spend this special day- just you and I. How does that sound?'

'Oh, Doc, that sounds awesome!' Marty cried, as he threw his arms around Doc. 'It sounds like great fun! I would love to attend the festival with you.'

'Since today will always be our special day,' added Doc, 'I thought this would be a nice little treat for you. Let's get you into some twenties clothes first, though.'

'Right, Doc,' Marty replied, remembering with embarrassment how the people of 1955 and 1885 have been bewildered by Marty's odd appearance of that era.

Doc and Marty then searched through the trunks where Doc kept clothing of different eras, until Marty settled on a blue tee-shirt and some blue dress pants. He put those clothes on, and glanced into the mirror. He then grabbed his comb and combed his hair. Then he squirted some cologne on him - and then he admired his apprearances.

'Hey, Doc,' Marty asked, 'How do I look? Do you think I'll fit in?'

'I think you look very presentable,' Doc said, smiling. 'You should take off your wrist watch, though. They didn't have those kind of watches back in the twenties.'

'Oh, yeah, right,' Marty replied, as he remembered how Lou Carruthers at the Cafe had looked at him strangely, when his watch beeped in 1955.

'Put this watch on, instead,' Doc instructed. 'Then you'll fit in better.'

After Marty put the watch on, Doc checked to see if he had the tickets on him. The two of them then sat in the DeLorean, as Doc set the time circuits. After the two of them arrived in Hill Valley Park, Doc then accelerated the DeLorean.

'Marty,' Doc warned, 'brace yourself for temporal displacement.'

Then Doc began to pilot the DeLorean into the sky, until he got up to 88 miles per hour - then the DeLorean broke the time barrier.

Chapter One

September 5, 1925
10:00 AM PST

As Doc and Marty had broken the time barrier and landed in 1925, a branch had struck the windshield, causing it to shatter. Marty screamed in fright.

'Great Scott! gasped Doc. 'I guess I didn't fly the car high enough. I guess we're going to stay here longer than expected.'

'So, we can't travel through time with a broken window?' asked Marty, stunned.

'Well, I certainly don't want to risk it,' Doc said, sighing. 'Trying to travel through time with a broken window could have very nasty repercussions - either to us, or to the space-time continuum.'

'So what are we going to do?' asked Marty, with desparation. 'This car is obviously too futuristic for this time period - and, besides, we certainly don't want anyone else to see the time circuits. Especially if his last name happens to be Tannen.'

'I'll have to try to fix this myself,' replied Doc, as he landed the DeLorean. 'I might have to improvise. Well, let's hide this car for now - and we'll head over to the festival. We'll take care of this later, and I guess we'll have to sleep in a hotel. I did bring back quite a bit of money for this time period.'

'Why do we always have to run into trouble,' grumbled Marty, 'whenever we travel through time? First, it was a lack of plutonium - then, it was a lack of gasoline - and, now it's a broken window?'

'We don't always run into trouble,' Doc said, gently. 'I mean, we didn't when we were moving our family from 1893 back to 1985.'

'Well, yeah, you're right,' Marty said, sighing. 'Hey, let's head over to the festival and have some fun. I guess we'll worry about this later. We can clean up the glass shards later. We'll just have to be very careful when getting out.'

'Sure, yeah,' Doc replied, nodding. 'Let's go! We might as well have fun, since we're probably going to be stuck here for awhile. Now, you must be especially careful of who you interact. Like, we don't want to interfere with your grandparents meeting each other. Do you know how old they were in this year?

'Yeah, um, Grandpa Arthur was seventeen,' explained Marty, 'and he didn't meet Grandma Sylvia until 1927. Also, Grandpa Sam and Grandma Stella have not moved to Hill Valley until the forties.'

'Okay, then,' Doc said, sighing in relief, 'we should be pretty safe. We should still be careful of what we do, though.'

Just then, Marty thought of something. 'Hey, there is also the time train,' suggested Marty. 'Maybe if we get stuck here, Clara could come back here and rescue us.'

'I didn't tell Clara we were coming back here,' Doc said, shaking his head. 'I guess I should have, but I was worried she might feel hurt that I was bringing you along - and not her. The thing is, I only had two tickets - and I missed spending time alone with you. Besides, once we get this car fixed, I would like to head back to 1985 five minutes later - so that nobody notices that we're missing.'

'Well, you're the doc, Doc,' Marty said, smiling. 'Let's go.'

Then Doc and Marty left Hill Valley Park, and they headed towards Courthouse Square, where the festival was being held.

oooooooooo

As soon as Doc and Marty had entered Courthouse Square, Marty quickly glanced around. The place that had been Lou's Fitness Aerobics Center in 1985, Lou's Cafe in 1955, Palace Saloon in 1885 and 1893, and Cafe '80s in 2015, was now Larry's Cafe. Nearby was the Statler Buick dealership. The grassy area in front of the courthouse was where the festival was being held.

Marty and Doc headed towards the gateway, where they had their entrance tickets exchanged for 25 tickets - which could be used for rides, games, and snacks. Marty then headed towards the ferris wheel, while Doc went to look at the exhibits. At the ferris wheel, Marty was seated with two other boys his age.

'Hello,' Marty said, smiling at the boys. 'I'm, uh, Huey Lewis. Who are you?'

'My name's Lou Carruthers,' said one of the boys.

'And I'm Steve Strickland,' added the other boy.

Marty was stunned, as he realized that Steve was the person who would become the Hill Valley High School principal in 1955 and 1985.

'Well, it's nice to meet you, Lou and Steve,' Marty said, smiling. 'I'm just here visiting some relatives. I'll probably be here for a week or so.'

'My father owns Larry's Cafe,' explained Lou. 'It became a cafe five years ago, when Prohibition came into effect. Before that, it was a saloon. My grandfather, Chester, was the one to open up his business there - fifty years ago.'

'That is very interesting,' Marty said, amazed. He never realized before that Chester, the bartender from 1885, was the grandfather of Lou Carruthers. They didn't really look that much alike, but he supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised.

'My father is the principal at our school,' explained Steve.

Just then, it was time for the trio to leave the ferris wheel.

'Let's go on the Tilt-a-Whirl next,' suggested Lou.

'Yeah, that's a good idea!' Marty said, smiling. 'It's one of my favourite rides.'

oooooooooo

After going on about ten rides, the trio then decided to go over to the cream puff stand. It was there, that Marty noticed two people who looked very familiar to him. His immediate thought was that they must be his father and Lester Collins. Then Marty remembered that he was in 1925, which was thirty years earlier. He deducted that the boy who looked like his father was really Grandpa Arthur, and his friend was most likely Lester's father.

'Do you know Artie and Harry, Huey?' Steve asked, with dismay. 'I would recommend that you stay far away from them, unless you want trouble.'

'Huh?' Marty asked, stunned. 'What's wrong with them? What do you mean?'

'I'll tell you what's wrong with them,' Lou groused. 'They're backstabbers! That's what's wrong with them. I can't believe we actually used to be friends with them.'

'Yeah, some friends they are,' Steve grumbled, rolling his eyes. 'Hey, we may not be especially well-liked in school - but we're not so desperate that we'd hang around those traitors. I'd almost choose Jiff Tannen and his gang, before choosing them.'

'I'm not sure I'd go quite that far,' Lou said, sighing, 'but I do agree that they are little better than Jiff Tannen. We're through with them.'

'So what did they do to you, anyway?' Marty asked, concerned.

'I'd rather not discuss it,' Steve said, sharply. 'It's suffice enough to say that they'll pretend to be friends with you, then they'll stab you in the back.'

The trio then were silent, as they ate their cream puffs. Marty was shocked to discover that the principal from his school was, at one time, friends with his Grandpa Arthur. He would have to, later on, get Grandpa Arthur's side of the story. Perhaps, this had something to do with why Steve Strickland seemed to have a personal vendetta against the McFlys - especially in the old timeline.

Chapter Two

September 5, 1925
3:00 PM PST

After Steve and Lou had decided to go home, Marty then looked around to see if he could find Arthur McFly and Harold Collins. Marty had never taken Grandpa Arthur to be a troublemaker - unless he had the same problem that Marty used to have, where he let people goad him into doing foolish things by calling him names like 'chicken'.

Marty then found Arthur and Harold by the cotton candy stand. After ordering some cotton candy for himself, he decided to sit by them at the picnic table and say 'hi'.

'Well, hello, there,' Marty said, in a friendly voice. 'How are you doing?'

'Uh, hello yourself,' said Harold. 'My name is Harry Collins. Who are you?'

'My name is Huey Lewis,' replied Marty. 'It's nice to meet you, Harry.'

'I'm Artie,' Arthur said, quietly. 'Say, I saw you with Steve and Lou a little earlier today. Can I ask what you were doing with them? I mean, how do you know them?'

'Oh, I just met them at the ferris wheel,' explained Marty, 'when they were putting us into groups of three. Otherwise, I never met them before today.'

'Well, I'm surprised you still wanted to see us,' Artie said, blushing. 'I thought for sure they would have turned you against us. We're not exactly on the friendliest of terms with them, you know. Even though we did use to be friends with them.'

'Actually, yeah,' Marty replied, 'they didn't exactly paint a very good image of you guys. In fact, they called you 'backstabbers'. Can I ask what happened between you guys? I felt I should give you a chance to tell your side of the story, as it's only fair.'

'Yeah, sure, I might as well,' replied Artie. 'This actually happened a year ago. You see, I was invited to join this elite club, and I quickly jumped at the opportunity.'

'Then what happened?' Marty asked, concerned. 'They became jealous of you?'

'Well, that's what I told myself,' Artie said, sighing. 'The thing is, I was told that I had to do three pledge tasks in order to join the club. I feel so ashamed of it, now - but what I ended up doing was really mean. I really regret my actions, now.'

'How do you mean?' asked Marty. 'Did your pledging involve playing some pranks on your friends, and they just happened to not be very good sports about it?'

'No, they weren't pranks,' Artie said, shaking his head. 'Actually, what I did was very mean. Steve had showed the rest of us where he hid his liquer, and he had sworn us to secrecy. One of my pledge tasks involved reporting him to the police - so, as a result, he was in jail for a few days. Then his parents got very mad at him. So he never spoke to me again. I can't really blame him at all.'

'Well, it's not like you framed him, right?' Marty asked, gently. 'I mean, he was hiding liquer - so he was doing something that was illegal. So it's not like he's innocent.'

'Yeah, well, that is true,' Artie said, slowly, 'but, the thing is, neither am I. We used to always hang out in his hiding spot and drink with him. So I was just as guilty.'

'Oh, I see,' Marty said, quietly. 'So, is that all that happened - or is there more?'

'Unfortunately, there was more,' Artie said, sadly. 'At the time, Lou was friends with a girl named Hilda - and they often studied together. Another one of my pledge tasks was to write a very gushy love letter to Hilda, and sign it with Lou's name.'

