The Black Sheep

April 21, 2006
4:30 PM CDT
Real World Universe

Seventeen year old Amanda Martini was sitting in her bedroom, and she was feeling very depressed. For the last two months, she had lived with Gordon and Paula Lewis. Ever since she was twelve years old, she had been tossed around through various foster homes.

Certainly, those last five years hadn't been all too bad. Before having moved in with the Lewises, she lived with Mark and Gwen Johnson, who have been very nice to her. Unfortunately, when Gwen had fallen ill with lung cancer - the Department of Social Services had decided that Johnsons were no longer in any condition to do foster care - so Amanda, along with everyone else, had been transferred to new homes.

Twelve children, including Amanda, had been in the care of Gordon and Paula Lewis. Five of the children have been adopted, while the others were foster children. Gordy and Paula were both devoutly Christian, and only Christian music was allowed to be played in the home. Furthermore, as with the other children that were in the home, Amanda was homeschooled - so, as a result, she felt smothered by the family.

Amanda so desperately missed her eighties rock and roll music - and she was also missing her favourite movie trilogy, Back to the Future. She had been a fan of the trilogy for a little over a year, and she had a real fondness for Marty McFly - and, by extension, Michael J Fox. She also loved the Doc Brown character a lot. However, the movie trilogy had been forbidden in the home - as it had contained swearing, sexual indecency, and a few other things that the Lewises had a moral objection to.

Amanda had no objections to the Christian faith, as a whole. However, her beliefs had leaned more towards Esoteric Christianity - which, as far as the Lewises were concerned, was the same thing as being a 'filthy heathen'. She had a great fondness for Jesus Christ, and she did talk to Him regularly. However, unlike the Lewises, she didn't believe that God would condemn people to hell just for believing in the 'wrong' religion. Considering that the Lewises were Christians of the 'hellfire and brimstone' variety, however, Amanda's beliefs were not considered acceptable to them.

She was very much alone in her beliefs in this family. All the other children shared the same beliefs as Gordy and Paula, thus making them 'good little Christian boys and girls' - while Amanda was considered the 'filthy heathen'. She was considered the black sheep of the family, who needed the fear of God to be preached into her.

One question Paula would routinely ask her, would be, 'If Jesus was to come back tonight, where would you go?' If Amanda responded by saying 'heaven', Paula would give her this long lecture on what she needed to do in order to be saved - and what behaviours she would need to change. Paula would make it clear that hell was indeed real - and that Amanda would end up going there, unless she changed her ways.

Amanda had so desperately wanted to leave this hellhole. She had even spoken with her social worker about it, but her social worker had told her that she might have to wait a little while to move elsewhere. She resented the fact that the state had ruled that she couldn't live with her mother, because her mother had schitzophrenia. She happened to very much love her mother, and she wished that she could at least write her mother a little letter. It's not like her mother was abusive or anything.

'Amanda!' called out Paula. 'Dinner is ready! It's time to come downstairs and eat.'

'Yes, Paula!' Amanda called back, as she made her way towards the steps. She was feeling very apprehensive, as she braced herself for another lecture.

'Look, Amanda, we need to talk,' Paula said, as soon as Amanda arrived at the table.

'Okay, what about?' Amanda asked, swallowing. She wondered what she possibly did wrong this time.

'I just got through reading your essay that you wrote for social services,' Paula said, a bit sternly. 'I must say that I am deeply distressed that you had the gall to show disrespect for President Bush. You know, the Bible commands us to show respect for our authority figures. God did appoint Bush to be the ruler of our country.'

'So what about Clinton?' Amanda asked, annoyed with such double standards.

'Bill Clinton?' Paula asked, with disgust. 'Oh, well, that's different! For a while, God did decide to step back - and this was when all the wicked people in our country had put Clinton into office. You see, if God hadn't intervened in the 2000 elections - Al Gore would have ended up being the leader for this country, and then our country would have gone even more downhill. It was by the grace of God's mercy that we now have a Godly man to lead this country.'

Amanda felt like throwing up. She deperately wanted to argue that George W Bush was elected, because he cheated his way into office. However, she knew that is she was to dare even suggest such a thing - it would just land her in hot water.

'Furthermore,' Paula continued, as she furrowed her forehead, 'how can you say that you're not proud to be an American? Do you have any idea how many soldiers have fought and died for this country so that we can be free? So that you can be free, Amanda! By even daring to say that you're not proud to be an American is a slap in the face to all the solders who have fought and died for us.'

'Hey, I never said that I wasn't thankful to be an American,' Amanda said, somewhat defensively. 'I just said that I wasn't proud of it. After all, it's not like I chose to be born in this country.'

'That's right, you didn't,' Paula said, sternly. 'It was God's decision to place you in this country. By disrespecting America, you are not only insulting our soldiers - but you are also disrespecting God. You are, in essense, telling God that you have no appreciation for the country that He chose to place you in.'

'I never said I wasn't thankful to be an American!' Amanda repeated, huffily. 'I just said that I'm not proud of it. It doesn't mean that I'm ashamed of it, either. It just means that I'd rather be humble about being an American, than to be arrogant about it. Besides, isn't pride considered to be one of the seven deadly sins?'

'All right, Amanda!' Paula snapped, as she raised her voice. 'It's obvious that all you want to do is argue with me! You are obviously in rebellion against God! I'm through talking with you! As for your punishment, you will not be allowed to go to the potluck with the rest of us this evening. You are to stay home and bed and feed all the cows, and I expect to see you finished when we come back. Do you understand?'

'Yes, Paula,' Amanda said, sighing.

She then turned to her dinner and ate. She had to admit that Paula was an excellent cook, but it was one of the very few things she liked about this place. Her depression than turned to triumph, as she realized that she had won of the arguement - though Paula would never admit to it. After all, she did point out that pride was considered to be one of the deadly sins - and Paula didn't even try refuting her arguement. She just resorted to the argumentum ad hominem fallacy by accusing Amanda of having a rebellious attitude.

'Go figure,' Amanda thought, to herself. She was determined right then and there to run away. Fuck all of you! Amanda thought, bitterly. I refuse to live with you assholes any longer! I am running away, and there is nothing you can do about it!

Running Away

April 21, 2006
6:00 PM CDT
Real World Universe

Amanda was outside in the barn and feeding the cows, as she waited patiently for the family to leave. The radio that wasin the barn was tuned to a contemporary Christian radio station, and it was currently playing Awesome God by Rich Mullins. She felt the urge to tune the radio to an eighties rock station, but she realized she would just get in trouble in did. Not that it would matter much, anyway - since she was determined to leave the home that evening.

Amanda sighed to herself, as she thought of her roommate, Marilyn Fowler. Marilyn was the only other kid in the home who was seventeen years old, as the next oldest kid was only thirteen. Marilyn was about the closest she had to a friend, except that the two of them were very different. Marilyn lived in the home for about six months before Amanda had arrived, and she was the prototypical Christian teenager.

She then thought of how Awesome God was Marilyn's favourite song, only she had the versions of the song that were performed by groups like The Maranatha Singers and The Haven Quartet. Amanda felt both of those groups were even more boring to listen to than much of the contemporary Christian and Christian rock that was played in the home. As least she could tolerate Christian rock groups like Jars of Clay and The Newsboys - even if the lyrical content of some of the songs made her feel ill.

Amanda could faintly hear the family's van pulling out of the driveway. She had then stepped outside to see if the coast of clear. She realized that the van had left. She then took in a deep breath, as she was preparing to make her move. She was feeling a bit apprehensive, to say the least. She had never before felt such the urge to run away. Still, enough is enough - and it was about high time that she was going to take some drastic measures.

Hell, maybe the Lewises would even be so disgusted with her for running away - they wouldn't even want her back. Good riddance to them! Amanda thought, bitterly. She had decided right then and there that she was going to wash her hands clean of foster homes. After all, she was almost an adult - and she felt that she deserved to be independant. She didn't need to be smothered by people telling her what she can or cannot do. She was going into withdrawal regarding her interests in eighties rock music and the Back to the Future Trilogy.

She skipped down the long driveway that went into the street - and then she started to walk slowly down the road, as if she was just taking a stroll on a sunny day. After all, if people noticed her running, they might become suspicious and believe that she was running away - which, of course, she was. She really had no idea where exactly she would end up - but, at this moment, she didn't really care.

Hell, Amanda thought to herself, I would even rather be in jail, than spend another moment living that pathetic hellhole of a foster home. At least, in jail, the people there wouldn't punish you for holding views that are considered unacceptable or unpopular, would they?

She then shook her head with dismay, as she started to realize just how much Paula Lewis was like the Thought Police that was portrayed in George Orwell's book. When she had written that essay for Social Services, she had no idea that Paula would end up receiving a copy as well. She had expected the essay to remain confidential. She made a mental note to rant to her social worker about that betrayal of trust.

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter anyway, Amanda thought, with resignition. Even if she never had written her views down on paper, Paula would've still basically condemn her of 'crimethink'. Grated, Paula would not have called it 'crimethink' - but the idea was pretty much the same. Paula would have accused her of being 'in rebellion with God' - and she have felt it fit to punish Amanda, as a result.

Amanda started to calculate how many days it might take for her to reach California, where she would be a far distance away from the Lewises. Perhaps, as soon as she reached Southern California, she would maybe try to find some odd jobs to do - until she had enough money to rent herself an apartment. Maybe, until she saved up, she could just stay at a homeless shelter. She resolved to walk the long distance, even if it would kill her. Almost anything would be better than spending another moment with that so-called family. Perhaps, if her feet were really hurting - she might only walk as far as maybe Arizona, and then settle there.

Then she thought of a better and not-so-drastic idea. Perhaps, she could just walk over to the western side of the state of Wisconsin - and she could just look up where her biological mother lived, and she could then move in with her. Her mother would undoubtably be happy to see her again. The major problem with the plan, however, was that her mother's case manager might inform Social Services about it - and they would just end up being separated again.

She then figured that maybe she could move to New York City - where her favourite actor, Michael J Fox, lived. Perhaps Michael and Tracy would take compassion of her, and they might allow her to live with them. She would not just be a typical fan trying to make contact with her favourite actor. She would, instead, just be a lost girl who was trying to reach out for his compassion. Hell, maybe Michael J Fox himself could intervene on her behalf - by explaining to the Social Services of Wisconsin that it was not fair for them to have removed her from her mother, and to not even allow them to have any contact. Perhaps, they would listen to someone like him!

Just as Amanda was about to take a turn for the east, she had found a little computer device that had captired her attention. Amanda immediately picked up the computer, and she had pushed the big orange button on it.

