This story was for a year the "official" meeting of the characters in my BTTF universe, but in January 2003 I came up with a better idea. That story is now the "official" meeting, but this story is still online for your enjoyment. It is no longer a part of my BTTF universe though, it is a stand alone story completely separate from the universe in my stories. So enjoy how they originally met in this story, and if you want to, click here to see how they really met! :-)

Doctor Emmett Brown woke up from his afternoon nap. Working on a time machine was hard work and he'd decided to take it easy this afternoon. Plus, it was time to feed Einstein.

Dr Brown got up and stretched. He walked over to his cupboard containing the dog food. Einstein yawned and walked over to be fed. Dr Brown smiled to himself. He'd only had Einstein for two weeks after his previous companion Newton had passed on, but already the pooch knew when his dinnertimes were.

Giving Einstein his dinner, Dr Brown went back to the sports car in his garage. The Hill Valley Telegraph for that day was inside. Dr Brown opened it. Inside was an advert. Part time job wanted. Contact 555-6348. Closing the paper, Doc smiled. He had to pay someone a visit.

The entire space-time continuum depended on it.

"Come on McFly, you're up!"

Half an hour earlier than Dr Brown had fed Einstein, Marty McFly walked over to the bat and picked it up.

"OK everyone, move in!" Douglas Needles called to his team, the opposing one. Everyone did so.

"Oh come on guys, is this really necessary?" Marty called. "I can batter up just as well as any of you lot."

"You're too small McFly, we need a chance to catch the ball." Needles' team laughed. Marty gritted his teeth.

I'll show them.

The pitcher pitched the ball.

"Strike one!"

"Strike two!"

"Strike three, you're out McFly."

Marty's team lost in the end. His team-mates blamed it on him. Marty decided to go home to get away from them. He decided he'd take the long way.

"Hey."

Marty turned round. A pretty girl was watching him. She smiled.

"I saw how they made fun of you back there, I think that's bad."

"Um, yeah, thanks Jennifer." She was Jennifer Parker, one of the girls at school. Marty had had a crush on her for a while but couldn't bring himself up to ask her out.

"Oh dear, you've got a bump on your head. Here, let me help you."

"Thanks."

"There we go, come on, do you live near here?"

"Actually, that house over there," smiled Marty.

Dr Brown was in his car, driving towards the supermarket. He hoped his plan would work.

28 years ago, to the day, he'd met a young man named Marty, who was from the future. He'd sent Marty back to 1985, now only 2 years away, but then Marty had come back. Dr Brown's future self was in 1885!

Dr Brown hoped that Marty had been able to save his future self. But in order for all that to happen, he had to meet the teen first.

"I'm sorry about that small lunch Marty, it's all I had. I must go to the store tomorrow."

"That's OK Doc."

Doc put the dishes in the sink and went back to Marty. "So Marty, how was your first night in 1955?"

"Normal, yet odd. So Doc, what's the plan to get my parents back together?"

Doc told Marty what he had to do. Marty listened carefully. Then afterwards Doc said:

"So Marty, how did we meet?"

"Pardon?"

"I need to know, so in the future I can still meet up with you and send you back in time. Otherwise we'll have a paradox."

"Oh, right. It was on November 5th 1983. I wanted a guitar, so I put an advert in the paper for a part time job. You saw it, accepted and that was that."

Doc wrote down the date. "November 5th 1983. What a coincidence."

"Yeah. Hey, can I see what's on TV?"

"Yes, but it's only got 1 channel. I really need to fix that thing." 

Dr Brown pulled up at a house.

"Stay there Einy," he said to his dog. Leaving the window open a bit so Einstein could breathe, he walked up to the front door. He knocked and waited, until a young girl, aged about 17, answered the door.

"Good evening Miss, I'm Dr Emmett Brown." The girl looked at him strangely.

"Linda, who is it?" called a voice, whom Dr Brown thought was Linda's mother.

"It's Dr Brown," called Linda. "He's at the door." Linda's mother came to the door and Linda went back inside to watch some more TV. Dr Brown stared at Mrs McFly for a split second. It was Lorraine! God, she'd changed a bit over the years since they'd met in his garage in 1955.

"Hello Mrs McFly, I'm Dr Emmett Brown. I've come to see your son, Marty. It's about that ad he put in the paper."

"Come this way, I'll go get him." Mrs McFly showed him into the sitting room. Inside were Linda and a boy who looked like her older brother. Also in the room but not watching TV was a man, who Dr Brown took to be George McFly. He was writing something.

"Here he is, Dr Brown."

Dr Brown turned around to see Mrs McFly with a young boy, aged 15 or so.

"Hello Marty. I'm Dr Emmett Brown. I saw your ad in the paper and thought you might like a job working for me. It'll involve you coming to my place 3 days a week to help me clean up and work on my inventions."

Marty looked at him.