Marty bit his lip, to keep from laughing. He could certainly see the humour in that situation, but it was obviously a rather troubling memory for Arthur.

'Hilda got very mad at him,' Artie continued, 'and she told him to never talk to her again. She also handed the letter to him, and told him to keep 'that stupid letter'. It was then that he recognized my handwriting, and he knew that I wrote it.'

'Oh, boy,' Marty said, stunned. 'So those were two of your pledge tasks - and you said there were three of them? Did the third one, by any chance, involve Harry?'

'Yeah, it did,' Artie said, blushing. 'I was supposed to call him some very nasty names, in front of everyone. I'm amazed that he, at least, forgave me.'

'Well, I don't believe in holding grudges,' Harry said, gently. 'Besides, to be honest, I maybe would have done the same thing - had I been in your situation.'

'So are you still in the club?' asked Marty, with concern. 'I mean, it doesn't exactly sound like a club I would want to be a part of. They did sound pretty mean.'

'I never was in the club,' Artie said, shaking his head. 'You see, the two people who were having me pledge to get in - were pledging themselves. Their pledge involved convincing an unpopular student, that he was pledging for an elite club. You can probably guess who the unpopular student was. It was none other than me'

'Oh, Artie, I'm so sorry,' Marty said, as he placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

'Well, I realize now how foolish I was,' Artie said, blushing. 'I was so determined to become popular, and be accepted - that I ended up stabbing my friends in the back. I take full responsibility for what I have done, and I realize now how meaningless being popular is. Instead, I ended up losing two very good friends - and I don't blame them at all for not forgiving me. I guess all I can do now is move on.'

'Well, nobody is perfect, y'know,' Marty said, softly. 'We all do foolish things, from time to time. Our imperfections are what makes us human. So I can relate.'

'So, you still want to be our friend - even after everything I told you?' Artie asked, amazed. 'Let's go on the ferris wheel then, shall we? So are you new in town?'

'Actually, no, I'm just staying here for a week or so,' replied Marty. 'My doc, er, uncle and I are here to visit some relatives. We're actually from San Francisco.'

'Oh, yeah, I've been to San Francisco a few times,' Harry said, nodding. 'It's a nice city, but I like it better here in Hill Valley. It's a nice small town here.'

Then Marty followed Artie and Harry to the ferris wheel, as he was pondering over everything Artie had told him. To be honest, he could understand both sides of the situation. Perhaps, this was where Steven Strickland's grudge against the McFlys had come from. Even though he seemed to barely like anyone, he did seem to harbour a particular resentment against the McFlys - especially in the old timeline.

Chapter Three

September 5, 1925
5:00 PM PST

Marty was very mindful of the fact that he had agreed to meet Doc by the entryway at five. He had just used up all of his tickets, and he was feeling pretty stuffed from eating so much. Fortunately, he had yet to run into Jiff Tannen - but he figured Jiff would be just as bad as the Tannens that came after him. He was beginning to wonder if all the Tannens had a bad gene. Both Miff and Cliff, who were the Tannens of Marty's generation, were nasty bullies - who made even Douglas Needles seem tame by comparison. He wondered which of the Tannen brothers would father Griff.

One thing was certain, though. Travelling through time certainly was an eye-opening experience. He never would have guessed that Mr. Strickland had, at one time, been friends with Grandpa Arthur. He wished he could find a way bring the four former friends back together. However, he knew it was best to heed to Doc's warning about how interfering with past events could have serious repercussions on future events.

Besides, if Mr. Strickland could hold such a grudge against Grandpa Arthur and his family for so long, Marty figured he himself would have a pretty difficult time trying to convince Steve Strickland to change his mind. If there was one thing Marty had learned, it was that Mr. Strickland could be very stubborn. There was one thing Marty was still curious about, though. He wondered why Mr. Strickland had some kind of personal vendetta against Doc. He could maybe try asking Doc about it, sometime.

'Hey, Marty!' called out Doc. 'There you are! Did you use up all your tickets?'

'Yeah, I did,' replied Marty. 'Also, I'm going by the name Huey Lewis for this year. I figured I might as well use the name of my favourite singer, just to let you know.'

'So tell me, Marty. Did you interact with anyone, today?' Marty asked concerned.

'Uh, yeah, actually I did,' stammered Marty. 'I was on the ferris wheel with Steve Strickland and Lou Carruthers. Then I later on met Grandpa Arthur and Harry Collins. I was surprised to find out that the four of them had, at one time been friends. I guess I now know why Mr. Strickland has it in for our family.'

Doc was silent for a moment, then he said, 'Well, I guess I can't very well ask you not to interact with anyone - since we'll probably be stuck here for awhile. I must caution you to be extremely careful, though, when interacting with your ancestors.'

'I understand that, Doc,' replied Marty. 'Grandpa Arthur doesn't meet Grandma Sylvia, until a couple years later. I remember Dad telling me that they met in a factory.'

'Well, anyway,' Doc said, sighing, 'let's check in at the Blue Bird Motel. We'll just hide the DeLorean in Hill Valley Park, and I'll spend time working on the windshield. If you want to go exploring around town, I guess I have no objection to it. Just be careful not to talk about the future, and make sure you use the correct currency. You can spend up to fifty dollars, which should be plenty of money for this time period.'

'Thank you, Doc,' replied Marty, smiling. 'It's nice that you've relaxed your stance on this a bit. It's a far cry from when you told me not to even look at anything in 2015.'

'Well, I did spend eight years in the Old West,' Doc said, smiling. 'Besides, when I told you not to look at anything in 2015 - I told you that, because we were in our future. One should never know too much about their own destiny, after all.'

'But, Doc,' Marty protested, confused, 'I thought you said that our future wasn't written yet.'

'Well, yeah, that is true,' Doc replied. 'Still, knowing too much about what might happen to us in the future isn't good. We can't live our lives by what might happen to us in the future. We should learn from the past, and plan for the future - but we should live for today. At any rate, as I was saying before, we should always be extremely careful whenever we're in our past. That's why I eventually chose to move back to 1985, with our family. I did feel bad about taking Clara out of her time, but she's adjusted very well. Jules and Verne are also relieved that they can now feel free to fully be themselves. So I now abide by the all things in moderation principle.'

'So, what's on the agenda for this evening?' asked Marty. 'I really just want to relax and listen to my headset for awhile. Is that okay, Doc? I'll be very careful to not let anyone else see it. I really want to relax to some rock and roll music, right now.'

'Sure, I guess I have no objection to it,' replied Doc. 'Anyway, I would be a hypocrite if I told you you couldn't rely on any modern comforts - as I did improvise, when I was in the Old West. We just have to be very careful not to leave it out in the open.'

'Thank you so much, Doc,' Marty replied, smiling. 'I hope we end up not staying here for longer than a week, though. I mean, I've had lots of fun at the festival - but it's not like the festival will be here everyday. Today is just a special occasion.'

'Well, you could always go swimming at the lake,' Doc suggested. 'I mean, I know how much you like to swim. I often have a hard time getting you out of the water.'

'Yeah, but I can't go swimming by myself,' replied Marty. 'Do you know if anyone ever went rollerskating in this era? That'll keep me real occupied, too, you know.'

'Not many people owned rollerskates in this era,' replied Doc. 'As I was growing up, I owned a pair of rollerskates - but most of my peers really couldn't afford them.'

'Well, wasn't the thirties also the Depression?' asked Marty. 'I mean, this is 1925, so the stock market didn't crash yet. What did people do for fun, as you grew up?'

'Well, I'm not really the best person to ask,' Doc said, shaking his head. 'I guess, up until I was eleven, I did normal things that little boys did. After that, though, I pretty much spent most of my time doing science-related things. So I didn't exactly have the most normal childhood, if you know what I mean. Anyway, let's go back to Hill Valley Park - and collect the things we would like from the DeLorean. Then we can check into the Blue Bird Motel. Maybe we should then hit the sack. I feel so tired.'

'Yeah, I'm pretty tired myself,' agreed Marty. 'Well, we did leave shortly after three - and we came here at about ten. So our biological clocks would be five hours ahead.'

'I must say, Marty,' Doc said, smiling, 'I'm very impressed with you! Well, let's go.'

Chapter Four

September 6, 1925
10:00 AM PST

When Marty woke up the next day, he decided to head over to Larry's Cafe and grab a bit to eat. He wondered if Larry's Cafe served pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. As soon as he walked in, he saw Artie and Harry sitting in one of the booths. He walked over to them, as he felt that it would be great to have some people to eat with.

'It's so nice to see you, Huey!' gushed Artie, as Marty walked over. 'I must say, I am a bit flattered that you want to be friends with us. I mean, we're not exactly the most liked around here. Why don't you try the bacon and green pepper omlette? It's really good!'

'Actually,' replied Marty, 'I am more in the mood for something sweet. I could really go for some pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Is that available?'

'It certainly is,' replied Harry, smiling. 'Although, I would prefer to have my pancakes with blueberries and whipped cream. I am a huge blueberry lover, after all.'

'Wow, you both really have a sweet tooth, don't you?' ribbed Artie. 'I guess I would prefer to eat something that's a little more savoury. Besides, too much sugar really is not too good for your teeth. It could give you cavities, after all.'

'Well, bacon isn't exactly good for you, either,' countered Harry. 'It has too much fat in it. It could give you a heart attack, and it's worse than cavities.'

'Come on, now, both of you,' insisted Marty. 'Let's just decide what we want to eat. I mean, Larry is heading over this way. Say, you used to be friends with his son?'

'That's correct,' replied Artie, blushing. 'However, Lou's father doesn't have anything against us. In fact, I recently heard that Lou wasn't even speaking to his father.'

'Have the two of you decided what you want to drink, yet?' asked Harry.

'I could go for some orange juice,' replied Marty. 'I would like a large glass of it.'

'I've heard drinking too much orange juice isn't good for you,' commented Harry.

Marty could barely keep from smiling too himself, as he realized how that advice had changed over the years. In 1985, health professionals were talking about how people should drink bigger glasses of orange juice - because it contained a lot of vitamin C.

Then Larry walked over to the table, and asked, 'Are you folks ready to order, now?'

oooooooooo

Just as Marty and his friends were surveying at the menu to see what was available for dessert, Jiff Tannen and his gang had entered the Cafe - and they walked over to the table where Marty, Artie, and Harry were sitting. Marty groaned inwardly, as he could guess what was about to happen.

'Hey, McFly and Collins!' bellowed Jiff. 'I thought I told you never to come in here!'

'Right,' Artie said, rolling his eyes, 'and since when do you own this Cafe? So did you change your name to Larry? Who do you think you are to order me around like that?'

'Well, it is gonna cost you,' snarled Jiff. 'So how much money have you got on you?'

'It's none of your business!' snapped Artie. 'Go pick on someone of your own size!'