Immediately, the screen had lit up, and some words started scrolling across the screen. 'Have you ever wanted to visit the universe of your favourite movie, TV show, or novel?' Then some smaller letters started to jump up under the question, until it had formed a statement. 'Well, now you can! Just press the letters on the keypad to spell out the name of the universe that you would wish to visit.'

This has to be a fake! Amanda thought, herself. How on earth can I visit the universe of a movie, TV show, or novel? I mean, they're fictional, right? She then took in a deep breath. Oh, well, what the hell? Amanda asked. I may just as well try this thing out, on the off chance that this thing maybe really does work.

She no longer really cared if she was starting to go insane by even considering the impossible. Maybe if this thing worked, she could then escape from this horrid world!

She then went to press the B, A, and C buttons - and scrolled down to Back to the Future, wondering what would happen next. She waited a minute, and nothing had happened. Amanda just sighed in resignition.

Did I seriously expect this thing to work? Amanda asked herself, in disgust. It is obvious that I'm going out of my mind. Spending too much time in that hellhole of a foster home can really do that to you.

Suddenly, Amanda felt a very strong gust of wing surrounding her. Amanda tried to convince herself to stay still, telling herself that the strong wind would pass. Then everything went black, as Amanda felt a strong force pulling at her.

The Fourth Wall

April 21, 1986
5:00 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

Amanda was stunned, as she saw the surroundings change around her. It appeared that she was standing beside a courthouse building. As she walked toward the front of of the courthouse, she saw that the familiar clock tower was there - and, she was stunned to discover that the clock still read 10:04. Standing on the other side of the street was the Lou's Aerobics Fitness Centre, as well the Texaco gas station and the Statler Toyota dealership.

This has to be a dream, Amanda thought to herself. Then she realized that this was exactly what Marty thought, when he landed in 1955. Amanda had then realized something else. This not only looked like Hill Valley from Back to the Future, but this also looked like Hill Valley back in 1985. She figured that, by 2006, Hill Valley might look a little more like the way it did in 2015. As a matter of fact, the flying cars may have even already been invented. She had always wondered about when the future technology of this world would start to deviate from her own.

She then did some calculations, to figure out where Lyon Estates would be. It would end up being closer to Lone Pine Mall, which was about two miles away. She sighed deeply to herself, wondering what she would even tell Marty. Would he believe her if she told him that she came from another dimension, where he was the subject of a movie trilogy. After all, he was familiar with the concept of time travel.

She then saw a middle-aged woman throw a newspaper in the trash bin beside her. She picked up the newspaper to check the date. She noticed that the date on the newspaper read April 21 of 1986. She nearly fainted from shock.

I don't believe this, Amanda thought, to herself. Not only did I enter another universe, but I even went back in time - twenty years, to be exact.

She made her way over to Marty's home, as she was certain she would be able to find a way to convince Marty to believe her. She wondered what became of Dr. Emmett Brown. She had always wanted to believe that he would eventually return to the 1980s with Clara and her family. Still, it could be possible that he maybe did end up choosing to stay in the Old West with his family. She began to wonder if she ever would make it back into her own world.

Then she realized that she did not really wish to return to a world where she was tossed around from various foster homes, and she was not even allowed to have contact with her own mother. As she pondered about the results of her own birth, she began to wonder if her parents had counterparts in this world. If so, she could maybe try to prevent her counterpart from being born in this world - so that her counterpart would not have to go through the same kind of life she did.

Also, she could try to nip her father's abuse of her mother right in the bud - before it even started. She began to wonder how her mother even met Steven Franklyn. She couldn't even remember her father, as he left when she was only two years old.

Perhaps, the McFlys would even take compassion on her, and allow her to stay with them. She knew it was wrong to wish for Marty and Jennifer to break up, so that she could date Marty instead. Still, she did feel a strong desire to meet Marty.

oooooooooo

'Do you and Jennifer have any plans for tonight?' Calvin was asking his twin, Marty.

'No, she was going to spend the weekend at her grandma's house,' explained Marty. 'As much as I really would have liked to have taken her to Francesca's Italian Diner, I understand that her relationship with her grandma is important to her. Since Linda is going to be eating out with Paul tonight, and Dave is having a Guys Night Out with his buddies - maybe you and I could eat out together, instead.'

'That sounds awesome, Marty,' gushed Calvin. 'You wonder, I wonder if I might ever find someone who is like Jennifer. I mean, I have a lot of female friends - but I don't really connect to any of them in a romantic way. Know what I mean?'

'But what about Felicia?' Marty asked, concerned. 'I remembered how the two of you could not keep your hands off of each other for about two months.'

'Well, we're still friends,' Calvin replied, 'and we never really did have a fight. It was just that, after a couple of months, the spark just was not there anymore. So we did agree to see other people, but to remain being friends.'

'I wouldn't sweat about it so much,' Marty said, encouragingly. 'I'm sure that, one of these days, the right girl will come along. Just try to be patient.'

'That's all right, buddy,' Calvin said, smiling. 'Having a serious girlfriend is not really my top priority, anyway. Right now, my desire is to spend as much time as possible enjoying life. I mean, this is a much nicer world - where Biff Tannen isn't so corrupt and powerful. It's also great that my friend, Michael, had become a famous actor. I think he is so adorable as Alex P Keaton on Family Ties.'

'Yeah, I may not agree with all of his political views,' Marty replied, 'but he is a very kind person with a big heart. Although, his love for money does appear to be a vice for him. Of course, I was just as bad when I had purchased the sports almanac. It's my fault that the world you came from had even existed.'

'It is not your fault, Marty,' Calvin said, gently. 'It was Biff who had stolen your idea to make himself rich. Even before he was rich, he was not exactly a nice guy.'

'Very true, Calvin,' Marty said, smiling. 'Well, anyway, I was wondering if...'

Just then, the boys had heard the doorbell rang. Marty and Calvin both ran to the door to see who was there. They saw a girl about their age with bobbed brown hair and dark brown eyes, and there were freckles on her face.

'Ma... Ma... Marty?' stammered the girl, as she saw them. Just then, she started to faint. The boys quickly caught her.

'Where do you suppose she came from?' Calvin asked, stunned. 'I can't say that I ever saw her before.'

'I never did, either,' replied Marty. 'Well, let's bring her into the guest bedroom - and then maybe we can run to the drug store to pick up some smelling salts for her.'

'So why do you suppose she came over here, anyway?' Calvin asked, confused. 'I wonder how he knew your name anyway? Perhaps, he knows about you from The Pinheads, or something. The only thing is, I am in The Pinheads now, also. Then, again, you are the lead guitarist and vocalist.'

'Well, you are still pretty new to town,' Marty reminded his twin. 'Actually, you are new to this world - but, as far as everyone else is concerned, you are new to town.'

'I guess we can ask her some question as soon as she wakes up,' Calvin suggested. 'She seems pretty harmless. I think she's just really shy, or something.'

'It could be possible,' replied Marty. 'I still don't get why she came here, though.'

In Reality

April 21, 1986
8:30 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

Amanda was stunned, as she woke up. She couldn't figure out where she was, or how she got here.

'How are you feeling?' asked a familiar voice. 'It appears you did have quite a shock. You have been out for almost three hours. Everything will be all right. I would just like to know who you are, though.'

Amanda glanced at the boy who was sitting next to her bed. He looked just like Michael J Fox - except it could not be. He was far too young. Then she remembered what had happened. This boy was none other than Marty McFly!

'You, uh, you're Marty McFly,' Amanda said, stunned. 'My name is Amanda Lynn Martini. It's so nice to meet you.'

'Actually, my name is Calvin,' replied the boy. 'Marty is my twin. He's out with Jennifer right now. So how did you find out about us? I can't say that I've ever seen you before.'

Amanda was stunned. Since when did Marty McFly did a twin? There was never any indication in the trilogy that Marty ever had a twin - unless Marty did some more time travelling that caused him to gain a twin.

'Are you all right, Amanda?' Calvin asked, gently. 'We want to help you, but we need to know where you came from.'

Amanda swallowed a bit, as she was uncertain of what to tell Calvin. 'Listen, Calvin,' Amanda said, 'do you, by any chance, know anything about a time machine that was created out of a DeLorean? It was first powered with plutonium, and then it was replaced with Mr. Fusion from the early 21st century.'

Calvin suddenly went pale, as he stammered, 'How... how... how did you find out about that? Did you, by any chance, come here from the future? Are you maybe my future daughter, or something?'

'Yeah, I'm from the future,' Amanda said, quietly. 'I'm not your daughter, though. I did come here from a different reality, as well. I came here from a reality where Marty and Doc were the subject of a movie trilogy. It was called Back to the Future. Michael J Fox starred as Marty, and Christopher Lloyd appeared as Doc.'

'You have got to be kidding me!' gasped Calvin. 'Marty is really going to freak out, if he hears about this. So are you telling me the truth? This world exists because of a movie someone created in another universe. I find the idea to be very far-fetched. Although, granted, many have said that Marty and I look just like Michael J Fox.'

'I do understand that it's hard to believe,' Amanda replied, blushing. 'You see, I was living at a foster home that was very restrictive. To make a long story short, I decided to run away from the home - and then I found the little computer device that told me I could visit a universe of my choice. I didn't think this thing would work, so I then entered Back to the Future - as there was a list of movies, TV shows, and books to choose from. Then, before I knew it, I found myself in this universe. I no longer have the device with me, though.'

'Well, I'm not sure what to say,' Calvin said, quietly. 'I know Doc had postulated about the existence of alternate realities before. I know there are some who believe that every alternate decision we can make could create parallel universes. I don't quite subscribe to that theory, though - as it does seem a little far-fetched. I mean, if I was to choose to go to bed half a minute earlier... well, actually, I could choose to go to bed any second that I'm at home. Would there end up being a parallel universe for each nanosecond I could have chosen to go to bed, or grab a bite to eat, or chosen what to eat? That would be, well, I can't really think of a word to describe it.'

'I don't believe in that, either,' agreed Amanda. 'Also, when you really consider how many living beings we have in this world that would be capable of making decisions - that would make it all the more complex. Then, just like you said, there are many other things you and I could be doing this second - besides discussing parallel universes. You know, this subject can be so mind-wracking.'

'Right, exactly,' Calvin said, nodding, 'then there are also the moral and ethical decisions to consider. I mean, if each version of me is supposed to be essentually the same person - then how can someone from a different universe who is suppose to be me not have the same values as me? Know what I mean?'

'That is such a good point, as well,' Amanda replied. 'Although, I have heard of a reverse world where everyone who is good is evil - and vice versa. I do not really believe that, though. I guess there is still that question of how parallel universes are created - and how many of them there would be.'

