Cousin's in Time: Part III

Ch 13

September 7, 1885

8:02 a.m.

Doc's POV

Annie and I were forced to where Tannen was.

He pointed a gun at me and slurred, "Time for you to meet your maker, blacksmith."

Annie looked horrified, as she knew this was going to happen.

She yelled, "No!"

Tannen ignored her and got his gun ready. I closed my eyes and braced for the worst. Just then, a male voice captured my attention.

The voice yelled, "I told you to leave my friends and family alone!"

I opened my eyes and saw Marty in the middle of the street. What was he doing?

Tannen turned to him and said, "This don't concern you, runt."

Marty shot him a look and responded, "When you threaten my friends and family, it concerns me. Now, let them go!"

Tannen shot him a look and said, "No way. Draw!"

Marty shook his head and responded, "No! I thought we could settle this like men!"

Tannen smirked and responded, "You thought wrong, dude."

At that moment, he shot Marty. Time around me came to a screeching halt. Annie was frozen like she was when the terrorists shot me back in 1985. Tears came from her eyes as they did with me. Horrified, I pull away from the gang members holding me and stare. No. It can't be. It...it simply can't be. Marty can't be dead. He can't be. Not after all this. Not after all we've been through together. I turned to Annie who was in a world of hell.

She muttered, crying, "He...he...You can't be dead, Marty, for the love of God don't be dead! I've already lost my mom and I can't lose you too! I...I love you."

My heart fell. Annie truly loved him and she didn't deserve this. I felt so responsible for this. God damn it, why did I ever have to invent that infernal time machine! I lost my best friend and my girlfriend all on the same day. Marty could've run but he decided to save us. I was in hell like Annie but it was ten times worst. I felt responsible for what had happened. I should've returned to the campsite instead of going to the bar. Damn, why did I have to act so stupid? I felt like I was the one who shot him. Buford's swaggering up to him, grinning and bowing at the crowd. The rest of the townspeople follow him at a distance, eyes fixed on the body.

Suddenly, my rage-induced paralysis breaks. I want to run and get that son of a bitch, but his filthy gang grabs me again before I can. I struggle a bit, but they're a lot stronger than me, even with my rejuvenation that the future Annie gave me and eight months of blacksmith work. Damn, if only I'd been able to act sooner! I can't get over how proud he is that he took some teenager's life. He's absolutely thrilled with himself. I wonder if the Biff of 1985-A felt like that when he shot George McFly. Probably. My rage builds. If I could only to get to you, Mad Dog, I'd...Wait a minute. Something's wrong. Buford suddenly looks suspicious.

He's cocking his gun again. But we all saw the bullet hit! Marty got shot directly in the chest! Why is he...? Marty's foot abruptly comes up and kicks the gun right out of Buford's hand. My heart leaps and apparently Annie's does as well. Marty's alive! Alive! But how? A moment later, the mystery is solved as Marty reveals the stove door he hid under his tunic. I grin to myself and Annie grinned as well.

We both knew Marty was clever. We both watch with a much lighter heart as Marty soundly thrashes Buford, ending with the teen punching him straight into a nearby wagon of manure. Just what the bastard deserves. Like ancestor, like descendant! Or should that be like descendant, like ancestor? Annie was grinning from ear-to-ear, glad to see that her boyfriend/cousin/best friend was alright.

She shouted, "Nice left hook, Clint!"

Moments later, the sheriff's deputy rides up, along with a few other officers.

I hear one of the gang members holding me say, "You know what I think?" The others make noises indicating they don't. "I think Buford's going to jail."

And just like that, they're off. Annie and I manage to trip the one closest to us, sending him sprawling. He's back on his feet in a second, but it felt good anyway. A satisfied grin crosses my face and Annie as we see the officers take off after the gang. At least now they'll face justice, the cowards. Another officer hauls Buford Tannen out of the manure. The deputy scowls at him.

"Buford Tannen, you're under arrest for robbing the Pine City Stage," he says, making sure to keep his shotgun on the desperado, "Do you have anything to say?"

Buford opens his mouth and spits out a chunk of manure. Annie and I couldn't help but make a face…how disgusting.

"I hate manure," Buford mutters.

Annie and I shove our way through the crowd to Marty's side. He's cooling his fists, but he spares us a quick smile as we watch Buford get taken away. Annie feverishly hugged him.

She whispered, "I thought I lost you, Marty. God, I'm glad that you're alright."

Marty smiled as she let go of him and responded, "Geese, you really don't trust me, don't you?"

Annie shot him a look and responded, "Not when you go up against Mad Dog Tannen."

I smiled at the two and it's even better when I notice something else. During the fight, Marty punched Buford into a tombstone sitting in front of the cabinet maker's and undertaker's, breaking it in two. And now that the excitement's over, I realize that it's the exact same tombstone that was in Annie's picture!

"Look," I say, pointing it out to the two of them.

Annie whips out the picture. As we watch, the tombstone fades away into nothingness.

"Yes," We say in unison.

Finally, we can be sure we'll survive to reach 1985! Speaking of which, our heads jerk back up as we hear a train whistle in the distance.

"The train," We said in unison.

"Can we make it," Marty asks me worriedly.

Annie stuffed the photograph back in her pocket. I frown, mentally following the line of tracks.

I answered, "We'll have to cut them off at Coyote Pass."

It'll be close, but as long as our horses don't give out, we should make it.

Annie smiled and responded, "Then, what the hell are waiting for? Let's catch that train!"

We mounted on our horses as I thanked Marty and Annie in my mind for being my best friends for the past four years. I was relieved that Marty was no longer worried about anyone calling him a name and that he was alive.

Annie yelled, as we rode off, "How did you come up with the idea of the stove door as a bullet proof vest?"

Marty yelled back, "Simple! I got the idea from Doc when he got shot by the terrorists and the real Clint Eastwood in 'A Fist Full of Dollars' Biff in 1985-A was watching!"

I yelled, smiling, "We always knew you were clever, Marty! Are you two ready to borrow a train?"

Annie yelled, "Yeah, of course!"

Marty yelled, "We're always ready to break the law!"

I smiled even more now as caught up to the train. As long as I had these two in my life, I was happy. Truth be told, I did wish I had someone to share it with like Marty did with Annie.

…

Wishmaker1028: Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!