'Yeah, Jiff,' chimed in Marty, as he stood up to the Tannen bully, 'what the bloody hell do you have against these boys? Honestly, what have they ever done to offend you?'

Jiff then stood up to his full length, which was rather intimidating to Marty, who was so short in height. 'What is it to you, punk?' snarled Jiff. 'Just who the hell are you? Since when are you such friends with these McFly and Collins losers, anyway, huh?'

'Since about yesterday afternoon, if you really need to know' Marty replied, smirking.

Marty's wisecrack, unfortunately, only served to infuriorate Jiff. 'All right, punk!' Jiff snarled . 'Now you're gonna get it.'

'Whoa, whoa, Jiff,' Marty asked, pointing his finger behind Jiff, 'what's that?'

As Jiff turned his head, Marty punched him in the face, pushing him into his gang and causing them to collapse in a domino-like effect. Marty then pushed past Jiff's gang, as he ran out of the cafe - desperately looking for a transportation aid. None was to be found, however.

The gang members then all stood back up - and Jiff turned to his gang and said, 'Go get him! We will make this son of a bitch pay for sassing back at us.'

Jiff and his gang then ran out of the Cafe, and they began to chase Marty. Marty ran with all of his might - praying that, by some miracle, he would be able to outrun Jiff and his gang. However, there was no such luck - as he heard the gang getting closer.

'Hey, punk!' sneered Jiff, as he threw some marbles in front of Marty - causing him to trip and fall face forward to the ground. Jiff then starting laughing loudly, as he called out, 'Have a nice trip! See you next winter!'

'It's 'see you next fall', Jiff,' corrected one of the lackeys, as he and another lackey lifted Marty from the ground and restrained him. Marty tried in vain to free himself, but the thugs were just too strong for him to fight against.

'Thought you could get away from me, runt, huh?' sneered Jiff, ignoring his lackey's correction. 'Too bad it didn't work.'

Jiff then punched Marty in the stomach, causing Marty to cry out in pain. They then began to beat up Marty, until he was unconscious. Jiff and his gang then ran away, laughing.

oooooooooo

'Oh, no!' gasped Artie, with horror, when he saw that his new friend was unconscious. 'This is very awful! I should've known that something like this would have happened.'

'Let's bring him over to your house,' suggested Harry. 'It looks like he's been beaten up rather badly. It is such a shame that he got on Jiff's bad side. I mean, Jiff and his gang can be very ruthless to people they don't like.'

'Don't I know it?' groaned Artie. 'He really should not have drawn attention to himself like that. He should have remained quiet. I mean, I am really that much worth it?'

'Why are you always so down on yourself, Artie?' Harry asked, sighing. 'I am sure he felt the need to defend you, because it is the right thing to do. At any rate, he doesn't live around here - so it is not exactly like he would have known how ruthless Jiff and his gang can be. He was just doing what he felt was right, and I am so proud of him.'

'I guess you're right,' Artie said, sighing. 'It's just that I feel so responsible. It seems like everyone I try to be friends with ends up encountering really bad luck. In a way, I feel like I have a jinx on me - or something.'

'Aw, Artie, nobody is blaming you,' Harry said, gently. 'It's just that Huey Lewis really does have a heart of gold. He obviously cares plenty about you, even though he has only known you for a day.'

'I dunno what to say,' Artie said, as he blinked back tears. 'It's just that nobody has ever cared so deeply for me before - besides you, my sister, and Jill.'

'He is a very precious individual,' Harry said, softly. 'Unfortunately, he did say that he was only staying for a week or so. Well, let's just bring him over to your house - and your sister can tend to him, as she wishes to be a nurse someday.'

'I just hope he's all right,' Artie said, sighing sadly. 'I really don't want him to die.'

'I am sure he'll be fine,' Harry said, gently. 'He's just been knocked out badly. That's all. You really should not feel that any of this is your fault - because it isn't.'

The boys then lifted up Huey Lewis, and they carried him over to Artie's car. They then gently laid him in the back seat. Harry then sat in the front, while Artie drove over to his house.

Chapter Five

September 6, 1925
7:00 PM PST

'Mom? Mom, is that you?' asked Marty, still half-asleep.

'There, there, now. Just relax,' Alice told Marty, placing a damp rag on Marty's forehead. 'You've been asleep for almost eight hours now.'

'I had a horrible nightmare,' groaned Marty. 'It was terrible. I dreamed I had a bad altercation with another Tannen - and I was beaten up badly.'

'Well, you're safe and sound, now,' Alice said, soothingly. 'Here in the good ol' McFly household, on 1470 Oak Lane.'

'1470 Oak Lane! Argh!' exclaimed Marty, jerking straight up. Marty was fully awake, now. He sat up in bed, and he saw a familiar looking teenage girl next to him. 'Well, you're my... you're my... my... Who are you?'

'My name's Alice,' Lorraine told Marty. 'Alice McFly.'

'Alice McFly,' Marty said, quietly. She then figured that this girl was her grandaunt.

'Just relax now,' Alice told Marty, as she tenderly laid her hand on his forehead. 'You've got a big bruise on your head.'

'This is my new friend, Huey Lewis,' explained Artie. 'He really defended me against Jiff Tannen. He's really the only one to have done so - besides Jiff's sister, Jill.'

'Jill Tannen?' Marty asked, stunned. Was it possible for there to be a Tannen who was not a bully? He knew it was wrong to generalize - but, from his experience, he hadn't ever met a nice Tannen. The closest he came to meeting a nice Tannen was Biff from the new timeline - after Marty's father finally stood up to Biff, and punched him out.

'Don't worry, Huey,' Alice said, gently. 'Jill is nothing at all like her brother, although they are twins. Jiff has been persuing me for about four years now. No matter how often I tell him I am not interested, he still refuses to give up! I greatly dislike him!'

Marty sighed. This reminded him alot of how Biff used to persue his mother - even so far as attempting to rape her on the night of The Enchantment Under The Sea Dance.

Come to think of it, Alice even looked just like his mother as a teen. Of course, there was Maggie - who also looked like his mother, and he figured that Maggie was Alice's grandmother. Maybe the men in his lineage just happened to be attracted to similar looking women. Some have even commented that Jennifer had the same body shape as his mother, which was something Marty have never really noticed before.

'Are you hungry, Huey?' Alice asked, softly. 'We have some spaghetti and marinara sauce in the refrigerator. We could heat some of that for you.'

'Oh, that would be wonderful!' gushed Marty. 'Thank you so much!'

Marty felt a somewhat nervous, as he followed Alice and Artie into the kitchen. There he saw two identical looking girls who looked like sightly younger versions of Alice.

'These are my sisters, Anita and Agnes,' explained Alice. Then, turning to the twins, she added, 'This is Huey Lewis. He will be in town for a week or so.' Then, turning back to Marty, she explained, 'Anita is the one who always wears pink or purple.'

'Pleased to meet you, Anita and Agnes,' Marty said, warmly.

Just then the doorbell rang. Marty watched, as Alice went to answer the door. He saw Doc standing on the other side.

'How might I help you, sir?' Alice asked, politely.

'I was wondering if Huey Lewis might be here,' explained Doc. 'I heard all about what happened earlier today. It appears that the Tannens really are bad news.'

'Well, not all of them,' Alice said, quietly. 'Jiff is most certainly bad news - but his twin sister, Jill, is a very nice girl. She happens to be my best friend, in fact.'

'Oh, my apologies then,' Doc said, blushing. 'Anyway, is Huey with you folks? I just wanted to make sure he's not seriously injured. Is he doing all right?'

'Yeah, he's in the kitchen,' replied Alice. 'He was out for about eight hours, but he is doing fine now. I was about to make him some supper. We had also slipped him into some pajamas, and I was wondering if he could spend the night with us. By the way, feel free to come in. Would you like something to drink? We have some grape juice.'

'Thank you very much,' replied Doc, as he stepped in. 'Yeah, I guess I really have no objections to him spending the night here. If you do not mind, I really need to speak privately with him, though.'

'Sure, that will be fine,' replied Alice. 'The two of you can go into the guest room, and I'll be heating up some food. You can stay for supper, too, if you'd like.'

'Thanks so much for inviting me,' replied Doc, smiling. Then he walked over to Marty, and the two of them threw their arms around each other. 'So are you feeling all right, Marty? Why don't you show me where the guest room is?'

'It's so nice to see you, Doc,' replied Marty. 'The guest room is right down this hall, to the left. We can talk in here.' Marty and Doc then stepped into the room, and closed the door behind them.

'So, Doc,' asked Marty, 'have you made any improvements on the DeLorean?'

'Well, I've collected up all the glass shards,' explained Doc, 'and I've also picked up some extra glass and some tools at the hardware store downtown. I'm sure I could manage to mould the glass by myself, but it might take me a week to get it fixed.'

'Well, in a certain way,' Marty said, sighing, 'it is somewhat easier than when we had the issue with the plutonium and the gasoline. At least, we aren't pressed for time.'

'Right, especially with the plutonium,' Doc said, nodding. 'At least, had we missed the train, we would have had another chance to catch the train. However, we would have had no way of knowing when another bolt of lightning would have struck. Still, I have never had to mould glass before - so I will be very busy with that.'

'So you think we might be here for a week, then?' Marty asked, sighing.

'More or less I think,' replied Doc. I will have to do all my work at Hill Valley Park. I mean, I cannot exactly do this in the Blue Bird Motel. They might not trust me to not burn the whole place down. If you really want to stay here, I suppose you can - but see to it that you don't mention anything about the future.'

'Right, Doc,' Marty replied, smiling. 'You can, I really can't figure out why Maggie and Alice look so much like my mother - even though they aren't related to her.'

'Well, Alice is Maggie's granddaughter,' mused Doc. 'Maybe your father was attracted to your mother, partially because she looks a little like his aunt - even if it was most likely in a subconscious sort of way. You know, it is rather common.'

'Maybe you're right, Doc,' Marty replied. 'When I first started dating Jennifer, I never even realized that she had the same facial and body shape as my mother.'

'Come to think of it,' Doc commented, 'Clara has the same facial and body shape as my mother - and she's even the same height. However, my mother had blonde hair and blue eyes. It's funny that I never even thought of that, until just now.'

'Well, it was nice to see you here, Doc,' Marty said, smiling. 'I must say, I am feeling rather hungry. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to find out that Jiff is a bully, too.'

'Alice did tell me about Jiff's brother, Jill,' Doc said, quietly. 'I must say that it really is a breath of fresh air to find out that not all Tannens are bad people.'

'I think we've both been guilty of making generalizations,' Marty said, sighing. 'I will want to meet Jill. Alice seems like a very nice person - and she says Jill is her best friend, and that she does defend Artie against Jiff.'

'Well, I suppose we should head to the kitchen, now,' replied Doc. 'I am feeling a bit hungry, myself. Alice seems like a very nice young woman.'