"I'm willing to pay you $5 an hour. I also hear you play the guitar, and I have one at my lab with an amp which you can play."

Marty smiled.

"That sounds great Doc. I'll accept."

"Thanks Marty, you have no idea what this means to me."

"Marty!" called a girls voice upstairs.

"Excuse me," Marty said. "Jennifer's waiting upstairs."

So this is Jennifer, thought Doc as Marty went upstairs. He remembered Marty telling him about her in 1955.

"Can I offer you a drink Dr Brown?" asked Mrs McFly.

"Yes, thank you Mrs McFly."

"Lorraine. Coffee OK?"

When they were drinking their coffee, Lorraine started talking.

"Please excuse Marty. He met this sweet girl today and invited her over. Name's Jennifer. I have feelings about those two. Anyway Marty's been on at me for money to buy a guitar for ages. He's forming a band of some sort."

The Pinheads, thought Dr Brown.

"George - my husband - and I thought it would be a good idea if he got a job. It'll help him when he's older. You know, I never expected you to offer him one. I mean, no offence of course, but what with you knowing Calvin Klein, and Marty looking a bit like him, well, what a coincidence, huh? Ha ha ha!"

Lorraine took another sip.

"So how is Calvin anyway?"

Meanwhile, upstairs, Marty had told Jennifer about his new job.

"Marty, are you serious? Dr Brown - I've heard things about him."

"Yeah I heard them too, but he seemed kinda nice and he's offering good money Plus he has an amp!"

"I don't know Marty, think it over."

"There's no harm in giving it a try. Anyway, you hungry? Mom's making pasta."

Marty had settled down with his job with Doc, as he'd started to call Dr Brown. Doc paid him the $5 an hour, and Marty worked Tuesdays and Fridays after school for a few hours and Saturday afternoons.

Marty's life was going great. He and his friends had decided to call their band the Pinheads and their music was improving. Plus there was Jennifer. She and Marty were becoming very friendly. Marty had introduced her to Doc and when she got to know him she thought he was OK. Sometimes she came along to help too, but today she was at the cinema with her parents and it was just Marty and Doc.

"Well Marty, I think you've done a good job today. Here you go."

"Thanks Doc."

"You're welcome."

"Hey Doc, can I borrow a few of your records. My band want to play something different but can't decided what."

"OK, let's have a look." Doc got his collection out and put it on the table. Whilst doing so, he knocked a book over which fell open. It was a diary, open on October 22nd 1983. Marty noticed that each day had a countdown. This day said "2 years, 4 days."

"Hey Doc, what's this?"

"Oh nothing, just some.....big family party on that day." Doc took the book and hid it. Then to Marty, he said, "Oh, how about this one? This one by Huey Lewis and the News."

"Yeah, can't be good. I mean, what good group has a guy named Huey in it? Next you'll be telling me they'll be singing on the soundtrack to a blockbuster movie with 2 sequels!" chuckled Marty.

"Oh, what about this?" asked Doc. "Johnny Be Goode? It has lots of chords in it."

"Sounds great Doc, thanks."

"See you tomorrow Marty." Marty left and Doc got into his van and drove off. He'd rented a garage on the outskirts of Hill Valley. It was here that history was being created.

Marty had to walk home. It wasn't far, but it was a bit cold. He wished he'd thought of asking Doc for a lift. Marty decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway. It was lit up so he didn't have to worry about muggers or anything.

But he did have to worry about Needles. For Needles and his gang entered the alley through the other end. They met in the middle.

"Hey, it's the big M! How's it hanging McFly?"

"Hey Needles."

"Where are you off to?"

"Home. You?"

"Off to Dr Brown's place. We're going to throw stuff through his windows. He's weird, he deserves it." Then in a taunting tone, "Oh wait, he's your little friend, isn't he?"

"Uh, yeah...."

"Now I know he's weird, hanging out with you. Hey McFly," Needles said, turning to his gang and winking at them. "Wanna come with us?"

"No thanks."

"What's the matter, chicken?"

The familiar phrase struck through Marty. Needles smirked to himself. He knew he had Marty just where he wanted him.

"Nobody calls me chicken, Needles, nobody!"

"All right then - prove it."

"All right Needles," sighed Marty reluctantly, "I'm in."

"Go on McFly, just throw the brick," said Needles.

"I don't think this is a good idea," said Marty. But Needles just starting making chicken sounds, and his gang did the same. Marty picked up the brick and threw it at Doc's window.

Forgive me Doc, he thought as it smashed the glass. Needles and his gang laughed and cheered.

"Nice one McFly. See ya tomorrow."

They walked off, laughing. Marty went home, but didn't feel like laughing.

"Sorry I'm late Doc!" called Marty as he walked slowly into the lab. Silence. "Doc?"

"Out back Marty."

Marty went around the back to see Doc looking at the broken window. It was taped up to cover the hole. "Ah Marty! Look at this! Some thug threw a brick through my window. I found it last night when I came home. I taped up the hole, and the glazier's coming round at lunchtime to fix it."