'There are probably not as many parallel universes as one would think,' replied Calvin. 'Maybe it is quite possible for there to be universes for different fictional worlds. Although, I never really dreamed that this world would be the product of a fictional movie from a different universe. Heck, I still have difficulties with being able to wrap my mind around that idea - although, I'm not sure how else you would have found out about the time machine.'

'So how did you end up becoming Marty's twin, anyway?' Amanda asked, quietly. 'I watched the trilogy, and there was never any indication that Marty had a twin. I mean, the closest to the idea was when Marty and Doc went back to the year 1955 to retrieve a sports almanac from Biff Tannen.'

'That's exactly where I come in,' blurted out Calvin. 'I came from the timeline where Biff was so rich and corrupt, and he was married to my mother. Doc was also committed in that timeline - but, his good friend, Sabrina helped him to be released. So the three of us went back to 1955 to take away the almanac. It was when we ended up meeting with our counterparts from the good timeline. So I then changed my name to Calvin, and everybody now knows me as Marty's twin brother, Calvin.'

'As Marty would say,' Amanda said, smiling, 'this is heavy! So is Doc still living in the Old West with Clara, now?'

'Who's Clara?' Calvin asked, stunned. 'Both Docs have stayed here in the present. The Doc from my timeline had gone into the future to get a rejuvination and alter his appearances, and he now calls himself Christopher Lloyd Brown.'

'That's an interesting choice for a name,' Amanda said, amazed. 'So does Chris call himself a brother?'

'No, he actually calls himself a cousin,' replied Calvin. 'You see, people would become real suspicious if both Doc and I ended up with twins. So Doc and Sabrina had to change their identities. I really wonder why this world is not matched up with the trilogy. It appears that your trilogy is a little different.'

Amanda thought for a minute, then she suggested, 'Maybe it is because the trilogy focused on the Marty who was from the timeline where the mall was called Twin Pines Mall and he came from an unhappy family where Biff had pushed his father around. Although, granted, I'm sure your life was even worse. I always wondered if Marty and Doc had doubles in the Hell Valley Universe. I guess now I know. So this world is the product of you and Doc going back to the year 1955 to prevent Doc from using the almanac to become rich.'

'Gee, I guess you're right,' Calvin said, smiling. 'Well, we'll have to tell Doc about this - and try to get you back home to where you belong. Everything will be all right, Amanda. So don't fret, okay?'

'But I don't want to go back,' protested Amanda. 'I hate the foster home I was in. They punished me, simply because I held political views that were different from theirs. They also don't let me listen to the music that I like.'

Calvin was silent for a minute, then he said, 'I understand how you feel, Amanda. I am really not sure if you could stay here, though. I mean, you really don't belong in this dimension - and where would you stay?'

'You don't belong in this dimension, either, though,' Amanda pointed out, 'and you're doing fine. So why couldn't I stay here, too?'

'Well, I came here through the result of time travel,' explained Calvin. 'Your situation seems a little bit different from mine. We'll talk with Doc, though, and see what he says. I'm sure we can work something out, though. You shouldn't have to be forced to stay in that awful foster home.'

Amanda glanced at Calvin, and forced a little smile. He was so cute, and she hoped he was single. It was so amazing that this world actually contained two versions of Marty!

More Than Friends

April 21, 1986
9:30 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

About an hour later, Calvin and Amanda were eating at Francesca's Italian Diner. While this wasn't supposed to be a date, this dinner sure felt a lot like one. He had even offered to pay for Amanda's meal, as Amanda didn't have any money on her. Calvin could hardly keep his eyes off of her, though. While Amanda was not especially attractive in a conventional sort of way, she did look rather attractive to him. He also couldn't help noticing that Amanda's brown eyes were very beautiful. He really did want to help this girl to have a better life.

"These stuffed shells are very delicious, Calvin," Amanda said, warmly. "Thank you so much for treating me out."

"Oh, it's a great pleasure," Calvin said, smiling. "I felt it would be nice to take you out for a little treat."

"You know, Calvin," Amanda said, softly, "I always wanted to be able to visit the 1980s. I mean, I wasn't even born until 1988, so I really do not remember that decade at all. My mom always played '80s music as I was growing up, so that's always been my favourite kind of music, too. I really don't care for a lot of this modern music that's being released in the early 21st century. I always felt as if I was born in the wrong year."

"So the foster family you were living with doesn't let you listen to '80s music?" Calvin asked, with curiosity.

"Well, no," Amanda said, quietly, "because they're very religious people. We're only allowed to listen to Christian music in the home. I don't quite mind listening to Christian rock bands, like The Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline, so much. At least their music rocks. This softer contemporary Christian stuff is somewhat boring, though. I don't even care for Amy Grant too much, even though not all of her music is overtly religious."

"I heard a little bit about Amy Grant," Calvin said, quietly. "Her music is definitely more pop than rock, though."

"The music the roommate enjoys listens to is about the worst, however," Amanda said, grimacing. "She always want to this so-called 'inspirational' group called The Haven Quartet. I mean, their music always makes me feel like I want to throw up, or something. Maybe it's the way they sing or something."

"Well, I can't say that I ever heard of The Haven Quartet," Calvin said, stunned. "From the band's name, however, I would guess that they are some barbershop quartet singing type of group. I really can't say that I'm all too big on barbershop quartet singing."

"Yeah, that's maybe it," Amanda said, sighing. "I think barbershop quartet singing is very lame. Granted, many rock bands are quartets - but they don't sing in barbershop quartet style."

"No, there's usually only one lead singer in a rock band," Calvin replied. "Although, sometimes two or more members might take turns singing the lead vocals. There is, of course, The Beatles. Sometimes all four of them do sing, but other times there is only one who does the vocals. The others might sing the harmony vocals - but they never really sing in barbershop quartet style. Anyway, I know all about Christian Fundamentalists who believe that rock and roll is the devil's music. Personally, I think that's bullshit."

"Well, Paula and Gordy are not against all rock music," Amanda said. "They're okay with Christian rock - and I can tolerate most forms of Christian rock, actually. They won't let me listen to the non-religious stuff, though. They call it 'secular music', and that they don't allow. I really do miss my '80s rock and roll a lot."

"Do you like any rock bands that came out before the 1980s?" Calvin asked.

"Yeah, there's a few that I like," replied Amanda. "I enjoy bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. I even have to admit that I like a few Black Sabbath songs - and, yeah, I've heard all about how Black Sabbath is especially evil. I really don't believe that Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and the others worship the devil. Do you?"

"No, I don't think they do, either," replied Calvin. "Yeah, I really love Iron Man. Now that song is heavy!"

Calvin looked up, as he saw Marty and Jennifer walking towards them.

"So is this the girl who passed out earlier?" Jennifer asked, with a little bit of suspicion.

"My name is Amanda Martini," Amanda said, a bit shyly. "There's nothing going on between Marty and I. I promise."

"To make quite a long story short," Calvin added, "she came here from an alternate reality. I'll explain everything to you later. I think she's more in love with me, though - than she is with Marty."

"Oh, Calvin," Amanda said, blushing. "Let's just say that I was trying to escape where I came from."

"Escape?" Marty asked, with a bit of concern. After he and Jennifer sat down, Marty continued, "So is the alternate reality that you came from a really bad place?"

"Well, it really is not the reality as a whole," explained Amanda. "The reality in general is probably no better or no worse than this reality. It's more my personal situation that I was trying to escape from. I was stuck in a this foster home, with foster parents who wouldn't let me be myself. They even had the gall to punish me, simply because I wrote an essay for the DSS expressing my political views - and they vehemently disagreed with my views. I did not even realize that my foster parents would be reading that essay."

"That sounds awful," Marty said, with sympathy. "No wonder you wanted to get away from that so-called 'home'. After all, can you say 'thought police'? This is so unbelievable."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking," Amanda said, sighing. "Are you going to tell Doc about this?"

"We really have no choice," Marty said, apologetically. "I mean, I don't want to run the risk that you could end up being hurt in our universe. I do understand and sympathize with your situation, but we still need to be cautious."

"So how did you know about Marty?" Jennifer couldn't help but ask.

"Please, Jennifer," Calvin said, gently, "we'll explain to you later. This really is not the right place to discuss it. What you're about to hear may shock you dramatically."

"Yeah, all right, then," Jennifer said, sighing. "So are you two done eating now?"

"I did order the All You Can Eat stuffed shells and garlic bread for the two of us," explained Calvin, "and we were just about to order some more."

"That sounds very delicious," Marty said, smiling.

Calvin glanced across the table, and he gazed into Amanda's pretty brown eyes. He found himself wishing that Amanda could stay in this reality, too. His heart really did go out to this girl, and he found himself rather smitten with Amanda, too. It was all he could do to keep himself from leaning over to kiss her.

Stranger Than Fiction

April 21, 1986
11:00 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

Amanda was feeling a little nervous, as Calvin drove the four of them to Doc's home. He was rather uncertain of how Doc would react to the whole situation. She really did not want to go back to that awful foster home, but she had a feeling that Doc would be adamant about returning her back to her own reality. She greatly desired to stay with the McFly family, as the people there seemed really cool.

"Here we are, everyone," Calvin said, as he pulled into the driveway of Doc's home. "I just hope Doc is prepared to hear what we have to tell him. I'm sure that even he would be baffled at first."

"What are you talking about, Calvin?" Marty asked, confused. "I don't think anything could baffle Doc."

"Well, you'll find out soon," Calvin insisted, as he stepped out of the car. "Let's just say that you might want to brace yourself, before we explain to you where Amanda came from. It might set you into a state of shock?"

"So, is she from another time period?" asked Jennifer. "Is she from another dimension? I'm pretty sure that I would not be too baffled by either. I mean, we should be used to such weirdness by now. You can tell us where Amanda came from. We can't help her, if we don't even know where she came from."

"I'll tell you, as soon as get everyone together," replied Calvin. "I already told you that she's from an alternate reality. That's not the biggest shocker of the whole deal, though. Trust me. I must warn you that the major shocker might disturb you a little bit. Doc, Chris, and Tabitha should be home by now."

"Who's Tabitha?" Amanda asked, confused. "Is that Doc's wife?"

"No, not really," replied Calvin, as he knocked on the door. "That is Sabrina's new identity, as to avoid confusion with the Sabrina who has always been native to this timeline."

"Who in the name of Sir Isaac H Newton is this?" Doc asked, as he opened the door. "What's going on?"

"This is Amanda Martini," Calvin explained, "and she came here from an alternate reality. It's going to be a pretty long story, and what we have to tell you may greatly shock you."

"Who is it, Emmett?" called out another masculine voice. "Isn't it pretty late at night?"