Chapter Six

September 7, 1925
12:00 PM PST

'So, Huey,' asked Alice, 'I have to go watch some kindergarteners soon. So that you aren't home alone, I was wondering if you would like to come along with me. All the children are so wonderful. I told them that, if they behave themselves, we can bake some cookies. They always enjoy doing that. They really look up to me, as well.'

'Sure, I would love to come along,' replied Marty. 'I enjoy watching children, as well. I must say that I sometimes miss being a kid myself. I mean, I am almost an adult!'

'Yeah, children do tend to have it easy, don't they?' asked Alice, nodding. 'There are lots of perks to adulthood, too, however. I really hope to become a nurse, someday. I like to take care of people when they're hurt or sick. Like how when you were hurt, yesterday. Jiff is such a nasty fellow, isn't he? I'm glad you're doing all right, now.'

'So does Jill have problems with her brother, too?' asked Marty, concerned. 'I mean, I could imagine it would be hell to grow up with a brother like Jiff. How did the two of you become friends, anyway? Were you friends pretty much your whole life?'

'Well, Jill and I have been best friends since kindergarten,' explained Alice. 'She and Jiff never really did get along. For some reason, about four years ago, Jiff started to persue me. I really don't get why he's after me, though. I have made it clear to him that I'm not interested in going out with him. He must be extremely dense, though.'

'Yeah, I just can't stand those type of people,' Marty replied, shaking his head. 'Can it maybe have something to do with the fact that you're best friends with his sister?'

'It could be possible,' Alice said, sighing. 'He has also been bullying my brother, ever since the two of them ended up in eighth grade together. Sometimes I feel very bad for Jill. Maybe the reason why Jiff acts out, is because their mother did always prefer Jill - so, as a result, he has become somewhat resentful. I would guess that the only reason why Jiff usually leaves his sister alone, is because their mother does threaten to kick him out of the house otherwise. She never was that affectionate with Jiff.'

'Well, that isn't right,' Marty said, quietly. 'I have to admit it's so hard to sympathize with him, though - after he and his thugs had beat me up. Still, I guess I understand his situation a little better. Sometimes I do feel like the odd one out in my family.'

"I agree that it isn't right," Alice replied, softly. "Jill doesn't think that it's right, either - but she will not tolerate the way that he harass her friends and other people. Rock Unger can be just as bad as Jiff. There was even an instance when Rock would try to usurp Jiff's position as the gang leader. As soon as Jiff had a car, though - Rock sure had to swallow his pride, and just be content with being a part of Jiff's gang."

"So, is Rock actually Jiff's closest friend?" Marty asked. He thought of how Raymond "Rex" Unger had quite a similar relationship with Douglas Needles. Rex's future son, Rafe "Data" Unger, would become a member of Griff Tannen's gang.

"More like part-friend and part-rival," Alice replied. "His younger sister, Roll, is just a nice girl, though. She's sure a close friend to Agnes and Anita. Sometimes, it's just a wonder that they're even related - much like, well, Jiff and Jill."

"Well, anyway," Marty added, sighing, "Jiff's treatment from his mother just doesn't excuse his behaviour, but I really feel it's sad that he feels like he's less loved than his sister by his own mother. His mother should've been a lot more fair with them."

'That's certainly one thing I always appreciate about Dad,' Alice commented. 'He has always tried to be fair to all of us. I really love him a lot. Also, since Mom died when she was giving birth to the twins - I was pretty much the one left to raise the twins.'

'So that must be where your maternal instincts come from, eh?' asked Marty. 'I must say that I believe you would make a very wonderful nurse. I'm sure you really have a way with kids, too. So where has your father been? I would love to meet him.'

'Oh, he'll be home this evening,' replied Alice. 'He's a very good cook, and he said he would make us something really delicious. I'm sure you'll really like him.'

'Oh, I wouldn't doubt it,' Marty said, smiling. 'Well, anyway, I suppose we should get going now. We wouldn't want the kids to spend any moment in the house alone.'

'Right,' Marty said, as he followed Alice out to the car.

oooooooooo

Marty was feeling a little nervous, as Alice pulled up to a yellow house about a block from Hill Valley Park. He was a bit curious to see what the kids of this era were like, though. Of course, there would be no television or video games to entertain them.

'Here we are, Huey,' Alice said, as she turned the engine off. 'Let's see if they left a treat out for us. They usually have a few popsicles in the freezer. There might be an extra one in there for you.' Alice glanced at the clock and said, 'Well, the kids should be here in about five minutes. We could on a record. How does Bessie Smith sound?'

'Yeah, I guess we could listen to her,' Marty replied. All he really knew about Bessie Smith was that she was a childhood idol of Janis Joplin, a musician that he was not too fond of. He felt that her singing voice left a lot to be desired.

'Here they are, now,' called out Alice, as she heard the front door open. 'I guess we should introduce them to you. I'm sure they'll really like you.'

'I hope so,' Marty replied, as he followed Alice to the front door. There he saw two small girls and a small boy. He smiled at them, and they all smiled back.

'Kids, I would like you to meet Huey Lewis,' Alice told the kids. Then, as she turned to Marty, she added, 'Huey, here are the kids. The blonde girl here is Karen Smith, the brunette is Leanne Sawyer, and the boy is Emmett Brown.'

Marty nearly fainted, as he heard the last name. The young boy did look very much like Verne. He seemed like a normal and happy boy. Of course, Marty remembered Doc mentioning that he first read Jules Verne when he was eleven years old.

'It's a real pleasure to meet you children,' Marty said, smiling.

'I'm happy to meet you, too, Huey,' replied Emmett. Marty felt so tempted to scoop little Emmett up in his arms and give him a big hug. He restrained himself, however.

'So where did you come from, Huey?' asked Karen. 'Also, how old are you?'

'I'm visiting from San Francisco,' replied Marty. 'I am seventeen years old, and I first met Alice yesterday. I became good friends with Alice and her brother.'

'Would you like to play with us, Huey?' asked Leanne. 'We have a lot of dolls in my bedroom. Would you like to play house? You can be the daddy.'

Marty smiled, as he and Alice followed the kids over to Leanne's bedroom.

Chapter Seven

September 7, 1925
2:00 PM PST

'Some people might say I'm crazy,' said little Emmett, as he showed Marty his three dolls. 'I really don't care what other people think, though. I like what I like, and that is that! I do not understand why many people say that only girls can play with dolls.'

'Those are some very lovely dolls,' replied Marty, smiling. 'I agree that other people should not judge you because of your interests. You really should be allowed to play with whatever makes you happy. I should say that your folks are wonderful people!'

'Emmett is such a great friend of ours, Huey,' said Leanne. 'I enjoy the fact that he's not like many other boys our age. Other boys tend to play rough and get into fights. I'm scared of some of the other boys at out school, especially Howard Needles. He's in the second grade, and he tends to bully all of us in the lower grades.'

'Our kindergarten teacher is very mean,' added Karen. 'She will not let Emmett play dolls with us. Once, we had a substitute teacher for a week - and she was very nice. However, once our regular teacher came back - one of the boys had tattled on him, and Emmett was punished for it. He was not allowed to have any treats for a week.'

'Well, that is not right,' Marty said, sighing. To be honest, he was a little surprised to discover that his best friend used to play with dolls as a kid. However, he was really not one to judge other people. While Marty could be as masculine as the next male, he always felt that having specific gender roles could be rather restrictive. After all, males weren't exactly harming anyone by playing with female toys - so why should they be suppressed? 'I would have to say that your teacher is very closed-minded.'

'Mommy and Daddy told her that they do not have any problem with my interest in dolls,' explained Emmett. 'However, my teacher insists that it is a problem for her. I know it's not right to hate anyone, but I really don't like my teacher all that much.'

'Would you like some lemonade?' asked Leanne. 'Alice makes wonderful lemonade. Don't tell my mommy I said that, but Alice makes the sweetest tasting lemonade.'

'Sure, I would love some lemonade,' Marty said, smiling. 'You know, I really do enjoy baking cookies a lot. Some people frown on me for that, because they believe baking is a female's activity. It is sad that we happen to live in such a judgemental society.'

'I love to bake, as well,' replied Emmett. 'You and I have a lot in common. I think we would be best friends, if you were younger. I like you, already. You're so wonderful!'

Marty could not help but smile a bit at the irony of young Emmett's words. 'You know, Emmett,' suggested Marty, 'we really do not have to be the same age to be friends. I already think you children are very adorable. I would love to be friends with you.'

'Thank you,' Karen said, smiling. 'We would love to be your friend. Alice is our friend, too. I love to go swimming, and some people say that isn't very ladylike. If that's the case, than I really don't want to be a lady. That just isn't fair. I like to have fun, too.'

'Yeah, that certainly isn't fair,' Marty agreed, sighing. 'People really should not have their choice of activities limited, based on whether they're male or female. Boys can play with dolls or bake, and girls can go swimming or partake in sports.'

'Did you play with dolls when you were young, Huey?' asked Leanne. 'I hope to be a professional baseball player someday, but everyone laughs at me about it - insisting that baseball is a men's profession, and is not suitable for proper ladies.'

'I didn't really care for dolls too much, when I was younger,' replied Marty. 'However, I was never really too big on sports - and some people acted like something must be wrong with me. However, music had always been more my passion.'

'My daddy plays the saxaphone,' replied Leanne. 'What instrument do you play?'

'I play the guitar,' Marty replied, realizing that the electric guitar wasn't invented yet.

'My mommy has a guitar,' Emmett replied, smiling. 'So, Huey, you are new in town? I hope to see you more often. I mean, I really like you a lot. You're a fun person to be with. I can see why you're good friends with Alice. You're not like my teacher, at all.'

'Well, actually, I'm really only in town for a week or so,' explained Marty. 'After that, we have to go back to San Francisco. I agree that your teacher is very judgemental, and not very supportive of your interest at all. I agree it's not right for her to punish you for choosing to play with dolls. After all, you really aren't hurting anyone.'

'I want to practice being a daddy,' Emmett explained. 'One day, I hope to have some kids of my own. You know, when I have kids - I'm going to let them do anything they want. Anything at all.'

Marty really couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of his friend's words. It was exactly the same thing that his mother said in 1955. He was rather sure that Jules and Verne would both love to have that in writing, had they been back in time with him.

Just then, Alice walked into the room, and asked, 'So would you love to bake cookies now?' Turning to Marty, she smiled and asked, 'Were they behaving themselves?'

'Oh, yeah, they were great,' replied Marty, smiling. 'So what kind of cookies are we going to make? I must say that I really enjoy baking, too.'

'How do sugar cookies sound?' asked Alice. 'After we bake them, we could frost and decorate them together.' Turning to the kids, she added, 'If you do that, don't eat all the frosting, okay? The frosting is for the cookies, and too much frosting could make you sick. Your parents wouldn't be too happy, if I let you make yourselves sick.'

