When the Clock Strikes Twelve

::7::

Doc looked up from the note in slight shock. Marty took his hat off and Rosie gave a confused look. Marty and Rosie then made eye contact with each other, giving a more knowing look. They walked the small way towards their friend, and Marty tossed his hat.

"Well, Doc, now we know who Clara is," Marty said. Doc moved the paper downwards, and looked at Marty.

"Marty. It's impossible. The idea that I could fall in love at first sight is romantic nonsense. There's no scientific rationale for that," Doc said, walking away.

"Aw, come on Doc," Rosie said. "It's not science. It happens."

"Yeah! You meet the right girl. It just hits you. It's like lightning," Marty said, lightly punching Rosie's arm, earning a smile as he moved around.

"Please don't say that!" Doc begged.

"That's the way it was with me and Rosie!" Marty called back, and Rosie blushed and giggled lightly at the comeback.

"Uh huh," Rosie said quietly, still embarrassed. Doc began to climb up a ladder.

"We couldn't keep our eyes off each other," Marty said, and Rosie lightly hit his shoulder.

"Martin McFly," she said, and he laughed, hugging her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder. Doc looked at them and smiled at the gesture of young love. He shook his head and moved down the ladder. Suddenly, steam began to flow out of one of his experiments.

   "Oh kids! Turn that valve over there. All the way to the right! Yeah! Pull it all the way around! Okay, let's go!" Doc exclaimed as the two began to follow the instructions. He pushed a lever and steam blew out the side. Along with it, so did an ice cube. He dropped it into a cup. "Iced tea?"

   "No thanks," the two said, laughing at the Doc's shenanigans.

   "It's a refrigerator," Marty said after further inspection of the device. Doc set the cup down and took the paper once again, ignoring the comment,

   "Well, I guess Miss Clayton will have to find other transportation," Doc said. "I never meet the woman, there's no possibility of a romantic infatuation, right?"

   "You're the Doc, Doc," Marty replied, stepping up the step.

   "Come on Doc. Aren't you just a little curious?" Rosie asked.

   "No," he replied without any further consideration, and changing the topic. "Alright! We'll get the DeLorean and get ourselves back to the future."

"We tore a hole in the gas tank when we were landing, so we're going to have to patch it up and get some gas," Marty said nonchalantly, not realizing that it was a problem. Doc stopped what he was doing and looked at Marty, who was adjusting his hat. Rosie looked between the two.

"You mean we're out of gas?" Doc asked.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. We got Mr. Fusion, right?" Marty asked.

   "Think about what year it is sweetheart," Rosie said, catching onto what Doc was getting at.

   "Mr. Fusion powers the time circuits and the flux capacitor, but the internal combustion engine runs on ordinary gasoline. It always has. There's not gonna be a gas station around here until sometime in the next century. Without gasoline, we can't get the DeLorean up to 88 miles per hour."

   "So what do we do?" Rosie asked nervously.

   "I'm not sure yet," Doc said. "Let's go."

   "Go where?" Marty asked.

   "To get the car," Doc replied. The three walked outside and hopped onto horses. The animals galloped as fast as they could across the dirt ridden town. They hooked the car to the back, and rode it like a sleigh.

"24!" Marty exclaimed, holding onto the rope.

"It's no use Marty! Even the fastest cars in the world won't run more than 35, 40 miles an hour," Doc replied.

"Well there's gotta be another way," Rosie replied, closing her eyes tightly when she felt dirt blowing towards their faces. They rode back to Doc's place and he popped a bottle of alcohol open.

"The bartender says that's the strongest stuff they got," Marty said as he and Rosie watched Doc funnel it into a car.

"Try it," Doc said to Rosie, who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"On it," she replied. She turned it on and they heard the engine attempting to work.

   "Give it more gas!" Doc exclaimed, before a puff of smoke left the back of the car. They watched in disappointment as Doc picked up an object. "Damn! It blew the fuel injection manifold. That's strong stuff alright. It'll take me a month to rebuild it."

   "A month! Doc, you're gonna get shot on Monday!" Rosie exclaimed, worrying about her friend.

   "I know! I know! I know!" Doc exclaimed. "I wish- wait. I've got it! We can simply roll it down a steep hill. No we'll never find a smooth enough surface. Unless- of course! Ice. We'll wait until winter, when the lake freezes over."

   "Winter? Doc, what are you talkin' about? Monday, it's three days away!" Marty said, shooting down the idea, and pacing.

   "Alright, alright. Let's think this thing through logically. We know it won't run under its own power. We know we can't pull it. But, if we can figure out a way to push it up to 88 miles an hour," Doc started to think. Before he could finish his thought, they heard a train whistle. They looked out the window and saw a large, black train crossing the tracks.

   "That's it!" Rosie exclaimed, pouring towards the window. The group walked over to the train, ready to question the conductor.

   "How fast can she go?" The conductor asked. "Why, I've had her up to 55 myself. I heard that Fearless Frank Fargo got one of these up to near seventy out past Verde Junction."

   "Sir. Do you think it's possible to get it up to ninety?" Rosie asked kindly.

   "Ha! Ninety? Tarnation, who's ever need to be in such a hurry?" The conductor said as they walked by the train.

   "Just a little bet the kids and I have that's all," Doc covered. "Theoretically speaking, could it be done?" Doc asked.

   "Well, I suppose, if you had a straight stretch of track with a level grade and you weren't haulin' no cars behind you, and if you could get the fire hot enough, and I'm talking about hotter than the blazes of hell and damnation itself. Then yes, it might be possible to get her up that fast," he explained.

   "Tell me, when's the next train come through here?" Doc asked.

   "Monday morning at 8:00."