"Apparently, we have a girl who came here from an alternate reality," Doc said, stunned. Then, in a stern voice, he asked, "Did you kids use my DeLorean without asking me for permission? The time machine is not a toy to mess around with! There are serious risks that could result whenever you travel through time."

"We didn't take your DeLorean, Doc," Marty replied. "Honest! Amanda just happened to show up on our front door, and he acted like he knew who we are - or who I was, anyway."

"Are you being honest with me, Marty?" Doc asked, a bit suspiciously. "How could Amanda have landed in our reality, if neither of you messed around with my DeLorean? It doesn't seem likely that she could've landed here on her own."

"Well, Amanda can explain to you how she got here," Calvin insisted. "There is something we need to tell you first, however. This is something that might put you all in a state a shock, so you'd better brace yourselves."

"All right then," Doc said, a bit wearily. "Let's hear it, then. You'd better not be lying to me."

"Here goes," Amanda said, as she cleared her throat. "In the world that I came from, there is a rather famous movie trilogy that was filmed, that centres around the first time travel experience of you and Marty."

Everyone, except Calvin, opened their mouths in great shock. It almost seemed like they would pass out.

"You have gotta be kidding me!" Doc sputtered. "A trilogy of movies was filmed around Marty and me? How come I have great difficulty believing this? You're actually telling me that, in the world you came from, I'm just a figment of someone's imagination? I have always tried to keep an open mind, but this is too much for even me to accept."

"Yeah, I can't believe this either," muttered Marty. "Someone filmed a movie of my life?"

"Well, not your whole life," Amanda said, quietly. "Just your first time travel adventures. The first movie centred around your weekly stay in 1955, as you had to get your parents to fall in love with each other."

"This is unbelievable!" shrieked Marty, dumbstruck. "This has to be one of the most embarrassing weeks of my entire life! I was forced to date my own mother, for crying out loud! This has gotta be a dream!"

"So how did you get here, then?" Doc asked, stunned. "I'm still not sure if I really believe you."

"I happened to find a little computer device," Amanda explained, "that told me I could visit any fictional universe of my choice. I didn't really expect the thing to work, but I was so desperate to escape from the world I was in. I typed in 'Back to the Future' - and then, before I knew it, I ended up here!"

"Whoa, this is heavy!" breathed Marty. "I wonder who invented that computer device."

"Great Scott!" gasped Doc. "I'm not sure I could ever be able to invent something so elaborate. Well, to be honest, I have often wondered if writing fictional stories can create parallel universes. I never expected that I would end up being the subject of a movie in another universe. It's so hard to me to get my mind around that idea."

"Maybe a little bit of magick was involved, as well," suggested Tabitha. "Well, we'll have to get you home."

"I really don't want to go back home," Amanda said, quietly. "In fact, I was running away from the foster home that I was forced to live with, because I really couldn't take their repressive ways."

"Couldn't she stay with us, Doc?" Calvin pleaded. "I can imagine what it would be like to be in her situation. Even if she can't stay here, we could maybe at least help her."

"I really would like to see my mother again," Amanda said, sadly. "I have not been allowed to even have any contact with her, since I was fourteen - just because she has schizophrenia. It's not like she was abusive, or anything."

"Now that's just not right," Marty said, shaking his head sadly. "It appears that her biological mother treated her better than these pathetic excuse for foster parents have. She should be allowed to see her mother."

"Marty is right," added Jennifer. "I guess I can't blame her for running away, even though running away can be very dangerous. Maybe we could try to help her, if we need to send her back to where she came from."

"Yeah, we could maybe do that," Doc said, slowly. "As soon as I can figure out how to send Amanda back to where she came from, we could then figure out how to help her. My heart really does go out for her."

"I hope they don't sent her to a mental institution," Chris said, grimly. "Believe me, I know what it feels like to be committed. I am so glad that Tabitha helped me to get discharged."

"Thanks, everyone," Amanda said, gratefully. "You guys are all such great people."

"You're very welcome," replied Doc. "We want to help you, but I really don't want to risk disrupting the space-time by keeping you here. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, I understand," Amanda said, as she forced a little smile. "Anyway, I want to see my mother again."

The Solution

April 22, 1986
4:00 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

While Marty and Calvin were at school, Amanda spent the whole day at the Browns' home. She played a lot of Nintendo games while listening to the local rock station, KKHV. She absolutely had no desire whatsoever to move back to that oppressive foster home. If the twins and the Docs could help her to be to see her mother again, it would be great.

"We're here, Doc," called out the twins, as they entered the home. Amanda's heart skipped a beat, as he noticed how cute the twins were. She began to wish she could stay here with Calvin.

"Good, I'm glad you both are here," Doc said, smiling. "Why don't we all go out to the lab and chat. I just figured out how to bring Amanda home. Once we get there, I'll intercede on Amanda's behalf. We really want to help her."

"Thank you so much, Doc," Amanda gushed, as she began to follow Doc and the twins to the lab. She still felt rather nervous, as she feared that she might not be able to see her mother again.

"Okay, now that we're out here," Doc explained, "I'll explain to you how I was able to make the time machine travel between dimensions. We even have a way of finding out what dimension Amanda came from?"

"That sounds awesome," Calvin breathed. "Was it something you had to tweak yourself?"

"Of course," replied Doc. "This is the destination locator. From now on, when we travel through time, we don't have to be limited to travelling within Hill Valley. We can now set the location of any place on earth we wouild like to visit, and the time machine will take us to our destination location in our designition."

"So what does this have to do with travelling between dimensions?" Marty asked.

"I found this neat device in 2030," Doc explained. "At first, I decided I would find a way to make the time machine travel from one location to another. I even tested that out with Einstein at Hill Valley Park. I then noticed there was a small print in the at the bottom left of the screen. It says Dimension #EJ59 over here. I even travelled back to 2030, and asked the technician what that thing over there meant. He just told me that he was asked that question a lot, and nobody could figure out what the heck that was supposed to be."

"So how did you figure out how that thing there meant?" Calvin asked, as he was stunned.

"Well, I decided to test the thing out," Doc replied, "so I entered EJ63, and we spend a few hours in the dimension where my counterpart saved Clara Clayton from falling in the ravine in 1885. Clara went back to 1985 with Marty and my counterpart, and they even lived in this same house. They ended up getting married, and they also have a baby on the way. I am so jealous of my counterpart. I wish I could've met Clara."

"So was Clara Clayton the teacher who fell into the ravine?" asked Marty, astonished.

"You know," added Calvin, "Amanda did mention something about you being with Clara. I remember that she asked me if you and Clara decided to stay in the 19th Century, and I was so confused."

"But my counterpart brought Clara back to 1985 with him and Marty, in the DeLorean," Doc protested, confused.

"This was not the same dimension that was portrayed in the trilogy," Amanda pointed out. "In the trilogy, you ended up being in 1885, stranding Marty in 1955 - and your younger self ended up sending Marty back to 1885."

"Yeah, and that was what happened in that dimension, too," Doc said, confused. "So how was the trilogy different?"

"In the trilogy, you decided it would be better to just leave Clara in 1885," Amanda explained. "You decided to say 'good bye' to Clara, and tried to explain to her that you travelled back in time. She really didn't believe you, so she responded by slapping you. You went to the saloon, and you were feeling distressed. After drinking that shot of wiskey down, you passed out. After you and Marty finally managed to reach the train, Clara went to track the two of you down - as she realized that you were telling the truth."

"But we never made it back to 1985?" Doc asked, confused. "Doesn't sound like a very happy ending to me."

"Actually, it didn't quite happen that way," Amanda said. "Marty did manage to make it back to 1985. You and Clara, however, were stuck in 1885. However, you decided to work on a time train - and then you went back to 1985 to check up on Marty. By then, you and Clara had two boys named Jules and Verne. Although it was never clarified, the ending did seem to suggest that you decided to live out the rest of your life in the past. The trilogy did end up spawning two spin-offs that had you going back into the late 20th Century with your family."

"Oh, what spin-offs were they?" Marty asked, with curiosity.

"One of them was The Animated Series," Amanda explained, "where your family and Marty went on many more time travel adventures. The other one was a simulator ride, where you had formed the Institute of Future Technology. Biff ended up sneaking into that building, and making off with the DeLorean to wreck havoc - and we were supposed to chase him through time, until we caught him. Most fans don't accept either as canon, though. I wanted to believe that you and your family would eventually decide to move back to the late 20th century, though."

"Whoa, this is heavy," Marty and calvin breathed, simultaneously.

"That is very interesting," Doc replied. "I wonder why that computer device had landed you in our dimension."

"I really have no clue," Amanda replied. "I suppose I just ended up being warped into the reality that included the Hell Valley version of you and Marty."

"I guess I would be Hell Valley Marty," Calvin said, smiling.

"Anyway, let's all board up the time machine," Doc called out, "then we'll bring Amanda back to your world."

"So you made a station wagon into a time machine?" Amanda asked, stunned.

"Yeah, I did," replied Doc. "The DeLorean only seats two people, so I needed to create a bigger machine. Now, let's place your thumb on the screen - and we'll bring you back to your dimension. What day did you leave your reality?"

"It was probably around seven at night on April 21 of 2006," Amanda explained.

"We'll bring you back three days later, then," Doc suggested. "We could explain that I'm a friend of your mother's, and that I really think the two of you should be reunited. I'm sure your mother will back me up on this, as I would guess that she would like to see you again."

"Yeah, that might work," Marty explained. "My mother lives in southeastern Wisconsin, near Milwaukee."

"All right, then," Doc replied, "We can then go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin - and we'll see if we can locate where your mother is. Then we could help the two of you to be able to reunite."

"That sounds great, Doc," Amanda replied. "Thank you so much."

"Okay, let's all board the time machine, now," Doc suggested, "and I'll set the destination."

Amanda climbed into the back seat with Calvin, while Marty sat up front with Doc. Doc decided to drive over to Hill Valley Park, before he decided to hover and accelerate the time machine.

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

"All right, everyone," Doc warned, "brace yourselves for temporal displacement."

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

Coming Home

April 24, 2006
12:00 AM CDT
Real World Universe

"What did that ripple mean?" Amanda asked, stunned. "The ripple outside the windshield, I mean."

"I suppose that means we've succeeded in our mission," Doc said, smiling. "It appears that we have now reached your dimension. We are currently ascending at Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin."

"Why did we come here at midnight, though?" Amanda asked, confused. "Not many places will be open."

"We couldn't risk coming here at broad daylight," Doc explained. "We'll try to find a park where we can camp out. I brought along a few sleeping bags and blankets, and some pairs of pajamas for everyone. We should be all refreshed, when we wake up in the morning. Then we'll start searching for your mother. Her name should be in the phone book."