'Yes, Alice,' replied Leanne. 'Could we lick the bowls and spoons, though? I think the cookie dough is almost as good as the cookies itself. I think it tastes nice and sweet.'

'Of course,' replied Alice, smiling. Then, turning to Marty, she added, 'Do you mind if we just let the kids lick the bowls and spoons? It's my special treat to them, after all.'

'Sure, I don't mind,' replied Marty, smiling back. To be honest, he loved to eat cookie dough - but he figured the right thing to do would be to let the kids have the honour.

'You're a good friend, Huey,' Emmett said, smiling. 'I wish you could stay in town. I also wish you were my teacher. More grown ups should be like you, Huey.'

Marty couldn't help but smile. At seventeen years old, he wasn't quite a grown up yet - but it was a very sweet thing for little Emmett to say. He then scooped up his young friend, gave him a big hug, and then kissed the top of his head. His heart was greatly bursting with love for the young boy who would one day become his best friend.

Chapter Eight

September 7, 1925
4:30 PM PST

'You certainly do have a way with kids, don't you, Huey?' Alice asked, laughing. 'Dad said that I can invite Jill over for supper tonight. I have told her a little bit about you, and she can hardly wait to meet you. I should say, she and her brother are a lot like opposites. Sometimes it's hard to believe that they've even from the same planet.'

'Yeah, I would really love to meet her, as well,' repled Marty, as he was quite excited over meeting a Tannen who was not a bully. 'She certainly sounds like a really sweet girl, and different from her brother. I am sure that anyone who is a friend of yours is also a friend of mine. I mean, I sure try to be friendly towards everyone, you know.'

'Hey! Hey! Hey!' called out a cheerful masculine voice. 'Dad's home! That's right! He's home! Dad's home! Hello! Hello! Hello! Come over here and give your daddy a hug.'

Marty and Alice followed Artie and the twins into the kitchen, and the twins gave their father a hug. Marty then took a closer look at his great-grandfather, William - and he realized that William looked a little like an older version of himself, but his hair was a little shorter. He appeared to be in great condition, too - and he certainly was a good looking guy. He felt nervous, though - as they maybe looked a little too much alike.

'Hi, Dad,' Alice said, excitedly. 'I would like you to meet my friend, Huey Lewis. He's a very nice fellow. We had taken him into our house yesterday, when he was beaten up by Jiff and his thugs. He had met Artie at the Courthouse Festival the other day.'

'It is such a pleasure to meet you, Huey,' William said, warmly. Then, after taking a close look at Marty, William added, 'Are you, by any chance, related to us? You look so a lot like the way I looked, when I was your age. The only real difference is, you have slate blue eyes - while I have brown eyes. You have such gorgeous eyes!'

'Thank you, uh, Mr. McFly,' replied Marty, blushing. 'It's quite possible that we might be distantly related. Your children are all such wonderful folks, I must certainly say.'

'You're certainly welcome to have supper with us,' William said, smiling. 'Do you like breaded pork chops with mashed potatoes, green beans, and applesauce? Everyone in our family really likes that meal. My wife loved it, too - before she passed away.'

'Thank you, Mr. McFly,' Marty replied, smiling. 'I love pork chops, and I really enjoy green beans, too. I can't say I really care for corn, though. I never liked it much.'

'I don't like corn, either,' agreed Alice. 'I really love eating fresh green beans. They taste really good. I really hate baked beans, though. I think they are so disgusting.'

'It looks like we have the same taste in food,' Marty said, smiling. 'Just the smell of baked beans makes me feel like throwing up. It's almost as bad as liver, you know.'

'I only ate liver once,' Alice said, making a face, 'and I could just barely stomach it.'

Just then, the doorbell rang - and Marty followed Alice, as Alice went to answer it. On the other side stood a beautiful blonde girl, who had very beautiful bright blue eyes.

'Is that your friend, Alice?' the blonde asked, blushing. 'I should say that he is a very handsome fellow.' Then she turned to Marty, stuck out her hand, and said, 'My name is Jill Tannen. Alice told me all about what happened yesterday. I'm so sorry that my brother and his friends beat you up so badly. It is nice to meet you, uh, Huey Lewis.'

'It is so nice to meet you, Jill,' replied Marty, as he could barely keep his eyes off the girl. He then felt guilty, knowing that he already had a girlfriend. This girl did not look like a Tannen at all. She had the same facial shape as Alice and Jennifer did, and she was also the same height as them. Her hair was a very bright honey blonde, though.

'Why don't you come in, Jill?' invited Alice, smiling. 'Dad is making some pork chops tonight - with applesauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I also plan to mix up some lemonade, too. I am amazed that everyone likes my lemonade. I really have yet to meet someone who didn't like it. So are you feeling a little thirsty right now?'

'Oh, thinking about your lemonade always makes me feel thirsty,' Jill said, smiling. 'I can also hardly wait for the pork chops to be finished. Your dad is a great cook.' She then turned to Marty, and asked, 'So you're from San Francisco, eh? What is the city like? I have a friend who moved to San Francisco a few years ago. Her name is May Sutherland. You wouldn't, by any chance, happen to know her - would you?'

'Uh, no, not really,' replied Marty. 'San Francisco is a pretty big city, after all. I must say, you really are a beautiful girl. Your brother's really not that good looking at all.'

'Oh, yeah, my brother,' Jill said, quietly. 'I don't believe in hating anyone, and I can't really say that I even dislike him. He can be a very nasty fellow, but I really have to say that I feel bad for him. I don't think my mother even likes me for who I am. She only likes me because I look like her. She always has been a bit vain. Jiff looks a bit more like our Grandpa Buford. He was an outlaw who would boast about having shot twelve men, not including Indians or Chinamen. Not only was he, in essense, a serial killer - but he was also a racist. My brother is a big racist, too. Sometimes I feel real ashamed to be a Tannen, because of my brother and my grandfather.'

'Well, you can't help what family you're born into,' Marty said, gently. 'You should be the best person you can be. If anyone dislikes you because you are a Tannen - that is their loss. I think you're a nice and caring young girl, and I'm so happy I met you.'

oooooooooo

'All right, folks!' called out William. 'Dinner's on the table. Dig in and help yourselves!'

Marty followed Alice and Jill, as she could hardly keep her eyes off of Jill. Even if Doc did meet Clara in the past, Marty understood all about the risks of having a romantic affair with someone in the past. Besides, he was already dating Jennifer in 1985.

'I have really missed you kids over the weekend,' William said, as he sat down at the table. He then turned to Marty, and said, 'Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself.'

'Well, I am visiting here from San Francisco with my uncle,' explained Marty. 'He has some business to take care of, and I met Artie at the Courthouse Festival. I came to really like Artie and his friend, so I agreed to meet them for breakfast the next day.'

'It was then that Jiff and his gang came in to harass us,' added Artie. 'Huey decided to stand up on our behalf, and Jiff started to chase him out of the cafe. They made him trip by throwing some marbles in front of him, and then they beat him up.'

'He was out for about eight hours,' added Alice. 'I swear that these thugs can be very viscious. I was able to tend to him and nurse him up, though. I should say that I tend to wonder why Larry even lets those thugs into the cafe. They like to harass people.'

'Sometimes I feel so ashamed that he is my twin brother,' Jill commented. 'I mean, I at least don't look like him. I mean, he is so taller and tougher than I am - and many wouldn't even know that we were related. Still, we were born at the same time. I am the older one by three minutes, though. Well, believe it or not, I do still love him.'

'Well, of course,' Marty replied, smiling. 'He is part of your family, and it is kinda your duty to love him. Anyway, you're the cuter one of the two. You're also very friendly.'

'Do all of you enjoy the pork chops?' asked William. Turning to Marty, he smiled and asked, 'you must really love that applesauce, don't you? We have made it ourselves.'

'You folks make great applesauce,' replied Marty, smiling. 'Thank you so much for dinner, Mr. McFly. I must say that you're a very good cook. The beans are nice, too.'

Chapter Nine

September 7, 1925
8:30 PM PST

Marty was playing cards with Artie and the girls in the dining room, when they heard the doorbell ring. Marty could barely keep her eyes of Jill, as hard as he tried to. He never dreamed he could ever feel that way about a Tannen. Then, again, Jill wasn't like other Tannens he had known.

'I'll answer it,' said Alice, as she stood up, to answer the door. 'Oh, hi, Mr. Lewis! He is in the dining room with us. We were just playing cards together.'

Remembering that 'Frank Lewis' was Doc's alias in this era, Marty slowly walked over to the door, to greet his friend. He then wondered if Doc had managed to make any progress with repairing the windshield, so that they could go home.

'So you don't mind if he says with you for a few days?' Doc was asking Alice.

'Oh, no, not at all,' replied Alice. 'He's such a fine young fellow. He and my brother have become such good friends. My brother really doesn't have too many friends.'

'Yeah, I understand what that's like,' Doc said, nodding. 'I was somewhat of a misfit myself, when I was young. Not too many people appreciated my interest in science. Then again, it's better to just be true to yourself, and not care about what everyone else thinks. People who are truly your friends will accept you the way you are.'

'Well, you know, if it wasn't for science,' Alice said, smiling, 'we wouldn't have made any of the progresses as we have in medicine. Science has helped us a lot. We even have longer lifespans nowadays than we used to.'

'I must say, that is very profound,' Doc replied. 'I mean, this is something that not many people really consider. So are you interested in medicine?'

'Yeah,' Alice said, nodding, 'I would like to go to nursing school, and become a nurse. Besides it being one of the very few occupations, besides teacher, that we as women can persue - I have always been interested in taking care of sick or injured people.'

Marty swallowed, as he heard what Alice was saying. He had forgotten how limited women were back in this era. He then thought of his girlfriend, and how she wanted to take up psychology. It was nice that Jennifer could have such opportunities in the modern era. It would also give their future family some extra income. Although, the income was not the most important thing to raising a family, of course. Besides, he still did dream of becoming discovered as a rock star, someday.

'Hi, uh, Uncle Frank,' replied Marty, with excitement. 'It's so wonderful to see you.'

'Hey, Alice,' Doc said, quietly, 'if you don't mind, Huey and I need to speak privately. We'll be back in about half an hour. Are you certain your folks won't mind if he stays with you for a few days?'

'Not at all,' Alice said, smiling. 'I must say, his company is a great pleasure to us.'

'You folks are sure very hospitable,' Doc said, warmly. 'Thank you so much.'

'It's my pleasure, Mr. Lewis,' replied Alice. 'It appears that the two of you are so close. Well, you certainly have a wonderful nephew. Huey is such a kind fellow.'

'Thanks very much, Alice,' replied Doc. Then he beckoned Marty over to join him.

'You know,' Doc said, quietly, 'there's something about Alice that strikes me as being so familiar. For some reason, though, I can't seem to place my finger on it.'

'Well, she looks the same way that my mother did, when she was young,' suggested Marty. 'She also looks a lot like Maggie McFly.'