"That's bad, Doc." Marty didn't look up at him.

"Oh well, best get to work. I don't know who would do this to me. I mean, I know I don't have many friends, except you Marty, but I didn't think I had an enemy."

Marty sighed to himself as Doc referred to him as his friend. The Doc really liked him, and Marty had repaid him with this. Marty felt awful.

That night, at home, he hardly ate his dinner.

"Marty, are you OK?" asked George. "I know my cooking's not as good as Mom's, but still that's no reason to be grumpy!" He chuckled at his joke.

The 'phone rang and Linda answered. "Dad, it's Mom, she says she'll be late home due to traffic." Lorraine was visiting her sister Sally. Sally's boyfriend had left her and she was upset.

"Hand her over," said George. After speaking to his wife for a minute or so he said goodbye and hung up. Then he turned to Marty.

"Dad," asked Marty, "If I did something bad and no-one knew it was me, is it wise to confess? Or should I - I mean my friend, Michael, he's in a problem like this - just stay down and shut up, because he got away with it?"

"Well Marty," replied George. "If I were you - Michael - I'd sure feel pretty guilty. So I would confess. I might get in trouble, but it would be better than feeling guilty for the rest of my life. I mean, take your Aunt Sally. She's probably feeling guilty over her break-up - 'what did I do wrong' etc. But your mom's helping her, because by talking about it it makes things better. So Mike should go and talk to the person he did the bad thing against and confess."

"You think so, Dad?"

"Yes. That was one of the many things Calvin Klein taught me. Hey, next time you see Dr Brown, ask about him, OK?"

"Uh, right."

Marty crept around Doc's garage. He was making sure Doc wasn't around. He'd told his dad he was going to Jennifer's because he'd left his wallet there, and had come here on a mission.

He put something in the mailbox and walked off.

"Come on Marty, you're going to be late," called Lorraine. "Hurry up! Linda's ready to go!"

Oh, if only he was like Dave and didn't have to go to school. Dave had just started a job in an office and that didn't begin until 10 for some reason. He and Linda still had to go to school. It was Linda's last year at school and soon he'd be going to Hill Valley High instead.

Outside, they waited for the bus. Some of Linda's friends came over and they all ignored Marty. Marty started thinking. He hoped Doc had got what he'd been sent.

"Marty?"

Marty turned around. It was Doc. "Doc! Ur, um....."

"I think you have some explaining to do." Doc produced a note. It was what Marty had pushed through the mailbox yesterday evening. It read "Dear Dr Brown, I was the one who smashed your window. The bully made me do it, and I didn't mean to do it. I know this is no excuse and I fully regret the action. Here's some money to pay for the damage. I'll understand if I'm fired. Once again, I'm sorry. Yours, Martin McFly."

"I'm sorry Doc," said Marty, and he told the story of Needles. "I didn't know how to tell you. So I left you a note. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Wait, Marty," said Doc. "What you did was wrong and I will be docking your pay for repair bills. But I'm not going to fire you. I've become quite fond of you over the past few weeks and you're good company. I an see you're sorry, so we'll let it rest. You're on no pay until I've got the repair bill sorted, and then we'll forget about all this, OK?"

"Thanks Doc," smiled Marty.

"One thing though, this thing you have about being called chicken," said Doc. "It's a shame that....."

"Marty!" called Linda, "your bus is here!"

"Sorry Doc, gotta go," called Marty as he ran to the bus.

Doc watched him leave and then thought to himself. I mustn't tell Marty not to react, he thought. He'll have to find out for himself once he gets time travelling.....

Lunch! Marty thought. He was hungry. As he went to the cafeteria, he saw Needles.

"Uh oh."

"Hey McFly," called Needles,

"Hey Needles!"

"Nice throw McFly, smashed the window good! I always said Doc Brown was a nutcase."

Marty turned to him angrily.

"No, he's not Needles, he's a great man! His inventions are fab, useful, and he's a great friend too!"

Needles tried not to look surprised, even though he was.. "Come on," he turned to his gang. "Let's go. McFly's not worth it." And off they went.

"Well done Marty," said a voice. Marty turned around. "Jennifer!"

"I saw the whole thing," she said. "What did Needles mean about a smash though?"

"Come here and I'll tell you."

That evening, at Doc's, Marty told Doc what had happened.

"Good for you Marty," Doc replied. "Now, I need you to sort out those papers over there. I have a bit of electronics to do. I can't be disturbed. If I'm not out by 5, could you feed Einstein?"

"Sure Doc."

Doc went into a back room and locked the door. He opened a drawer and got a out a small box. On the front were 3 LED displays. Doc took a small piece of tape and taped on a piece of paper underneath each LED. Then he wrote, in order, Destination Time, Present Time, Last Time Departed.....

Last Revised: June 4th 2004

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