"Her name is Karen Faye Martini," Amanda explained. "Thank you so much for helping me, Doc."

"That's the least we could do for you, Amanda," Calvin said, smiling. "I really can't see any reason whatsoever for the state to forbid you to even have contact with your mother, when the two of you love each other. Granted, if she was abusive to you, then that would be different. It really sounds to me that your music was much nicer to you than your foster parents were. I know all about abusive parents, after all."

"Yeah, living with the rich and corrupt Biff Tannen can be such a living nightmare," Marty agreed. "I only knew him for a few hours, and that was bad enough for me. So I can understand what life for Calvin would've been like."

"That isn't a problem, Amanda," added Doc. "I made some tuna fish sandwiches for everyone, and I brought along some cans of Pepsi Free. I hope the three of you don't mind not having a full course supper tonight. We could have a big breakfast, tomorrow. How does that sound to you guys?"

"That sounds great, Doc," Amanda replied. "I can hardly believe that we're all going to bed so early tonight."

"It's currently ten minutes after midnight," Doc replied. "You think that's early, Amanda?"

"Well, it was only a little after four in the afternoon when we left 1986," Marty pointed out. "I'm quite sure that was what Amanda was referring to. After all, we didn't even have supper yet."

"Yeah, what's this you've said about thinking fourth dimensionally, Doc?" Amanda teased.

"Huh?" Doc asked, confused. "When did I say that? What do you mean, Amanda?"

"Oh, well, in the third movie from the Back to the Future series," Amanda explained, "you have lectured Marty twice about not thinking fourth dimensionally. Then again, I guess the events of that movie don't apply to you."

"Actually, he did lecture me about that a few times," Marty replied, blushing. "The very concept of time travel can be so confusing, sometimes I'm not even sure of what tense verbs I'm suppose to be using."

"Okay, I understand now," said Doc. "I made twenty sandwiches, so that should be enough for everyone."

"I think three will be enough for me," Amanda said, smiling, as he reached for three sandwiches.

"While the three of you are eating," Doc explained, "I'll set up came for all of us. We could all then hit the sack and grab some shut-eye. We need all the energy as possible, when we wake up tomorrow."

Amanda, Marty, and Calvin all nodded enthusiastically - as they began to eat their sandwiches.

oooooooooo

Marty stretched his arms sleepily, as he woke up late that morning. At first, he was rather confused about where he was - then he realized that they were camping out at a park. He felt somewhat disoriented, as he glanced around.

"What time is it?" mumbled Calvin. He then glanced at Marty, and added, "Oh, I can see that you're awake, also? Are you feeling a little nervous about the whole thing? I know I certainly am."

"Well, I do admit that I feel somewhat nervous," replied Marty, "but I'm rather certain Amanda is even more nervous than either of us. After all, we are back in her dimension."

"Are you talking about me?" Amanda asked, sleepily. "Where am I? I'm feeling a bit hungry."

"Oh, good," Doc said, as he walked into the tent where the teens were sleeping. "I'm so glad that you are all awake now. It's almost noon, so would you rather have breakfast or lunch?"

"I'm in the mood for lunch," Marty replied. "Maybe we could stop at Taco Bell. Considering that we had Italian food yesterday, I think I'm in the mood for something Mexican."

"I am thinking that we should just stop at a pay phone," Doc suggested, "and we could call information. So, Amanda, are you sure that your mother still lives in Wisconsin? If we could narrow it down to one state, that would help us out a lot. I mean, I don't want to be searching all day."

"She never really seemed like the type of person to leave the state," Amanda explained. "I always did tell her that I would be sure to look her up, as soon as I turned eighteen. I think she'll be really surprised to see me again."

"So did you say that your mother has a mental illness?" Marty asked. "It sounds a lot like they were discriminating against your mother, simply because she had a mental illness. Like I said before, I really don't see any reason why the two of you can't at least have contact with each other. It wasn't fair for the two of you to be separated."

"It's so nice to have all of you on my side," Amanda said, smiling gratefully. "I really hope that you will be able to convince the state to at least allow the two of us to have contact. Right now, I feel so angry at whoever it was that decided that the two of us should be separated. I will do my best to keep my temper in check, though."

"So exactly what illness does your mother have?" Calvin asked. "I hope you don't mind me asking."

"Well, she has schizophrenia," Amanda explained. "She also has diabetes and hypothyroidism. I really wonder what it was like for her, to not be able to see me within the last three years. I sometimes go through periods of time where I feel so depressed, because I miss my mother terribly. I really do want to see her again."

"I remember how I felt, when my dad died," Calvin said, with understanding. "I wasn't even five at the time - but I still missed him terribly, even when I was seventeen. So I really understand how it feels to lost a parent. I mean, it's not quite the same situation - as it's not like your mother died, and there was hope that you would be able to see her again. I mean, there never was any hope for me to see my dad again."

"Well, my foster parents were not quite like Biff Tannen," Amanda explained, "but they were still very repressive."

"Let's start putting all the camping gear away," Doc suggested, "and then I'll find a nice restaurant for all of us to eat at. I really don't feel like eating at Taco Bell. I'm in the mood for something a little more fancy."

"Sounds great, Doc," Marty replied. "I would like something a little more than just tacos. I could go for some BLTs and maybe some cottage cheese."

"Oh, I love BLTs!" Amanda gushed. "It's been awhile since I last had a BLT. Let's go."

Marty feel feeling cheerful, as he helped everyone else pack up the camping gear. He hoped that their plans to help reunite Amanda with her mother would go smoothly.

The Great Mission

April 24, 2006
1:00 PM CDT
Real World Universe

"I haven't seen any flying cars around," Marty said, stunned. "The waitress also gave us this strange look, when we asked if they took cash. I mean, I can distinctly remember that the Office Max in 2006 only took thumb credit, when you sent us to 2006 a few months ago to pick up some supplies for you."

"We don't have the, uh, the thumb system in this world," explained Amanda. "There are also no flying cars. Just how common were flying cars in 2006, in your reality? I'm pretty curious about that."

"I believe it was about half and half," explained Marty. "When Doc and I visited 2015, it appeared that about ninety percent of the population appeared to own hover-cars. It also appeared that very few houses had door knobs, as most of the houses used the thumb-activated plates."

"When we were in 2006," added Calvin, "it appeared that over half of the homes had thumb-activated plates. I wonder why the future of our reality is considerably different from yours."

"If I was to hazard a guess," Amanda said, quietly, "it might have something to do with the fact that the future of your world was portrayed in the second movie of the trilogy. Nobody can really predict the future, and it's also my understanding that the Bobs' portrayal of 2015 was meant as a joke. It never was intended to be viewed as a serious prediction of the future. They were basically poking fun at the pop culture of the 1980s."

"Well, I guess it makes sense," Doc said, sighing, "in the strange sort of way. It's still very hard trying to wrap my mind around the idea that we're just figments of someone's imagination in this world."

"I have another theory," Calvin suggested, as he spoke up. "Can it be possible that maybe you were also responsible for the futuristic inventions? That could be another explanation for why the 2006 in this world is vastly different from the 2006 in our world. This just might be something for you to consider."

"Why does it have to be me, though?" Doc asked, after a brief pause. "I would guess that there are maybe quite a few people from our reality, that don't exist in this reality. Perhaps, there are also people from this world who don't exist in ours. So there are a number of possibilities to consider."

"Do you think it's possible that I might not even have a counterpart in your world?" Amanda asked. "I didn't really think too much about that, until I actually did land in your world. There were certainly times when I really wanted to believe that Back to the Future was reality in another dimension, but I never expected that I would ever get the opportunity to visit this reality. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself, to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"Don't forget about how we must feel," Calvin pointed out, laughing. "I mean, I also thought of the idea that a few of the fictional stories that we read about or watch might be reality in another universe - but I am rather shocked to find out that we are actually the subject of a movie trilogy in this world."

"All right," Doc said, as he stood up, "why don't all of you just stay here, and I'll call information and find out where Amanda's mother lives. How well do you know your state geography, Amanda?"

"Well, I have a basic idea of where the major cities are," Amanda explained. "We could always look on a map, should there be any uncertainly. I really appreciate everything you're doing for me, Doc."

"It's my pleasure, Amanda," Doc replied, as he left the table.

"So you went to 2006 a few months ago?" Amanda asked, with curiosity. "Was it more like 1985 or 2015?"

"I would have to say it's a little closer to 2015," Marty replied. "We have seen a few pay-videophones, and we have also noticed that most of the houses had thumb-activated plates on them. It was very surreal to see that there were flying cars on the skyways above the land cars on the ground highways. We stopped at a grocery store, and there was a huge section that had hydrated food. At any rate, 2006 is only nine years before 2015."

"I have to say that 2006 in your world doesn't seem too different from 1986," Calvin added. "I mean, the car models are considerably different - but they are still land cars. What would you say the major changes were?"

"Well, I wasn't even born until November of 1988," Amanda pointed out, "but I think the major changes was mostly in things like fashion and computer technology. We have the internet, now - and things like cellphones, iPods, and MP3 players are common. We also have DVD players, and CDs no longer only play music. We have discs called CD-ROMs, that have computer programs and games on them. The CD-Recordables and CD-Rewritables have also taken the place of floppy disks, as they are capable of storing a lot more memory. DVDs look exactly like CDs, and they hold even more memory than CDs do. In fact, many computers today have hard drives that hold 80 gigabytes or more of memory."

"Gigabyte?" Marty asked, impressed. "Don't you mean jigabyte? I mean, that's how you pronounce jigawatt."

"Well, I never really heard it pronounced jigabyte," Amanda replied, "but I suppose some may pronounce it that way. As far as the word jigawatt goes, I think gigawatt if the more commonly accepted form of pronunciation."

"Oh, boy," Calvin said, smiling, "wait until Doc hears about this. So it looks like the futuristic advances in this world are mostly computer-related, eh?"

"Do you know if the internet existed in 2006 in your world?" Amanda asked. "I know that the boxes that Jennifer was laid on contained numerous discs, so some of them could have been CD-ROMS or DVDs."

"Actually, yeah, I think it does," Marty said, smiling. "In fact, Doc owns a computer with the Windows XP operating system - and he has a hard drive with 180 jigabytes of memory. Doc always pronounced it jigabyte."

"The music of this era also isn't as good," Amanda added. "Gangsta rap is a popular music form - and, well, when it comes to music, I began to wish that this was the 1980s. One show from the 1980s that I loved watching on reruns is a show called Family Ties. Alex P Keaton is also played by Michael J Fox - and I greatly admire Alex, even if I may not agree with his political views. He really cares about his family, a lot. You know, I haven't watched all of the episodes yet - and I'm really going into withdrawal. I would love to watch the episodes with Tracy Pollan in it."