'Well, that is true,' Doc replied. 'It's not just her looks, though. Something about her name sounds familiar to me, too.' Just then, he gasped, 'Of course! I remember her from when I was a little boy. I still remember how she would watch over my friends and I after school.' Then he nearly shouted, 'Great Scott! I would be five this year!'

'Uh, Doc,' Marty said, a bit sheepishly, 'this is something I need to tell you.'

'What is it, Marty?' Doc asked, concerned. 'Did something terrible happen?'

'Earlier today,' Marty explained, 'Alice asked me to come with her and babysit some children. I told her yes, as I had no idea that one of the children would be you.'

'Oh, really?' Doc asked, after a brief pause. Then he said, 'I do not remember ever meeting you when I was five. Although, granted, that was quite a long time ago.'

'You were showing me your dolls,' Marty explained, 'and you and your friends were talking about how your teacher at school didn't allow you to play with dolls - but that, when you had a substitute teacher, she allowed you to play with dolls. Then, after your regular teacher returned, she punished you for it.'

'Great Scott!' gasped Doc. 'You mean you actually found out about that fact?'

'I'll tell you the same thing now, that I told you back then,' Marty said, gently. 'Well, actually, I told you a little earlier today - but it was your younger self I told. Anyway, you shouldn't worry so much about what other people think of you. After all, you like what you like. Don't worry, Doc. I hold no judgements against you.'

'Well, that is nice to hear,' Doc said, smiling warmly. Then, as he scrunched his face in cententration again, he said, 'I still can't say that I remember anything about our encounter. Maybe I'll remember after we return to 1985.'

'Yeah, sort of like what happened to me after I returned from 1955,' Marty replied, as he smiled at his friend. 'So have you made any progress with the windshield?'

'I am in the process of melting the glass,' replied Doc. 'It will be the moulding part that will be challenging. I'm confident that I can handle it, though.'

'Well, if you put your mind to it,' Marty said, smiling, 'you can accomplish anything.'

'That's very true,' Doc said, as he embraced Marty. 'Even when I first saw you back in 1955, something about the name McFly struck me as being very familiar. I also remembered Alice, as I was very fond of her. For some reason, however, I just did not make the connection. I forgot that Alice's last name was McFly.'

'You never told me about that before,' Marty said, stunned.

'I never thought to tell you,' Doc explained, 'because I couldn't remember where I knew that name from. You know, though, come to think of it - I'd also taught your father back when he was in third grade. I still remember he did not seem to be as socially awkward back then.'

'Oh, yeah, that's right!' gasped Marty. 'He did speak real fondly of you, and I even had him come over to say hello. There was probably nothing about him that made him stand out from the other students, though, right?'

'That's correct,' replied Doc. 'I actually thought all of my students were wonderful. At the risk of sounding like I'm boasting, I always did have a way with kids. I never did believe in playing favourites, so your father pretty much blended in with the others. Also, some of the other students did have unusual last names. The most memorable name I remember was Ruby Redding. Heck, she even wore red all the time. I think she was even in your father's class, and the two of them were fond of each other.'

'Whoa, Doc,' Marty breathed, 'this is heavy! Ruby Redding is a an interesting name.'

'Yeah,' Doc said, nodding, 'I think she was really fond of having a unique name.'

'I wonder if she ever changed her last name,' Marty asked, 'after she got married.'

'It's hard to say,' Doc replied. 'Not too many woman back then really kept their own names after marriage. Of course, there is Sabrina Palmer - who kept her name.'

'Yeah, I remember Sabrina,' Marty said, fondly. 'She's a very wonderful lady.'

'Well, anyway,' Doc continued, 'I must say that it's very nice of your grandparents to let you stay with them. You do have some very generous and hospitable relatives.'

'My great-grandfather William is such a great man,' Marty explained. Then, laughing a little, he added, 'Although, he did pee on me once.'

'Back in 1885, I gather,' Doc said, with a wink. 'Well, I'd better get back to work. I hope to get this finished by Saturday. I guess I'm not too worried about you staying with your ancestors. Just be careful not to let them know about the future, though.'

'Right, Doc,' Marty replied, smiling at his friend.

Chapter Ten

September 8, 1925
10:00 AM PST

'I'm not lying, you know,' Jill was saying, in the other room, as Marty woke up.

'Do not try to deny it, Jill,' Alice replied, teasingly. 'You know you love Huey Lewis. I see the way you have been looking at him. Go ahead! Ask him if he wants to go with you to the picnic and dance this Saturday.'

Picnic and dance? Marty thought to himself, stunned.

'There is absolutely nothing going on between Huey and I,' Jill protested, not so convincingly. 'I just view him as a good friend. Besides, I can't exactly ask him to take me out. That would be dreadfully forward to do so!'

'But why?' protested Alice. 'It would be no more forward for you to ask him out, then it would be for him to be the one to ask you out. Just go ahead and ask him. He doesn't know about the picnic and dance, since he's only visiting town for a little while. He might even appreciate the offer.'

'But women are not supposed to ask men out,' insisted Jill. 'It is just not proper. Otherwise, he might think me to be presumptious. I must be a proper lady, you know.'

'But we women are people, too,' argued Alice. 'Also, look at how we now have the right to vote. We only gained that right five years ago. Are we not just as deserving to be able to enjoy the same rights as men? After all, we didn't exactly choose to be born as women instead of men.'

Gee, the times sure have changed, Marty thought, in amazement. His thoughts then drifted towards Jill, as he couldn't stop thinking of how adorable she was. Plus, she was so nice and sweet. She was so unlike a Tannen.

'It might not seem fair,' Jill said, after a little pause, 'but that's just the way things are. Besides, there is a reason why God created man and women. If He intended for us all to be the same, then He would've created us all the same. I'm sure we women have some of our advantages, too - like we're more free to express emotion.'

'God created men and women,' Alice replied, 'so that we can procreate. I see no reason why our choice of activities and interested need to be limited, based on whether we are men or women. I mean, little Emmett Brown enjoys playing with dolls - and I see no reason why he can't, just because he happens to be a boy instead of a girl. Besides, Huey Lewis is a very kind and compassionate person. I don't think he would be so judgemental.'

'Well, maybe you do have a point,' Jill said, sighing. 'I guess I'll ask him later on today. I have to admit that I never met anyone like him before. He sure doesn't appear to be the kind of man that would use you. Maybe this world would be a better place, if we had more people like him in it. Gee, I really wish he was here to stay.'

'Haha! I knew it!' Alice said, triumphantly. 'I knew you had feelings for him! I figured I would be able to drag it out of you sooner or later. Believe me! I know that look on your face when you're in love.'

'Gee, Alice,' Jill groaned, 'is it really necessary to rub it in? All right! Fine! So I'm in love! Why is that such a big deal? It's just a natural part of life. You meet someone you really like, and you then fall in love.'

Marty was stunned by the conversation he was hearing. He considered making things a bit easier on Jill by being the one to ask her out. Then again, he really was not supposed to know about the picnic and dance - so they may suspect him of eavesdropping. Also, he did promise to visit Doc later on that afternoon - in some abandoned cabin where Doc had temporarily made his home. Doc would be rather horrified to hear that Marty asked anyone out in this era - even if he did fall in love in Clara back in 1885. Then, again, there was also Jennifer to consider.

'Look, Jill,' Alice said, gently, 'I think it's great that you're in love. Just go ahead and ask him out. I hope to one day find someone that I love, too. I'm really happy for the two of you.'

'So what about you, Alice?' Jill asked. 'Don't you have any feelings for him. I mean, you did tend to him, the time he was injured by my brother. Gee, I really wish I could control what my brother does. Then again, I guess he maybe feels the same way about wanting to control me. My brother can be a real control freak, much of the time.'

'Yeah, and that is why he pushes my brother around,' Alice said, grimacing. 'He was always so eager to please those around him - and that's why it's very easy for people to take advantage of him. I mean, it's one thing to be a nice person - but it's another thing entirely to let other people push you around.'

'Well, he maybe still feels quite guilty about what he did two years ago,' Jill said, with sympathy. 'Ever since he ended up hurting two of his dear friends, he's probably afraid to take a stand.'

'It was wrong what he did two years ago,' Alice explained, 'but it is a shame that Lou and Steve never forgave him. Still, there is a fine line between setting out to hurt other people - and standing up for your own rights.'

'You're right,' replied Jill. 'Well, anyway, I promised my mother that I would run some errands for her - so I need to get going, now. I'll come over later on tonight. By the way, where is Huey?'

Marty's heart skipped a beat, as he quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep - in case the girls ended up walking in on him. The last thing he needed was to be caught eavesdropping.

'I think he's in the guest room, still asleep,' Alice replied, laughing. 'I guess he really needs his beauty sleep. Anyway, took good care of yourself - and I'll see you later today.'

Marty sighed, with relief, as he heard the girls leave the room. After about five minutes, Marty got out of bed and he got dressed. He had to admit he was feeling a bit jittery.

oooooooooo

Later on that day, Marty was with Doc at the abandoned cabin in Hill Valley Park.

'The melted glass is just about ready to be moulded,' Doc was saying, as he was pointing out the case made of metal that was shaped like a windshield. 'Then I will need to weld the makeshift windshield onto the DeLorean, while will take about several days to complete.'

'So when do you think we'll be ready to return to 1985?' asked Marty.

'The DeLorean should be ready by Saturday,' Doc said. 'Just to make sure we are more careful this time, let me show you the model I created of Hill Valley Park.'

Marty's heart was racing with anticipation, as he followed Doc over to the model.

'Wow, Doc!' Marty gasped, as he was amazed by how well Doc had managed to carve the trees. 'I shall say, you really outdid yourself this time. You sure have a knack at carving.'

'Thank you,' Doc said, gratefully. Then, sheepishly, he added, 'I really didn't have to build it to scale or...'

'... or paint it, right?' Marty asked, smiling. 'That's all right, Doc. I think you've done a great job!'

'Thank you,' repeated Doc. Then he showed Marty the model DeLorean he had built, and he said, 'See, Marty, I formed the model windshield by melting some sugar - and I then attached it to the model DeLorean by using some silver cake frosting. I had even made the model DeLorean edible by moulding it out of some milk chocolate, and throwing in some rice crispies. I a few boxes of rice crispies in the trunk, for emergency. I attached the power supply encased in a magnetic protective shield - so this remote control will operate the car.'

'Gee, I could go for some chocolate, now,' Marty said, licking his lips. 'So what now.'

'Set the model DeLorean onto the trail,' Doc instructed, 'and I'll show you how we can safely accelletate the speed without having another run in with the trees.'

'Got it,' replied Marty, smiling. 'So are you about ready?'