"Your foster parents don't let you watch Family Ties?" Marty asked, shocked. "But it's such a clean family show! It would even be rated G! There's no violence or sex in it, or even swearing."

"Well, they don't have cable," Amanda replied. "I'm not sure if they'd be that crazy to not even allow Family Ties. I really miss having the freedom that I was allowed to have at my foster home prior to the last one."

"What's so special about Tracy Pollan?" Calvin asked, with curiosity. "Is she your favourite actress?"

"She actually becomes the real life wife of Michael J Fox," Amanda explained. "They will reunite in two years, when Michael will star in a movie called Bright Lights Big City. They end up marrying later that year."

"Whoa, this is heavy," breathed Marty. "I just realized that you shouldn't be telling us too much about the future. It sounds to me that the future of this world might share some similarities with the future of our world."

"Yeah, Marty is right," added Calvin. "We maybe should stop discussing the future. Doc should be back here soon. So are you feeling excited about the whole thing, Amanda?"

"Well, I'm excited and nervous at the same time," Amanda replied. "I'm quite worried that I might get yelled at for running away, and that I might be forced to go back to that foster home."

"Everything will be all right, Amanda," Calvin assured Amanda, as he gently squeezed her shoulder. "So don't worry! I see Doc coming back, now. I wonder what he found out."

"Okay, your mother lives in Hartford in this state," Doc explained. "Do you know where Hartford is?"

"Yeah, I do," replied Amanda. "It's in Washington County, to the northwest of Milwaukee."

"I called up your mother," Doc added, "and I explained to her that I would be trying to reunite the two of you. She was very thrilled to hear the news, and I told her we should be there in about two hours."

"Hey, this is so awesome!" Amanda exclaimed. "I can hardly wait to see her, again. Did you explain who you were?"

"I told her that I was a friend of yours," Doc explained, "and that you weren't happy at your foster home. Granted, she was a little concerned that she might get into trouble - but I told her that I would appeal to the court, and I explained that I was firmly on your side. She then sounded happy."

Amanda felt elated with the news, as she could hardly believe what was happening.

The Search Is Over

April 24, 2006
2:20 PM CDT
Real World Universe

"So are you feeling excited, Amanda?" Calvin asked, gently. "You seem awfully quiet."

"I guess I'm just a little nervous," Amanda said, quietly. "I mean, I have not seen my mother in three years now. It seems like a real dream come true. I still have a hard time believe that this is actually happening."

"We should be there in about ten minutes," commented Doc. "Everything will be all right, Amanda. Your mother seemed like a very nice person, when I spoke to her on the phone."

"I guess it's things like this that really reminds me that I should appreciate my family more," sighed Marty. "This really is not fair, Amanda. If you and your mother had a close relationship with each other, then they should allow the two of you to have contact with each other. So my heart really does go out to you, Amanda."

"I wonder what Paula and Gordy Lewis are doing right now," pondered Amanda. "I wonder if I'll have to at go back to that home to collect my belongings. As far as I'm concerned, I never want to step foot in that home again."

"I don't blame you, Amanda," Calvin replied. "I really have nothing against religious people in general, but I just don't understand why some people use their religion to oppress people. Besides, doesn't it say in the Bible that we should love one another - and treat other people the same way we would like to be treated?"

"It seems like a lot of Fundamentalist Christians prefer to interpret the Bible in a more legalistic manner," Marty said, grimacing. "I think it was totally wrong for them to punish you just for having different political views."

"I really don't understand why a lot of Fundies are so gung-ho on national pride," Amanda said, sighing. "I thought that the Bible said that pride was one of the seven deadly sins. Anyway, why should I be proud of being an American citizen? It's not like I chose to be born in this country. If I was born about two hundred miles to the north, then I would be a Canadian. Being proud to be an American makes about as much sense as being proud to be a brunette."

"Well, in all fairness," Doc replied, "I believe the people who extol the virtues of national pride are not so much saying that you should take pride in being an American citizen - but, rather, they really mean that you should take pride in what this country stands for. I do see what you mean, though. I agree with you that it's better to embrace global unity, and that national pride can be rather divisive."

"Right," Marty said, nodding. "While there are a lot of things that I love about this country, there are also other things about this country that I'm not real happy about. I personally have no desire to leave the country, but that doesn't mean that I believe this country is objectively number one. I think good and bad can be found in just about any given country. I agree that national pride is highly overrated."

"Having spent most of my life in a world where Biff Tannen practically ran this country," Calvin added, "I honestly can't say that I ever felt a major attachment to this country. I realize that I am not in that other world anymore, but I guess the fact that the US government had allowed themselves to be manipulated by Biff had placed a damper on how I feel about the overall federal government."

"Gee, I guess I never really thought of that before," Amanda said, sighing. "It does sound like you have had a very rough life, and maybe that's why the two of us can relate to each other so well."

"Well, we're in Hartford, now," Doc announced. "Now I just need to find your mother's place."

"I am really worried that I might eventually wake up," Amanda groaned, "and discover that this whole thing was just a dream. I mean, you guys are fictional characters from my perspective. I want so badly to believe that this really is happening, and that this is not just a dream."

"Should I pinch you?" Calvin asked, teasingly. "Maybe I should tickle you! How would you like that?"

Amanda burst out laughing, as Calvin began to tickle her on her sides and her belly.

"Oh, please, please, stop," Amanda begged, through helpless laughter. "This really tickles! You have to stop!"

"Nope!" Calvin said, smirking, as he continued to tickle Amanda. "I'll keep on tickling you until you are convinced that this is not a dream, and that we are real. Besides, you have such a cute laugh."

Amanda continued to giggle helplessly, as she tried to squrm away from Calvin's relentless fingers.

"Here we are," called out Doc, as pulled into a parking lot. "Here is the apartment where your mother lives!"

Amanda was breathing quite heavily, as Calvin finally stopped tickling her. She felt like she was in a daze, as she glanced around the parking lot. She was feeling a little jittery, as she stepped out of the station wagon.

Amanda followed to others to the apartment - and she was fidgeting very nervously, as Doc rang the buzzer. In a few minutes, she saw her mother walking down the steps. She blinked a few times, to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Amanda!" gushed Karen Martini, as she threw her arms around her daughter. "It's so good to see you again! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I missed you. Why don't we come upstairs? Grandma will very happy to see you again, too. The two of of us have been living together for the last four years."

"I missed you so much, Mother," Amanda said, as tears filled her eyes. "It is so good to see you again."

"Why don't all of you come upstairs?" Karen said, invitingly. "Your grandma made some tuna casserole. I'm sure that there should be enough for everybody."

Amanda began to skip up the stairs after her mother, as Doc and the twins followed her. As soon as everyone entered the apartment, Amanda could hear polka music playing from the stereo. She realized just how nice it felt to finally be able to see her mother and grandma again.

"Sweetheart!" called out Eleanor Martini, as she hugged her granddaughter. "So how are you doing? Your mom tells me that you weren't very happy at your last foster home."

"No, I really wasn't," Amanda said, sighing. "They punished me, because I disagreed with them."

"Well, that isn't right," Eleanor replied. "Why don't all of you hang up your jackets in the closet over there? The tuna casserole should be done very soon. We have some cans of Diet Pepsi, if you guys are thirsty."

"Thank you so much," replied Marty. "I certainly could go for a Diet Pepsi, right now."

"Yeah, I'm really thirsty, too," added Calvin. "It's been kind of a long day for us, you know."

"Yeah, my name is Emmett Green," replied Doc. "I decided to help Amanda reunite with you two again, when she was so unhappy at her foster home. Anyway, I will appeal to the state on your behalf."

"I hope you guys don't mind staying out here," Amanda said, "while I head into my mother's bedroom. We have so much catching up that we really need to do, you know."

"We understand, Amanda," Doc said, smiling warmly. "We'll be fine out here for awhile."

Amanda then skipped happily, as she followed her mother to her bedroom. Perhaps, dreams really can come true!

Fight For Parental Rights

April 26, 2006
10:30 AM CDT
Real World Universe

Amanda was in the living room with Marty and Calvin, when a buzzer was heard. Amanda felt very nervous, as she knew that she was going to have to face social services sooner or later.

"Everything will be all right, Amanda," Calvin said, as he gently sqeezed Amanda's shoulders. "We are on your side, and you are seventeen years old - so it's not like you're just a little child anymore."

"That is true," Amanda said, sighing, "but I am still legally considered a minor. I will fight this tooth and nail. I have just about had enough of the bullshit! I love my mother a lot, and I refuse to let us be separated, again!"

"Hey, Amanda," said Karen, as she walked into the apartment, "this is Lucy Conway. Do you remember her?"

"Uh, yeah, sort of," Amanda said, swallowing. Then, turning to Lucy, she asked, "So what did you come here for? Are you going to separate me from my mother again? I really love her a lot, and it's really not fair that I wasn't even allowed to see her within the last three years. I am sick of tired of being put in foster homes!"

"Well, listen, Amanda," Lucy said, gently, "I understand how you feel. I understand that you really wish to be able to see your mother again. I'm not sure that it would be in your best interest to live with her, though. I mean, she really is not in any condition to take care of you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Uh, no, I really do not understand," Amanda said, vehemently. "Look, I am seventeen years old - which means that I am almost an adult! I'm not a helpless little kid anymore! Let me tell you right now that I was very unhappy living with Paula and Gordy Lewis. I really wish to never see them again, and they can go screw themselves!"

"Paula Lewis did contact me three days ago," Lucy said, "and she did make it clear to me that she does not want you back in their home, so I guess the feeling is mutual. Do you really believe that running away was the best thing to do? I mean, you could have gotten seriously hurt. You did act in a rather childish manner."

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" Amanda asked, defensively. "I really didn't not want stay there and take my punishment for disagreeing with them. My social worker also told me I might have to stay there for awhile."

"Listen, Lucy," Calvin interjected, "I realize that this is probably not any of my business - but Amanda happens to be my friend, and I am very concerned about how she forced to live with foster parents who were emotionally abusive to her. She has made it clear that she wishes to live with her mother, so why can't she?"

"Well, she is still a minor," Lucy replied, "which means that she is still a ward of the state. As much as she says that she really wants to live with her mother, I am afraid that that is not her decision to make."

"Why not?" demanded Calvin. "She may be a minor, but she is still a human being - and she does have feelings. Don't you even care about how she feels? Besides, what about her mother? Her mother wants them to live together - and she is an adult, isn't she? Not that I believe that being a minor makes you any less of a person, but still."