'Yes, set it down, now,' replied Doc. After Marty did, Doc began to control the remote, as he was somewhat singing, 'Driving the car in a straight path. Flying a straight path into the air. Piloting the car while keeping a straight path. Accellerating the speed while keeping a straight path.' The car then hit the pillow, and it fell onto another pillow. 'This should be easy!' Doc exclaimed, as he removed the power supply from the crispy chocolate car.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Marty and Doc turned to see who it was, and they saw who it was.

'It's Jill,' Doc gasped. 'I guess she tracked you down. Quick, let's cover the DeLorean!'

Marty and Doc quickly draped a sheet over the DeLorean, as Jill let herself in.

'Are you in here, Huey?' Jill asked, coyly. Then, as she noticed Doc, she added, 'Oh, hi, there, Mr. Lewis.'

'Pleased to meet you,' Doc said, warmly. 'You're Jill Tannen, right?'

'That's correct,' Jill replied, shyly. Then, turning to Marty, she asked, 'Huey, this might seem somewhat forward - but I was wondering if you would ask me to the Autumn Picnic and Dance on Saturday.'

'Well, uh,' Marty said, nervously. He then glanced over at Doc, as Doc was nodding a little, 'yeah, sure, I guess I could take you. My uncle and I don't have to leave until later that day, anyway.'

'Good,' Jill said, warmly. 'I understand you can't stay, but I do find you to be very handsome and charming.'

'Thank you, Jill,' Marty replied, warmly. He had to admit he was a little surprised to receive Doc's approval - but he figured that having spend eight years in the Old West had caused Doc to develop a more relaxed stance on who you could interact with in the past.

Chapter Eleven

September 12, 1925
12:00 PM PST

It was around noon on Saturday, and Marty was feeling nervous - as he went to the Autumn Picnic and Dance with Jill Tannen. After all, he felt as though he was cheating on Jennifer.

'I must say, Huey,' Jill said, coyly, 'I really will miss you. It's been really nice getting to know you.'

'Same to you,' Marty replied, huskily. 'This is such a lovely day out today, isn't it? The sun is shining brightly, and there is a really nice cool breeze blowing over us.'

'So, Huey,' asked Jill, 'do you think you might ever return to Hill Valley?'

'Yeah, this is a really lovely town,' replied Marty. 'So, Jill, do you have any plans for a career - or do you just have plans to be a wife and mother?'

'I just have plans to be a wife and mother,' replied Jill. 'I mean, don't get me wrong. I do appreciate that we, as women, have additional rights nowadays - such as, having the right to vote. Still, it must be a little stressful to to have a job outside the home. I think we women are kind of lucky, in that respect.'

'I guess I had never really thought of that before,' Marty said, softly. 'I do agree that some jobs could be rather stressful, though - especially if you have a boss that is rather mean. That's why I would rather have the career of a musician. That way, you have a job doing something that you really enjoy.'

'So you said you play the guitar?' asked Jill. 'Maybe you should play us a few tunes on the stage this afternoon. I will go talk to the band, and ask if you can do a couple of songs. I would love to hear you play.'

'All right, okay, sure,' replied Marty, smiling. He remembered how, when he first visited 1955, he played Johnny Be Good on stage - then he got a little carried away with his stage antics. He knew he should avoid those stage antics this time. The last thing he needed to do, was to shock his grandparents' generation.

'There's Alice over there,' commented Jill, 'with Todd Workman. Let's go!'

As Marty followed Jill over to the dance floor, he saw Jiff walking rather menacingly towards Alice and Todd.

'Well, lookie what we have here,' Jiff said, as he pushed Todd over. 'How about a dance, Alice.'

'Hey!' Todd protested, angrily - as Jiff grabbed Alice by force, forcing her to dance with him.

'The nerve of my brother,' Jill said, seethingly. 'I can't believe he's doing this.'

'I believe you've underestimated me, mister,' Alice said, coldly.

'Have I now?' Jiff asked, laughing.

Alice immediately kicked Jiff in the shins, as Jiff cringed over in pain. As soon as Jiff recovered, he then pushed Alice to the ground.

'Take that, you bitch,' Jiff said, laughing. 'Maybe from now on, you'll know your place.'

Todd and Artie were standing close by. Artie was red with rage, as if he wanted to get his hands on Jiff. Todd then marched over to Jiff, as he punched that bully in the face, knocking him to the ground.

'Are you okay?' Todd asked, as he gently lifted Alice up from the ground. Alice simply smiled at him, as the two of them began to dance. Marty was suddenly hit with a sense of deja vu.

'Can you believe that son of a bitch?' Artie asked, angrily, as he marched towards Marty and Jill.

'Don't worry, Artie,' Jill said, soothingly. 'I'll be talking to Mother about this. I'm certain she'll come up with a suitable punishment for him. He takes too much after Grandpa Buford.'

'Hey, Jill,' called out another boy, as she came running up to them, 'remember me?'

'Edmund Paradise!' gushed Jill, as she reached out to hug him. 'It's been a long time since I last saw you. How are you doing? What is life like in Sacramento?' After glancing at a really stunned Marty, Jill said, 'Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to be rude. Huey, this is my old boyfriend from two years ago, Edmund Paradise - and, Eddie, this is my date for the dance, Huey Lewis.'

'Pleased to meet you, Huey,' Edmund said, warmly.

'Same to you, Eddie,' Marty said, still stunned. 'Look, I think the two of you should dance for a little while. I'm going to grab some refreshments. I'll talk to you later.'

'Thanks, Huey,' Eddie said, gratefully. Then, turning to Jill, he said, 'I decided to move back to Hill Valley.'

Marty then realized something. Jennifer Parker's maternal grandparents were named Edmund and Jill Paradise. Perhaps this was the same Jill he later on married. Then he suddenly realized that this was indeed the same Jill. He would have never guessed that Jennifer was related to a Tannen. He would have to talk to Jennifer about this.

oooooooooo

As Marty was eating lunch with Artie, Jiff ran up towards the two of them with rage, while he snarled, 'I will make you pay for this, you little son of a bitch!'

'But what the hell did I do?' Marty asked, stunned.

'Oh, don't you play dumb with me,' sneered Jiff. 'I happen to know you have this infatuation with my sister. I also know you told Artie to stand up to me, and say no. Well, guess what, Huey! I beat him up for his willful little act of defiance. I bet he'll never pull that stunt again.'

Marty was stunned. He had never told Artie to say no to Jiff. He suddenly felt very sorry for his grandfather. This was perhaps what had led Artie's son, George, to become the way he was. Marty then hoped onto a bike, as he started to ride away from Jiff and his gang. Jiff and his gang hopped onto Jiff's Jeep, as they began to chase Marty into a manure truck. Todd and Alice, Eddie and Jill, and Artie all had all followed. While Marty quickly swerved away from the truck - Jiff and his gang, however, were not so lucky.

'I hate manure,' groaned Jiff, as he spit some of the manure from his mouth.

'All right, sonny,' a woman in a nurse's outfit said, quite sternly, 'we are going home now. Jill told me all about your little stunt. I found just the suitable punishment for you.'

Jiff actually looked shamefaced, as he went up to face his mother. He noticed that the woman was wearing a name tag that read Tiff Tannen. I thought her name was Gertrude, Marty thought, with confusion.

'Why do you suppose Jiff is the way he is?' Todd asked Jill.

'I suppose it is because he takes after our grandfather, Buford,' Jill replied, grimacing. 'Everyone called him Mad Dog, because he was a notorious gunman with short temper and a tendency to drool. He also bragged about having shot twelve men, not including Indians or Chinamen - although I don't see what makes them less important.'

'Thanks, Huey, for letting me dance with Jill,' Eddie said, warmly.

'You're very welcome,' Marty replied, as the six of them began to return to the picnic.

Chapter Twelve

September 12, 1925
2:00 PM PST

Marty was standing to the side with Artie, as they were eating some cheese and crackers. He was also watching Alice and Jill dance with Todd and Eddie, respectively. Although the music that the band was being played was hardly rock and roll, the music really wasn't half bad.

'I can't believe it, Huey,' Artie grumbled. 'I try to stand up to Jiff, and he responds by beating me up. I suppose it just isn't worth it. I should've figured he would've made me pay for my willful act of defiance.'

'Look, Artie, I'm very sorry,' Marty said, as he tenderly squeezed Artie's shoulder. 'He is a bully, and you should not have to listen to him. I wish I knew what to tell you. Well, he will most likely be receiving his just desserts one of these days. At least his mother is going to punish him for harassing your sister.'

'Yeah, I guess,' mumbled Artie. 'It's probably not going to do much good, though.'

'So his mother's name is Tiffany Tannen?' Marty asked, with curiosity.

'That's right,' replied Artie. 'Her full name is Tiffany Gertrude Tannen. She never was married.'

'Oh, I see,' Marty said, sighing.So that explains it,Marty thought, to himself.

'All right, ladies and gentlemen,' called out Chuck Holmes, from the stage, 'I would like to invite a certain young guitarist named Huey Lewis to some up here and play a few numbers for us. Come on up, Huey Lewis!'

Marty was feeling a little nervous, as he walked up on the stage. He grabbed the guitar from Chuck, and he began to strum the opening notes to his favourite song, as he began to sing.

'The power of love is a curious thing,' Marty began to sing, with profuse gusto. 'Make a one man weep, make another man sing... Change a hawk to a little white dove... more than a feeling, that's the power of love.'

'Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream,' Marty continued, with much energy. 'Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream... make a bad one good make a wrong one right... power of love that keeps you home at night.'

He began to launch into the chorus, as he sang, 'You don't need money, don't take fame... Don't need no credit card to ride this train... It's strong, and it's sudden, and it's cruel sometimes... but it might just save your life... That's the power of love... That's the power of love.'

Marty continued to play on, as everyone was swinging back and forth. Marty bowed towards the audience, after he had strummed the last notes to the song.

'That was good, Huey,' Chuck said, admiringly, as he slapped Marty on the back. 'Play us another one, okay?'

'Uh, yeah, sure,' replied Marty, as he thought of another tune that he liked by his favourite band.

'Two o'clock this morning,' Marty had started singing, 'If she should come a calling... I couldn't dream of turning her away... And if it got hot and hectic... I know she'd be electric... I'd let her take her chances with me... You see, she gets what she wants.'

'Cause she's heart and soul,' Marty then warbled, 'She's hot and cold... She's got it all, hot loving every night.'

'Can't you see her standing there,' Marty had continued singing, 'See how she looks, see how she cares... I let her steal the night away from me... Nine o'clock this morning... She left without a warning... I let her take advantage of me... You see, she got what she wanted.'

'Cause she's heart and soul,' Marty concluded, 'She's hot and cold... She's got it all, hot loving every night.'

The audience once again applauded, as Marty handed the guitar back to Chuck and walked off the stage.

oooooooooo

As Marty was about to head back to Hill Valley Park to meet Doc - Jill, Alice, Eddie, Todd, and Artie all ran up to meet him. Marty figured that they wanted to say good bye to him.