"Well, uh," Lucy said, stunned, "I guess you are right. I will do whatever I can do to appeal on your behalf, but I really cannot make any promises. I do care about how you feel, and it is your life. Anyway, Amanda, I still believe that it was wrong for you to run away - but I do understand that you were unhappy living with the Lewises."

"So what's the plan?" Karen asked, sighing. "Even if it gets ruled that Amanda needs to be placed in foster care, I really would like to have to ability to have regular visitation with her. I really missed her so much over the last three years, and I do not want us to be separated again."

"I suppose she could stay with you until Monday next week," replied Lucy, "and, by then, we should be able to reach a final decision. I will make it clear that the two of you would really like to have visitation rights."

"Well, thanks for understanding where we're coming from," Karen replied. "I guess I'll hear from you Monday, then?"

"That's correct," replied Lucy. "Either way, we'll be collecting her belonging from the Lewises - and we will bring them over here. So I guess I'll be heading out here, now."

"Have a nice day, Lucy," said Karen, as she saw Lucy out the door.

oooooooooo

"So, Doc," asked Marty, "how long are we going to stay here? I mean, I really care about Amanda a lot - but I guess I'm starting to feel a little bit homesick. I'm starting to miss Jennifer, already."

"Well, I believe Amanda's social worker said that the plan should be finalized by Monday," replied Doc.

"But what if this doesn't work out, Doc?" Calvin asked, worriedly. "I really do feel for Amanda, and I hope they do allow Amanda to live with her mother again."

"Let's just wait until Monday first," Doc replied, "and then we'll see what happens."

"Why don't we just take the time machine forward in time to Monday?" suggested Marty. "This is a reunion for Amanda and her mother and grandmother - and this really doesn't concern us, does it? Don't you think they would like to be alone together for a few days? I'm afraid we're wearing out our welcome."

"Marty, she enjoys being around us," protested Calvin. "Anyway, I have become very fond of Amanda - and I will miss her, once we return to our own reality. You do seem a little antsy about returning home. Anyway, I really find this to be a nice break from school. This is probably safer than travelling through time, in fact."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Calvin," replied Marty. "I'm wondering if we should have just taken Jennifer with us."

"Just relax, Marty, okay?" suggested Calvin. "Amanda's grandmother is a really nice cook - and her mother is a very kind person. I can see why Amanda really loves her mother a lot. It wasn't fair for social services to separate the two of them like that, and I'm glad I was able to reason with Lucy."

"So would you two like to play a game?" asked Amanda, as she walked into the room. "My mother said that we can have pizza and breadsticks for supper tonight. How does that sound?"

"Are they all going to be plain cheese pizzas?" asked Doc, with uncertainty.

"Well, no," replied Amanda, "my mother and grandma like to have beef on their pizza. So we're ordering one that has beef on it, and another one that is plain cheese."

"Okay, that sounds good," replied Doc. "I don't understand how you could stand to have just cheese on your pizza."

"I dunno," replied Amanda, shrugging. "I guess that's just the way that I like it."

"We all just have different tastes, I guess," replied Calvin. "I sure could go for a Pepsi right now."

"I have to say," commented Amanda, "I really will miss you, after you leave."

"I'll really miss you, too, Amanda," replied Calvin, "but we could may stop by and visit you, occasionally."

"Now that sounds awesome," replied Amanda. "I wonder what the Bobs would say, if they ever found this out?"

"It's maybe best just not to tell them," Calvin said, laughing. "It might just freak them out."

Great News

May 1, 2006
12:30 PM CDT
Real World Universe

"Are you nervous, Amanda?" Calvin asked. "I notice you've been pacing back and forth all morning."

"Yeah, to say the least," replied Amanda. "I mean, what if they say that I can't live with my mother and grandma? I really do not have to go live in another foster home. Anyway, do you have any idea what it's like, to not have been allowed to have any contact with your mother for three years?"

"Well, I know what it's like to lose your father," Calvin replied, gently. "I guess you don't really have a father, do you? I mean, well, of course you do - but you never really knew him, I take it?"

"No, I really don't have any memories of my father," replied Amanda. "I have lots of really fond childhood memories of living with my mother and grandma, and I regret to say that I haven't always been the nicest to my mother. There have been times when I felt that it was my fault that I've been separated from my mother."

"There have been times when I've had regrets, with regards to my father," explained Calvin. "I have not always been a good little boy, nor have I always appreciated my father. It's really a case of, you tend to not realize what you have until it's gone. Although I have a father again, he's not quite the same father that I have childhood memories of spending time with. My early childhood may have been very similar to that of my counterpart, but it probably was not the same. I mean, the timeline did diverge on November 12 of 1955 - which was before I was born."

"Yeah, I really appreciate what you have gone through," Amanda said, softly, "and I understand that you've probably had an even worse upbringing than I have. There were times, however, when I kept promising that I would be a better girl - and that I would be nicer to my mother. I sometimes wish that I had fought a little harder to make sure that I didn't get separated from my mother. The last three years of my life have been really tough for me."

"Well, we've both had our rough times," replied Calvin. "You know, I really will miss you. Maybe we could come over from time to time, and see you. It probably won't be real often, though."

"I'll really miss you, too, Calvin," Amanda said, as she blinked back tears. "It's been wonderful spending the last week or so with you and Marty, and Doc. I don't believe I will ever be able to watch the Back to the Future trilogy in the same light, again. I mean, I often fantasized about what it would be like to meet you - but I never expected that this would ever really happen. Do you often get mistaken for Michael J Fox at home?"

"No, not usually," replied Calvin, smiling. "Marty and I are very well-known around town. Anyway, there does appear to be a very promising future for our rock band, The Pinheads. I'm quite glad that Marty and the other were able to make room in their band for a rhythm guitarist."

"You did mention that Doc had sent you to 2006 a few months ago," Amanda commented. "Were you ever able to find out if your band did end up becoming successful in the future?"

"Actually, no," Calvin replied, "because Doc gave us explicit instructions to not look up our futures. It was quite tempting to try to find out information, like if I ever ended up getting married - and to whom. We did run into Jennifer's older self, and she was with two young children named Marty Jr and Marlene. It appears that I have children in the future, too. Their names are Mike and Alex. I never was able find out who my future wife was, but I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much."

"I really wish you and I could be a couple," Amanda said, blushing. "I know Marty already has Jennifer - but you're still available. Well, in the trilogy, Doc met Clara Clayton a hundred years in the past - and they were still able to get married and have kids. I dunno. Maybe it is best that we stay in our own dimensions."

"Well, for right now, anyway," Calvin said, as he smiled a little. "I still have to finish up school, and..."

Just then, the telephone had rung, causing Amanda and Calvin to jump up nervously.

"I'll answer the phone," announced Karen, as she walked into the room. "It's probably Lucy Conway."

"Oh, boy, I'm real worried about she has to say," mumbled Amanda. "I do not want to go to another foster home."

"How are you guys doing?" asked Marty, as he walked into the room. "Hey, Amanda, relax a little, okay? I really did enjoy spending the last week with you. Although, I am starting to miss Jennifer and my family."

"Tell Jennifer that I said 'hi', okay?" Amanda asked, as she smiled a little. "I really love the way you and Calvin smile. You have the same adorable lopsided smile as Michael J Fox does. As much as I really do adore Michael J Fox, I think I like spending time with the two of you better. You're really good at things like riding a skateboard, and you play a mean game of Wild Gunman. Michael had to learn how to do both things, for the trilogy."

"I still have a hard time believing that my character was played by the great Michael J Fox," Marty replied. "There are quite a few people who have commented that I look a lot like Michael J Fox, but I never would have guessed that he would have played me in a movie trilogy. This is really heavy."

"I wonder what your future daughter, Marlene, would think of it," Amanda said, smiling. "I wonder if she might feel a little freaked out, if she could out that it was a male actor who played her."

"I think her voice would sound a little more feminine," Marty said, smiling. "It was a rather surreal experience to have watched the trilogy, and hear all the background music behind the rather intense scenes. Of course, it felt so surreal to watch the third movie - since nothing from the movie really happened to me. Maybe we could take a little vacation to the Old West, sometime. I wouldn't want to live there, though."

"Well, Doc could always go back in time to save Clara, if he really wanted to," Amanda suggested.

"Actually, I did suggest just that the other day," Marty replied. "He decided that love is not something that could be forced, though. It's something that you would have to allow to happen, naturally."

"Yeah, and I guess I need to be patient, too," Calvin added. "Anyway, even if I never do find my soulmate - I guess it's not the end of the world. Some people just are destined to remain single, I guess."

"I have some great news for you, Amanda!" Karen said, as she entered the room. "That was Lucy on the phone, and she told me that you could live with your grandma and I. Lucy should be arriving here in about an hour to drop off your belonging. I think this calls for a celebration!"

"This sounds wonderful," added Doc, as he entered the room. "Maybe we could go out for Italian food tonight. I'm so happy to hear that the three of you can live together. The twins and I better head home later tonight, though."

"You have all been great company," said Eleanor, as she entered the room. "I'll really miss you, when you leave. So you came here from California? I have a daughter to lives in California, with her granddaughter."

"Yeah, we're from California," replied Doc. "We live close to San Francisco. I wish you all the best of luck. I bet Amanda is really happy with the news, eh?"

"Oh, yes, for sure!" gushed Amanda. "This really is like a dream come true. I really will miss you guys, too."

"Well, we could always write," suggested Eleanor, "couldn't we? I would love to keep in touch with all of you."

Doc and the twins glanced at each other. "Of course," Doc replied, smiling. "I'll drop you a line. It's been really nice spending the last week in Wisconsin, but it'll be nice to go back to California."

"Yeah, I have a girlfriend at home," added Marty, "and I'm really starting to miss my own family. It is things like this that really makes you appreciate your own family. I am so happy for all of you."

Amanda had a great big smile on her face, as she threw her arms around Marty and Calvin.

Family Ties

April 22, 1986
4:30 PM PDT
BTTF Universe

"Whoa, Doc," Marty breathed, as soon as the time machine landed in Hill Valley of 1986, "it feel so good to be home again. I really will miss Amanda, though. I'm so happy that everything was able to work out for her."

"Yeah, we should probably head home soon," added Calvin, "and have dinner with our own family. It's been almost six months now, since I've left that nightmarish world known as Hell Valley."

"It really is nice having you for a twin," Marty said, softly. "You know, I used to worry that we might be fighting over Jennifer a lot - but that's really not a problem at all."

"Well, no, Jennifer is your girlfriend," Calvin replied. "Anyway, I believe our mother is going to make some tacos for us tonight. She really does make better tacos than taco bell does."

"I'll drop the two of you off at home, okay?" Doc said, smiling. "I'd better go have dinner with my family tonight, as well. Tabitha is a very wonderful cook, and it's wonderful how great Chris and I get along. Of course, our lives were identical - up until that fateful day in 1955. As I had said before, that point in time may inherently contain some sort of cosmic significance - almost as if it were the junction point for the entire space-time continuum."

"On the other hand, though," Marty reminded his friend, "it could just be an amazing coincidence."

"At any rate," Doc continued, "Chris and I are not exactly the same person. Many of the events that happened within the last thirty years have shaped our lives in different ways. On the other hand, it's nice to have a companion who thinks like me a lot of the time. I can imagine that the last ten years of his life in Hell Valley were awful."

"Just imagine what it was like for my poor mother," Calvin said, grimacing. "She was the one who was always subject to the abuse from Biff. I really only had to put up with his abuse, when I was home from boarding school."

"Here you go," announced Doc, as he pulled up in the parking lot of the McFlys' home. "So will you be stopping over a little later tonight?"

"Actually, I would like to spend some time with Jennifer tonight," replied Marty, "and we were also planning to get together with our band, so that we could do some rehearsing for our next album. I think we have a little tour lined up this summer. It looks like our band really does have a promising career."

"All right, then," Doc said, smiling, "I guess I'll be seeing you after school tomorrow, then."

"Right," replied Marty, as he threw his arms around Doc. "We just have some catching up to do, that's all."

"Have a nice night, Doc," added Calvin, as he threw his arms around Doc. "Our trip to Amanda's world have been such a nice vacation, but it's nice to be home again."

Marty and Calvin skipped excitedly into the house, as they were anxious to see their family again.

"Hello, boys!" Lorraine called out, cheerfully, as Marty and Calvin entered the house. "How was school today? So is Amanda back home again? I was really concerned about her last night, you know."

"Yeah, she's home again," replied Marty, smiling. Even though his mother knew about Doc's time machine, and that he and Calvin occasionally went on fourth-dimensional trips with Doc - they decided not to tell her about where Amanda really came from. The last thing his parents needed was to learn that they were characters in a movie trilogy.

"Those tacos smell really good, Mom," Calvin added, smiling. "So are Dave and Linda going to be home tonight?"

"I believe so," replied Lorraine, "I think it's great when we can all eat together as a family. So do you boys have any plans for tonight? Jennifer called just a little while ago. She's a really sweet girl."

"Yeah, we were going to take a long hike at Hill Valley Park tonight," replied Marty. "After we spend about an hour doing some recording for our next album at Zach's home."

"I can hardly wait for you to release your next album," Lorraine gushed. "It looks like the two of you might become famous someday, just like your father. It's nice to have some really talented people in our family, you know."

"Thanks, Mom," replied Marty, as he began to hug his mother. "It is rather hard to believe that we'll be graduating soon, and that we are almost eighteen. I'm not sure if I'm ready to be an adult, yet."

"I'm really not sure if I'm ready myself," added Calvin. "I mean, I haven't even been in this world for six months, yet. I always felt as if I was cheated out of having a real family, you know."

"Don't stress yourself out, Calvin, okay?" suggested Lorraine, as she hugged her son. "I understand how you've been through a lot. Just know that your father and I both love you dearly."

"Would you like me to set the table, Mom?" offered Marty. "Now it's six people eating here tonight?"

"That's correct," replied Lorraine. "Even if you kids are getting a little older, you will always be my children. I do sometimes get a little depressed, when I think of how my youngest children are almost eighteen. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was bathing you, powdering you up, and dressing you up."

"I'm not sure how similar your lives were, before your husband was shot on March 15 of 1973," Calvin said, as tears came to his eyes. "I still remember how sad I felt on the day that Dad was killed."

"Let's not worry about that anymore," Lorraine said, soothingly. "I hear Linda pulling into the driveway. We really don't want Dave and Linda to know all about your, uh, fourth-dimensional experience."

"Right, Mom," Calvin said, as he lifted up his head. "I guess I'll go help Marty set the table. You're such a great cook, you know that? So is Dad still at work?"

"Yeah, he is," replied Lorraine, as she looked at her watch, "but he should be home in about fifteen minutes. He is just about to wrap up his second novel. Isn't that great? I am so proud of your father. Gee, it is still so hard to believe that Calvin Klein was really you. I can't believe that I kept hitting on you, you know."

"Well, don't worry about it, Mom," Marty said, gently. "You couldn't really know about it. Anyway, I really do have to admit that I was a bit flattered that you had a crush on me - even if it did make me feel uneasy."

"Hi, everyone!" called out Linda, as she entered the house. "I can smell taco mix cooking. It really is nice to eat at home as a family. I apologize for come being here for dinner more often."

"Well, you are getting a little older," Lorraine said, wistfully. "I sometimes need to remind myself that you're no longer the same little girl who needed me to help you get dressed. You're far more independent, now."

"Believe it or not," Linda said, softly, "I sometimes miss being a kid myself."

Marty and Calvin smiled at each other, as they went to put the finishing touches on the dining room table.

The Gift

June 1, 2006
3:30 PM CDT
Real World Universe

Amanda had returned from school, and she was feeling very cheerful. She could barely believe that a whole month had passed, since the news came that she could live with her mother and grandma. She did find herself missing Marty and Calvin, though - as well as Doc Brown. It was pretty hard to not discuss this with anyone.

"I'm home!" called out Amanda, as she entered the apartment with her mother and grandma lived.

"How was school today, sweetheart?" Karen asked, as she threw her arms around her daughter. "I was thinking that we could maybe eat at Ponderosa tonight. How would you like that?"

"That would be wonderful," replied Amanda. "I really could go for a serloin steak. I've been making several friends at school, so that's great. I can hardly believe that school will be out really soon."

Just then, the buzzer had gone off. Amanda was pretty startled, as she wondered who it could be.

"Let's go downstairs," sugggested Karen, "and see who it is. Grandma should be home in about an hour. Then we could head over to Ponderosa."

Amanda was feeling a little nervous, as she followed her mother down the stairs. She then noticed the FedEx van was in the parking lot of their apartment complex.

"This is FedEx," explained the man, as he held a package. "Which one of you is Amanda Martini?"

"Uh, that would be me," replied Amanda, with some excitement in her voice. She wondered who had sent her a package.

"Okay, I need to sign here," the man said. "I have a package for you."

Amanda began to sign her name, as she was quite curious about what was inside the package. She wondered if it might be any of her former foster parents. She was certain that the Lewises would not send her anything.

"Here you go," the FedEx man said, as he handed Amanda the package. "Have a nice day, you two."

"Thank you," Amanda said, smiling. "You have a nice day, too."

"So who is it from, Amanda?" Karen asked, with curiosity.

"Uh, I'm not sure," Amanda replied, as she glanced at the package. "There is no return address on here. It might be from some of my former foster parents. It's probably not the Lewises, though. They seemed to not like me."

"You know," Karen said, softly, "the last three years really have been some of the longest years of my life. Emmett Green was such a wonderful man. Marty and Calvin McCoy were also two very wonderful young men. It's greatly amazing how much they really resembled Michael J Fox. I used to watch Family Ties a lot, back in the 1980s."

"I haven't seen every episode of Family Ties, yet," Amanda said, sighing. "Although I admire Michael J Fox a little better as Marty McFly - I really like him a lot as Alex P Keaton, too. I can't really imagine Alex on a skateboard, though. I think the two of them would get along great, though - if they ever met each other."

"Yeah, I think they would, too," replied Karen. "After all, they are both Michael J Fox."

Amanda had to smile at her mother's statement, then she realized that Michael J Fox did indeed use many of the same expressions with just about every character that he played. He was such a lovable actor, and it would be quite hard to imagine him in any roles as a villian.

Amanda headed over to her bedroom, as she carefully opened up the package that was inside. She was stunned when she saw that there was a book called A Match Made In Space by George McFly. There were also three cassette tapes by The Pinheads, which she knew was Marty's band. Then there was an envelope with a letter inside. Amanda carefully opened up the envelope, as she pulled out the letter that was inside.

"Dear Amanda," the letter said, as Amanda started to read. "I hope everything is going great for you. I figured you would enjoy the music that our band had recorded. We wrote a song dedicated to you - even though, of course, we did not tell the rest of the band who you really were. I'm sure you'll be able to guess which song it is.

"I think you will also enjoy reading the novel that our father wrote. It was inspired by the Darth Vader trick that I used on my father - and I'm afraid that, when I told him that I was behind the Darth Vader routine, it might have freaked him out a little bit. Anyway, my father is a very brilliant writer.

"It has been very nice spending time with you, and I'm very happy that everything worked out great for you. Anyway, we will always remember you with fond feelings - so I now wish you godspeed and happy trails. Take care.

"Your friends, Marty and Calvin McFly

"P.S. Doc told us to tell you that he says 'hi', too. He remembers you with fond feelings, though. Take care!"

Amanda then realized that she had tears in her eyes, as she was touched by what the letter said. She wondered which album by The Pinheads she should play first. She hoped that Marty's and Calvin's band would gain some international success in the world that they came from. He then wondered what their world would be like in 2006.

"Hey, sweetheart," called out Karen. "Are you about ready to go to Ponderosa? Grandma is home, now."

"I certainly am," replied Amanda, smiling. "The package was from my friends. I was thinking that we could listen to one of the tapes by their band, The Pinheads. They were, uh, inspired by Marty's band from Back to the Future."

"I really do enjoy that trilogy a lot," commented Karen. "I guess their parents were big fans of the trilogy, eh?"

"Yeah, I think they were," Amanda said, smiling. She, of course, couldn't tell her mother just who Marty and Calvin really were. "Yeah, I am feeling pretty hungry, right now."

Amanda glanced at one of the cassettes that she received, and she saw that Amanda was one of the song titles on the tape. She wondered if that song was maybe written about her. It was the first song on side one, in fact.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" asked Eleanor, as she threw her arms around Amanda. "It's so nice having you live with us, you know."

"I had a wonderful day," replied Amanda. "You know, it's so hard to believe that a month has passed, now. School is almost over, and we can do all kinds of fun things this summer. I really don't miss living on a farm at all."

"Yeah, I suppose there are all kinds of work that needs to be done on a farm," Eleanor commented. "Yeah, we could do a lot of swimming this summer. So, are you ready to head over to Ponderosa, now?"

Amanda and her mother glanced at each other, as they nodded. The last month did seem like one of the happiest months in her life. It was nice not to have to be placed in foster homes, anymore. It was all thanks to Dr. Emmett Brown, as well as Marty and Calvin McFly. They were wonderful friends indeed.