'Huey,' gushed Jill, 'that was very interesting music.'

'Uh, thank you,' replied Marty, smiling. 'Listen, it's been nice getting to know you all this week - but I promised Doc, er, my uncle that I would meet him shortly.'

'I hope you don't mind,' Jill continued, 'but Eddie asked if he could take me home.'

'It's just that I haven't seen her in a long time,' added Eddie, 'and I think I might still have feelings for her.'

'Great! Good, good, Jill,' Marty stammered. 'I had a feeling about you two.'

'I have a feeling, too,' added Jill. 'Anyway, have a safe trip back him.'

'I didn't really get much of a chance to know you,' commented Todd, 'but you've been a great buddy.'

'Yeah,' added Artie, 'thank you for being a good friend to me. I was worried that Lou and Steve may have turned you against me. Thanks for giving me a chance, anyway.'

'I would not worry about Lou and Steve too much,' Todd said, as he gently squeezed Artie's shoulder. 'If they can't forgive for what happened two years ago, that is their loss. You're a great person, regardless of what others might think. One day, bullies like Jiff Tannen and his gang will get their comeuppance.'

'Todd is correct, Artie,' added Eddie. 'It's been awhile since I've seen you, buddy. I always felt you were a great buddy. It's nice to see you again, as well.'

Marty then hugged everyone, as he felt a little sad about leaving his friends behind.

'Listen, I gotta go,' Marty said, 'but I wanted to tell you that it's been... educational.'

'Huey,' asked Alice, 'will we ever see you again?'

'I guarantee it,' replied Marty, smile. Then, as he started to walk away, he waved and called out, 'So have a great future, all of you! Take care of yourselves, and keep looking up.'

The others all waved back, as Marty made his way over to Hill Valley Park.

oooooooooo

'So are you ready to go back to the future?' Doc ask, smiling. 'Check out the DeLorean! How do you like it?'

'You did a great job, Doc,' replied Marty. 'Say, you know that candy DeLorean you made the other day? That was very tasty. You should make more of them. Jill, Alice, and Eddie all enjoyed it.'

'Thank you,' Doc said, warmly. 'I've never really had good culinary skills, but I guess I'm good at making candy.'

'Is following a recipe really that much different from working on a scientific experiment?' Marty asked, laughing.

'I suppose I haven't really thought so much about the similarity before,' Doc, said, smiling. 'Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's hop into the DeLorean, find our path, and then go back.'

'Yeah, let's get our asses back to the future,' Marty said, exitedly.

After Doc and Marty stepped into the DeLorean, they checked to make sure everything was working as it should.

'Time circuits on, flux capacitor fluxing,' Marty said, smiling at Doc, 'engine running. We're all set, Doc.'

'Okay, Marty,' Doc warned, 'brace yourself for temporal displacement.'

Doc then began to pilot the DeLorean over the trees, until he got up to 88 miles per hour - then the DeLorean broke the time barrier.

Epilogue

November 12, 1985
3:40 PM PST

'Well, here we are,' Doc said, excitedly, 'back in good old 1985.'

'I just hope everything is back to normal now,' Marty said, a bit worriedly. He was somewhat afraid they might have to home to another would similar to the world where Biff Tannen was rich and corrupt, which was what he and Doc had dubbed the Hell Valley Universe.

'Well, everything seems fine,' replied Doc, as he looked around. 'Why don't we drive to our place to check and make sure? I can tell if Clara and the boys are there.'

'Right, Doc,' replied Marty, smiling. 'You know, I can hardly wait to see Jennifer again. I can hardly believe that I had a crush on Jennifer's grandma. I'm a bit surprised to find out that Jennifer is a descendant of Buford.'

'I must say that it surprises me a bit, too,' replied Doc, nodding. 'As we've learned, though, we can't assume that all Tannens are bad. Even though we may have had a bad experience with many Tannens.'

'Yeah, people like Miff and Cliff,' Marty said, grimacing. 'Cliff used to bully Dave all the time - and, in the old timeline, he was still bullying Dave. Miff did used to bully me when I was younger, but I made it clear to him that I was not going to take any of his guff. Hell, he's an even worse sort than Douglas Needles.'

'The Needles can be very awful people, as well,' Doc said, nodding with sympathy. 'When I was your age, I was often picked on by Howard Needles. He reminds me a lot of the Tannens.'

'It is almost as if the Tannens and the Needles are in the same league,' Marty said, sighing, 'although the Tannens do seem to be of a slightly worse sort. What exactly was Howard Needles like?'

'Well, Howard Needles could be just as bad as a Tannen,' Doc replied. 'Even though, we should remember that not all Tannens are bad people - as Jill Tannen was the proof.'

'So, has your memories of me meeting you at five come back to you yet?' Marty asked, with curiosity.

Doc was deeply concentrating for a minute, then he said, 'No, I don't think it happened yet. I think it takes a few hours for the ripple effect to catch up, as it did with you. Do you remember when it was that your memories of your newly improved family came back to you?'

'Yeah, I think I do,' replied Marty. 'I believe it happened when I was at the Cafe 80s, shortly before Griff Tannen walked in. I mean, I didn't have any problems with being called chicken in the old timeline - but, as soon as Griff called me that name, I immediately reacted to it. It was like such a subconscious thing, you know.'

'Well, here we are,' Doc said, as he pulled into the driveway of his home. 'I see that Jules and Verne are outside, playing on the swing set. So it looks like everything is back to normal - or close to normal, anyway?'

'What are you talking about, Doc?' Marty asked, worriedly. 'What do you mean close to normal?'

'Whenever we travel back in time,' Doc explained, 'we are always bound to make a few changes in the timeline. So we can never go back to the exact unaltered timeline that we came from - but, if we're very careful, we can go back to a timeline that is very similar to the one that we left. I think the only thing that would really change, as far as my life is concerned, is that I have seen you very briefly in 1925 in this new timeline. Basically, everything else would probably be pretty much the same. I'll have to wait until the ripple effect catches up to be sure, though.'

'Okay, Doc,' Marty said, smiling, 'I think I understand what you're saying. I'm always amazed by how many things do stay the same, whenever we travel in time. Like how I can still be born at the same time.'

'I believe it is the self-preservation effect,' Doc explained. 'I believe that God would be responsible for keeping the timeline from changing too drastically. I mean, you basically would have to believe in some sort of intelligent higher being - from all the things that we've witnessed of time travel so far.'

'Being a Catholic,' Marty replied, 'I have always believed in God anyway. I'm sure this would be even further proof of His existence. Anyway, not to get all preachy or anything, but I'm just saying what I believe.'

'Right,' Doc replied, cheerfully, 'just like Seamus and Maggie McFly, right? Well, let's go inside now and see what Clara is cooking for supper. You can stay over, if you'd like.'

'Thanks for the offer, Doc,' Marty replied, warmly, 'but I would rather eat with my family tonight. I have not seen them in a week, after all. I really do miss my family a lot.'

'I understand, Marty,' Doc said, softly - as he gently squeezed Marty's shoulders. 'Go enjoy yourself, then - and I guess I'll see you around later tonight.'

'Hey, Doc,' Marty said, with sudden realization, 'we should maybe take a little break from time travelling. I mean, I am already about three or four weeks older than I'm supposed to be.'

'Well, look at me,' Doc said, laughing. 'I'm a little over eight years older than I am supposed to be - in fact, it might even be a little closer to nine years. I have long since stopped keeping track of my age. At least, I did try to keep into account the ages of Clara and the boys when coming back - so that they could keep the same birthdays.'

'Right, Doc,' Marty replied, as he hugged his friend. 'Still I don't want to age too fast.'

'I understand what you mean,' Doc said, gently. 'Well, take care of yourself - and I'll see you again later.'

Marty then decided to head back home to meet his family again.

oooooooooo

After a couple of hours, Marty decided to walk over to Jennifer's house. Jennifer was outside, sitting on the porch swing. Her face lit up, as soon as Marty walked up. Marty's heart was bursting with excitement, too.

'Jennifer!' Marty gushed, excitedly. 'Oh, are you a sight for sore eyes? Let me look at you.'

'Marty,' Jennifer replied, stunned, 'you're acting like you haven't seen me in a week.'

'I haven't,' replied Marty, as he threw his arms around Jennifer and hugged her tightly.

'Oh, did you just come back from another time travel trip?' Jennifer asked, with curiosity.

'Yeah, I did,' replied Marty, as he sat down beside Jennifer. 'Doc had taken me back to the year 1925, to celebrate the special day that we had thirty years ago. However, the windshield on the DeLorean broke - so we were suck there for about a week. Even though I did have a lot of fun this week, I did tell Doc I would like to take a little break from time travelling. I mean, I really do want to live in the present, too, you know.'

'Oh, yeah, you told me all about that day thirty years ago,' Jennifer said, smiling. 'The ironic thing is, you were not even born yet - and you lived that day twice, right?'

'That's correct,' replied Marty. 'It was probably about the most stressful day of my life, but it certainly will be a day to remember. Both Doc and I went through a lot on that day.'

'So what day did you go back to in 1925?' asked Jennifer. 'November twelfth?'

'Uh, no,' replied Marty, cheerfully. 'We actually went back to the fifth of September. That was exactly forty years after the day the clock tower was put up. They were having a festival to commemorate that day.'

'So, have you met any interesting people?' Jennifer asked, smiling.

'Yeah, I met Grandpa Arthur when he was my age,' replied Marty, 'and his sister, Alice. I so was amazed by how much Alice had resembled my mother as a teen. I was so amazed to find out that Artie had, at one time, been friends with Strickland. I guess I now know why he has it in for us McFlys. I had even met Doc as a little boy. He was only five years old in 1925. Then there was also Jiff Tannen, who was a bully - and his twin sister, Jill.'

'You have?' Jennifer asked, as a shocked expression came across her face.

'That's right,' replied Marty. 'I had also met your grandfather, Edmund Paradise. I never realized you had a Tannen in your family line. You are so unlike a Tannen you know.'

'Uh, thanks, I guess,' replied Jennifer, nervously. 'So your feelings about me are not going to change any?'

'Oh, don't be silly, Jennifer,' Marty said, laughing. 'Do I look like I'm that kind of person?'

'I guess not,' replied Jennifer, blushing. 'I have a Tannen on my father's side of the family, too. You know, Clara Parker was raped by Buford Tannen - and she named her daughter Jennifer Jane Parker, like me. She did end up giving her baby up for adoption, but the baby kept the last name Parker. So my parents were third cousins, when they met.'

'Whoa, this is heavy,' replied Marty. 'I guess you learn something new everyday.'

'The ironic thing is,' Jennifer said, smiling, 'my parents did not even grow up in Hill Valley.'

'I guess it's a small world,' Marty said, smiling. He took Jennifer into his arms, and cradled her close. They both then kissed. Marty began to think of how lucky he was, to be able to date a girl like Jennifer.